Healthy Snacks and a Glorious Day

Today has been a horrible, terrible, no good, bad day! I realize this is not in the title, because this is not what this post is about. I'm trying to look on the bright side, which means I have to look back a few days. :)

I have been trying to find fun ways to serve the kiddos healthy snacks. Here we have a carrot and ranch sunshine. The kids also love apples and cheese presented similarly. 

Okay so I'm not that creative, here if you look close there is the moon( the grapes), the sun(the cheese), and the stars(it's a stretch but the pretzels work I think). 

Apples and peanut butter. I bought Sonoma apples this last week and I don't really like them. I'm sure they have their place but as a snack they are too mealy. Probably great for quick baking.

On to the glorious day, which began as a terrible day as well, but the sun came out and so we went out and that helped A LOT.

This was just a split second before she face planted into the sand.

It wasn't terribly warm but as long as the sun wasn't behind the clouds it was rather pleasant.

I love this stage, when they constantly steal your seat and whatever it is that you were doing previously.

"Hey, Mom do you want to be buried in the sand?"  Ummm nope.

One of the great perks of being a Mom, fresh picked wild flowers(weeds).

While I was outside I did notice that although we had snow just last week, spring just might be coming after all to the Northwest.

This expanded like crazy. I'm not sure what it is ;0, but I transplanted it last fall and I'm just glad it came back.

This is the one that excites me the most. I transplanted this little sapling from the lilac bushes in our front yard. I wasn't sure if it would take but lo and behold . . . buds! 

After playing outside the girls always sleep so well.

Sweet babies.

Which reminds me of a moment that Ballerina reminded me of earlier today. She came out of the bathroom with a white and coral colored bow in her hair. 

"Mom, I've never worn this before have I?"

"Yes you have. You wore that the day we brought Beloise home from the hospital."

And just this little exchange reminded me of the sweet moment we were leaving the hospital, I was in a wheel chair being pushed by an orderly, holding Beloise. Ballerina was walking with Daddy in front of me. When we got to the first floor of the hospital Ballerina came back and took my hand very gingerly so as to guide me out of the hospital. 

It was so sweet. 

I wish we had taken a picture. But the picture in my head and heart is sweeter than any printed picture could possibly be. 

And it's good that she reminded me of that today, because she then proceeded to throw fit after fit, after deafening fit. Let's just say I was all too eager when nap time finally came around.

~And So That's What She Did.

Just A Run of the Mill Evening.

My children are slaying me today, I could sit here and update my Facebook status every ten minutes or I could write it into a blog post.

Currently my girls are running around the house in panties or a diaper with my short bathrobes on. Ballerina is yelling at the top of her lungs " We are disciples, we are disciples."

Next Ballerina comes to me with a cloth diaper asking if I can put it on her. When I ask her why she tells me that she is a baby disciple.

Now Ballerina is hopping around the floor with a bathrobe tie around her stomach tied in the back with a bow. Scouring the floor for treasure.

Soon they will be playing Kingdom of the Lord. Which consists of them running around with a scepter (tall shoe horn from ikea), Patchy the stick unicorn with a patch eye and hollering random gibberish because as Ballerina informed me the game is in Spanish.

Another gem from today is my Ballerina's version of Pumped Up Kicks, from Foster the People, this is a song they heard weekly at gymnastics for the one month that we did that.

"All the other kids with their pumped up kicks better run baby run, faster than my bonnet. All the other kids with their pumped up kicks better run baby run out run my bum."

I second that last line it is best to out run her bum!

Beloise is running around with a soggy bottom watching her diaper swing when she stops suddenly. I'm sure there is a science lesson their like objects in motion stay in motion or something like that. Perhaps the lesson is change the child's diaper.

On a separate note . . .

 check out all the feathers these gals are getting!

I can't handle the little developing tail feathers, they are too cute!

Beloise named her chicken finally. It's Chrysanthemum. And Ballerina, a girl after my own heart, extended her chickens name from Hazel to Hazel Bell Featherdy.

Olga loves to rest in the food dish, Ethel loves to stand in the water. They are strange creatures.

Beloise likes to stick her finger in the holes in the side of the box and wait for the chickens to peck her finger. She doesn't startle or anything just sits there and lets them peck at her. She's a strange creature as well.

I stuck my finger in the box to see if it hurt when they peck. Now you may not know this about me but I fear birds. Something about their sharp beaks and talons. I wait outside the exit of the lorikeet exhibit at the zoo. But this just felt like a little scratch. I guess I'm a strange creature too.

~And So That's What She Did

Kid Pictures

Please enjoy this selection of random pictures from the last two-three weeks. . . 

"I'm sleeping see. . . "

Nanna and the grandkids

Bedtime stories with Ballerina.

~And So That's What She Did.

Trolling for Chicks

Today we went to Battle Ground and picked up some chicks. . . 

