Mackenzie - a few examples.

Mackenzie is loving and sweet, funny and cuddly. And energetic, naughty, sneaky, a climber, stubborn. She's got a personality all her own. She's a bit of a wild one. She makes us laugh she's so silly. You can't help but love her.



But taking her anywhere is an adventure. As Michael has said, sometimes you don't know whether to spank her or hug her. And in honor of some of our recent adventures, here are some of my Top 5 Worst Public Outings with my daughters (said in a completely loving way, of course), I'll save Emma's for another day. For the record, Mackenzie takes 3 of the 5 spots all by herself.

Heinens (a grocery store): The kid car-carts at Heinens are like cozy coupes with carts attached to the back. This is not good. I discovered this when I put Emma and Mackenzie in one. Since it's in the front, they're at floor-level. Not an issue for Emma. For Mackenize? It meant she could somehow be buckled in, yet have her arms and upper body laying outside the car on the grocery store floor. That was just the beginning. By the time we checked out, I'd placed her in the actual cart so I could hold on to her. Unfortunately I had to take a hand off her to pay. That's when I cashier said, "excuse me" and pointed. To my child who was now laying spread eagle like Superman on top of the cozy coupe about to dive head first off the front. Awesome. (One.)

Target: We're in the shoes. I'm in my socks trying on boots. Emma's in the cart. Mackenzie's standing next to it. Next thing I know, I'm chasing her past the shoes, the kids clothes and finally catch her in the plastic tub aisle. All while leaving Emma in the cart. That was after she'd screamed for two-minutes straight, she had donut glaze on her face and in her hair b/c I'd left the wipes at home, Emma had glaze on her face as well as a grape juice mustache and I was sweaty and a mess in my workout shoes. I know every person there wanted to give me the mom of the year award. It was that great. (Two.)

The pediatrician: Back in December when I took Emma to the doctor for what turned out to be her UTI, I had Mackenzie with me. No stroller, b/c I thought we'd be in and out with a virus diagnosis. Instead Emma had to pee in a cup, I got a long explanation and instructions from the doctor and we were there for what felt like forever. Way too long for Mackenzie. She was all over the room. Climbing on me. Talking and yelling and I'm sure crying at some point. I couldn't hear half of what the doctor told me I was so distracted. It was awful. So when Emma recently had her 4-year checkup I thought I'd avoid all that by putting Mackenzie in her stroller. It didn't work. She hated being in it (which usually she doesn't mind) and took of her shoes and socks, yelled, fussed. But the best is when I was looking at the doctor with Mackenzie behind me and he said, "nice trick she's got there." I turned around and there was Mackenzie standing up in the umbrella stroller. Apparently even a 5-point harness tightened all the way can't contain her. I was just waiting for the parenting tips from the pediatrician to start coming. Surprisingly, he just smiled. From now on, Mackenzie will not be going to the pediatrician unless it's actually her appointment. (Three.)

Tuesday we went to the library. Again, the stroller does not contain her. And I knew this. Yet it was my best option so I went with it. Until she climbed out of it. Twice. I told Michael she wasn't going back to the library until she was 7. He asked if they kicked her out. When we left, this is what she looked like.



Apparently, the stroller is no longer an option. Sigh. At least we made it to 27 months with it.

Then lastly, the grocery store on Wednesday. I just needed to run in for one thing after play group. One thing. We can do this. We can walk in. Get it and leave. I should've known better. It started well. I got what I needed and we headed to the register. Then Mackenzie saw the playground balls, all glorious and beckoning in their Diego and Mickey Mouse designs, just calling her name. They make them waaaay too easy for 2-year-olds to get. She wanted to dribble. And dribble she did. Two of them. While I attempted to gather and get them back in (not nearly as easily as she got them out) the girls were gone. Mackenzie took off, and Emma went to get her back. Which means she chased her. Which just makes her run faster and get crazier. Of course, while this seemed like an eternity to me, it all only lasted a few minutes. If you were in the Solon Giant Eagle Wednesday morning, I was the mom who had no control of her kids while holding a jumbo box of frozen TGI Fridays potato skins muttering "I hate the two's."

So, what's your worst shopping experience/public outing/stroller escapee like? I can't possibly be the only one with stories like this!

Four Years Old

I still can't believe she's four. Sigh. But she is. We had Emma's party on Saturday and she loved it. It was princess. And very purple and pink. And perfect for her.

We started out with dinner at CiCi's, her pick. She really wanted macaroni and cheese pizza.

Then we all came back to our house for presents, cake and ice cream. The polly pockets were a huge hit. As were all gift princess and the Dora nightgown, which she wore for the rest of her party.

Before Emma could blow out her candle, Mackenzie leaned it and blew it out. We re-lit it, and it then took Emma four or five tries to blow it out. She didn't mind though.

