Smith

Gloomy day

2009-05-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

So it started off as a wet and gloomy morning. Maya slept in again till 9am, not a big deal, think if I let it, this will be our summer schedule. We hung out in our jammies all morning and then Ford called and wanted to see if Maya was available today. Now, they never give ANY details, I have to ask if I want details, they never offer. I listened to the voicemail and called her back and left a voicemail saying it depends on the time/place/price, etc... Then shot her a email asking the same. She replied with "sometime later today". OK, get that, but when and what??? After many emails back and forth, she finally told me the time, client, price and what exactly it was. So I figured we didn't have any plans at all, other than I should be doing laundry and packing for our weekend trip to MI. By now it was 11:30am, Simone didn't go down for a am nap, since she slept in later than nomal. So I got her out of her crib and fed her lunch and shot Ford a email saying we are in and we will head out. She said to bring "princess dress up clothes", so once I found this out, I knew Maya would love this photo shoot. So we packed all the prettiest dress up attire we could find and I packed a lunch for Maya and off we go. Seriously within 1/2 hour, that is one thing I have down by now. I know what we need and can get all of us ready and packed and in the car on short notice. The only thing we needed was to stop at the bank for quarters for the meter downtown.

Traffic was bad, but that was to be expected. We had plenty of time, since the client requested Maya, I was able to tell them what time we could come, since it was so last minute. Which was nice, so we had plenty of time. This was a new location, but I found it very easily and found a parking spot on the street vs. having to pay for a parking garage. We arrived and asked for our contact Sasha and went upstairs. Maya got to wear a pink dress(even though we brought like 6 of our own with us)and they had some cool sparkly high heel dress up shoes she loved. She is old enough where I think she does better if I let them take her on set and I look from a far vs. me right there. So I had Simone in the stroller and walked her up and down the back of the set and Maya was having so much fun. She was modeling for a catalogue LTD and the toy was a princess case, to put all the dolls, etc in and I think it can go over the door too? Kind of like a travel bag with compartments to put toys in. Watching and listening, I think back of her first photo shoot, she was about 16months old I think?? I remember her as a little baby and now she is a 5 yr old and she gets it now. I'm not sure how long she is going to want to do the modeling thing. I want her to enjoy it and have fun with it, but with school starting, I'm not sure how much she will be able to do. We have her second evaluation tomorrow morning. So I have been anxious to get this done and also talked to our Dr. at her 5 yr old visit and she is recommending a OT evaluation through our insurance additional to the school screenings. So I hope we can work on whatever we need to work on over the summer and not just waiting till fall, in hopes that will help too. On the way home we had to stop by New Balance and get her fitted for her "cheerleading" shoes. We ended up having a very busy day, but had fun. Came home to a very messy house and lots of laundry, but tomorrow is another day....

It's me!

2009-05-26T21:39:00.001-07:00

OK, so I played catch up all night. For some reason I feel like I need to post pics from the last 6 months, since I have not blogged at all. So I went back and posted pics to try to fill in the gap. Again, I know this is not how "blogging" is supposed to work. You are supposed to blog the "day of", but I feel like I can still catch you all up on our life this way??!!

I still have to post pics for May. Which has been a busy month. Maya turned 5 and Simone turned 1!!! April showers bring May flowers. This is so true. God has blessed me with 2 beautiful flowers, which I nourish and take care for and they are blooming into these amazing little creatures! God is good! Maya keeps asking for me to have another baby girl, which is very funny, if you all remember she wanted a baby brother, not a baby girl when I was preggo with Simone. She says she is so happy Simone is a girl and wants more!!! So we will see, not sure if we will get another girl, but she will be a great big sis no matter what the gender is.

Today we went to get their 1 and 5 yr old routine Dr. visits. Simone had 2 shots and a finger prick. Maya had 4 shots and a urine sample. Maya was a rockstar and didn't even flinch. Simone cried a bit, but not long at all. They were great!

