our trip in a nutshell.

this gives a good indication of how the ride down went. apparently we weren't to be found. (maybe i'll go into more detail about how driving to our destination went. or maybe not. it's still to fresh :) let's just say we both wanted to turn around at various points, i can't believe i didn't throw someone out of the car, i vowed in my head to never let zane tell me it would be fun to take a road trip-EVER AGAIN, all i wanted was a starbucks coffee at 2am when we were STILL driving, who knew there was so much traffic in the middle of a friday night? well, we all survived. that's what counts.


a rainy shot of the "pencil" (aka washington monument)

walking to the smithsonian natural history museum. rainy and windy and balmy.

photo op :)

nola's obsession with zane took off this vacation! anytime i tried to pick her up she screamed "DADA!!!!!", so he got creative with how to carry her around.

wish i had captured the look on her face when she saw the birds. nola loves birds!

she also loves to show her belly when we're looking at dinosaurs ;) (side-note-i had no idea avery was really even paying attention while we were here. we were all running on very little sleep and it was smack in the middle of what would be their naptime. one of the first things she told my parents when she saw them this week was seeing dinosaurs, especially the one flying on the ceiling. guess she liked it!)

hard to see, but the capital is in the very background. it was really rainy that day, so there wasn't a good chance for walking around to see the sights. that and zane decided we didn't need to bring the stroller. (note to self-don't listen to anyone that thinks we shouldn't bring a stroller on vacation. just saying.)

warm and sunny dc!

the zoo! the girls had a fun time seeing all sorts of animals but got REALLY excited when we got to the cows.

watching some big cats nap.

:)

our host, viv and the girls! i can't believe we didn't get a picture of everyone with viv and ronnie!

family spring '11

the trip home. avery starts drawing faces with teeth. she calls them monsters. and the dark spot under the teeth is a belly. there were also figures drawn with arms, tiny legs and eyebrows, but she erased those before i could take a picture. little artist.

finally! a nap!

and another!!

for all the sleeping that didn't really happen (no naps, but decent overnight sleep), for the twists and turns to get there and back, for the worries that they'd throw fits wherever we went, for the rain we were met with on saturday, for all the work in the back of my mind that i knew i had to get done as soon as we got home, it was AWESOME to get away as a family. it was awesome to see viv and ronnie. it was awesome to see the girls sleep on a blow up mattress togehter and wake up to kisses and snuggles. it was awesome to see how grown up they are/can be and how they understand (most times) what is expected of them and act accordingly. it was awesome to bond together as a family even more with these shared experiences. it was awesome (once again) to throw rules out the window and focus on having fun and doing whatever we felt like doing. it was awesome to hear giggles coming from the back seat as the girls made up games to entertain each other on the LONG drives (ie throwing a blanket back and forth and pulling it in every direction).

it was exhaustion and exciting. and i'd do it again in a heartbeat!

even if we're paying for it now ;)

you blink!

and things change around here!

we took a road trip to dc last weekend. that deserves it's very own (lenthy) post. when we got home, we were so emboldended by how well the girls did togehter (sleeping!), that we put them in the same room. so exicting! avery admitted to not wanting to sleep in her room because of monsters in the closet. so we whisked her to home depot, let her pick out whatever color she wanted, took the door off the closet and madeover the monster's den.

the girls had so much fun, the closet looks really cute and we thought all our problems were solved!!

and then avery was up until almost midnight last night, fell asleep on the bathroom floor after throwing a fit over brushing her teeth and eventually we had to bring nola into our bed b/c on top of her not sleeping well, she's been hacking up a lung. she was much happier kicking me in the back all night. and avery cried herself to sleep, begging for her pacifier. "pllleeease, will you give me my buppa?'

wait, what? your buppa that we got rid of a MONTH ago when the buppa fairy brought you that beautiful new sleeping bag?!?! GO TO SLEEP!

to say that we've reached the end of our ropes is the understatement of an eternity. tonight avery is sleeping in nola's old room (and by sleeping, i mean we just heard her open the door, sniffling and whispering that she needed to tell us something), and nola is sleeping in avery's old room (and by sleeping, i mean i think she finally tired of jumping on the mattress in the rompus room and had stayed in her bed to sleep).

tomorrow we will be doing and ENTIRE revamp of the rooms upstairs. i think our bedroom is the only room that will stay the same. we have tried giving them independence. we have tried being kind but firm. we have tried being frim, without much kindness. nothing so far has been successful in showing them that they don't make the rules, they aren't the bosses. it's time for a big change.

results to follow in the coming days. wish us luck in either staying awake long enoug to do the work or it actually being successful.

the weekend.

well. this weekend, if it didn't involve dirt, sunshine, a tent, charcoal and flames, grass stains, chocolate or exhaustion, it didn't get done.

