Oh Bella Bella

The other night Gabriella stumbled into the livingroom after a an hour or so of sleep.

Cradling her sleepy limb she cried,"Daddy, my arm died!"

I've been tagged...twice!

The first time was from the Nysewanders, and the second from auntie Linda. Sorry I am not so good at these things.



Ten things about me ( as if you all don't have enough dirt on me!) Here goes!



1. As a child I was once told that if I ate enough carrots I would be able to see in the dark. I ate alot of carrots in hope for this- but it never came to pass.

2. I love amusement parks. The scarier the ride- the better. I rode my first roller coaster when I was 10 with my Dad. Been hooked ever since.

3. Growing up I never wanted to be married and have children. Somewhere along the line I met Michael and everything changed!

4. My secret dream is to have twins one day. I am not naive to the work involved - but hey two loves for one pregnancy. What can be better than that?

5. I love to read and write.

6. I have been to 9 different countries. ( airports count!)

7. I once had to stay after school for yelling at my fifth grade teacher. I don't remember why I was upset. But I do remember sitting in the chair red faced and humiliated for those 30 mins. It was also the last time I yelled at an adult.

8. I am very competitive at any game or sport.

9. I love receiving snail mail. And sending it.

10. I am very scared of centipedes.

Monkeying Around

The rumors are true... we couldn't catch those stinky monkeys. They are sly and fast...always one step ahead of us. After a little bit of deliberation we decided that they can stay for awhile. Monkeys are hard to maintain. They are wild and make my house look like the latest interior of a zoo. They have minds of their own and come up with some pretty silly ideas. But when they wrap their chubby arms around us and say, "I love you." Our hearts stop and then reel outta control. It's true our monkeys talk and say very sweet things. Can you blame us for falling madly in love with these two?

This one LOVES to give kisses. His kisses always come with humming... "MMMM" And then "Mais (more )mama?" Uh huh little monkey... can't get enough of those baby boy smackers.
These days he has discovered how to turn on his bedroom light. Somehow he managed to play Lego's until 10 last night without us discovering his fun. The flip side to this new trick is I have been savoring an extra hour of sweet sleep in the morning. This is one new habit I can deal with.

This little monkey is smart. Very witty and on the ball. She literally talks circles around me. Tonight in a desperate attempt at creative discipline, I said something no mom has ever said before. "Okay Gabriella since you choose to disobey, you may not brush your teeth tonight! "

Without skipping a beat, and before a 30 min crying spell, she replied, "What? That's crazy talk." ( I agree wholeheartedly) WHAT WAS I THINKING? I also did something I haven't done in awhile with this little monkey, I laid with her until she fell asleep. She is very sweet. I discovered that she still caresses her eyelashes while drifting off. This habit began when she was about 7 months old. Thankfully somethings stay the same.
This is our snowman. And proof that I did actually take our monkeys outside this winter. The snowman didn't last long though. Boy monkey was sure to take his head off before the day was done. But really that is what I expect from Boy Monkeys.

If it snows tomorrow I am going to have a mini meltdown. I am so tired of this beautiful white stuff. Enough already. It is almost April! I am still a little peeved that we celebrated Easter in the middle of a snow storm. What gives? We kept the monkeys in Easter Day and had a small baked salmon dinner that was either undercooked or overcooked. No one got sick so I suppose it was the later. It was nice. Stressful but nice. Whoever thought of giving kids mounds of chocolate as a Easter tradition was a good idea was crazy. I had envisioned a beautiful meal talking about the glory of Christ resurrection. Instead there was a lot of bouncing and tear filled sugar crashes!
I meant to post these earlier but got distracted with monkey business. I was pleased with the monkeys creativity especially Bella's interest in the activity. We had a fun morning with Michelle and Penelope coloring pretty eggs.

This is my pick a pile. My aunt Linda began this game of picking a pile, taking a before picture, cleaning it up, and then revealing it to the world. Sadly when you live with two monkeys laundry is never done. The above picture taken on Monday has been replaced with four loads of new clothes to fold. All for monkey love I guess.

That's all for now. I have more catching up to do I know.

