Black Eye

Katie was at school yesterday and she got her first black eye. She was running, and ran into the back of a little girl. Hitting the back of the child's head. Her eye isn't swollen shut, but she can be a bit of an actress at times.

After I took pictures of Katie's eye she had to take a picture. She took one of my new haircut. She thinks I look like Ms. Becca, her teacher. I took it as a compliment, since she really likes her teacher. I told Aunt Carrie what she said, but I had already showered and fixed my hair again. She yelled out "NO Mommy, you changed it. Your hair was like Ms. Becca yesternight, today it is the old way." I always wish I could do my hair like my hairdresser does. She gives it so much more volume.

Then Daddy had to play with the camera. He likes to find out what settings take the best picture. For this picture he was playing with the ISO. I don't know what that means but he played with it while Katie and I posed for this picture.

But really don't you feel bad for this poor girl. Just look at that eye. Feel worse for me. She says it doesn't hurt anymore, I still get this look from strangers like "I know this is YOUR fault, what did you do to her." Seriously with looks like this she can pull all those heart strings.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Wild Child to Curly Sue

Well Katie got her first hair cut yesterday, and mother of the year over here forgot the camera. I know how could I miss the pictures of this event. I am a blogger for goodness sake, I am supposed to be capturing each moment for you. But I did it. We had a hair appointment after work and I was sitting there watching Katie do a great job getting her first hair cut at a salon, sitting in the big chair, and it dawned on me that no one would be able to see this because I forgot the camera.

Well right when we got home I took some pictures. Here is the before picture. Katie is a little wild with the baby hair flying free.

I know I reuse pictures, but since I didn't have a before picture, this is what you get. Katie never lets me put her hair up, and when she does it's out in 5 minutes. So when Grammie was here we decided that it would be great if Katie got her hair shaped around her face so it wouldn't get in her eyes since I couldn't put it up.
I took her in to my stylist, I didn't want to go supercuts for the first cut, plus she was even cheaper!!! She said she would cut it, but that Katie still had a lot of baby hair growing in. She didn't want to cut that as it would affect the growth process. But she agreed that something must be done to help her. So she cut a few inches off the back, and framed her face. I was afraid that the curls were just baby hair and she would have annoyingly straight hair from now on, but Erica, Katie's stylist (I know it sounds so grown up) assured me that the curls are here to stay and would fall into ringlets at the end. YIPPEE!!!
Anyway here is what she looks like now:

I know it probably doesn't look much different, but all the baby hair in the back is gone. She has only child hair back there now. Boo Hoo. Her hair is staying out of her face, which is great. She has better bangs, and the stylist directed me to never again cut her bangs myself. She gave me a very stern look. I have tried to cut hair before, just ask Dee how that turned out, and she will probably tell you the horror she felt when I cut it. I took an oath then and there to never cut Katie's hair again.
Before leaving the salon, Erica informed me that Katie's hair must be moisturized as it is pretty dry out here. Let me tell you how dry it is: if you touch the canned goods at the grocery store you are guaranteed a painful shock. If you run your fingers through your hair it will remain standing, and some of it will stick to your face, and not come off. It is DRY here. So of course not only did Katie get her first salon hair cut, but she got her first (expensive (don't tell Rick)) hair product.

But she has to share it with me. Curly hair may need extra attention, but my hair keeps standing on end and sticking to my face. It is really embarrassing. Plus it's papaya, who wouldn't want their hair to smell like papaya. Plus it cost $27.00 I think that I need it more than she does. Spoiled brat.

Here's the lock of baby hair I saved.... I miss my baby!

Grammie, Katie, and Dolly

Grammie came and visited us last weekend. We were all soooo excited. But no one was more excited than Katie and Dolly. Just look at their faces. They can't wait to see her. They both dressed up for the occasion, and couldn't wait to get to Salt Lake City to pick her up.

"Grammie!!!" Katie jumped out of the car (after I unhooked her from her car seat!) It was a long awaited reunion for sure.

"Grammie!!!" Dolly too had to say hello at the airport.

These girls are both completely content now that they have her here for a visit.
Here we go, off to go home for a weekend of fun! They spent the entire drive talking about what is going on in their lives.

Grammie brought Katie these two reindeer. We watched Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from last Christmas until about August. I think it is time to break it out again. Grammie also made Katie this nightgown. Penguins hold her interest currently, and Grammie found this pattern. She will be making more, plus I put in a couple of orders for other outfits. Katie loves the pjs.