I'm dealing with the thought of Maya going to kindergarten this fall and it's so overwhelming. She is my little baby, we have this bond and it is one of a kind. The thought of her going off to school and getting on a bus and not having me hold her hand and walk her into class everyday is making me very sad. She amazes me with her personality and the way she looks at life. Her innocence and vulnerability as a little person with this whole big world ahead of her. So many choices and obstacles that await her. I know it is just kindergarten, but I know there are many moms out there who can relate. I know she will do just fine and we will BOTH get through it, but I feel once she starts kindergarten the early grade school years will just fly by. I'm going to just keep on hugging her tightly and letting her know I'm here and she can come to me with whatever she is going through knowing mom will help her and be here for her!

I will post pics of the party at Morkes Chocolate, the girls had fun!!!

Happy Easter!

2009-04-10T20:56:00.000-07:00

Maya with her Easter Bucket on Easter morning.

I love Babylegs, they are such a great product. We love them so much, we even let Trixie wear a pair.
Look at the girls face when they saw the Easter Bunny up close.
The Smith clan with the Easter Bunny!
Maya shared some of her Easter eggs with Simone.
Simone sitting by her little friend.

Maya had to have this really cool Disney Princess kite, not just a little cheap one, this ones is big and elaborate up close. After the Easter Egg Hunt(took place a week after Easter), we went over to the park to test it out. A great day, very windy and it took off easily. I think Will had more fun with it than she did.
Simone loves swings! Maya never seemed to like them as a baby, so it is so fun to swing Simone at the park.
Simone is 11 months old, time has just flown by way too fast!

Simone is 10 months old

2009-03-19T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here is Simone's 10month old pics. I have not been getting her pics done professionally much at all. I think we got Maya's done like every other month if not every month. These turned out cute
This one below is my favorite. It shows off her gorgeous brown eyes.

I forgot to add this pic from Boston. We had to visit the ocean before we left Cape Cod, MA. Maya found the perfect rock to do her "Ariel" pose on. You know where Ariel sings her tune and holds up her arms and legs! She needs the practice since she still wants to be a mermaid when she grows up.:)

We are back home..

2009-03-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

We are now back home from Boston. We had a long road trip with two little ones, but renting a minivan really helped out. On the way home while driving through NY, I hit a deer. I hit it pretty hard at about 70mph, but thank god no damage to the vehicle and everyone was ok, actually the girls were sleeping. Still shook me up a bit, reminded me of driving in MI, always had to look out for deer. Now back to my SUV till we can get a minivan.:(

RIP Grandma Smith

2009-03-13T20:26:00.000-07:00

We miss you very much grandma Smith. We love you! Here are pics of our trip to Boston for the funeral. It was so nice to see all the family and it was a lovely ceremony. Maya & Simone had so much fun with all their cousins.

Will, Dad and Simone. Dad calls Simone his little "chicken bone". He was giving her a chicken bone to suck on!
Maya loves her little cousin Jacob.
Maya always has fun with Sali and Hannah.
Maya's god mom took her to Charlie's cupcake and got her a cupcake and then to Color Me Mine. Maya loved painting a Ariel piece.
Thanks Auntie MaryAnne!
We just checked into our condo and Simone and Jacob were hanging out together.
Maya and Zaria with their cute orange smiles.
Here are some pics below of Simone at 10 months old.

Maya and her hair cap on.
Simone and her best buddy Trixie. Trixie loves waiting for Simone to drop her food off the high chair.:)

I'm still here!!!

2009-02-26T20:54:00.000-08:00

Yes, my last post was Oct. 2008!!! I know, I know! One more thing in my life that is behind! I've been wanting to take the time to do "catch up", but I knew I was so behind, I didn't want to face the truth and just didn't log on! This blog is mainly for posting pics of the kids for family/friends to see the girls and little posts about what we are up to, so I promise to try to update everyone with the lost 4months!

Simone is now 9 months old and such a good baby! She is so sweet and always happy. Maya is still full of life and being a big sister is her top priority!

