Oh goodness...

As promised, here is the update on the chicken situation.

Unbeknownst to me, the farm got a visit from animal control the night before we were supposed to pick up our chickens.  The farm sent a late-night email to families letting us know that the chick program was cancelled because State law dictates that they are not permitted to release any animals under 3 weeks old (despite the fact that he farm gets all of their chickens when they are under 3 weeks old) to anyone for any reason.

They apologized to the families and offered 3-week-old chickens to families who are still interested.

Dear Husband, Bro, Bri, and I arrived to the farm on a gorgeous Saturday morning.

The staff was polite and gracious and humble and totally wonderful as they explained the situation to those of us who had not read their email.

I was heart broken and not about to take home a half-grown chicken.  Nope!  Not happening!

We hung out for a little bit and checked out the farm.

I watched my son drool over the livestock on the other side of the fence.  I think he could have stared over that fence for hours.  I have no doubt that he is a future farmer. 

Even baby Bee seemed to really enjoy the sights.

The farmers brought out the baby chicks and I was shocked and amazed at how gentle baby Bee was with them... I mean totally shocked... as "gentle" is not in her vocabulary. 

When it came time to leave (without a chicken - wink, wink) I gave a cheerful, "Okay guys.  Wasn't that fun?  Let's go!"  {{yippee}}

And, Brody replied, "But Mom, what about our chicken?  We are supposed to babysit a chicken."

"No, no, no.  They said that we can't take the baby chickens.  We only get to take the big chickens.  So, we aren't going to take on home with us.  Okay buddy?"

"No - I want a chicken.  I want to babysit her."

So, we took her home....

... we gave her a name... ahem... "Nugget"... and showed her how to play with the LeapPad.

We had to lift up the flaps on the box (to make the sides taller) because she was perched on the side of the box within minutes of her arrival.

We also took her outside to play.

The kids just love her.  Even my teen wants to keep her.

Here is a great video from CNN on urban chicken farming.  Have you ever heard of a chicken diaper?  You have now - watch the video.  Oh my goodness.

Oh the things we do for our kids... Oh!

JUICE!

My little Bro-man is rather inflexible at times.

For example, he gets a sippy cup of juice each morning.  There is hell to pay if he does not get his juice immediately when he arrives to the living room.  I'm not kidding here folks.

Recently, we were out of juice.  I was giving Bri her bottle and Bro was still sleeping.

While I feeding Bri her bottle, Bro walked out into the living room.  I could feel the hairs on my neck stand up.  I knew what was coming.

"I want my juice Mommy."

I was in a predicament.  Bro was gonna have a fit if he did not get his juice, but Brielle was going to have a fit if I sat her down in the middle of the only bit of cuddle time we get each day.

I know I can multitask but I cannot make juice and feed a baby a bottle at the same time.

So, I took a gamble and asked, "Bro, Mommy needs to make new juice.  Can you give Bri her bottle while I make juice."

He replied, "Yes" and he did.. and Brielle didn't fuss. Oh my gosh - he even let me TAKE HIS PICTURE!!!

This is his I-just-woke-up face, not a grumpy face.

He really is mommy's little helper.

Don't the kids just surprise you sometimes?



Books

Recently, I spent a few days sitting around the house holding his little gem.

She threw up all day long.  Good times!


Actual picture of terribly sick baby Bee.



The best part was when she was supposed to be taking a nap and instead stood up at the corner of her crib and threw up into the basket below... the basket that holds 4 of her favorite baby books.

What did I do?  I'm not kidding folks.  I rinsed them and set them in the bathtub to dry.

Is that awful or what?

At $9 a piece, we are looking at about $40 of books here.  These are the bulk of her favorite board books.  We cannot live without them.  Luckily, the Barney lift-the-flap books were not in the basket.  They are out of print and the replacement cost is not in our family budget.  The Barney books are her top favorite books and she asks for them by name.

Was I able to save the books?  Well, Brown Bear, Brown Bear was beyond saving.  {{sigh}} It has been part of our collection since Lulu was a baby.  {{tears}}

Please tell me that someone reading this blog would have tried to save the books.

