Ew, Long Line

As kids we had this game called Mall Madness.  We got credit cards and when we would swipe them some times the guy would say, “Ew,  Long line.  Try again later.”  It always makes me think of Black Friday.

I did not participate in Black Friday… well… because of my Miss Mallory.  : )  Instead my sister, her kids, Mallory and I decided to have a good ‘ol fashion craft day instead! 

I did however get to the Dollar Store at 8am.  I was expecting a parking lot full of fun shoppers and there were only two cars in the lot!  : (  I was able to get in and get my items I needed for our projects and back on the road in about 15 minutes, that was wonderful!

We use to have craft day on Black Friday with my aunts and cousin, but we all grew up and apparently craft day wasn’t fun for us anymore.  Now we have our own kids and we decided to start the tradition again. 

Project #1:  Decorating magnetic picture holders.

Look at my baby!  She sits in a highchair now!  Sniff-sniff!

 

Project #2:  The secret. 

We made a little something for Grandma.  But she was there while we were making it and we kept telling El, if we just don’t talk about it, she’ll never know.  Then El yells, GRANDMA DON’T COME OVER HERE!  When we had it all finished she grabs it and says, “I’m going to give it to Grandma!”  Shannon and I both screamed NOOOO!  Um, the secret project is awesome!  I loved how it turned out, but it is a secret and I can’t tell you!

We had to wrangle Mr. Garrett.  He is a mover and a shaker now.  He walks everywhere and causes trouble.  My mom gave me a little pan to take home and I had it by the carseat and the next thing I know that pan is by my feet under the table.  Hmmm…

We put them in the playpen and they fought over toys.  Mally would have a toy and Garrett would take it from her and then Mally would try to take it back from him.  Trouble!!

 

El was done with us.  She was on to her own things like coloring her Cinderella pictures. 

El is so into reading that when she rode home with me she read Mallory’s safety instructions/warnings on her carseat to me.  Then El says, I know this sentence but I don’t know this one word.  She spells it for me, moquebo (something like that).  Um, El, I think you are trying to read the Spanish instructions.

Project #3:  Paper snowflakes.

Aren’t these awesome!  They were way too time consuming so we only made one. 

Project #4:  Magnetic Clothespins

How cute are these?  Yup, when you live in Wisconsin you have to have a camo one!!  Plus, Garrett was with us on craft day and he needed something boyish!  : )

Some how that middle camo one missed quality control.  He needs his edges sanded!

We made a few of these, oh over 50!  We were a bit addicted! 

We had one more project on the to-do list but our children were done!  We’ll have to roll it over on to next years list.  They’ll be a next year, right Shan?  You secretly had fun, I know you did!

This was my absolute favorite shopping trip on Black Friday in 2006.

Oregon!

I was looking for a little vacation and it just so happened that we had enough airline miles to get us all out to Oregon – so we went!  Except don’t let those airline miles trick you into a totally free trip.  You have to pay to use your miles and then there is a fee for this and a fee for this mile… blah blah blah…

We basically went out to Oregon to see all our long lost friends!  We saw so many friends it just made miss them all the more.  It is also so incredible that we pick up right where we left off and it feels like we never even left or that we haven’t seen them in over 2 years!  That makes for some great friendships. 

Our incredible host and hostess had a room for us and even a vehicle!  Loved their minivan too!  The side doors automatically opened!  How awesome is that when you have a carseat and diaper bag… and on this trip I had two diaper bags.  Loved it!  We spent the first night with them, ate supper, and watched Mallory have her first (and only) melt down of the trip.  We were trying to keep her awake to adjust her to the time zone.  Well it was going on 8:30pm (10:30 her time) and she just lost it.  Cried.  Wouldn’t eat.  Just cried.  It wasn’t too long before she just crashed from exhaustion and was asleep.

The next day we went to my work to see all my coworkers again and check in.  They got to meet Mallory for the first time.  They hear her a lot when they call but now they got to put a face with all that noise. 