Will's mom is still in the hospital and it's not looking good. So we are praying everyday for her and wish we were closer, so we could see her and be with her!:(

I need to go to bed, but I will try to post pics and all that this weekend. I love reading my friends blogs. They can tell funny stories or express their deep thoughts, which I would love to do too, but for now, I will be good with just posting pics and little captions to go with and have fun reading their posts!:)

Good night!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2009-02-14T20:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day! Maya and I made these cute little Valentine's for her teachers. It is a piece of scrapbook paper and we made it look like a popcorn bag and then filled it with microwave popcorn and movie candy. On the front is says something like"I don't mean to be corny, but you are a poppin valentine" or something like that, I forgot exactly, but her teachers and dance teachers thought it was cute.
Tickled pink! Simone is not very happy!

Here is me and my Valentine!
I hope Simone has figured out that her sister and mama are crazy girls!
Maya cannot seem to give Simone enough kisses and hugs through the day.
The girls have so much fun taking baths together. 4 years age difference, but they have so much fun together, age does not matter as of right now.

December 2008

2008-12-01T19:41:00.000-08:00

Sorry, all the pics are actually in reverse order, but oh well! This is basically our December, consists of Maya's dance recital, Simone's first tooth, Build a Bear, visiting Santa and Christmas at home and in MI. I have tons more, but this is as good as it gets for now.

The girls opening some more gifts for the holidays.

Maya got to go to Build A Bear. She wanted the "Ariel" dress up outfit for her bear of course. She wanted to be silly and wear the wig herself.

Simone above opening up a X-mas present at Grandma's in MI. Below, her and daddy fooling around.
Maya got a Belle dress up dress. I think this is the only one she does not have. Actually she still needs Jasmine to finalize the whole princess dress up collection.:)
Here is my little Simoney Bologney! She is 7 months old!
Maya with Santa Claus. We visit him and Mrs. Claus every year downtown Crystal Lake in their cute little house. It was very cold, but the good thing was, not a long line at all! As you can see, she LOVES santa!

Maya's first year in the Winter Wonderland performance. She did the "Peppermint Strut" tap dance number, it was very cute and she was a star as usual!:)
Simone got her first tooth right before we headed to MI for X-mas!

Daddy Day Carving Pumpkins

2008-10-25T22:31:00.000-07:00

Today Maya and Will went to the daddy day at preschool. They carve pumpkins, sing songs and have a snack. Since I'm on the preschool board, I helped out in the kitchen with the donuts and refreshments. Simone was in the stroller the whole time, not a peep out of her, just a few smiles for the teachers who stopped by to see her. Maya didn't want to sing for whatever reason, she's a little under the weather I think, so that may of been why? Most of the dads were doing all of the work, but Will let Maya trace the face with a marker and then he cut and she helped take out the seeds and guts. They had lots of fun!

Maya's teacher from last year stopped by to say "hi"!

Cookie decorating with Ryan

2008-10-24T22:28:00.000-07:00

After preschool we went over to Maya's friend Ryan's house to decorate Halloween cookies and have a little playtime too. She had lots of fun! I forgot to take a picture of the cookies when they were done and once we got home Maya passed them out to Will and I and she ate hers and they were all gone. Very yummy!

Maya's field trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-22T22:22:00.000-07:00

Today Maya had her first big field trip. The parents have to drive them there and back, but it is still her first big trip with school! We went to a pumpkin patch, lots to do. We went on a hayride to pick out a pumpkin, spooky house, corn maze, animals and more. Her favorite part was the hayride and seeing the pig, it was a fun day! Afterwards, she said "mom, thanks so much for taking me to the pumpkin patch". "We had such a good day, didn't we mom"? Too cute!

Parent viewing Maya's dance class

2008-10-21T22:10:00.000-07:00

Today Will, Simone & I sat in on Maya's dance class. It was parent viewing and saw what they have learned. The other girls have been taking dance for 1-2 yrs already, so I can see the difference, I'm sure she will catch up though. Here is a short clip of the "welcome" song they do at the beginning of each class. She learns ballet and tap in this 45 min. class. She will have 2 recitals, one in Dec. and one in May. She says she likes it and the ballet part is he favorite. Glad she is having fun!

More cute pics..

2008-10-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Simone is 22 weeks this week.