I couldn't just throw them away.

Bounce Zone

Wow!  I asked a friend of mine for suggestions of activities for my two youngest kids on a State Holiday when the daycaare was closed.

I am finding it hard to keep the two of them occupied as the weather gets colder.

My friend suggested a local indoor bounce place specifically for little kids.  I have been to the bounce places for older kids and I knew that would not work for us.

We met some friends at the bounce place and both of my little ones had a great time.

You know what happens when you try to get the kids to pose for a picture at a place like this?

You get the backs of their heads!

Someone with a winter birthday (poor guy) wants to have a Bounce Zone party this year.

Do you have any suggestions for a winter birthday party?

Fall Activities

Interesting story about my life.  Everyone in the family has decided what they want to be for Halloween.  Most of the costumes are ready.

Lulu = Taylor Swift (complete with blonde wig and guitar)
Bro = Spiderman (Remember:  you must refer to him as Spiderman - not Bro - when he is in costume)
Bri  = a bumble bee

Dear Husband has suggested costumes for us as well.  It goes something like this:

Dear Husband = party... covered with balloons and holding a fun drink
Me = all brown.  Thus, he is the "party" and I am the "party pooper." 

Are you laughing?  I fail to see the humor in this. {{smirk}}

Speaking of Fall, we have been outside enjoying the wonderful weather.

Someone has decided that she can climb up the ladder to the slide all by herself. 

We also utilized Fairy Grandmother's apple slicer.  Bro thoroughly enjoyed using his big boy dull kid knife to cut the apples. 

He even shared some slices with his sister which I just thought was precious.

We are going to a pumpkin patch this weekend. 

How 'bout you?

Do you know your nursery rhymes?

I have been trying to think of a creative way to showcase Bri's lonely curl.  It is the only bit of curl that any of my kids has ever had -- and so we cherish it.  I think of a certain nursery rhyme when I see her curl.  Now, she has the attitude to match.

Thus, here is my version of a popular nursery rhyme.

There was a little girl

Who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead back of her head.

And when she was good

She was very, very good

But when she was bad

She was horrid!

-Nursery Rhyme (Adaptation by Napmom)

 

And here are the pictures to go with it.  You will have to trust me that she has the attitude personality to match the poem.

 

Clarification:  Many people (myself included, until now) do not know that this nursery rhyme (often credited to Mother Goose) is actually a poem written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow  According to several websites (including http://www.rhymes.org.uk/a116-there-was-a-little-girl.htm):

The line "she was very, very good" should actually be "she was very good indeed." Longfellow's second son Ernest says of this poem: "It was while walking up and down with his second daughter, then a baby in his arms, that my father composed and sang to her the well-known lines .... Many people think this a Mother Goose rhyme, but this is the true version and history."

Baby "Bee" Birthday Recap

This is the first in a 3-part birthday series. 

Part 1.  Bri celebrates her birthday with my parents.
Part 2.  Bri's bee cake.
Part 3.  Bri and Bro play in a sandbox.

Bee (a.k.a. Bri) turned 1-year old last month.

I couldn't decide what to do for a birthday theme for her.  We often call her our baby Bee... so at the very last minute I decided on a bee theme.  As if making 3 cakes (one for school, one for my folks, one for Dear Husband's folks) wasn't enough, I also added making-a-bee-dress to my list of things to do.  What?  I'm so crazy!

Seriously.  Look up crazy in the dictionary and you'll find something like this:

Crazy
[krey-zee]
–adjective

1. mentally deranged; demented; insane.
2. senseless; impractical; totally unsound: a crazy scheme.
3. Informal . intensely enthusiastic; passionately excited
As in... Napmom was crazy to make a bee dress just three days before her daughter's birthday.

The dress is reversible.  The reverse side is the black-and-white check pattern with a yellow bee border.

Lookie - lookie!  Occasionally I get to be in a picture too!

