Hey Cinderella!

Ally is obsessed with Cinderella. We play Cinderella, she dresses up as Cinderella, we watch Cinderella, we read about Cinderella, I tell stories about Cinderella, we sing songs about Cinderella, we dream about Cinderella.  Today as we were playing Cinderella Barbies, I grabbed my camera to document the story line Ally created for her Barbies...here's how it goes...

Cinderella lives in the Barbie house with her "Magic" stepsisters, as Ally calls them.  Sometimes the stepsisters are nice, but when it is time to go to the Ball, they turn mean.  Sounds about right.  Here's how it went down this morning during our playtime, this is entirely made up by Ally!

The Barbie in the swimsuit, back left is the girl babysitter. Apparently Cinderella had a baby a long time ago, before she met the Prince. The Barbie next to the girl babysitter is the boy babysitter. I asked Ally why there was a boy and a girl babysitter, she said that's just how it is. This coming from a girl who has never actually had a babysitter other than her Grandparents. Moving on, The Tangled Barbie in the purple dress is one of the "Magic" stepsisters. We know this because she has shoes on. The Barbie in the pink dress is another "Magic" Stepsister. This is the one who always tells Cinderella she can not go to the Ball, and rips her dress.  The Barbie next to the one in the pink dress is Cinderella's baby. I can see the resemblance.  The next in line is another "Magic" stepsister. Because two stepsisters ruining Cinderella's life were not enough.  Finally the Barbie in the bikini sitting in front is The Prince himself.  The Prince had to be wearing the pink high heal shoes, because he's a Prince, and the shoes match his swimsuit. I think it's time to buy Ally a Ken doll. And Cinderella is front a center. 

So we play out the whole Cinderella story...a condensed version, but always filled with alot of drama!  Then today Ally tells me that Cinderella and the Prince are going dancing and the babysitters are going to stay with the baby.  Here is a picture of the happy couple just before their date.

What a lovely twosome!  I ask why they are going dancing, Ally says because that's what mommies and daddies do when they go out and get a babysitter.  Not sure where she is getting her information, but I am pretty sure The Duke has never taken me dancing!  But rock on Prince and Cinderella!

So after all the dancing and princess shenanigans Ally decided it was time that SHE be Cinderella. Which means I am the Prince and the "Magic" stepsisters.  Oh what fun...

But how can you resist this face :)

Holy Toledo Batman!

Watching my babies play this morning I couldn't believe how fast time has flown by this year.  In just a few short months my baby boy, will be turning one. One. Wow! It feels like just a few months ago that I woke up having found my water broke at 2am, so excited for labor to FINALLY be starting! Calling my sister-in-law/Doula to come over to help me during my contractions at home, so excited yet incredibly nervous to be heading to the hospital for the adventure/amazing experience that is child birth.  It feels like just yesterday that they placed him in my arms and I noticed right away how he looked so much like his Daddy. 

How in one instant our lives changed.  We were no longer a family of three.  I was now a Mother of two.  The Duke was a Father of two. And my little girl became a Big Sister.  In this past year we have had some incredible highs! First smiles, first giggles, first roll over, first time being peed on by an out of control fire hose (it happened more than once, you'd think I'd be a little quicker with the diaper change), first crawls, and even first steps!  We have also had some lows...difficulty adjusting to two little ones to share my time with, difficulty breastfeeding, less sleep, no sleep!  I have watched Ally battle through her jealousy and become a great big sister, always so eager to help steer her Bubs as she calls him, in the right direction, which is usually where she wants him to go! 

Don't get me wrong, she still gets jealous of her little brother, she is after all a princess who needs full attention 24/7, but we are learning, together, how to handle it.

And I have watched my little 7 pound baby transform into a walking, laughing, growling, destructive little boy. 

I can not imagine my life any different! Ok, I lie...sometimes in the wee hours of the night I imagine I'm sitting on a beach somewhere drinking a margarita with not a soul in sight, but I always come back to my reality and hold my babies tight and thank God for where I am today!  Even if it does mean haven't peed alone or taken a shower without a little one coming in to talk to me in the past year...it's just all part of this crazy journey of motherhood!

Say What!?

Well hello there party people. No your eyes are not playing tricks on you.  June Cleaver is back!  I've been on hiatus.  I've had a severe case of bloggers block.  I've been stuck under a rock and couldn't get to my computer.  ok, ok...in all reality I've been lazy.  Or the opposite of lazy and extremely busy chasing around my two little peanuts and whenever I do have free time it usually involves a glass of wine and a TV remote.  BUT, all excuses aside. It's a new year and I've made a resolution to be a better blogger (along with being better at other things, but we will get into that later.)  I can not promise you that I will blog every day...but once a week sounds reasonable. Unless the powers that be, in this case, Ally and Jack, let me have a few seconds of free time and I can post two times a week.  But let's just see what the new year brings!

In the past year...in no specific order...I have

-given birth to a beautiful baby boy, Jackson...He is pretty awesome
-watched my little bit of a thing Ally become a funny, ornery, feisty, opinionated, smart little girl and go off to  preschool!
-have vacuumed my house 947 times.
-milked a goat
-found happiness in the bottom of a wine bottle :)
-begged and begged The Duke for a mini van, got a mini van, discovered I'm not really a mini van kind of gal.
-watched countless hours of cartoons, played countless rounds of Candy Land and Hi Ho Cherry-O and  listened to countless hours of Songs of America sung by kids
-discovered even more happiness in a wine bottle :)
-prayed...a lot
-got a smart phone, and yes, it does make me smarter
-rearranged my furniture and redecorated my home 12 times
-got bangs
-remembered why I grew my bangs out
-loved....a lot

I'm sure I did a few other things...but lets save some for more posts!

Peace out peeps! And Cheers! Now where is my wine glass???