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???

Parenting with Love and Laughter...

And the hope that one day in the near future I will be able to indulge in a large glass of wine!

I bet you all thought I was lost at sea, or had gone mad, or just plain forgot how to type. Fear not, for I am here.  I have finally put down the head size maple glazed cinnamon roll* long enough to think up a new blog post!  I know your happy.  Now stop cheering and read.

*I hope my Doula** is not reading this but since she is my sister in law and huge fan of mine she most likely is...so in that case the head size maple glaze cinnamon roll has 40 grams of protein in it and is equivalent to 32 ounces of water.  My figures may be off a bit. And I only eat them while practicing my squat position or doing prenatal yoga.  I'm sure there is truth in there somewhere.  Maybe.

**For those of you who don't know what a Doula is she's my labor couch, and birth class instructor. Since The Duke spent Ally's birth texting my progress to family members I decided I might need a bit more support this time around.  Here is her website for more info... http://www.intrinsicbirthing.com

Ok, enough with the Astrix and on to the meat of the post.  Parenting with Love and Laughter. It's a parenting book.  It should be titled, Parenting with Love and Laughter, and a stocked Wine Rack.  Ally gives me plenty of reasons to love her, and lots of opportunity to laugh, both at her and with her.  Every day is a blessing, it truly is, but my goodness is every day a challenge too!  I've said it before, I'm saying it again.  Three is not an easy age.  I know there are some parents who say differently.  They are lying.  Maybe it's my hormones.  In the course of 5 minutes I can go from yelling, to crying because I yelled, to showering my little turd with kisses. Pretty sure she thinks I'm a lunatic.  I know alcohol is not the answer, but oh how it would be a perfect end to a very long day if I could have just one bottle, I mean, glass of wine. 

Baby boy Duke is due in 2 months.  And I know that in two months things are just going to get easier. Ally will suddenly start to listen better, be a great helper, sleep without fuss or fight, and the whining will automatically stop.  The baby will sleep through the night from day one and will be perfectly happy and healthy.  And if I believe any of this then I truly am a lunatic.  Truth is  I know things are not going to get easier, but it is those moments of love and laughter that get me through the moments when I want to scream. Or run far far away and join a traveling circus.

On a side note...I'm gearing up for a natural birth, but I wonder if an IV drip of red wine is acceptable?  Red wine because it's better for your heart.  See, I'm health conscience.

One of those moments of extreme love and laughter!

Just saying...

Being sick stinks.  Being sick while pregnant stinks even more.  I never realized that I was addicted to NyQuil when I had a cold until I couldn't have it, And tylenol just isn't doing the job.  This is what my nightstand looks like...

I cleaned up the snotty kleenex for the picture.  I ran out of kleenex at 2:35 this morning. I wept. Toilet paper is not soft like kleenex.  I've had the jar of Vicks Vapor Rub for 10 years.  Not kidding. It's moved with me 3 or 4 times.  The Bible is for when I'm awake at 2am and praying to God that he will clear my nose and let me sleep.

Just a few randoms...


Don't you hate it when you have a nice big glass of ice water and a clean shirt on, you take a drink and the ice gets in the way and makes the water splash all over your nice clean shirt.  I hate that. I hate it even more when the water is replaced with pop and the clean shirt is white. Man that really stinks.

I also hate when I realize I have eaten the entire fun size pack of 3 Musketeers bars I just bought yesterday. 

Then I realize I'm pregnant and the baby is hungry and craving chocolate so it's ok.

I DO NOT hate this picture...

My baby teaching my baby to use a laptop.  

Or this picture...

My daddy (yes, I still call him daddy) and my baby at Disney on Ice.  She loves her Papa, and oh does her Papa love her!

Final thought...

I planned to have my mother in law pick up Ally tonight so I can surprise The Duke with a romantic evening, just the two of us.  Let your minds wonder where they will.  Since our nights have been filled with sweatpants (me), tv, and a demanding but loveable 3 year old I thought we could use some time alone.  I want to look pretty when he comes home from work, but being sick I will actually probably look like this...

At least I have better hair than this lady.  Unfortunately the red nose will be accurate.  Here's hoping for a good evening!

Catch you on the flip side :)

Just a few things that make me smile...

Burlap makes a pretty nice wreath, who would have thought.  I made this one up yesterday.  I would like to experiment with different bows and such.  The Duke thinks I should sell them...any takers?

Tiny little glue gun and abnormally large glue stick.  It just makes me laugh.  I'm probably the only one.

