My best helper

In order to get control of my life, seriously trying to balance working full time, I had to recruit some help. Brad and I had many conversations about how I could work, chauffeur kids, and still get a decent meal on the table. Our help.....our daughters. We split the week up, Mia sets the table on days with an "n" and Jilli sets on days with a "t." When it is not their day to set, they have to clean up and set the table for breakfast. My favorite part is that I get one on one time with both girls. Plus we get the work done in half the time.

Mia LOVES this!!!! She loves time with me alone, without you know who. She really enjoys cutting fruit and helping make the meals. I love "n" days because I have great help!

 

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Too much

 

Jilli is still the spring in my step. She is just a character and can make you laugh when you most need it.

She came home from a party with this face paint. Before we knew it she was scrunching her face saying "look at the waves, look at the waves". She also said "you know what this means....Shower!" The next day Mia was carrying her like a baby and dropped her. We iced her head, but the redness never went away. It got worse and spread around her face. Brad even commented that it looked like Mike Tyson's eye tattoo. At dinner it was worse and I thought she needed to go to the doctor until Mia said "that rash is right where her face paint was." Of course, she always has weird things happen to her.

Brad remodeled the girls bathroom and was installing a new toilet. She was watching him and made a comment about it being "the magic throne." He asked where she heard it and she said she saw a show on toilets. She didn't know all the nicknames for toilets but "will pay attention more next time and let you know." Please do.

One morning over Spring Break we were snuggling on the couch. I said I better get in the shower so we could make it somewhere on time. She told me "now that's the spirit!"

 

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Mia's Favorites Interview

Movie: Princess Diaries

T.V. Show: Berenstain Bears

Book: Laura Ingalls's Wilder books

Food that mom makes: Tilapia, Chicken Ravioli, Sloppy Joes

Restaurant: Chili's

Thing to do outside: play hide and seek in the backyard with Jilli

Thing to do inside: roller skate in the basement

Toy: American Girl dolls and Legos

Thing to do with Mom: go on a walk

Thing to do with Daddy: hug him

 

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Jilli's Favorites Interview

Movie: Lion King 1 and 2

Book: Magic Treehouse and Cam Jansen (which she can read!)

T.V. Show: Berenstain Bears and Noodle & Doodle

Dinner that mom makes: Lasagna, tacos, and the hamburgers I make inside

Restaurant: Fritz's, Chilis, and Margaritas

Thing to do outside: play softball with Mia

Thing to do inside: play dolls

Toy: Kobe, Froggy, Frog-ghost

 

 

 

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Snowman

Well, this is the first snowman during March Madness! Our lucky Jayhawk! Brad and the girls built this, clever trio used sidewalk chalk to color the buttons and face. These three are such a blessing!

 

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Way to go!

 

Mia earned 2nd place in her age group/level at her acrobats meet!

 

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Fun Trip

We started off our Spring Break with a fun trip to Wichita. My mom invited the girls and their cousins to Disney on Ice and to spend the night at the Broadview Hotel. We had a great time, the hotel was fantastic with their meals. I highly recommend a stay there if you are in Wichita or want a little road trip.

 

We also went to Exploration Place for a bit. We will have to go back with Brad and stay longer, he would enjoy it and Mia wanted to explore a little more.

 

 

 

 

Tornado Simulator

 

 

Mia 8, Jillian 5, Jaclyn 2, Ava 5, Camryn 6

 

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Religious Art

What to do with all of those art projects? I usually save my favorites, but then take photos of the others and put them in a book. For Mia's Kindergarten and First Grade years I made her a photo book on shutterfly. I plan to do so again this year. She loves to look through both books and it makes me actually print pictures.

Over a snow day I cleaned off my fridge and started taking pictures of their crafts. I keep seeing this one on my i pad when I scroll through pictures and it cracks me up!

The original angel stands up, but when I flattened her for the picture she turns out a little x rated. ;)

This is our family at church. Mia and Jilli are walking first, followed by me and a shorter Brad with spiky hair getting bitten by a dog in church?

 

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Pinished: Doll Clothes Organization

I truly love Pinterest. I have a board called Pinished where I put all pins I have completed. The girls and I used a pin idea to help us organize their doll clothes. The girls kept all of their doll clothes in bins, it was a mess!The idea was to place card stock in ziplock baggies and then an outfit on each side of the card stock. I had the bins and card stock, we jut had to buy baggies. We sorted the clothes and accessories, they are much easier to find now!

 

Now we need Lego organization!

 

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Brackets

Once again we all completed NCAA brackets! The winner gets a new pair of shoes, or Legos. ;) Mia is really serious about her bracket. She checks rankings and even picks a few upsets. She enjoys highlighting the winners with Brad. Jilli could care less, but we make her do it for good family fun!

 

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Snow Fort

Brad and the girls built another great fort! I was inside enjoying my four snow days!!!!!! Amen.

 

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Mia's Birthday

Mia had a great birthday! Both girls LOVE the Lego Friends, which are the new girl Legos. She wanted Olivia's House, which she got and the girls spent hours building it. I love the idea of building and creating, and am so excited that the girls enjoy it.

At school the kids get to take treats to teachers. My class heard Mia's name over the announcement for birthdays. I told them "She better come and see me;) and let's sing to her." Kids come in all the time with treats but we never sing. At the end of the day she came in and we sang. Apparently Jilli's class sang to her as well. I know she felt pretty special. Brad picked her up in the carpool line and took her to Quik Trip.

Kind of a sad story on her cake. We will just say that I am not balancing work full time as well as I thought I would. So I told Mia she could pick out her cake and school treats at Target. We made a special trip over a week prior to her birthday to pick it out and order it. She picked the flavor, icing, etc. I carried my carbon copy of the order for a week. The day before her birthday I went to pick them up and no cakes , nothing. My order was hanging there, but nothing. The lady just kept saying, "sorry, we have no decorator today." I was furious because I had ordered it and Mia was so excited. I had to pick up Jilli at daisies, Mia at acro, dinner to fix, papers to grade and no cake!!! So I just grabbed one out of the case. I even complained at customer service. Brad was mad at me because I bought a cake anyway and gave them the business. I didn't have time to come up with Plan B. Of course Mia bawled when I had to tell her, she was really looking forward to her cake. Poor kid. To my surprise Target called me the next day to apologize.

 

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8 is Great

Not sure when she grew up on us, but Mia Kate will be 8 tomorrow! Here are some highlights from her year!

A trip to A.G. to get Caroline's hair fixed.

Cutie pie Christmas.

Lots of snow for my snow lover.

Building great friendships.

Dance performances.

1st Reconciliation

Soccer Rising Star

Moving...last night in her old room.

1st high heels

A few little road trips.

Mia is a sweetheart! She is growing up too fast and has been caught reading my blog when she sees the iPad laying around. I love you Mia!

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