Grandma's last day...:(

2008-10-19T22:04:00.001-07:00

Grandma left today and we will miss her. We had such a great time, went by fast though.

Day 2 Grandma stil here...

2008-10-18T21:59:00.000-07:00

Today we went out to Brunch Cafe, thought we would take Grandma to our fav breakfast spot. After that Maya, Grandma and I went shopping. We had fun, grandma wanted to find a cute dress for Maya. We came home and I cooked my cranberry chicken and we made a chocolate cake for grandmas birthday. Her birthday is not untill Nov. 8th, but we wanted to celebrate while she was here. We watched the Bee movie, it was very cute. Long day!

Grandma is here!

2008-10-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

Maya had preschool and we came home for lunch and then headed to Schaumburg where we were meeting our friends and grandma to pick her up. Grandma was so happy to see her girls!

We went to Noodles for dinner and then came home and watched a movie. I forgot the name of it, but I fell asleep, I was too tired.

Grandma is coming soon!

2008-10-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

Grandma is finally coming to visit us! We wish she could come more often, but ever since my dad passed away in March, she has lost a lot of confidence.:( So she is getting a ride with some family friends and we cannot wait! Hopefully she will be able to come visit more in the future! Maya was so excited, she could hardly get to sleep tonight!

Here is a cute pic of Simone. I love the sleeping baby pics, it just captures their innocence.

My little fire fighter

2008-10-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today at preschool the local fireman visited the school. They talked about fire safety and had their picture taken on the fire truck! She was excited to come home and tell me all about it! She made her own fire hat and also got one from the fireman too!

Indian summer

2008-10-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

So nice out today, we met up with some friends at the park. We had a picnic lunch and lots of fun! Tryng to take advantage of this great weather in October!!

Just trying to play catch up here!

2008-10-12T21:37:00.000-07:00

Just trying to get recent pics uploaded!

Simone is still just eating baby cereal. I have not tried out baby food yet. I think she is breaking out from the oatmeal cereal, her face gets all red and blotchy as soon as she eats it, so back to the plain rice cereal. We will start her on other stuff soon! She is a grunter, loves to eat and once its in her mouth she starts to make this funny growling sound!

Mops and Awana

2008-10-09T18:27:00.000-07:00

We attended Mops today. Mothers of Preschoolers. I enjoy the time with the other mommies and listening to speakers. Maya goes to Awana and today was the first time I left Simone in the baby room. She did fine and didn't cry at all. I was sad to leave her, first time leaving her with someone besides Will(I was down the hall the whole time and it was for 2 hrs), but still it's hard. Maya had a bible verse to learn and she did a great job memorizing it! The speaker's topic today was ways to save money. I pretty much knew everything she had to say, I did learn a few new things though. It's been a long week and I'm looking forward to my monthly Bunco night with the CMG moms! Yipee!Maya sitting pretty in pink, with her new pink glasses on!

26 days left..till we vote!

2008-10-08T18:14:00.000-07:00

I'm enjoying the presedential debates! I'm really getting into it and all fired up! After the town hall debate, they are saying "game over", but I don't know about that. As much as I want Obama to win, I think it's still a fair game. What a historical event it will be if he wins! Gosh, I'm aniticipating the moment..so fired up for this!!!

Simone 5 months old, such a cutie pie!

7 year wedding anniversary!

2008-10-06T18:10:00.000-07:00

Today Will and I have been married for seven years! Happily I may add! So Maya still had a fever, it didn't go away overnight. So she stayed home from school and was very out of it still. So since she was sick, we didn't do anything exciting for our anniversary. We got take out from Portillos and had BBQ Ribs..very yummy! We still made the most of it and being with our girls and hanging out at home is what it is all about! OK, so maybe a date night to our favorite steak house would of been nice too?!

Even though Maya was sick, she wanted to try on her "owl" mask for me that she made at school! With the mask on, you can still tell she is sick!:(

Long Grove Apple Fest!

