Naomi's Birthday Invitations

We wrapped them up into scrolls and then she dropped them off dressed like a princess. 

Gwen helped!

From 2008

Look at what Gwen DiD!

So here we have Gwen learning to climb onto the stool. All she wants to do in life is do the dishes! Haha

From 2008So I let her! And Look!



Ok she didn't do these! Obviously! But I am very proud of my dish mountains! They get VERY high and usually dangerous and therefore are done after the girls are in bed!From 2008

Singing Gwen to Sleep

Every night Brian sings both girls to sleep. It takes a bit longer to get Gwen to sleep. For some reason lately when he puts Gwen down instead of peacefully rolling over and going to sleep, she decides to scream her head off for who knows how long! Poor little Naomi has been coming out and saying, "Gwen's too loud! I can't sleep". So she will sometimes fall asleep on the couch or just wait until Gwen is done. Anyway, last night Gwen began her howling screams and then a few minutes later I hear this soft voice singing and then Gwen gets quiet. Naomi was singing her to sleep! Gwen didn't cry at all the rest of the night; she fell asleep to Naomi's singing! Naomi came out to Brian a little after she had fallen asleep to tell him that Gwen was ok now and not to worry! So funny! I hope she keeps it up! It'll save a lot of stress for us!

Austen Update

I'm officially finished Northanger Abbey now so that only leaves me with Sense and Sensibility and Mansfield park to finish up. I am allowing myself until the 4th of October to finish because I started on the 4th of September - seems fair to me.  I read through Northanger Abbey and Persuasion in just 2 days each. Now what in the world could have been my hold up with Emma? It took me nearly 2 weeks to finish. Was I extra busy? I don't know. Is it because I knew Emma's storyline better than most? Maybe, but that doesn't make sense that it would make me go slower. I just don't get what the hold up could have been considering. So onto the last two that are currently on hold for me at the library - yay!

Pictures

Here we have the girls in their new PJ's from Grandmom!

Naomi in her new shirt from Aunt Carol. She later put on the cutest hat to wear while we were out! I LOVE this outfit!

Gwen at the park with her pigtails for the first time! 

Naomi and her friend Tiago just about to push her down to the ground.

Gwen's "are you serious" face! I love this one! I'm so glad she let me get it on camera!

This is right after Naomi got pushed down to the ground! She does not understand pushing, especially because she always asks so nicely ,"Please don't push me." She's just too sweet!

Naomi is having quite a day today! She is perfectly  happy, but she has not stopped talking since I woke up! Its been non-stop, constant chatter about everything. You'd think after I acknowledge what she is saying she'd at least change the subject, but she went on for 10  minutes about a green umbrella!! Its really gets the nerves all twisted into knots! My brain spins when she does this! 

Gwen did NOT sleep last night! I have no idea where these episodes come from. There might be a slight cold or something maybe teething, but she'll just sit awake for hours. I don't get it! never will! - totally lost my train of thought as Naomi just started yammering again about some DVD and whether or not we have it.

I am sick again! I have a cold, its only a little one, but I'm very upset and out of sorts as to what to do about being sick AGAIN!!

Quick Easy Recipes (that Brian has actually liked!)

I am always looking for something fast and easy to throw together. Brian rarely likes these meals though. He thinks himself a foodie, but these meals prove otherwise! He doesn't even usually like my crock pot meals. Anything that goes together in one pot is a "casserole" and forbidden. Anyway, I made these two up sort of by myself, obviously not all the way.

If you love Ikea Swedish Meatballs like we do - this will work for you too!

We take frozen meatballs and the Swedish meatball package of gravy and follow the directions for the gravy and warming the meatballs together in a pot. (20 min.) Then at the end add some soy sauce, just a little. We served it with canned whole potatoes and cranberry sauce. This way no driving to Ikea to purchase these ingredients. The cranberries aren't as good as the Lingonberries, but will do.

A very fast version of Chicken Parmesan. Now I know a lot of people will think this is gross, but it just makes it so much faster so we use the Tyson breaded chicken patties.