zane and i started this weekend on friday talking about how much work we each had to get done by, for and during this upcoming week. i tell you, happily, that right now (sunday afternoon), nothing has gotten done that "should" have. instead, we've had one of the best weekends ever with the girls.

we camped out in our living room. we ate popcorn and made s'mores. we played in the back yard for hours and hours. we blew bubbles. we grilled out. we walked to the square to buy more bubbles. we talked with neighbors. we cleaned up all the sticks and brush from the fall. we watched movies with the girls in the tent. we put them in their beds entirely too late which made everyone a bit overtired. we hard boiled some eggs that we plan on coloring later.

in a way, for the first time in a long time, we were able to be parents first and foremost and it was awesome. no worrying about the toys on the floors. or the dishes on the counters (as you'll see in some pictures :)). no worrying about school projects. or progress reports. or if we can afford to splurge on doritoes. no cares about laundry, vacuuming or making the beds. no anxiety over how late it's getting and how much sleep the girls are missing and how cranky they might be in an hour or in a day. it's true that we can't be this lax about all this stuff everyday or every weekend. things would seriously go haywire if we were. but this weekend brought us all together and reminded me how much fun we can and should be having whenever possible. i think we're coming out of the winter slump and into spring and it feels amazing!

and a couple out-takes. cause they're funny :)

3am is good for something.

i finally got whatever zane, avery, and nola have had for the last 4 weeks. somehow i got through my afternoon/evening at school with 6 hours of class, a presentation and teaching a lesson. glad to have a little break before i have to start work for next week--only a few more classes though until summer semester! it's flying by!

did i mention that i took nola to the dr again on monday b/c it seems as soon as she's off antibiotics, her ear infections come right back? yeah. she was pretty miserable, but the new medicine kicked in quickly and she's back to herself :)

running out of steam already. couple pictures with no captions.

you fools!

i know it's not unheard of to have snow on april 1st. but given the insanity of the early winter and the relative calmness lately, i really thought we were done. actually surprised that zane didn't have a delay this morning! crazy. it's supposed to be in the 40's with sun this weekend, so hopefully the snow on the ground will disappear as quickly as it fell :) avery made me take this picture :) she woke up dry (!!!!!!) and as a reward, i gave her some undies that we were keeping for special occasions. yes, these are boy briefs. she saw them at the store with buzz and woody on them and she was so excited! she doesn't know or care that they're for boys, so we'll go with it ;)

enough already!

so we (zane and i mostly) definitely got swept up in all the negative that was going on with our family. but we've turned a corner. and now it's time to reveal all the good that was happening in between the cracks. our two girls, two (of the three) girls next door (at the sand table) and the little girl on the other side of us. all together in our backyard one of the days it was so nice last week. looking so forward to them all growing up together and hopefully being friends! our little girls are becoming better friends every single day. it's AWESOME! especially when they conspire against me and make an already cute picture even cuter ;) sunshine. couch. snuggle bunny with her baby. heaven. again, the snuggle bunny with her baby. she loves to have her baby sit in avery's chair and sneak up to give her kisses. dada's turn with snuggle bunnies :)

another monday...

another fever! avery was off yesterday, had a low-grade fever, but motrin perked her right up. woke up this morning with a higher temp and not herself at all. got her into the drs this afternoon. double ear infection, we now have FOUR bottles of amoxicillin in the fridge! luckily, nola is finishing up her round, so there won't be too much confusion for long ;) poor girls :( and poor zane. he's still hacking and sniffling. WE ALL NEED A BREAK!!!!

tumble-tot

our little gymnast!!

super (BAD) moon!

so i'm going to blame all the happenings around here on the super moon a few days ago...everyone being sick, my dental disasters, my parents car accident, crabby moods all around, snow on the first day of spring, now nola's double ear infection (which has her MISERABLE to say the least), and me falling, while holding nola, on my into the drugstore to get her prescription. i busted up my knee, tore my pants (my favorite jeans darnit), but somehow nola didn't get hurt. my mama bear instincts must have kicked in and held her close to me...what a disaster things have been!

here's to the beginning of spring, and an end to all the ickiness!

the only good...nola's snuggliness has surpassed all previous levels and she was content to pass out on my shoulder the entire morning we were out, and now has passed out in our bed...i'm sticking close by because i can :)

bye-bye buppa!

so exciting around here. a week ago we wrote to the "buppa fairy" (pacifier fairy) to tell her that avery was ready to sleep without her buppa and wanted to give it to a little baby that needed it...avery's has seen a few books and shows with the tooth fairy and took interest. the timing worked out perfectly!