Monkey Buisness

We will be back soon. Sorry for the delay. In the meantime we will be chasing wild monkeys, hunting for monkey food, and telling monkeys not to jump on the couch.

Super Mommy

I never feel more mommyish than when one of my loves are sick. There is something about holding my feverish child close, whispering soft nothings in their ear, their warm cheek pressed up against mine that makes me feel...well I can't even put it into words that describe the full volume of overwhelming love, compassion, empathy, kindness, thankfulness, and contentment, I feel.

Caleb had a big blow out today. It was beyond anything I have ever encountered before. It was disgusting. I will spare you the gruesome details, but lets just say a ton of Lysol, soap, and bleach were involved. I wanted to call in the troops. But that is the thing I have been grappling with as of late. There are no troops. No grandmas to call for help. To run quickly over to put new p.j.s on a sobbing boy while I ... ahem... tackle...ahem...a big brown mess. Or to help with the massive pile of soiled laundry... or to take little girl who feels bored and left out to the park. Sigh. Yes I am feeling sorry for myself. Any one think I shouldn't?

I am hoping to boot this virus out the door by morning. I am after all supermom. And my boy is counting on me. He keeps looking up at me with these big sad blue eyes that seem to be saying, "Mama help me. Fix it. It hurts." I managed to conquer 5 similar but less brilliant episodes these past few hours - my stomach is amazingly strong. Must be a Super Mommy thing.

Or just a whole bunch of grace bestowed upon me I am sure. I know that I am not the only Mama dealing with this stinky bug bothering our children, I am sure we will be swapping laundry tips soon. It sure isn't fun though. Makes me long for spring even more.

Zombiefied

All night long I had a sweet little visitor bekoning me out of my bed. "Mama, Mama, MAMA." he would hush quietly. "pome (come) " Let me tell you it was a good thing that this little man was cute or he would have been in for it. Eventually I would get out of bed, he would grab my hand and we would walk slowly down the long dark hallway to his room.

After laying the little man down, giving him kisses, his blankie, his baba, his balls, and his moose... mind you these special objects are not easy to find in the pitch black. But apparently they are very important. ...I ventured towards the door. "Mama, Mama...I needs Loves."

SIGH>>>>>>>>>>>> GRUMBLE>>>>>>>>>LOW GROWEL>>>>>>>>>>>>> SIGH

Back to him I would go to give Loves.... and then more loves... and then to give more water....

This repeatedly occurred until 4am. Twice he had drive heaves in the middle of our ritual. I am not sure if he was sick, or just hungry from not eating the day before. Once I asked Michael to put him back to bed. I am not sure if that was a good idea or not since it was officially my turn to be on night duty. Michael wasn't too pleased with the request. I could tell by all the huffing and puffing he did. At least the little man was giving me Loves... After 4 am I only had to get up twice more. Our sunrise sunshine happy day began at 7am.

After my two cups of coffee this morning. I calculated that I got roughly three hours of sleep. Delightful huh. I am convinced that three hours is not enough sleep to function. I NEED MORE THAN THAT. A LOT MORE! I then drank two more cups of coffee figuring I deserved it. Thank you Mrs. Makemecoffee.

I want to sleep right now but child mentioned above is on a nap strike. How he is managing it I don't know. He is oblivious to the fact that his mother is turning into a zombie. His eyes are glassy, and he is sweet little boy all snugly and cute. I bet he will sleep all night through since it is his Daddy's turn to get up. That's how it works right?

My new best friend

Mrs. Makemecoffee. She is wonderful. Pretty. Is available when I need her. Notice the timer? She is actually awake and brewing before I am! I love her. And she was cheap. $7.00.

Best Friends forever. We are a team. Without her my day would be a little less productive.

Little Bumble Bee Vivian

Vivian de Mello 7lbs 10 oz 20"

Beautiful and Sweet just like her Mama

Gabriella in Love with her new friend
"Isn't this the cutest thing ever!"

Oh Sunny Day

For the Love of Chocolate

Classy? I don't think so!