2008-10-05T18:03:00.000-07:00

We love this time of the year, we enjoy going to the Fall festivals on the weekends. Will's favorite is the Long Grove Apple Fest. Apple donuts, caramel apples and brown bag apple pies. The lines are outrageous, but totally worth it! We headed out to beat the rain that was on the way. We got there and it started to sprinkle, but not that bad. As we were in line waiting for our apple delights, it started to rain harder. As soon as we had our treats in hand, we headed back to the car. We didn't realize it till we got home, but Maya was not feeling well. That night, she got a fever and was out of it!

Simone had fun at the apple fest and still full of smiles when we got home! She is 5 months now, can you believe it?!

CMG Halloween Party!

2008-10-04T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today we had the CMG(http://carymomsgroup.com) Annual Halloween party. This year we had a family BBQ and it was lots of fun! The weather was sunny and 70 degrees! Perfect! I dressed up the girls as Hula girls and as soon as I get pics, I will add them! We had a good turnout and all the planning paid off. The kids had fun with the activities planned and just running around and playing at the playground. Can't wait till next year!

Busy days...

2008-09-30T21:33:00.000-07:00

Seems like everyday is so busy. The days go by so fast and worst of all, I don't seem to get anything done! Let's see I have tons of pics I would love to get printed and put in albums, Simone's baby announcments out to more family, cleaning the house, organizing in the kids rooms, cooking and the one thing annoying me is to finish Maya's baby book..she is now 4yrs old!!! Well, seems like I assumed being a stay at home I would have tons of time to get everything done! Have a spotless house, dinner ready every night and time to do fun crafts and work on learning like abc and reading with Maya. LOL! That is so not the situation! I am a strong believer that I should spend the quality time with the kids and not be stressed about the house. I just wonder if that is the excuse that works for me and the easier route.:) No, I truly want to make sure I spend the time with the kids and not look back and regret cleaning the house and not playing with the kids.

Today we went to the DMV then Maya to ballet class. Came home Simone down for a nap and then had to wake her up to go get the little girl I babysit for from school. Then came back got dinner going and took the little girl I sit for to soccer and hour later back home. The day is then almost done! Not really exciting, but routine. Tomorrow Maya will be going to preschool in the am and then going to stay n play afterwards, so this will give Simone and I some extra time together.

Simone is getting so big! She is almost 5 months old and is such a good baby. So sweet and happy. What a little love! Seems like she is growing up so quickly and I wish I could slow down the time. I need to go get her 4 month pics done somewhere before she turns 5 months, but not sure if that is going to happen. I remember with Maya we got her pics done professionally almost every month and feel bad it won't be the same for Simone. I'm sure she will turn out just fine though.:)

Maya's has glasses!

2008-09-29T19:42:00.000-07:00

We finally got around to getting Maya her new glasses. I guess a part of me was not in a hurry, I know she needs them, but wishing she didn't have. She has been really good so far. We will try to have her wear them as much as possible, but letting her take them off during the day too. She says she can see a lot better and she keeps saying Simone looks bigger and bigger!:) She wore them to school today and kept them on the whole time. She did a great job and said her teachers and friends all liked them!

Johnny Appleseed Festival

2008-09-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

We went to the Johnny Appleseed Festival today. We try to go every year, it is lots of fun! Very hot out though, I'm ready for the cool fall weather to arrive. We had lunch there and went to Kaleidoscoopes for ice cream.

Maya picked a pink balloon and wanted it in the shape of a flower.
Simone was content, while Maya went and played some games and the little petting zoo.
The only animal she wanted to pet was the pig. Guess why? The pig is her favorite color...PINK!:) She was scared of all the other animals though and still scared of pony rides?? Hopefully one day she will grow out of this?

Simone had her first try at baby cereal today! She liked it, but did tend to keep sticking her tongue out a lot, so we will see. She was so cute, her eyes kept getting really big and she would make a huffing sound like she couldn't wait to get it! I'm trying to load a video clip of it, but it's not letting me, I will keep trying.

This is so true!

2008-09-24T21:02:00.000-07:00

Motherhood
Being a mother

We are sitting at lunch when my daughter casually mentions that she and her husband are thinking of 'starting a family. ''We're taking a survey,' she says, half-joking. 'Do you think I should have a baby?