the buppa fairy wrote back--if i can always remember the wide-eyed awe on avery's face when she saw the letter, i'll be complete- and on saturday came by to collect avery's buppa and leave a present in its place. somehow avery had asked for a sleeping bag, which was perfect because we bought one for christmas and with all the other presents, didn't give it to her and were waiting for a special reason.

she got the sleeping bag, was ECSTATIC (i was sedated and about to leave for the dentist, but i have a vague vision of her getting into the bag and saying that we could carry her like a baby), and that was that.

kind of. saturday night she woke up 3 or 4 times, asking for various things and not really settling until after 1 or 2am. but she did it. she slept without her biggest crutch (in 3 1/2 years!!!) and to celebrate, we went out on sunday and she got to pick out a barbie toy.

and last night?! not a peep! i can't believe how easy it's been. she's still said (before nap and bedtime) "i want my buppa. i love my buppa!" in a really sad, pathetic voice, but it's gone. and she knows that. it worked!!

damn teeth.

excuse me if this post is poorly written. i'm still under the influence of some sedatives :)
the week and a half that i've been missing have held a toothache, dentist #1, a worsening toothache, dentist #2, tears, an appointment for 2 fillings which should have fixed the toothache, not remembering much of anything from 6:15 am that morning until 2 in the afternoon when the drugs wore off, a few hours of bliss because i finally felt better, then agony when the toothache flared back up even worse, and finally ending the saga today with a root canal and more sedation, that, because of a stupid piece of bread that i ate, didn't really knock me out, just made me sleepy and relaxed.

all is good for now though. i'm feeling the best i have in days and days (that's probably the advil still talking-, and i'm so looking forward to a good nights sleep--the first in well over a week!!

so. that's where i've been. zane's been working insanely at work, and he's a bit sick (maybe a cold? maybe bronchitis?). the girls are insane too, but in a goofy, cute, demanding kind of way. hopefully things will be getting back to normal soon!

it's spring tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

nemo's on...

so i have a few minutes :)

nola had a cough and fever on monday. she took a 4 hour nap, went to bed early and slept through the night. she woke up completely fine on tuesday.

last night, avery woke up 3 times. she felt hot, she asked for medicine, she said she was sad. i went back to bed after getting her medicine and told zane that i wouldn't be surprised if she was getting sick.

sure enough, temp this morning and a teary eyed wake up as she said "well, i think i feel a little bit sick." she also said her head hurt and i asked if she bumped it. she said "noooo! it hurts inside." perhaps our first headache that we're able to talk about?

either way, i'm DONE with winter. i want colorful spring clothes. and open windows. and rainboots. and a newly painted living room. and germs to go away and stay away :) please and thank you.

edited to add:

thankful for medicine that takes away some of the ickiness...first time she smiled all morning :)

too much

there is just too much to be done during these days and not enough time or energy!

but. this weekend was essential for filling us up with a little motivation and rejuvination. we played OUTSIDE. took walks. splashed in puddles. held hands. had dance parties. looked at a front yard with NO SNOW and smiled. splurged for a good dinner take-out. slept in until 6:40!

now it's back to reality :)

before i get back to starting the day, a few things i want to remember.

*on thursday, i was exhausted from class the night before. the girls and i were on the floor coloring and i put my head down to rest. i asked avery if she wanted to rub my back, mostly kidding. she came over, started to rub my back and sing "twinkle little star" (part of her bedtime routine). nola came over, started to rub my back and tried to sing along, mostly singing "taaaar, taaaah". i told zane i'm pretty sure it ranks in the top 5 best moments of my life.

*on saturday, the girls and i were upstairs playing and needed to get downstairs to start lunch. nola tried to open the gate on the stairs and avery stepped in and finished the job. she turned to nola and said "i'm the big sister and i help my little sister!" :)

*yesterday morning we were leaving for a walk and zane said something to me about the girls taking a bath later and if we could use lots of soap (the dr advised we not do bubble baths often/at all because nola was getting irritated). i said yes and avery got excited and asked if we were taking a bath. zane told her "later. but mama said we could do lots of soap." avery looked up at me and said "mama, you're the best mama in the world!" i scooped her up and told her she was the best avery marie in the world and she had made my day :)

*i went to the library to get some things for school and ended up talking to the childrens librarian. after a few minutes i found out she's currently in the simmons school library program and we realized that we're in the same class this summer. small world.

*i don't know if i mentioned that nola is finally putting words together!! she's definitely a lot less chatty than avery was, and had been getting really frustrated when she couldn't tell us exactly what she wanted. now she's figured it out :) it started with bye-bye...dada. then bye-bye...mama. soon it was "more...pahcorn?"

i'm pretty sure there was more, but i need to chug my coffee before the girls wake up...

long time coming!

MEMA'S VISIT!!!!!!



sorry, mema, for taking so long to get this together!! hope you like the pictures :)

another set of BFFs