Anyway, I cook the chicken patties as directed, and take them out 5 minutes before the time says they should be done. I put some marinara sauce on the bottom of a casserole dish (I used 9x9)  so they don't stick, then lay the patties down. Mine even overlapped a bit. A good amount of mozzarella cheese onto each patty, then more sauce and a bit more cheese for good measure. Then into the oven again for 15 minutes to make sure the sauce gets good and hot!

Brian actually ate each of these! He even requested the Chicken Parm one several times a week. 

For my Aunt Carol

Today we received a package at our door! Naomi always gets excited for packages and then is usually let down when its something boring for me or Brian. Sometimes stuff is for her, but even then its usually addressed to me. This time, however, the package was addressed to Naomi! Not only that, but I wasn't even expecting anything for her! So as she jumped and jumped in place asking what is it mommy? what is it?? I cut open the brown box and pulled out a gorgeously polka dotted shirt box from Gymboree! She ran to the couch with it full of giggles and ecstatic exclamation! She opened it up and pulled out a pretty little green peasant shirt. She held it in her hands so carefully and delicately as if it would break. She turned to me and said, "It is just so beautiful! Is it for me?" And yes, it was for her! She absolutely loved it! Thanks so much Carol for the shirt! She, honestly, will treasure it! If only I had had the camera on her!

Jury Duty and Fall is coming!

Today I had to attend the Jury selection process part of Jury duty. I have been summoned to Jury duty 4 times in the almost 6 years Brian and I have been married, but never had to attend an actual selection. Today I was not so lucky. I think I've mentioned before that I understand the system and do believe it is my obligation and right to be a part of the Jury process. Its wonderful, but at the same time, why me? haha! Its was a weird mix of just wanting to get home to my girls and also being really interested in being part of a trial! Anyway, I had to arrive at 8am so that I could wait outside as the courthouse wasn't even opened to us yet. Once they let us in, we still sat around. Once again, I understand the whole process and why it is the way it is, but it makes me so anxious to just sit! Brian says its because I'm not a born Texan and haven't been fully incorporated into their way of life. So maybe someday...   We filled out a sheet that just made me laugh almost out loud several times. What are my 3 favorite TV shows? How funny! It honestly makes me upset when people say that any smart person can get out of jury duty - so why am I going? I can't believe people would be so rude! I do know how I could get out of jury duty, but I don't want to leave people to be tried by all the dumb people in the world. We should all feel the same way for that maybe someday when you are on trial perhaps for something you didn't even do! Who knows what could happen - and you certainly don't want all idiots judging your trial! So after all of the sitting and the good half hour lecture and then question and answer session on the jury system's origination etc. I was not selected to be on the Jury.

But the best of news is that Fall is coming!! It was quite chilly outside this morning as I waited to be let into the courtroom. Yesterday in the doctor's office they already had Halloween decorations up. And all of the stores have their Halloween/Fall stuff for sale. Its such a hard thing for me to walk past! Brian and I don't understand my obsession with Halloween, but I want to own every Halloween decoration out there! I had to walk away from a set of foam rusty chains! I could hardly do it; I wanted them so bad! So in attempting to stave off the need to put up all of the Halloween stuff, I have allowed myself to set up a pumpkin or two and some fall scented candles in pretty fall colors. Hopefully this will hold me over until the appropriate time to begin the decorating. Luckily Naomi's princess party comes in before I want to put the Halloween stuff up - No Princess party should have skulls or black roses around the house! But the Monday after the party is when Halloween will truly begin! Did I mention that for Halloween I am going to be Cruella DeVille and the girls will be my dalmation puppies? Oooo....so much excitement!

Things that make me upset...

I woke up on the wrong side of the bed today!

-I hate spiders! I hate them! Beyond that they frighten me! So the fact that I've had to kill about 3 a day for quite sometime now has been horrible! They make me so mad and upset, last night I kept thinking they were crawling all over me. The straw that broke the camels back today was when I was going through the girls dress up clothes and a very Pregnant spider attacked! Yes, it attacked me! I won though...so now we are going to call maintenance and fix this problem. I will also probably go get all of that weather stripping stuff or something of that sort to put around the windows and doors (both for the bugs and for the heat in the winter).