Being a mom hasn't exactly been the most classy experience for me. Take Monday morning for example. I spent about an hour at a coffee shop "visiting" a friend and her adorable little boy. The entire time I was getting up and down from my seat, playing referee, stepping on cookies, tripping over toys, chasing little boy, and telling little girl to be nice. My hair was a mess, my jeans officially don't fit, and I think I spilled coffee on my shirt. I was frazzled, and it was evident to everyone around me.

Then yesterday afternoon. I was about to have quiet time with my sweet girl when she turned sour on me. She screamed her protests so loud that I was sure the FBI was going to be called in to investigate. She was, to put it bluntly "pissed". And I was simply tired and stinky. If anybody were to have come over in that exact moment I am sure they would have felt sorry for me. Heck! I felt sorry for myself! I wonder what Bella thinks of me during our face downs. "Mama-you need to get it together and let me do what I want to. Oh and By the way - you need a Bath!"

I went to Target alone this week. What is usually a enjoyable outing suddenly wasn't so fun anymore when I saw a young woman ahead of me. She looked drained from all energy, disheveled, and kinda sad. For a split second I felt sorry for her, until Oh wait, I was actually looking at my reflection in a mirror - that woman was me! No joke! I grabbed my groceries and went home. Oh and on the way out I backed my big mama butt into someone else's cart. Yep - Real Classy.

How is it possible to be classy when you are up in your elbows in poop, boogers, and mud? When your charges are throwing world class fits in public, and you have nothing in your closet that actually fits?

I have friends who are moms and they are super classy. Very calm, collected, and beautifully put together. Their homes look like Pottery Barn catalogues and their kids are proper and well behaved. How do they do it? I mean I'm good to go if I actually get to take a shower and serve my kids something healthy to eat.

I want to forget the heels, the manicured nails, the styled hair- goodness that's not me even if I could actually put that together. However I want to be a little bit more graceful, delicate, and peaceful. I want CALM! I want to feel like I'm not being pulled in a hundred directions! I want to actually sigh contently, and not out of anger or frustration. IS THAT POSSIBLE? If so please mail me a complete set of directions!

How she eats it!

I love my girl - and she loves her sunbutter!

Saturday Mess

Evidence of a good weekend. I couldn't help smile at my mess this morning. Our living room tells the tale of four people playing, hanging out, and just having fun. We didn't do much this Saturday but that. We ventured out for a little while to visit our pups. ( they really belong to the Pet Store but shhh don't tell Caleb and Bella- they would be heartbroken.) I was happy to see our bulldog still there. We have named him: Expensive! We had lunch again at Panera. I know: Dejavue.

We took naps in the afternoon. Watched t.v. and hung out on the floor with cars, dinosaurs, and stuffed animals. We drank coffee and milk, ate dinner in the living room, and wrestled on the floor.

My favorite part of the day was when Bella and I watched Hannah Montana in the dark on my bed. She Loves Hannah Montana. It is silly - she is only 3 and doesn't really get the show. But it is harmless and cute. I loved snuggling with her underneath the covers, and listening to her laugh.

When we were done I caught Michael and Caleb lounging in the living room tossing rubber balls back and forth to each other. They were so so relaxed and chill. My boys are so cute.

This is how every Saturday should be. I would take the mess with open arms for the memories.

Good Morning

No more naps

It is so ironic that for 3 years I battled my little girl to go to sleep in the afternoons. And now it is 1pm- her brother is sleeping peacefully and she is sitting beside me writing on her doodle pad, watching Mr. Rogers.

We have discovered if she takes a nap she turns into Oscar the Grouch upon awakening and won't go to bed until around nine. Which doesn't work because that is MY current bedtime, and I don't like to share Michael after 7. I will make a few exceptions kids, but for the most part I am selfish when it comes to your Daddy. I like him, ALOT. So Please PLEASE stick to Mama's after bed time rule, and stay in bed!

So we are fighting a new battle these days- NO NAPS BELLA! She must be confused! All this sleep training thrown OUT the WINDOW!

The beauty of this plan is that at exactly 7 she conks out. No repeated trips to fetch water, retrieve special items, or answering 100 different random questions. The trick is keeping her awake during afternoon outings in the car. To her 5 minutes of slumber is like giving her an energy drink. We ( her parents) pay big bucks sometimes for that Starbucks or Target run.
You probably guessed I have been home more often lately.