Since it is getting close to spring and our chickens are a few years old now my Beloved decided we needed to pick up a few chicks to maintain our flock. We started raising chickens for eggs last November, my dad had built a mobile chicken coup and had three chickens and a rooster, that he no longer wished to keep. So he gave them to us. We live in town and couldn't keep the rooster and after Harriet, a feisty Rhode Island Red, broke her leg and had to be "put down" we are now left with only two chickens. Although oddly enough the egg productivity has gone up since Harriet's demise. Henrietta, who has always been a consistent layer, has continued to provide an egg a day however Dora, who has always been sketchy at best on laying, has suddenly upped production to nearly one a day.

 Introductions

Ethel

This is my Beloved's choice. A Black Sex Link, Ethel is a feisty little beast. This is my Beloved's curse, at least I see it that way, He thinks it's funny. Every animal he picks out ends up being feisty. Even after he knows the animals disposition he leans toward the feisty ones.

Another Name

Belloise' choice is an adorable albeit noisy Silver Laced Wyandotte. We gave Belloise a few name options but she keeps saying "another name". 

Hazel

Ballerina's choice of chickens is a Light Brahma with a sweet disposition and feathers on her feet. This breed is apparently good for both eggs and meat. I doubt we will eat it when the time comes. .  . unless we have a volunteer to pluck it. . . 

Olga

My personal choice, Olga is a California White. This breed is known for it's egg production. That's what I'm looking for!

The girls love the chicks already and we have to continually tell them to let the chicks be. I had to let Ballerina nap on the couch near the chicks since she insisted that she needed to protect them so that Penny wouldn't frustrate them. Frustrate is her way of saying bother, or harm, or really anything that she wants it to mean at any given moment. . . She's a true American. . . just like her mommy.

~And So That's What She Did.

The Bedroom Lately

I wanted to show you what has been going on with our bedroom lately. .  .It may not look like much but it's exciting to me.

After

Before

After searching nearly every store in the area I finally found reasonably priced Euro pillows. And then I had to do the same thing all over again to find shams for them that didn't cost $50. The prices on bedding is a bit ridiculous in my opinion. I also laid down a bleach stained rug on my side of the bed I ignore the stain and enjoy not stepping on the cold floor. So I know eventually I will want to get a non-stained rug in approximately the same color.

We are waiting to hang up any art work until after we decide on a paint color and paint.

Pillows: Target $9ish each on Sale

Shams: Bed Bath and Beyond $7.49 each (clearance for $9.99 and I had a $5 off coupon)

We have been looking at a few different paint colors. I think we are leaning toward the yellow. . . actually the lighter yellow that fell behind the bed in this picture. Before we decide I am planning on picking up a few sample cans (the itty-bitty ones) to test it out.

Oh, there is the lighter yellow. Also I purchased these lamps at T.J. Maxx. They were $20 eaches. And I love them. To me they feel beachy and I love beachy, it feels so relaxing. We are currently experimenting with different wattage in our lightbulbs. I want something bright enough that I can read but dim enough that my Beloved can sleep.

I especially LOVE them when they are turned on.

It has also been pointed out to me that my nightstand is awkwardly far from the bed. . . I never noticed this but have since remedied this issue. 

Okay, so what happened this morning was, I was rushing the children out the door this morning when I looked into my room and saw the glorious sunshine pouring in the window. I stopped hurrying the kids and grabbed my camera, and a dust cloth, and after a bit of dusting, I snapped these pictures for you. I'm glad I did too because the sun was gone moments later and who knows when the next sunny day will be.

~And So That's What She Did.

Weekend Pictures

This weekend was a busy one. My mom is in town from Idaho. She's staying with each of us girls for five days each. We had a big family dinner at our house Saturday night, just before our stitches incident, then on Sunday E. celebrated his 3rd birthday. With all this family around we took the opportunity to get a few pictures in since it isn't often that my mom and my grandma and all of us girls are together.

L to R back row Myself, with Beloise, G.G., Lulu (she takes after her mom, Aunt D), Nanna, Auntie Gus-Gus with E.,
On the floor: Ballerina, Aunt D and Bug

G.G., Nanna and I

4 Generations

G.G. and Grandpa Salsa

Ballerina found a guitar and began to strum and sing.

My Beloved finally got that recliner he has ALWAYS wanted. Since it was gifted to us I get to save the money we would have spent on it for a guest bed I have had my eye on for some time.

Just a few pictures from the weekend. Have a great week.

~And So That's What She Did.

Stitches For Ballerina

This weekend we took a little trip to the Urgent Care. Not as much fun as Oregon City.