She loved her party. Loved the pizza, the balloons, the game. Playing with her cousins and her new toys. Wearing her nightgown. Turning 4. She's awesome.

Chicken Muffins recipe

Here is the recipe for Abby's Chicken Muffins. We had them tonight. Yum.

.1 7.5 ounce can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
1 cup (5oz) cubed cooked chicken1 10.75 oz can cream soup (chicken, mushroom, etc)
2 1/2 ounce shredded Cheddar cheese
1 tsp parsley flakes
1/4 tsp pepper

Line ungreased muffin pan with biscuits.
Combine other ingredients and divide into cups.
Bake 12 - 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

How I make it: I break the biscuits into pieces and press them down into the muffin pan so there's an even amount in each. Doesn't matter if they don't look pretty, they get covered anyway. I usually shred my chicken, just because I like it better that way. I use cream of chicken soup. I don't measure the cheese, just dump it in until it looks good. :) Oh, and I usually grease the pan, because they do stick a bit coming out. They're quick and easy to make and we all really like them.

Hope you like them, Heather!

Ten on Tuesday, and a menu

1. Emma loves to dress herself. For things like school, the fitness center and other outings, I either help her or veto the crazy outfits. At home, she wears what she wants. This day, that was Christmas present tights, a gymnastics leotard and a cowboy hat. She's awesome.


2. At the game last week, Emma was taking pictures (a favorite activity) and took this one of me and Michael. I'll post some others later in the week, I love seeing what she sees.


3. I stopped at Sweetie's and stocked up on strawberry cheesecake Jelly Belly jelly beans last week. Yum.

4. Not a lot of pictures here. When looking for pictures and things to post, I realized that's because they're over on the 365 blog. Apparently, only one interesting thing a day is happening and that's why I've been neglecting this blog. At least that's what I'm going with.

5. Emma now calls the girls in her class her "girlfriends" and seems to only play with them, not the boys. Also, according to her (and the other girls after talking to the other moms) the boys never listen to their teacher. Does this mean by default the girls always do?

6. We're having success with the no-thank-you bite. Emma's even doing it at school. At least she says she is. I think I'll check with her teachers on Thursday. They've both been doing really well with trying either new things, or things they thought they didn't like. Mackenzie is responding better though. Emma tends to still not want to eat the food after taking the required bite.

7. At my sister's last week, I couldn't find one of Emma's sock. Until my mom remembered where she saw it - on Tara's plant ledge. The two-story plant ledge.


Apparently, Emma was in Rachel's room (to the left of my nephew in this picture) and threw her sock. Magically, it curved and made it all the way on to the ledge. Michael knocked it down.


8. Made my mom's spaghetti today and I think it turned out the best yet.

9. Speaking of cooking,

Monday - meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, carrots, rolls
Tuesday - mom's homemade spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread
Wednesday - breakfast for dinner
Thursday - fajitas
Friday - chicken muffins, green beans or broccoli
Saturday - a new recipe, but I haven't decided which one yet
Sunday - flank steak, butternut squash risotto, grilled veggies

10. Our new phones came today. And that's about it. Lots of exciting things going on here as you can see.

Scrapbook Sunday

I did actually try to post something between last week's Scrapbook Sunday and today, but I was having some Blogger issues and gave up. Thankfully, tonight it's working. I haven't made much progress on my December Daily album. I thought by simplifying the design this year it'd be easier and quicker, but so far, not so much.

I did this page just last night. I was supposed to be working on my February WCS page, instead this is what I came up with. I've had the cloud paper for a long time, but never knew how to use it. Now that I have, I love it and you'll be seeing it again soon.

(Basic Grey, Making Memories, 7 gypsies, Fiskars and EK Success punches.)


These are pages from Emma's 8x8 album. (Please excuse the dirty scanner.)

Emma's favorite restaurants. If happen to read the list of restaurants, you'll see we mainly go for quick. Less time waiting, the more we like it. Or, at least the more I like it.

(Some older Scenic Route, AC journaling spot, 7 Gypsies stickers.)

So I'm not really sure why these aren't the same size, because they are when they're next to each other in the album. These are from Emma's first day of preschool back in September.

(I've had the apple paper since CKC Buffalo May 2008, I think. Is that right Marie? Charlie was a wee little thing! Stickers are Creative Imaginations and perfect for her album.)

Scrapbook Sunday

This page went up on Write.Click.Scrapbook. last Monday. Jody, one of the WCS Collective members had a flood in her basement, which is also her scrapbook room. So some of us scrapped and posted our our home ownership horror stories. Such as when our furnace went out, our sink clogged, our phone stopped working and our computer crashed - all in 24 hours.


In case you missed it, WCS' Ella e-book is out. A Year in the Life is full of ideas for scrapbooking events, milestones and day-to-day life throughout the year. Bonus: it's full of two-page spreads.