As promised, her first bee cake was a honeycomb cake.  It came from the Williams Sonoma store. 
No, I don't ever spend money like this. 
Yes, my family did give me a hard time for buying this cake pan. 
No, I don't care. 
Yes, I hope use it again someday. 
Yes, this cake was cute and easy {{which totally made it worth it, right?}} 

Baker's Tip:  I used a regular lemon cake mix from a box -- easy and yummy.  I made two of these cakes (one for school and one for home).   I used Pam Baking Spray on my first cake and the nooks and crannies were not crisp.   It is best to use real butter and flour to flour your cake in this cake pan so the details really show up, as in my picture below.

Dig in baby Bee!

Baby Bee and Daddy.  Oh... I almost forgot... Happy Birthday Dear Daddy!

My folks and baby Bee!

My favorite pic of the day.  A classic baby Bee smile.

I had to have this balloon too! 

We save the mylar balloons and use them again the next year.

Does anyone else do that?

Happy "Bee"-day!

Bee,

A year ago I was hesitant about having another girl.  Now, I made you a matching bee dress to go with your bee cake.  We all love you so much.  You care such a bright spot in our lives and your signature Gerber-baby smile is contagious.  May I never forget your chubby legs... and that you are walking already -- big girl!  You are also very proud to clap for yourself when you climb up on things and you love to say:  bye-bye, momma, dadadada, and Yia-Yia (which sounds alot like "ra-ra" but you definitely do it consistently).  You still spit up, especially after your morning bottle.  However, it's not near as bad as it used to be.  You are a somewhat picky eater and you still really like your bottles.  You are not much of a snuggler at all.  I don't think you have fallen asleep in my arms since you were an infant... always preferring to be put in your crib rather than let me hold you while we rock in the chair together.  You can stay awake as long as you want to, but when you decide you are tired, there is nothing stopping you.  You are a bit of a bully - sorry sweetheart -- and can tackle and take down your brother.  Wresting is one of your favorite activities... as well as climbing up on things and clapping as we all run to catch you before you fall.   

It's been a wonderful year baby-bee.  Happy Birthday! 

Mommy

Have you heard the "buzz"?

Ah... and now that Spring break is behind me, I am back to blogging!

I'll write more about spring break later.  In the meantime, I am planning a very important party!

Someone we all know and love is turning 1!

I took these pictures of her legs with my cell phone camera.  I never want to forget how chubby they are.

We all call her Bee and Baby Bee... and even sometimes Bee-elle (instead of Brielle)... which totally drives my mom crazy!

I know a bee cake will be perfect for her 1st birthday.

First, I am going to make a lemon or carrot cake in this honeycomb pan for her friends and teachers at school.  Each section cuts nicely into a little muffin -- according to the reviews.  This will be the perfect snack for the little ones in her class... and it totally fits Bee's bright personality.

I haven't decided exactly which bee cake to make for home, but I did some research online and found some cute and easy options.

Oh... I almost forgot the craziest best part.  Do you remember the reversible dress that I made Bri for Easter?  No?  Ok - well, I did.  And we can talk more about the dress later.  I took a picture of it with me cell camera.  {{I have better pictures - be patient.}}

Anyway, I am going to make another one.  Same pattern... using these fabrics:

Fabulous right?  No?  Maybe I've lost my mind.  Well, we'll pretend that I am completely sane.  So, bees on one side and black-and-white checks on the other side... of a dress... that I am making her... to match her 1st birthday party theme.  You are right - I AM crazy!

Oh, and I promise that better pictures are coming!

Baby Bee - A reminder to me of what Bri was like as a baby

We call her baby Bee... like a little bumble bee.  Some call her breezy. 

Life with Bee has been crazy.  She has finally given up spitting up all over the place.  She eats everything in sight.  No kidding.  For at least 6 mnths now she has been eating regular table food.  She recently ate a whole piece of papa john's pizza.  Her favorite food is green beans and she loves blueberries as well.

She laughs and smiles all of the time.  Soooooo unlike her brother did when he was this age.

She is pulling up and standing up and just starting to cruise the furniture.

She is sooooo easy to put to bed.  You just give her a bottle and then put her down after she drinks it.  She never fusses.  She sleeps... like... 12 hours a night.