The girls love to take the couch cushions off of the couch and jump from the couch onto the cushions. While doing this my sweet Ballerina took a not-so-graceful dive into the glider rocker. She began to scream and ran toward me holding her hand to her head just to the side of her right eye. I thought I saw blood but perhaps it was just a shadow. Once she got to me and pulled her hand away I saw blood, lots of blood. After I inhaled the air supply for the entire house, my Beloved took over as I went into flashbacks:


Kindergarten, in the school yard, my cousin ran, chasing a ball, and hit his head, just above the eye, on a large utility box in the school yard. He came running past me with blood running down his face. I remember hitting my knees screaming and telling all my friends to pray, just pray. I thought he was a goner for sure. Never mind that he was running and therefore not "THAT" kind of hurt.

Once I snapped back to reality I went into the bathroom to find out what I could do. My Beloved informed me we would have to take her to get stitches, I began walking in circles trying to decide what to do next. As you can see I am GREAT under pressure. Thankfully my sister-in-law, The Dall, was present and offered to stay with Beloise until we returned. We wrapped Ballerina's laceration with gauze and an ace bandage and placed her in the car. I did have the presence of mind to grab some books, a doll, her pink blanket and a jacket for her.

She was such a trooper, barely complained the entire trip to the Urgent Care. By this time I had regained my composure and was doing pretty good at holding things together. Once we got checked in and were in the room, we began making jokes about her paying close attention so she could get it right when she played doctor at home with her sister. An MA came in and put some ointment on the cut to numb the area. When Dr. Thumbtack came in and proceeded to rip the tape off of her head, pulling her hair in the process, the time for her keeping composure passed. He then proclaimed that since she was such an "active child" he would have to strap her down to give her the stitches. Every motherly instinct in my body wanted to yell "NO, she's a good girl,  she'll be good, don't strap my baby down!!!" But they brought in the board with the velcro straps. A different assistant came in this time and he was very understanding and compassionate. He spoke as soothingly as possible to Ballerina and tried to keep her calm while getting the straps on her.

My Beloved was to hold her head while I held her hands to be sure that they didn't come out of the straps. I was doing so well up to the point of the needle coming through her skin, apparently this is where I went WHITE. I looked at my beloved and said "I'm gonna pass out." He nodded, I looked back and saw Dr. Thumbtack stitching away and as the skin was tugged and pulled in the most unnatural fashion, I lost consciousness. My beloved, not able to catch me with his hands was kind enough to throw out his leg for me to slide down on my way to the floor. Next thing I knew I was on the floor hearing my child screaming and begging for the doctor to stop. I thought that if I could hear what was going on I could get up and control myself enough to help. So up I went apologizing the whole time. I held on to her hands and looked around for a  sink to vomit in. I looked back just in time to see him begging a new stitch and I was out again. Down the slide of my Beloved's leg and back onto the floor. Now I was having another flashback:

A hot August noon in Denver four years earlier. I hadn't eaten much and had been at an emotional funeral most of the day, we were at the graveside singing Hymns when I felt a little faint, I leaned back on my Beloved and said "I think I'm gonna faint.: "Just lean on me he said." So I leaned and almost immediately began hearing carnival music. . . duht duht duh duh, duh duh duht duht duh duh duht duht duh duh, when I opened my eyes I was on the grass behind a bush with one person lifting my legs up and The Dall coming toward me for mouth-to-mouth. She stopped short and I began apologizing.

Back to reality I was on the Urgent Care room floor while Dr. Thumbtack hollered at the kind nurse asking if he wanted to deal with "The flailing child or the fainting mother."

The nurse brought me the chair from across the room that I had so longingly looked at just before fainting the first time. He propped my feet up on it to rush the blood back to my pale face. Then went to help with Ballerina. Dr. Thumbtack told him to move me to a different room so I wouldn't hear the screams of my child. The nurse, being a father himself, looked at me and asked "Are you okay mom?" I nodded that I was fine and he told me to just stay on the floor for a while.

Meanwhile my poor baby was screaming so vehemently I could hear her little voice becoming hoarse. The pleadings of a scared child are almost more than a parent can take. But we knew it was for the best and so my Beloved, being the strong stomached one, comforted her the best he could. I found it ironic that some of the things she was screaming were the same things I said while bringing her into the world. I also was a little shocked with some of the doctors responses. And a bit convicted when I realized I had used the same sayings on her at other times. I also realized how ridiculous they must sound to a child who is more scared than hurt and therefore doesn't care if you "haven't touched her yet."

Finally it was over, they unstrapped her and gave her an orange Popsicle, I got one too. The kind nurse took my blood pressure and told me to stay as long as I needed, "We're 24 hours." He was very nice. . . I wish I remembered his name. The doctor was not my favorite person personality wise. . . it's probably best that I don't remember his name.

Overall Ballerina is doing great. We went to a birthday party Sunday and she acted as if nothing was wrong. It wasn't until bedtime that she asked for something for pain and I'm only half sure she really had any pain since she asked for a treat candy to make her feel better. She is currently enjoying picking out a different color band-aid for each day.


~And So That's What She Did