-Off of that comment I hate that I can see directly outside though our door! And the windows provide no insulation at all. 

-I hate it when people talk on their cell phones while driving.

-I hate it when those people sit at a green light while talking on the phone. I saw two people sitting at a green light as I drove by - they were on opposite sides of the street!!

-I hate how people in UT (and I say that because its where I live, but it might be true everywhere) don't understand that a left turn NEVER has the right of way! Do not pull up to a green light and stop to wait for me to turn left!! I won't do it! I will just hit YOU instead! 

-I hate when these people who drive while on the cell phone and don't follow proper driving laws do so while their sweet innocent little babies are strapped into the backseat! They have no say! And on top of that they are probably not even properly installed or strapped in!

-I  hate the giant trucks that have tires that reach all of the way up to the top of my car window! Its just not right - and I know they are on a cell phone too!

-oooo I really hate when people look at me and decide to walk in front of my moving car on a 4 lane street - and then proceed to do so at a slow pace (at least run!!!). You see, they look at me, decide to go and then don't look at me again as I approach! I feel like I have every right to hit them at that point! 

I think that is it for now...I hate more, but these are the main things today!

Obsessive Completion Disorder

I cannot sleep! I have been laying there for an hour! No sleep is coming! Its because my brain is rambling. I'm not actively putting any effort into thinking, but my brain is rambling on and on and on! Its awful! 

In my  ramblings, I've discussed with myself my Obsessive Completion Disorder. I'm not 100% OCD, if in a diagnosis I'd be it at all, but I like things to be complete. I guess complete is similar to perfection, but not Everything has to be complete, just the certain 1 or 2 things I am obsessing about at the time. It changes. This is why I am reading all of Jane Austen in 1 month. She is dead, and therefore there are only a certain number of books by her so I can be complete in reading Jane Austen, within the perimeters of  complete novels. Several months ago I was obsessed with Emergency Preparedness. Every day I would drag out my huge boxes and backpacks of stuff, catalog it, record what needs to be purchased, and then put it away. Its all cataloged on my computer. If I had more money I would have gone out that day to purchase everything needed, but I am complete in that I have a list of needs that can someday be filled! You see? I spent several months before moving to Wymount completely obsessed with having the completely clean house. I would go through it everyday cleaning, dusting, scrubbing, mopping - everything had to be in place. This was a very stressful time for me because the girls would follow me to mess everything up. That really threw off my completion process because it wasn't complete once it had been messed up again! Do you see the complete and obsessiveness and how they go hand in hand? This completion problem inhibits me from doing other things that are not within my completion reach. Like if I am not planning on cleaning the whole house in one day, why am I going to make the bed? Its not everyday that this overtakes me, I usually do make the bed, but at times I feel that lag of why bother! Its weird how my brain has things set in place as to what counts as complete to me and what does not. Now that I see the hinderances, maybe I can work to fix some things without having them be in perfect completion mode...

So how is everyone doing, that is joining in, with the Jane Austen? I have just finished Pride and Prejudice, and I will start Emma tomorrow morning. I could get through them so much faster if I didn't force myself to read all of the literary critics/analyses in the beginning as well as all the footnotes in the back. I like to read the analysis in the beginning, but I find it so much more  complicated than the actual book! The footnotes drive me crazy because they describe to me in detail that a carriage is a box placed on wheels fitted for one or more persons and thus pulled by a horse or goat!! Honestly, did I not know what that meant? But still I turned to the footnote because you never know what a footnote might reveal to you that you didn't already know! 

So as for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy! I have read 4 of the 6 books before, but never when I cared to read them so this is my first time at my leisure to read them. Its made them much more enjoyable! But now that I am an old married woman with children I see so many flaws! Like when he finally professes his love (the second time) and tells her how she has changed him from this stubborn prideful person that he was raised to be from infancy, I scoff because that won't last! How cynical am I?  And the romantic that I am wants them to get to the good part where they are talking of marriage and recounting all of the happenings that lead them to finally be together, but honestly only Jane and Bingley will be really happy!!

