Andrea-ism

Net: "Andrea, did you poop?"
Andrea: "No, I just peeped!"

Andrea-ism

"I'm not angry, I just sound like a monster!"

Yee-haw, Cowgirl!

So lately the girls have just been absolutely obsessed with horses. No clue why, but that's what they both got for Christmas and they play with their little horsies every day. We also got them this stick horse and I just about died one night when Lacie put on Andrea's red cowgirl boots and went tromping around the house on the horse, "neigh"-ing!

Foundation woes...

So we had a lot of adventure this week! We got our foundation "repaired." In Texas, and especially the Dallas/Ft Worth and more especially Irving area, it is very common for the foundations of homes to sink or crack because the "soil" or rather, clay, here moves so much. So needing foundation work is also quite common. And quite expensive. And quite a pain!! I knew going into it that they'd be digging holes and putting stuff under the house, I just wasn't prepared for what all that entailed. Here are some pics of what our house has looked like:

Front of the house...


Our dining room...!!...


In the garage...


In the backyard...


Another shot...


The holes...


We were fortunate enough that there was vacancy at "Hotel Newman," and we stayed there most the week. The girls both handled it really well. In fact, there was a day where the girls and I stayed most the day while they were digging and jack-hammering away, and Lacie still took her nap!

What tha...?

If you're wondering, 'what the heck is sticking out of this dolly's mouth?' it's ok. I thought the same thing. And nothing was cleared up when I pulled it out and it was the end of a cord that had been cut off.
Apparently it makes for a good binky? bottle? ???

I'm so glad...

...when Daddy comes home!



Yes, the girls love their Daddy!

Potty Time!

Okay, so no one here is actually potty-trained (well, besides Mark and myself), but they're trying! Today Lacie got in on the act. Poor Andrea got pretty jealous about it all and I'm thinking, hmmm, motivation???




P.S. yes, that's a potty book Andrea is reading. We got it from 'Aunt Myrna' but it is unfortunately the one about a boy. Hence, Andrea's fascination!

Feedback requested

So before Joe & Sally left tonight I asked for their insight and ideas on a dilemma I'm going through that I will now pose to anyone reading this w/ any inkling to answer:
Right now we are struggling with Andrea's behavior and attitude during prayers or anything relating to church for that matter. We used to have a family bedtime routine where we'd sing the 'family song,' do a family-hug, then say family prayer, hugs & kisses, then go to bed. Now when we ask her to help sing the family song she says she just wants to, "Go straight to bed." Not sure what happened to bring on that response. And with prayer she is horrible. Not only can we not get to stay still, but now she gets up and plays and talks and laughs and carries on.
I don't want to make praying a bad experience for her, so I haven't wanted to do any kind of punishment for it. But how do I teach her that it's not okay to be disrespectful during a prayer?
Any thoughts? Anyone?

FHE with the Davidsons

Tonight was so fun! After a super lazy (and yet somehow still stressful) day we were able to cram all our half-packed/half-unpacked belongings strewn about the house into enough closets that the house was free to welcome visitors - the Davidsons! Hooray! To be more specific, Uncle Joe and Aunt Sally, as they are known to our girls.
So they came for dinner and fhe and were a tremendous help. Our lesson tonight was on how to prepare for a prayer: 1-close eyes; 2-bow head; 3-fold arms. So we all closed our eyes, bowed our heads and folded our arms about a hundred times trying to convince Andrea that it was a good, fun thing to do. And she did great...until we actually said a prayer! What can we do? Oh well. Both Sally and Joe were really good sports about it, too. They even endured multiple rounds of 'Duck, Duck, Goose' before we sent the kids to bed and broke out Ticket to Ride. Ahh, grown-up time! Very nice. Thanks for a great night Davidsons!

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

soooooo......lots happening. Lots to catch up on. I think I've been a bit overwhelmed, and having to write down everything makes it even more overwhelming. First because then I see how much is going on. Second because then I feel like I have to catch up on everything, and that's a lot. So stay tuned any of yall who read up on this. I'll be going back and filling in. But post them on the actual chronological date, so read backwards. Or whatever.

a REAL vacation

The above image is of Andrea sleeping with her cousin, Sarah, in Sarah's bed. So why would I entitle this a REAL vacation, you ask? Well, it is because of this cousin, Sarah, that Mark and I were able to truly have such a wonderful vacation up in Idaho. We were there about a week, and the entire time the girls were watched, fed, changed, and entertained by their cousins. Most specifically, Sarah. I would literally wake up in the morning at around, oh, 9am and go into the kitchen to find both the girls up to the table eating pancakes and sausage! Their diapers were changed, hair done, clothes on! It was amazing!
I told Sarah's mom, Connie, I wanted to kidnap Sarah and bring her back home with us. She only thought I was joking. Oh, no. I will get her down here somehow!

The M&M Game

Probably the funniest game we played that night/morning was the "M&M Game." *Rules below. I was the serious loser when I went probably 12 rounds without getting a match!! And they were big M&Ms!



*Rules: You have a massive bowl of M&Ms and everyone sits in a circle around it. Each round starts when everyone picks up 3 M&Ms out of the bowl and holds them out in the palm of your hand. Then you compare the colors of yours to everyone else's. If you can match the color of your M&Ms exactly with the colors of someone else's, you can eat them. If you can't match them, you put them in your mouth and keep them there until the next round when you try again. If you still can't match then you add the new M&Ms to the old and still have to keep them in your mouth without chewing or swallowing. Obviously if you go more than a few rounds without matching it becomes rather difficult to fit them all in your mouth!

Happy New Year!!

Welcome 2008!
We rang in the New Year up in Inkom, Idaho with lots of family and fun! Sarah, Lexi, Connie, and I had a great time making a last-minute shopping trip to ensure lots of food, games, hats, etc. It was great!

Sarah, Andrea, Lexi


Alan, Connie


Makayla


Mark & Riggins


waiting for the count-down...