She's such a joy to be around.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Hockey

Tonight the Capitals play the Sharks at 7:00.  Do you have your hockey gear ready?

Let's Go CAPS!!!!!

Great Backyard Bird Count

Mirror, mirror on the wall

Our bedroom is on the main level of the house and has these horrible, awful, no good, very bad mirrors on the door.  Picture awful 70s... uh... uh... yuck.  It's just a total eye sore.

Just as I had come to the conclusion that I had to rip them off...

I saw this little wonder...

And I thought that maybe the mirrors aren't so bad right now.

p.s.  but I am going to take them down... and paint the door... and hang something really cute on it.

Teacher Gift

So... I have never had a baby in daycare before.  I never thought I would let these daycare people take care of my baby.  I never... well... let's just say... I never thought that any of the daycare stuff would work for me.  Until I met Rita and Becky (names have been changed to protect their identities).  Rita and Becky are Brielle's daycare providers.  I love them so much.  Brielle lights up and starts shaking with glee when she sees them.  Can I even begin to tell you how much this means to me?  No, I cannot.  Can I begin to tell them how much they have made a difference in Brielle's life and in ours?  No, I cannot.  All I can do is make a small token of my appreciation... and so I did.  I made these patchwork quilt scarves for Rita and Becky. 

Each scarf was given to the teacher with this note:

Dear Ms. Rita and Ms. Becky:

These scarves are your Christmas present gift from me.  My mommy made these scarves for you for Christmas but finished them later than expected.  Nonetheless, I want you to explain to you the meaning behind the patches used for this patchwork scarf in hopes that you can see how much you mean to me.

The red patch is for your energy and ability to keep up with me all day long (especially since I only take one nap a day).

The yellow patch is for your sunny temperament which really makes learning a pleasure.

The green is because I am  little sprout and your nurturing helps me to grow each day.

Blue is for the way you shower me with encouragement and love.

Most importantly, your scarf has a patch of hearts on each end to remind you that I love you, not only as a teacher but also as my friend.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Baby Bee

Pictures of Bri modeling the scarf were enclosed.

It's just a small, small, small way to say thanks.

   

Fall Festival: Day 1... Fall Days After School

OK - we hope to be we'll be blogging all week folks! Crazy? I know!

First, before we get started I encourage you all to sit down with a cup of Pumpkin Spice Latte. This is a fall specialty coffee drink that Starbucks makes and, unlike their other seasonal drinks, this one really is seasonal; when they run out of pumpkin spice syrup then the drinks are gone until next season... until now!


I make my own pumpkin spice lattes at home, using a recipe I found online, and it is delicious! So, before you read any further... go make yourself a cup of pumpkin spice latte and then come back because it's gonna be a fun week.

Top 3 Things about DIY Pumpkin Spice Latte

1.  Much cheaper than Starbucks.

2.  You can control the fat and sugar content yourself.

3.  Does not require leaving the house or getting out of your jammies.

Moving on...

Dear Husband and I have been working opposite hours recently.  That is, he's home in the morning and I am home nights and weekends.  While this is great for the kiddos, it is not so great for Mommy... but that's okay because great-for-the-kiddos is more important than great-for-mommy, isn't it? 

Recently, I took advatage of a fall afternoon by taking the little ones to downtown Annapolis... by myself... which I think was more fun for them than it was for me because I had to keep one hand on Brielle while hoping that Bro didn't fall into the water. 

Brody is such a great brother and always eager to get his hands on his sister.  Brielle looks none-to-pleased to be here.

Brody refused to smile.  He wanted to play, NOT take pictures.  He made this face on purpose.  He's actually posing here folks. 

Yeah - there's mommy's smile.

Looking at her smile, I can't forget to mention that Brielle smiles at anyone and everyone for no reason at all.  She is the happiest baby I have ever met and the polar opposite of her brother.

We also ate dinner on the dock and watched the ducks swim by.  I think that we all had a good time.  

How was that Pumpkin Spice Latte? 

You come back tomorrow, ok?