Anyway, what has everyone else read thus far?

Now what do I do to get myself to sleep? It wouldn't be so awful, if there wasn't such a distinct time limit on how long I can sleep! 7am comes way too fast!

Girls Girls Girls

Naomi's new snuggle post.



Playground:
I don't know how this picture turned out so nice! Its one of the best I've ever taken and I wasn't even looking when I took it! I just held the camera up and pushed the button! 



Smiley! I don't know what to do with the hair! I think it may be long enough to put it into little pigtails. That will be my endeavor for the week!



Naomi's calls those things in Gwen's hand corn on the cobb. Gwen tries to eat them!

Today was Naomi's first day at Sunshine Preschool. Some of the Mom's in our complex have started a twice a week preschool with us Mom's being the teachers. Naomi had so much fun she (of course) cried when it was time to leave. 

Persuasion Down

With being sick lately, my brain hasn't been able to handle reading so just yesterday I finally picked up Persuasion! It was great! I read it before during college, but it didn't have the same meaning, plus I read it so quickly and while reading for 6 or so other classes. Anyway, I have such a love-hate relationship with the Austen era. I love the excitment when the romance is finally requited! At the same time while reading I just want to push Anne over to Wentworth and make them talk it out when they first meet again, but then we wouldn't have the heart-stopping letter that reunites them! Isn't it amazing the parallels that we see even today? I am very glad we don't live in a society of such rules and propriety! 

Faux Dependent!

This is what Naomi is : Faux Dependent.

We have recently been noticing more and more that Naomi does not NEED us in anyway! She is quite the brilliant little one! 

She is very obsessive about stopping at stop lights and stop signs! She gets very upset if we don't move the instant it turns green or when we are waiting to turn left. Very astute!

She identified a song that Brian sings to her and Gwen every night when it was on the radio having not heard it in conjunction with Brian's singing ever before! I was very impressed with that!

The other day when we were in a public bathroom she noticed that it echoed. Naomi proceeded to tell me that the sound bounces off the walls in waves!!! Say what?? How does she know that? 

So with all of the new things she is noticing now, Brian and I wonder why it is that she can't find something sitting right next to her while we point at it and describe where it is in relation to her. We've decided that she is faking it! She has to know exactly where it is, the girl sees everything! So she fakes it to make us think she still needs us! Crazy!

In other news, she is no longer obsessed with wearing dresses all the time! We went out to purchase some fall clothes, and now she is ok with wearing jeans and a t-shirt. I am so glad; its just a shame that none of her 3T clothes got worn! 

She wants to brush her OWN teeth now! I always have to follow up because I'm obsessed with that, but she does pretty good all on her own! She touches every single tooth with the toothbrush at least once - she'll still need tons of practice! 

While at the dentist, she was able to get the xrays taken without gagging. (we discussed the xray situation for about an hour before going to the dentist) She let them clean the top teeth and then decided she didn't like it. She was very polite - she didn't cry. She just firmly told the dental assistant "No, please, I don't like it." So the dental assistant stopped and we moved on! 

Labor Day

So we had a nice leisurely Labor Day. We spent a little time organizing a few things at home. Then we were quite adventurous and we took the girls to a movie. It rained most of the morning so the dollar theater was unfortunately sold out for the entire day for Kung Fu Panda. Naomi almost cried! So we took them over to a real theater and saw Wall-E. Naomi loved the entire experience! She was so excited the whole time. This was her first movie. Gwen did pretty well too! She was fine as long as she had popcorn in her hand! 

After the movie we drove up to Bridal Veil Falls and just enjoyed the view for a little while. 

We bought Naomi some preschool workbooks. She is currently sitting down coloring in all the red pictures and I am so impressed with how well she is staying in the lines! We are starting a Mom's preschool next week so I wanted her to have something fun to do that's sort of related. 

By the way, who are the 3 people who are going to join me in reading all of Jane Austen this month? I had originally wanted to read them in the order they were published, but I only own 2 of them and the library here is a bit sporadic about which ones are available - so I think I am starting with Persuasion.