''It will change your life,' I say, carefully keeping my tone neutral. 'I know,' she says, 'no more sleeping in on weekends, no more spontaneous vacations....
'But that is not what I meant at all.

I look at my daughter, trying to decide what to tell her. I want her to know what she will never learn in childbirth classes. I want to tell her that the physical wounds of child bearing will heal, but that becoming a mother will leave her with an emotional wound so raw that she will forever be vulnerable. I consider warning her that she will never again read a newspaper without asking 'What if that had been MY child?' That every plane crash, every house fire will haunt her. That when she sees pictures of starving children, she will wonder if anything could be worse than watching your child die.

I look at her carefully manicured nails and stylish suit and think that no matter how sophisticated she is, becoming a mother will reduce her to a primitive level of abear protecting her cub. That an urgent call of 'Mom!' will cause her to drop a souffle or her best crystal without a moment's hesitation. I feel I should warn her that no matter how many years she has invested in her career, she will be professionally derailed by motherhood.

She might arrange for child care but one day she will be going into an important business meeting and she will think of her baby's sweet smell. She will have to use every ounce of her discipline to keep her from running home, just to make sure her baby is all right.

I want my daughter to know that everyday decisions will no longer be routine. That a five year old boy's desire to go to the men's room rather than the women's at McDonald's will become a major dilemma. That right there, in the midst of clattering trays and screaming children, issues of independence and gender identity will be weighed against the prospect that a child molester may be lurking in that rest-room.
However she may be at the office, she will second-guess herself constantly as a mother. Looking at my attractive daughter, I want to assure her that eventually she will shed the pounds of pregnancy, but she will never feel the same about herself. That her life, now so important, will be of less value to her once she has a child. That she would give it up in a moment to save her offspring, but will also begin to hope for more years -not to accomplish her own dreams, but to watch her child accomplish theirs. I want her to know that a Cesarean scar or shiny stretch mar ks will become badges of honor. My daughter's relationship with her husband will change,but not in the way she thinks..I wish she could understand how much more you can love a man who is careful to powder the baby or who never hesitates to play with his child. I think she should know that she will fall in love with him again for reasons she would now find very unromantic.

I wish my daughter could sense the bond she will feel with women throughout history who have tried to stop war, prejudice and
drunk driving.

I hope she will understand why I can think rationally about most issues, but become temporarily insane when I discuss the
threat of nuclear war to my children's future.

I want to describe to my daughter the
exhilaration of seeing your child learn to ride a bike.

I want to capture for her the belly laugh of a baby who is
touching the soft fur of a dog or a cat for the first time.

I want her to taste the joy that is so real, it actually hurts My daughter's quizzical look makes me realize that tears have formed in my eyes.

' You'll never regret it,' I finally say.

Then I reach across the table, squeeze my daughter's hand and offer a silent
prayer for her, and for me, and for all of the mere mortal women who stumble their way
into this most wonderful of callings.

This blessed gift from God!Being a Mother.

2008-09-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

So can you tell who is who? Which one is Simone and which one is Maya? There both the same age in the pictures with the same outfit. Everyone says Simone looks just like Maya, but I definitely think they both have their own look. Come on, post a comment and see if you can easily get it right!!

Would love everyone who checks in my blog to post a comment, love to hear from you all!

Happy Birthday to the love of my life!

2008-09-22T20:25:00.001-07:00

Will's birthday was today and he turned 42! He looks really excited in the pic above that he is turning one year older, doesn't he? NOT! LOL! Maya helped me prepare his birthday dinner. We had top sirloin, baked potatoes and a salad. We ended it with a snickers ice cream cake, a tradition. We will try to get a sitter and go out to celebrate just the two of us and it will be the first time we leave Simone with a sitter. Hopefully this weekend, but we will have to wait and see. I'm not sure if I'm ready to leave her just yet.
Little Simone loves her daddy, but went to bed, before all the birthday festivities started.:)
Maya took forever to eat her dinner tonight, but funny how the ice cream cake on her plate vanished within seconds.....