Baby clothes, baby bedding, baby decor. I'm obsessed with baby stuff.  I have purchased enough clothes to last him until his 16th birthday.  All on sale of course.  The pile is starting to take over the room, yet I can't seem to talk The Duke into getting the room ready yet.  Does he not know the baby will be here in 17 weeks!  Let's get the ball rolling dude!

Ally had a sleepover last week, which was all fun and games until the actual sleep part.  Here she is with her buddy Harper. They are so stinking cute together. Right after this picture Ally tried to steal Harper's doll, but let's savor the innocence for a moment.

The first snow of the year was a welcome surprise in our house!  Ally was ready to play outside at 7am, so we bundled up and headed out.  This is her first snowman, she was hugging him and talking to him.  It was not fun when she looked outside later in the afternoon and he had melted.  Hopefully there won't be therapy in her future.

     

Ally playing dead.  She's actually trying to make a snow angel, but the snow was too hard and wet.  She could have laid there all day if I let her. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Traditions - We all have them

Most of my favorite traditions center around my family during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Thanksgiving night us Wandell's would start our countdown to Christmas with our first Christmas movie of the season...Holiday Inn.  It is not a movie about the popular hotel chain. It's a wonderful black and white movie with Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.  Most of our holiday movies include Bing Crosby.  The first time The Duke watched this movie with us, he admited to me he didn't understand why we would all laugh at spots he didn't think were funny.  He doesn't get it, and for that reason he is now excluded from our family tradition.  Just kidding.  The day after Thanksgiving we set up the Christmas tree.  Always colored lights, never white.  And always and angel on top and not a star.  Changing any of this would greatly alter the universe.  Christmas Eve up until I started my own family was always the same, we watch a Christmas movie, usually A Christmas Carol, read Luke 2: 1-15 in the Bible, the story of the birth of Jesus, then my dad reads The Night Before Christmas.  When we were little we left milk and cookies, until my dad told us that Santa really likes beer and cheese, then we started leaving that.  When my Papa Bill (my mom's dad) was still alive, he and his wife Tiny (that's what we call her) would come over Christmas morning (early, my brother and I would wake between 2 and 5am, depending on the year) and watch us open our presents and have breakfast with us.  Breakfast was and still is the same...sausage strata and monkey bread.  I am so thankful that my parents started these wonderful traditions that we still cherish to this day.

Now that I have a family of my own, it has been bittersweet to leave those traditions with my family and start new ones.  With the blending of families we now have our own way of spending the holidays.  Christmas Eve is now spent going to church with The Duke's family, opening our gifts and eating oyster stew and soup and enjoying their company.  I'm still trying to convince my wonderful Father in law to read The Night Before Christmas, he's caving in.  The Duke, Ally and I then return home, set out our milk and cookies then head to bed.  Christmas morning is spent at home opening gifts then we hustle off to spend Christmas day with my parents.  We get there in time for brunch, which is still sausage strata and monkey bread.  Sausage strata and monkey bread are so good...but for some reason we only have it one time a year.  Maybe that's what makes it so special.

One tradition I am starting with Ally this year is a fun idea I found on Pinterest.com.  Each year, starting at age 3, I will ask her the same 20 questions and see how her answers change.  Here are the results from the first session!

1. What is your favorite color? pink
2. What is your favorite toy? baby doll with the nightgown (she saw this in a catalog and won't stop talking about it)
3. What is your favorite fruit? cheese
4. What is your favorite tv show? magic school bus
5. What is your favorite thing to eat for lunch? hot dog
6. What is your favorite outfit? pink heart shirt (she was wearing it at the time)
7. What is your favorite game? animal game (no idea what this game is)
8. What is your favorite snack? hot dog and cheese curls (what she was eating for lunch)
9. What is your favorite animal? all of them (animal lover apparently)
10. What is your favorite song? Zippity Do Da
11. What is your favorite book? Cat in the Hat book from the library (my least favorite book at the moment)
12. Who is your best friend? Seth and Kara (I'm a little sad she didn't say mommy)
13. What is your favorite cereal? "I don't know mommy, I don't eat cereal" (got me there)
14. What is your favorite thing to do outside? "ride my bike, swing, play"
15. What is your favorite drink? milk
16. What is your favorite holiday? "When Santa comes and brings me toys" (She must be referring to Christmas)
17. What do you like to take to bed with you at night? "my bedtime baby that Grandma got me" (she's never slept with it)
18. What is your favorite thing to eat for breakfast? "oatmeal and sausage and eggs" 
19. What do you want for dinner on your birthday? "birthday cake" (duh)
20. What do you want to be when you grow up? " a snowman and a helicopter"  (I can't make this stuff up)


Oh what fun this will be!