The January theme for the WCS gallery is Favorites, and I scraplifted one of my all-time favorite pages, Running in Circles. (From August 2008)



















And I came up with this. Another page about Emma, but instead of running around, she was jumping. The design was perfect for these pictures.

(Crate Paper and KI papers; AC Thickers; 7Gypsies stickers; Fiskars punch.)

Last night I started my December Daily 2009 album, and I'll post thsoe pages next week once I get them scanned.

Have you seen any of the CHA Winter sneak peeks? I Love Elizabeth Kartchner's AC line - Dear Lizzy. So cute, love the ribbon and can't wait to see the whole paper line. KI Memories has a little peek at their new lines or their blog, here. Have you seen anything you like yet? I love seeing everything online, but then the wait begins until they're actually in stores.

So maybe hate is too strong a word...

Prior to November (and my awesome new Mizuno shoes) I often said I hated running. In fact, it's the name of that other blog that I never update. But, and I can't believe I'm about to type this, I no longer hate running. Yes, Rebekah, I can hear you cheering in Oklahoma. One reason I hated running was it made my knees and feet hurt. Plus, it sucked. It's not really all that fun. Two laps was the most I could do. Then I was able to do four. And then I got my new shoes, and the pain was gone - I ran 8 laps on the track. Then I did it again. And again. Then I ran a mile on the treadmill the other week. This was a big deal to me because before I would jog about 60 seconds and then hit the down arrow as fast as possible so I could walk again. I even carried on a conversation with my friend who was next to me. When I first started running, at two laps I'd be breathing so hard you'd think I was having some sort of attack - no conversation was possible at all. But it's gotten easier.

Thursday I ran 12 laps on the track, just short of 1 1/2 miles. I couldn't believe it.

So now I have a new goal: 2 miles, then 3, then 3.1 miles. Otherwise known as 5 kilometers. As in 5K. As in: I want to run a 5K race.

Ten on Tuesday

1. So much for blogging more often in 2010.
2. This picture makes me smile.


3. I think it's weird how the snow does this, but doesn't fall off.


4. Did you watch the Chuck season premier? Oh, soooo good! If you don't watch Chuck, you should.

5. Also starting up this month - 24 and Burn Notice. Yay!

6. I babysat Caroline and Jack parts of the last two weeks. Jack and Mackenzie were sitting on the piano bench playing together. Very cute. The instant I got my camera out, this happened. She was done.


7. I'm updating my 365 blog. I've been taking the pictures. Just not posting them.

8. We went sledding yesterday at my friend Kelly's. With Kelly's kids being the exception, I think the moms had much more fun going down the hill than our children did.



9. New Sewing Machine project #2 is moving along, albeit slowly.

10. Scrapbook Sunday will go up tomorrow. And so will my Menu Plan Monday. We'll call it's mixed-up Wednesday.

I need to go to Walmart,

to get this:


How cool is that!

Here's where I found the picture:Heritage Dr Pepper

From Wikipedia:
Heritage Dr Pepper (aka Dr Pepper Heritage) (2009-) became available around November 2009 in various outlets around the United States, including major retailers such as Walmart. As its name implies, it is a "rerelease" of sorts of Dr Pepper's original formula, which uses real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, which Dr Pepper and other brands of soft drink started to use around the early 1970s.
United Kingdom's version of Dr Pepper, along with various other countries, is manufactured with sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup (much like Heritage Dr Pepper in the US, as mentioned above). Along with Sprite and Fanta soft drinks, a 'Zero' version was introduced, meaning no added sugar/low calorie, but maintaining a taste more in line with regular Dr Pepper than its diet variant.

"I'm a Pepper, he's a Pepper,
She's a Pepper, we're a Pepper,
Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?
Be a Pepper. Drink Dr Pepper."

It finally stopped snowing this afternoon.

For a while, that is. It's snowing again now, although not nearly as heavy as it had been. I did actually leave the house today though. Since our street is a hill, it's tough to get up when there's a lot of snow. So much that it's entertainment to just stand at the living room window and watch the cars attempt this.

Yesterday when we were out, three cars in a row were struggling. It was the craziest thing. Car A stropped in front of our driveway and we about to help push her car when she got going again. The she stopped again and Car B decided to go around her (because that's always a smart thing to do) but slid towards the other side of the road and that's when car C passed them both! All three struggled to the top of the hill but eventually made it, no pushing required.

It's a constant reminder to me not drive when it's like that. Well, that, and our own experience getting stuck and the run-in with the mean tow truck driver that scarred me. I just don't leave when the road conditions, well, suck.

10 am yesterday


1pm yesterday. Michael had a snow day.




Mackenzie is on the sidewalk leading to our front door here.


Next to our driveway.


Our deck at 6pm.

And while I think we've got plenty of snow to last us a while, we're supposed to get more. Awesome.