So I fed Simone around 3pm and she had a big spit up, which is nothing unusual, but there was dark brown tinge in it. Kind of looked like old blood, so I called the ped and they said to keep a close eye on it. Later, she had another big spit up with more dark brown spots in it. I paged the ped and he called back and said it could be a broken vessel from a aggressive spit up or cough(which Will said she had a really bad spit up/coughing episode on Sat.), so we will see. No other symptoms, but still the thought of her spitting up blood is something I don't want to just brush under the table. The Dr. said to keep her spit up cloths, in case we need to send them to the lab...that is kind of gross, but whatever. Poor little Simone, what a little sweetie she is.

So, I'm really enjoying this blog. I can't wait to get caught up on everything else in my life(who knows when that will be)so I can put more time into this. I would love to have time to blog about more of my life and also random things like celeb gossip, politics and views on crazy stuff that my head goes through daily! I also would love to have the extra time to do reviews on kid products and clothes, I give lots of credit to those moms who do all the leg work and help out others by referring them to websites to help make their lives easier!

One more thing! So what's going on with Obama and McCain? I have not been keeping up with all the latest stuff, but cannot wait for the debates this Friday! Looking forward to hear what everyone has to say!

Lovin designer re-sale shopping!

2008-09-21T21:04:00.001-07:00

So even though I'm sitting for a family, I was able to hit the a local designer clothes consignment sale. They have it 2 times a year, one in spring and one in the fall. The kids I'm sitting for have a 16 yr old brother, which they are ok if he is there. So in between softball drop off/pick up I went today again and found some more steals! I'm going to admit it..I am a Ralph Lauren freak! I have always loved the little horse since I was a kid? Who knows..I've always loved designer brands, but I don't want to teach my girls that clothes "define" you, I want them to feel confident no matter what they are wearing? Does that make sense? I also have completely let myself go and need to get in shape and start wearing clothes(once I can fit into them again)and be stylish. I swore that when I became a mom that I would not look like a stay at home mom and wear sweats and don't do my hair and makeup. well I do my hair and makeup, but lets just say I definitely am not the hippest mom on the block! OK, so lets get back to the story here, basically I found some good deals and only spent about $70 total. I will post some pics later on the cutest tutu with flower petals sewn inside the tutu and some cute ballet slippers to go with for Simone. The slippers are like pointe ballet slippers and has the ribbons to wrap around her fat little legs! I cannot wait to get her pic in this get up, it is going to be adorable! Enough of this, I need to get to bed! Nighty night!

Do my kids miss me?

2008-09-20T20:51:00.000-07:00

I've been staying with a family and watching their 3 kids while their parents are on vacation. I helped them out last year and they asked me if I would do it again. It's a little trickier this year, since I have Simone and breastfeeding. So I brought my pump and bringing milk home for Simone(they live 10min. away). It's working out great and a little break from Maya's "whining" has been kind of a nice thing(I do miss it though, we will see if I say that when I get back home). Even though I still came home 1-3 times a day still, seemed like they both got bigger over the few days, especially Simone. Isn't that funny how when you are with your kids every minute and then away from them, it seems like forever! Will did just fine without me, he is such a good dad. Hands down he would do a better job at staying home then I do. He would even have the house clean and dinner on the table if he was the at home parent! Love you hunny!XOXOXO!

Rock Star at the Dr. office

2008-09-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

Simone had her 4 month old dr. visit today. She had 4 shots and the rotovirus and didn't cry..what a little rock star! Maya was at preschool, so it was just Will, Simone and I at the Dr. office. What a weird feeling, the 3 of us, not used to that. She was 14 lbs and 15 oz about the exact weight Maya was at 4months, wondering if their stats will be consistently the same as they get older since they birthdays are only 3 days apart?

The Dr. said we could start cereal, so maybe next week we will. I'm in no hurry at all, I'm not trying to rush her getting older and hitting all those milestones too soon and then all of the sudden she is 4 yrs old!!!:)

Into the crib she goes...