Uh Oh, here we go again. Rick and I are going to be singing all the songs from this movie for months!

The next day we went to Seedskadee to show Grammie some interesting history of the Oregon Trail. Quiz: What are we standing on??? Give up? It is a replica of the barge the pioneers used to cross the Green River!

Do you see the black spot in the middle of the picture??? It's a moose. I have never seen one so close before, but in the picture it looks like a dog. I think we need a bigger lens. When we left the refuge we noticed that there were actually two moose. We took a picture of them as well, but it isn't as clear.

Grammie of course brought birthday gifts so we had to have a celebration. Katie "helped" frost the cake. Yum!


We celebrated Daddy and Katie's birthday, she was really excited to blow out the candles. She is getting very good!

Then it was time to open the gifts. Daddy got some itunes money to load up more music on his ipod. He has already used a lot of it! He loves his music!!!

Katie got this princess dress up doll. She has a lot of outfits, Katie loves the blue princess best. Daddy named the doll Princess Pumpernickel, it stuck. It is pretty adorable to hear Katie say the princess' name.

Katie also got a birthday cake of her own. This one is wooden and she has been playing birthday party all week. She likes to sing to to Princess Pumpernickel, it is her birthday a lot. Katie can decorate the cake any way she wants, it has a lot of accessories.

We had to take Grammie home the next day but we took our time, enjoying every last minute of her visit. Katie got pretty upset when she left, we all did. Grammie has another visit planned for January, and if the weather holds she'll make it. If not then she has a plane ticket for another time.

Katie has asked all week if we are going back to the airport to pick up Grammie. When I tell her January she gets pretty mad, and says, "no, now". Yesterday she told me she wants to go live with Grammie and Papa, and that Daddy and I can come visit her. I told her that I would miss her too much but maybe she can go visit them this summer. She is ok with that, for now.

What a BIG Girl!!

Do you see a BIG Girl here? Katie for the very first time, dressed her self from head to toe. Everything was on the right way, and she was very proud of herself.

She is pretty excited to be a big girl now and we are her reminiscing parents, who look back on the days when she couldn't walk, or talk, and needed us for everything. Too bad those days are pretty fuzzy to us, as we are totally immersed in the present with her. To think back on her as a baby is already a distant memory. She still feels like, and probably always will feel like, our baby. But we see so many ways in which she is growing up. She is going to school, something that a year ago seemed so far in the future, and she is coming to us with ideas, and concepts of a child, NOT a baby. She is growing up and we can't prevent it, or deny it. Some days I miss her being a baby, totally dependant on me, but another part of me is excited that she is understanding more, and participating more in our daily life and routine.

Look here Missy, don't think you can just ride off into the night, with out us. You have another 15 years until you can do that. I, for one, am going to hold on tight, until I am forced to let go!

Dancing Queen

These pictures were irresistible. Katie had her friends from next door over, and they all dressed up and danced, asking me to take pictures. Unfortunately, I don't have their parents permission to post pictures of them, so only the Katie ones are making it. She really likes to dance!

This one's my favorite.

Sometimes she gets a wedgie. We can all relate, I'm sure.

This one is my next favorite. I will have to start looking into dance classes!

Weekly Update

Crazy is our new Normal!!!
Well this week was pretty uneventful. I decided to make Christmas gifts this year, and am busy getting them made. I don't want to give away what they are, but I will put pictures up when they open them, and send me the pictures.

Katie is busy making me crazy. She will be three in a month, and she is already going on 13. She calls me "mom" now, and can even get the annoyed teenager sound when she says it. "Mooom, I want it now." I don't know where she even picked up the "Mom" over "Mommy" but I have taken to calling her Kate because of it. It makes her laugh.

Rick worked swing shift this week, which means he left the house at 2pm and got home at 2am. We see him in the mornings, but he is gone when we get home from school. I think this is my least favorite shift. Although graves is rough since we have to be quiet. Difficult for a tantrum throwing 2 year old.

Katie is getting ready for her visit with Grammie, and maybe Auntie Dee. She can't wait for Auntie Dee to bring Grammie in a van. See Reno Trip post. I keep telling her that we are picking them up in Salt Lake City, and she says ok, and remembers for all of 3 seconds, then repeats how she thinks Grammie will get here. UGH, the cycle starts again!

