tiffany's spot

Jordan threw up last night from 8pm until close to 4 this morning. It sucks. She was white as a ghost, and shaking, and dry heaving like crazy. It sucks watching your little girl wretch and dry heave and wish you could snap her out of it but there's nothing to be done. When I was a kid I used to cry before I threw up, during, and after. I hate being sick. Still do, although I hold the tears at bay these days. Jordan? Not one tear. Last night she was snuggled up on Steven's chest looking like death warmed over. I sat beside him and put my face on his chest inches from hers. "Don't puke on me" I whispered. With an evil smile and a mischievous twinkle her her eye she opens her mouth and says "Blech" and pretends to throw up on me. Then she giggled. "You better not throw up on Daddy," Daddy says. Jordan pulls the neck of his shirt down, grinning, sticks her face in the opening and says "Blech" while pretending to throw up on him. Then she...

Last Halloween Jordan was a kangaroo and Tennyson was a dragon. Mitchell was a baby - he did a very good job. This year we're going to mix it up a little. Jordan will be a princess, Tennyson will be a kangaroo and Mitchell will be a dragon. That dragon is going to make it for years yet. I'm sure we can squash Mitchell in it again next year. After all, Jordan managed it two years in a row! Notice Tennyson in the bunny suit? No? Here's a closeup. The happiest pink and white boy bunny ever ! Grandma & Grandpa V joined us last year on Halloween to check out the kids costumes and ensure that we didn't feed the kids too much candy. Of course we didn't. We're good parents. No gluttonous, chocolaty indulgences for our 18 month olds ! This is the kids carving pumpkins last year. Not that the pics are so exciting, but I need to point out that in this picture, Tennyson looks exactly the same as he does this year, while Jordan looks way younger. And here's a pic...

Okay, so I know we have Halloween to look forward to, and then Christmas, and then New Year's Eve. Not that Steven and I won't just rent a few movies and then suck face at midnight. If we can stay up that long. I'm sort of missing summer already. There isn't even snow on the ground yet. I have these plans for kid activities in the backyard this winter, and they should be fun, but a (huge) part of me thinks - "yeah, but then I have to dress them all and send them all out and then one of them will pee/poo/snot on his/her snowsuit and the fun will be OVER. I'll do it. It'll be fun. I guess. I've also got the kids signed up for a couple of things at the library, and I've been contemplating taking them skating once a week to break up the winter monotony. But I really like summer. Really. ***** I think tomorrow I'm going to let the kids carve pumpkins. Well, they can scoop and draw the face, I'll do the carving. Jacob (the little boy I babysit) in...

Today Jordan decided to get out of her shopping cart by pulling the back panel up and out and crawling under it. Of course this resulted in her getting her jacket caught when she slid through and let the panel down. Then she scrambled around on the ground trying unsuccessfully to free herself. I told her I wasn't going to help her because that's not how you get out of a shopping cart. Eventually I relented. She freed herself and somehow managed to pinch her thumb. As I shut the back door of the van she hopped around and shook her hand around while making this 4-year-old trademark whiny noise. "Well that's what happens when you crawl out of the cart like that" I snapped. "Get in the van and buckle up." She did. As we drove out of the lot, Jordan said "Mommy, you're making everything worse !" "Huh?" "Well I got a owie . You're not supposed to get mad when someone gets a owie !" Then I laughed. Apparently you're no...

A picture! It's a picture! I totally stole this from the proud papa's facebook page, because, sadly I have not seen the baby yet. Reports have it that Mommy, Daddy and Baby are home and doing fine, and are expecting a small group of family yet today. Ange and I are going to pounce on them in the next few days - I'm so excited! He's a beautiful baby guys - can't wait to meet him in person! In other news - did you know that my friend Sonya is up the stump? :) Very excited for her too! (Hey - if my grandpa q can use the expression, I can too!) Original Post: I just want to congratulate Quinn & Lyla on the birth of their new little son Caden! He was born yesterday morning. I haven't seen him yet, but I can't wait! When I do there will be a picture or two here for sure! Congrats guys!

It's Thanksgiving Monday. Do I have things to be thankful for? Yes! Even things that sometimes feel like a chore. Come on - we all feel burdened by our blessings sometimes! For example: The kids. I love them to pieces . Itty bitty ones. They are my joy, my sunshine, all that stuff. Yet they're a lot of work. There are days when I envy women who have relatives coming out of the woodwork to babysit for them, take the kids home for an afternoon, or whisk them away for an hour at the park. Our parents all work full-time and most don't live across the street from us so we don't have this sort of thing. There are many days I wish I did. Mitchell is 14 months old. I've had all three kids under my care every day for 14 months. Not saying that we can't dump them on someone from time to time if we have something to go do, but generally when I'm home they're all here with me. You know what? I love it. I really do. As much as I'd love a break, I think I like ha...

My kids do not like to go to bed. They find the idea abhorrent. Except Tennyson's nap - that he's oddly in favor of. I, on the other hand, would gladly totter off to bed at any given time if given the chance (which I'm not. ever). Tonight Jordan tried slipping out of her room three separate times. Each time she says she really needs to tell me something. "Mommy," she said, in this whiny voice with her impish smile, "me love you." She does this baby talk thing when she's trying to get away with something or suck up. She never said "me" like that before, now she slips it in all day. It drives me crazy. I tell her to stop and she can turn it off as quickly as she turned it on. I told her that I loved her too, but she still had to go to bed. The last time I gave her a hug and told her to go back to bed, tuck herself in and not get out again. I heard no more. Then I was walking through the house picking up toys (I used to get them to do it, now...

I know I haven't been blogging much lately. At all. I feel as though I'm on autopilot. Like I'm not really thinking. I get up in the morning, pride myself on showering before the kids wake up, get breakfast, run to diaper gym/nursery school, pick up Jacob (a little boy I babysit), come home, make lunch, muddle through the afternoon, make dinner, eat dinner, clean up dinner, bath kids, dry kids, brush hair of screaming kids, put kids to bed, put kids to bed again, and again, collapse in a heap on the couch and wait for bedtime. Then I (sort of) sleep through the night only to do it all again the next day. It's not that it's boring, there is lots to do. There just isn't a lot to write about. Last weekend I had a fantastic evening with my blogger friends here at my home. I was going to blog about it. Then I didn't. Then a few days passed and I felt as though the window had closed. I used to feel like my head had so much information in it, like I had so much to ...

My friend Tracey has recently pointed out that I wished Lyla & Quinn a happy anniversary, and I wished Angela a happy birthday on Tracey's actual birthday, and didn't mention her. I like to do things late. That, and because Tracey just radiates such untouchable awesomeness and there are no words to adequately describe the immense wonder that I feel in her presence. So Tracey, happy belated birthday!

My house is a mess. It really is. It's not a mess like "there is some mail on the counter." It's a mess like the floor could use a good mop at any time, there are toys everywhere, there are socks and shirts and pants mixed in with the toys, the windows need a good scrubbing, the bathrooms . . . I could go on. And on. And on. There are just not enough hours in the day! My place used to be way cleaner. Last winter I even had a rotation ! I wrote it down! There were certain weekdays where I did certain chores so that everything would be done within the week. Vacuuming and bathrooms were on it twice ! Now I'm sure my vacuum feels as though it's on hiatus. My reasoning? I'm busy. I truly am. I always figured that not having a "job" would mean a clean house, cookies baked, kids happy, painting and coloring in the afternoon. Ha. I take the kids to playgroup three mornings a week. Jordan goes to nursery school the other two mornings. I sell epicure some ...