I think eventually she'll get used to not taking a nap. And I will miss her sleepy eyed and sweet during the evening. All this growing up she is doing lately is wearing my heart out!

My very own Peter Pan

"I don't want to be a big girl. I don't want to grow up!" Those were the words from my girlie's mouth Saturday. We had just finished telling her that she couldn't possibly sit in Caleb's car seat because his was smaller than hers by barely an inch.

She was so sad. Sobbing. Heart broken from the pressures of being the Big Girl. The Older sister. The one who knows better. She who outgrows clothes and toys, and gives them away. She who is too big for this, and too old for that. Poor thing. I understand her.

And she really was too big for her car seat. Lately when we would go to put her in, she would smack her head on the top of the door way, and tears would follow. She would kick our seats because she had no room to stretch her "long" legs, and she would complain that her back hurt. I am assuming her little body was smooshed in the even smaller car seat. Again, Poor Thing.

So that afternoon Michael and I went to 3 different Targets in search of a booster seat. Michael is Bella's Knight in Shining Armor. He will go to great lengths to rescue her from distress. To my amazement Gabriella fits the height and weight requirements for the booster seat. It is a lap/shoulder belt booster. I still can't wrap my head around the fact that she is safe without the baby car seat. She truly is a big girl.

And now she is proud of her big girl status. At least for the moment. I am proud of her too, but have to choke back tears when I see her all grown up in the backseat. Seems like yesterday when we had her in the infant carrier all snuggled in. Where did my baby go?

This weekend so far has been a mix of fun and relaxation. Friday afternoon we took the kids to Walmart to buy Caleb a new hat. Lately he has been loving Bella's pretty pink Easter hat, and would walk all over the house with it. Needless to say we replaced it with a green army hat that fits our wild boy's style.


Then we went to the Pet Shop next door. We asked to see this sweet little bulldog. She was soft brown and white and very cudddly. Bella was brave and pet her, and even let the puppy lick her fingers. I am excited for the day when we get to actually take a puppy home. Even though this puppy was calm, Caleb did not want to touch it all. He was pretty weirded out by the little critter, but cried when we left for the "wowwow" I was shocked by the price tag of our Bulldog. $4000.00! Who pays that kinda money for a dog? Like Michael put it, a baby would be cheaper and easier! Our second thought was of our dream destination: Sandals Resort which costs about the same.

For a light dinner we went to Panera Bread. We sat by the fire and listened to our children's chatter. Gabriella is a hoot. She talks and talks and talks. It was so calm and warm, and peaceful. Shortly after we returned home, it was the kids bedtime. Michael and I enjoyed the quiet house and watched part of the Postman.

Saturday morning was pancakes, playing ( me and the kids at home, and Daddy in the studio), and lots and lots of laughter. I think Bella should TEACH acting school. She is a little dramatic flair. After naps we went for a drive around the lake, drinking Starbucks.

In the evening Michael made Breadsticks and we kinda played Yahtzee. Bella was having a hard time sleeping so we let her get out of bed to hang out. Again she was hilarious. Talking non-stop. And the memory that girl has! Michael and I are glad that we made a point of doing special things with her when she was even little, because that girl REMEMBERS! She even remembers little details.

So we are on to Sunday, and I am looking forward to an afternoon nap and the promised warm weather! I love weekends!

My mama is...

I wonder sometimes what my children will say about me when they are older.

When they are five they may say that I am a silly pickle.

When they are 1o they may say that I am unfair.

When they are 13 they may say that I am too strict, or too conservative. ( Can you imagine!)

When they are 16 they will probrobly say the above with a few slammed doors and dirty looks.

(ouch!)



But when they are twenty and on their own. In college, starting a career or a family. How will they describe their dear old mama. ( I'll only be in my 40's ! Isn't that crazy!)



I am a sap and have given it a bit of thought this past week. This is what I hope that they will say:



"My mom is...one big warm hug. "



I would be happy with just that. Because a warm hug says so much. I want to be a warm hug to my children when they scrap their knees, when they are faced with dissapointments, when they are lonely or scared, when they are excited about something, when they are sick, when they experience heartache or joy, and when they just need their mama.