Katie had a preschool assessment a couple of weeks ago and I had a conference with her teacher (I am the assistant in K's class). Katie did really well. She knows most of her letters, numbers, shapes, colors, etc. She is ahead of the game, which makes me feel relieved.

We are still looking for a house, and are hoping to see some when my mom comes next weekend. We are looking at everything, some are on lots, some have a bit of acreage. Ok 2 acres, but saying acreage sounds more land barronish.

I hope you all are doing well, and please comment below or email me when you get a chance. I like to know how everyone is doing!
Love
Amy

New Elements

I just added some new stuff, it's on the bottom. Check it out!

Miss Molly

Miss Molly is a well loved, nervous, over eating Beagle. She has, what we call, an eating disorder. She simply can't stop. We do feed her twice a day, but any time there is food being eaten she is always close by waiting for a morsel to drop. I must say it is her most irritating quality. Although in her defense she does keep the floors awfully clean.

See picture evidence above. Katie and Daddy are eating a picnic lunch of KFC, and Molly is dutifully waiting below them just in case, and it there is a very good chance, especially by Katie, that a huge morsel of chicken will fall to the floor, in which case Molly will gobble it up as fast as doggly possible just in case we try to take it away. I don't think we have ever done that, but she doesn't want to take the chance.

Molly is also a very nervous dog. She doesn't like other dogs getting too close (she had a bad experience last year, I think she needs dog therapy) she makes an old lady get away from me noise at them. It makes Dori think she really does want to play, and I think Dori enjoys riling her up. It is pretty funny, although we have to give Dori disapproving looks so she doesn't see we think it's funny, it eggs her on even more!!

This is about as far into the water Molly will ever get. She is a water phobe. She hasn't had a bad experience with it. Maybe it's a Beagle thing. I hope it's a Beagle thing.

Molly likes to go places with us, but she thinks is extremely unfair that she can't sit up front, on Daddy's lap, while he's driving. Instead she is forced to sit in the back seat like a child, her only consolation is that she can sniff the floors freely and find all of the cheerios Katie dropped. Again we appreciate her clean-up skills, as sometimes I don't get to vacuum the floors for quite awhile. Ok, I admit I don't vacuum the floors in the car, I just take Molly out and lock her in the truck for 10 minutes. Floor clean!
At the end of the day Molly just wants to get on our bed, crawl under the covers and call it a night. Boy, oh boy, do I love that dog.

One Last Halloween Event

Well, Katie is in bed before 8:30, and I am keeping my fingers crossed for a better night. I am sure you are all sick of Halloween pictures, but Katie found some Dracula teeth, and she delighted in scaring everyone, and pretending to bite them. Then she had to go look at herself in the mirror. Here are the pictures. Too funny not to post!

Later this Afternoon...

Katie has come down from her insane sugar high. She looked in the candy bowl this afternoon only to see that all the candy is gone. "Oh," she says, "Mommy come look, the candy is all gone." Sad face. "Yup," I tell her, "the trick-or-treaters got it all. She has conveniently forgotten about all her candy she got last night. I am letting her forget.
As for myself, I have finally gotten rid of the hangover like headache that I get whenever Katie doesn't allow me enough sleep. It only took a lot of Advil, and a pot or six of coffee. I used to miss Halloween after it was over, now I just shudder at the thought of it coming back in 364 days. I wish it was a leap year next year!!!

A Quick Note

Frazzled Mommy here... Just so you know I have found out that a day filled, and I mean FILLED with candy consuming, plus too much excitement at night makes a cranky Katie. She had a VERY VERY difficult time going to sleep. "I want a cupcake, candy, pumpkin seeds, FOOOOOD!!!"
When we finally got her to sleep, we said "AHHHHHH" and watched Frasier. Only to be lulled to sleep by Katie talking in her sleep; "I want more candy, WAHHHHHHH!" "Give me more CANDY, WAAAAAAHHHHH." I went in to try to get her dream to end, only she then woke up mad at me. I, of course, was the mean old Mommy in her dream who refused her candy. Then she wanted to go potty, no get water, no some food, no go potty, no water. I have never wanted to tie her to the bed, and shut the door more. Finally I got her to go potty, and back to bed. She woke up what seemed like a million times last night. I got no sleep.
She just woke me up at 7am, asking for..., you guessed it, candy. If she can't have candy she wants pumpkin seeds.
I think my child has an issue with sugar. Oh great. I think I'll cancel Halloween next year.