Scrapbook Sunday

So I've been slacking a bit on Scrapbook Sunday. Really I didn't scrapbook much at all in December. Until this past Monday. Got together with the girls for some scrapbooking time. Okay, for some socializing time with a bit of scrapbooking thrown in.

I did two pages, pretty good for four hours - at least for me. I finished the journaling on this one tonight. I never do the journaling away from home. I need my computer for it. So then what usually happens is I have a page just how I like it, then get home and have to find room for the journaling without messing up the design. If only I liked my handwriting. And it was legible. But I don't and it's not. Two years ago one of my New Year's goals was to work on my handwriting. Yeah. That didn't happen.


(Basic Grey papers, AC ribbon, Fiskars and EK Success punch, 7 Gypsies sticker, Ek Success arrow sticker)

As for the other page, it needs journaling, too. Hopefully I get it done this week and up next Sunday. But I'm also starting New Sewing Machine project #2. (#1 being the girls' stockings that I'll post this week.) Christmas gifts for the women who work at Kid Park (@ the fitness center). Yep. I'm a little late as I can now say Christmas was last year. I'll just call them New Year's gifts. :)

Project 365

I had quite a few friends do Project 365 last year and I loved it. So I decided I'd attempt it this year. I'll be posting the photos here. I also put a link over on the left.

I think the hardest thing for me will be getting them posted. Scratch that, it'll be choosing just one on days when I've taken numerous photos I love. It's that whole indecisive thing I've got going on.

And with that, day 1 down, 364 to go!

And while the third attempt looked promising...

It ended up like the rest. With me holding Emma while she buried her head in my shoulder. But really, it did start off well because it was actually her idea to go see Santa. She wanted to after her friends Julia and Frankie said they wanted to see him. She waited in line with me then when it was her turn, she ran away then sat on the floor.



She did lift her head up just enough to mumble, "and a princess bike" to Santa.


Then her head was back in my shoulder.


Mackenzie on the other hand actually took a candy cane from him and even said "bye" to him before he left.

While I should be posting Christmas pictures,

instead I'll post this picture of Emma, taken this morning. Today's the first time it's snowed enough to play in (which is a first as far back as I can remember) and so we headed outside. All four of us, as I'm babysitting Caroline and Jack. I think it took a half hour to get all five of us ready (a 1-year-old, a 2-year-old and two almost 4-year-olds) and we spent about that much time outside. It's cold!

I did get this though. My new favorite picture of Emma.


My funny, sweet, smart, playful, silly, talkative, loving almost 4-year-old.

A slight improvement

As in sitting next to versus standing in front of Santa, like last weekend. Baby steps. We're taking baby steps. Although I'm positive it wasn't that she wanted to sit by Santa, rather that Santa had a present for her (a coloring book) and she had to sit there to get it. Hey, if it works...

(The very cool Santa and Mrs. Claus at Emma's preschool Christmas brunch this morning.)

Mackenzie on the other hand, had been over by a window while Emma and I talked to Santa. Next thing I know she's on the floor in front of us wailing away. It was the funniest thing. It's not like she had to come over near Santa. She could've stayed on the other side of the room, yet she walked over and proceeded to cry in total fear of the jolly old man. She's so strange.

Breakfast with Santa

This past Saturday was breakfast with Santa. Emma wanted to go because Lisa, Tim, Bree and Ava were going to be there. But she said she did not want to see Santa. When we walked in Santa was standing there greeting everyone. Emma made a wide circle around him and Mackenzie clung to my leg. She warmed up a bit when he let her ring the bells he had, but later when he visited the table she started to cry. And he wasn't even next to her, he was across the table by Emma and Bree!

I've probably mentioned this before, but Emma is really in to drawing and coloring. And she draws very well for her age. She's also gotten very good at staying in the lines when coloring. Hopefully she'll have more artistic abilities than her mother. She always wants me to draw things and I'm limited to a whale, a house and a tree. Oh, and those "v" birds.


Mackenzie was really concentrating.


After breakfast it was time to visit Santa and of course neither girl wanted to go. But I told them we had to so we could give Santa their Christmas lists. I filled out a list for each girl that included what they'd like for Christmas and how they'd been good this year.

Mackenzie told me she wanted (in this order): Dora, Diego, baseball, football, Minnie Mouse. She wasn't telling Santa though, Mommy handed him the list.


Emma said she wanted a princess bike, princess Barbie, markers and tic tac toe. Emma also wasn't telling Santa, in fact she wouldn't even look at him. He was a very nice and understanding Santa though.


After that, the girls worked on their crafts and I took some pictures for a mom who forgot her camera and her mom's camera's battery had died. Her children, on the other hand, smiled quite nicely for me!

We had fun. I love that our city does this. And Saturday, we're doing it again. Michael's baseball team is having a Breakfast with Santa fundraiser. Pretty sure I'll have pictures very similar to the ones above!