Then we had supper and spent the night catching up with our old classmates and neighbors!  Such a fun group of people!  Miss them tons!  Oh and what is really funny now… our group of friends has expended to a big group of KIDS!  Lets let the pictures do the talking…

Myself, Cora (13 months), Abbie, Laura

 This next picture cracks me up.  I can’t even remember what the conversation was.  Lin, Justin, Ryan, and myself

  Liz and me.  Justin – our friend with the mohawk.  Hopefully my little boy cousins don’t see this… they will be begging their Mom for a mohawk again!

Zack – our friend with the mullet.  Hmm, maybe my boy cousins will beg their Mom for a mullet.  Hahahaha!  Do you think this is a real mullet?  Hmm…. real or fake…

Mallory’s naughty parents kept her out way past her bedtime.  But she didn’t even notice.  She slept in her carseat and had no idea that people were taking pictures of her!  And peeking in on her to see how cute she was.  Don’t judge me… but Mallory slept in her carseat that entire night!  I undid her buckles, but I know not to wake a sleeping baby especially when you are staying with guests.

Meanwhile her parents are having a blast with some friends!  : )

We also got to see all our friends from the church we went to.  I don’t have any pictures from this night.  There was another little baby boy this night and he was 8 weeks old I think.  Mallory does these crunches when you lay her on the floor… so we kept teasing that Mallory was working on her abs for Cooper!  ; )

So happy to be home taking a nap!

These next pictures are for my Mom to show her that I am really not crazy!  Mallory does take a bottle and she will drink from it!  Guess it has to be on her own terms.  Little stinker!

I know it looks like there is nothing in the bottle, but there is.  She is not drinking air, I promise. 

What?  Don’t you drink with your feet up in the air?

Toes on the Ground

We’re back!  We had a blast!  I just wanted to let you know that we are so happy to have our toes on the ground!  Our first flights (on Wednesday) went great.  We had to leave our hotel (Minnesota) by 5:30am so Mally was up really early and by the time we boarded the plane I laid her in my lap on a the boppy pillow and she was out!  She was asleep before the plane was even completely boarded and pushed back. 

We had a lay over in Salt Lake City which was great.  After 3 hours on the plane all three of us were getting a little stir crazy.  Then onto our last flight into Portland.  She did awesome again.  She loved the pretzel bag and it kept her entertained for a while!

Then the flight back from Portland to home.  Oh boy!  We loaded the plane in Portland – all is well.  We had another lay over in SLC and as we are about to land she is crying.  I think she was having problems with her ears.  I couldn’t get her to hold on to the pacifier.  I couldn’t get her to eat.  I couldn’t get her to snuggle.  She just cried.  Then all of sudden she just stopped – that’s why I think it was her ears!

We load back up on another plane to go back to Minneapolis and as soon as I get on the plane and seated she starts crying!  The guy in our row spots an open seat (before we even push the plane back) and says, I’m going to go sit over here and give you more room.  I looked at Jesse and I said – in other words, we are already driving him crazy and he is scared of a crying baby the whole flight.  (And so am I!)  Then another lady moved away from us. 

But I got her all calmed down before we took off and got her to sleep.  She woke up once and cried for a real short moment while we were in the air.  I got her back to sleep and this time it was a hard sleep.  I wasn’t moving her and I wasn’t letting go.  My shoulder was in a big tight knot by the time we landed because I was afraid any movement would stir her awake.  The wheels hit the ground and we still had a quiet sleeping baby and I looked over at Jesse and said, We made it! and gave the YES arm pump!  The guy across the isle gave me the thumb ups and said, great job Mom!  A lady in front of us also said, good work!  It was so great to know that they appreciated it and knew how hard it was!  You knew that they had kids and did this before! 

Mallory even stayed sleeping while I wiggled myself out to the isle and walked off the plane.  She woke up when I laid her in the stroller and she was so happy and giggling and cooing while we waited for our shuttle bus.

Then we get home about midnight and we go lay her in her very own crib!  She seriously squealed and you could see the happiness of having her own bed!  We laid the blanket on her and more squeals!  She was wiggle crazy and extremely happy to be home!  For a special treat for being such an awesome traveler… we played her the sound machine so she could watch her fish swim and listen to music before she drifted off.

I’ll be back with a few pictures and stories of our vacation.  Right now, laundry loads need to be flipped.

5 Months

 When strangers stop you in the grocery store to see your baby and coo at them… then they look at you and say “enjoy this time, it goes way too fast.”  They are not lying!  I never ever dreamed it would go this fast.  Before I know it we are going to be sending her off to kindergarten – I am 100% positive I will be the mom that cries in the parking lot.

I was too anxious about starting Mally on fruits and veggies that I started this week.  We started out with some bananas that I mashed up.  She ate them right up and hummed the whole time.  Then we tried pears this weekend– also a fan of them.  Which is great because I don’t eat either of those!  : )  Fruit and I don’t get along – my mouth swells and starts itching.  Even raw veggies will do it too.  Very strange and I should probably go see an allergist… but I haven’t.  

She refuses to take a bottle.  Why she took it two weeks ago and now she won’t is beyond me.  My parents were going to watch her on Saturday while we went out to supper with Jesse’s family.  So I practiced the bottle all week!  We had tempers and big alligator tears!  Finally I smarted up and thought – fine you do it then!  So I handed her the bottle while she was sitting in her chair and what do you know… she drank it!  So that’s what I did the rest of the week – let her do it.  If I picked her up and tried to give her the bottle she would have nothing do with it and cried.

I drop her off at my Mom’s and explain that Mally thinks she is a big girl now and has to do her bottle herself.  (My mom and I shed a few tears that she is growing way too fast.)  Jesse and I leave and come back.  We walk in the door – the first thing I notice the house is quiet!  She’s not crying – which is a good sign!  Then we walk in the living room and my Mom is on the couch holding Mally and Ellyn is laying beside them reading stories.  I look beside them and there sits a full bottle!  Grrr!  We practiced all week!  She ate her cereal but would not take the bottle! 

My Mom says – come over here and say something to her.  (Mally had her eyes closed but you could tell she wasn’t in a deep sleep.)  I kneel down and say “Hey Mallory.”  Her eyes pop right open and she looks at me and gives me a little grin!  Then she starts wiggling!  She was so excited to see her mommy!!  I fed her and she was a brand new girl!  She was giggling and cooing/yelling again.  Little stinker so does not like it when I leave!  They said she was a happy little girl up until it was bottle time and then she changed into a sad little baby who missed her mommy.

And… Jesse is sick again.  Ugh.  I think this is the most he has been sick ever!  I remember twice of him being really sick during our 10 years together… but it has been 3 times with in the last 5 months!  He seriously is holding down my couch again and I busted out that stupid lysol can!  Did I mention that we leave on Tuesday night for our vacation?  Hmmm… I better go see if I can whip up some magic potion and get this kid better and keep us from getting it.

She’s awake!

You always know when Mallory is awake from her nap.  You just have to look down the hallway towards her room and if you see feet… she’s awake. Then you look into her crib and she is smiling back at you!

Now if only I could wake up this happy.  : )

It must be winter – our furnace died again!  Didn’t last winter we say we were going to replace our furnace before next winter… how did winter get here so fast!?

Good thing I have the day off today and we can go to warm places… like Target!  and Kohls!  and maybe even the mall!  oh I think the Starbucks in Target is calling me right now… I must go answer her!!

Boo!

We took Mallory “trick or treating” on Saturday.  We went to the grandparents and then to Uncle Jerry & Aunt Steph’s.  The first stop she scored some chocolate for her mommy!  : )  Then the next stop she got her own treats… baby food!  Which I hope to be trying once we get back from vacation next week.  Speaking of vacation – if you have any trips/tricks for flying with a 5 month old I’ll take them!

Here is our very spooky little Elephant with her Daddy!

There is a Halloween parade here and Mally and I went on Sunday.  My sister’s little guy was suppose to be a giraffe, but he wouldn’t keep his hood up so she put his hat on… which has elephant ears.  So when people would go by in the parade they would point and say “Look at the elephant!”  My sister and I were “fighting” over which elephant they saw!  : )

When I was uploading my pictures off my camera – I spotted this one among a ton of pictures that Jesse took of his new products.  He was using my big camera because the batteries were dead in the other one. 

Here is what our afternoons look like around here…

Come 3 or 4pm – Mally is so done with this work stuff – that she just wants to snuggly with me.  I’m multi-tasking with a baby!