2008-09-12T20:46:00.000-07:00

Simone has been in the pack n play in our room since the day we came home from the hospital(we did the same with Maya). She is 4 months it was time to move her into her crib in her own room. She did great! We feed her between 6-7 pm and put her down and she sleeps till about 6am and I feed her again and then she sleeps till whenever, I have to wake her up by 8:45 to get her in the car to take Maya to preschool. She is such a good sleeper, just like Maya! YEAH!!! Like I said before that thumb is really coming in handy! I do miss her in our room, but I know she needed to go and her crib is much more comfy!

Straight and curly!

2008-09-11T20:36:00.000-07:00

So Maya's hair is very curly and wondering what Simone's is going to end up like? When Maya was a baby it was always curly even when she was as little as Simone is now. When Simone's hair gets wet it does curl up, but as soon as it dries it goes straight? Hmmm...we will see.

Maya loves to play with Simone..

2008-09-10T20:28:00.000-07:00

Maya is such a good big sister! She loves to keep Simone occupied when I'm getting dinner ready. She likes to play school if I sit Simone in her highchair. Maya usually acts out whatever happened at her preschool that day and then reenacts it out with her as the teacher and Simone as the student. Too cute! Today she put this pink washcloth on Simone's head for whatever reason? Simone doesn't mind she has her hands crossed and acting like a good student.:)

Maya loves to dance....

2008-09-09T20:21:00.000-07:00

Maya had her 1st day of dance class today. She is in the Kiddydance class which is tap and ballet for 4 yr olds. She loves her teacher and has lots of fun! This is her first year with this dance studio, she will be able to partcipate in 2 recitals. One if the winter and one in Spring, with full costumes and all! I'm wondering if she will want to continue all through her childhood. My mom made me take ballet, tap and Jazz classes all through my childhood and I hated it. I shouldn't say hate, but there were some years I could of passed on it. :)
I think little Simone will be a dancer too. She looks like she is ready to dance in the pic above. LOL!

Thumb or no thumb?

2008-09-08T20:14:00.000-07:00

Both of my girls are thumb suckers and I don't have a problem with it. Simone has been so easy to put down to sleep. I'm not letting her fall asleep while breastfeeding either, so I just lay her down and she puts her thumb in her mouth and she is out! What a good little baby. I know I need to get Maya to stop, since she is 4 now. She only does it when she is tired and going to sleep. Yeah, I know it is moving her teeth, but I sucked mine till I was older and got braces and seems like all the kids get braces nowadays anyways. We will see....

Simone is now 4 months old!!!

UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!

2008-09-04T19:41:00.000-07:00

I finally started a family blog, but I am trying to do catch up. I at least want to go back as far as May 2008 when Simone was born and add pics from then to current and everything in between. This could take some time and I know your supposed to do this daily as it happens, but I want to highlight pictures and events from the past too. If I get all caught up, maybe I will even go back to May 2004 when Maya was born! We will see!

Maya's first day of preschool.

2008-09-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Maya had her first day of preschool today. She was very excited to see her old friends from last year and make new ones. She liked her new teachers and had lots of fun! I dropped her off and they are getting seated for circle time.

Lullabye & Goodnight

2008-09-02T21:57:00.000-07:00

Maya loves singing Simone lullabies(anytime of the day)and Simone enjoys listening to them! So cute to watch them together!

Look at me!

2008-09-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

Simone is 15 weeks old and full of life! She just got out of the bath and ready for a massage!

Feeding Time!

2008-08-31T21:51:00.000-07:00

I'm breastfeeding Simone and she rarely gets to use a bottle. So we try to remember to use my milk that I pumped and put it in a bottle and let Maya feed Simone. Maya really enjoys it and Simone doesn't care where or who is giving it to her, as long as she gets it!

Cute Dress!

2008-08-29T21:48:00.000-07:00

My friend Jen gave Simone this dress and it is my favorite! I just had to post, because it's so darn cute! She is 14 weeks already!

Bath Time!

2008-08-28T21:42:00.000-07:00

Maya loves helping give Simone her bath! She is such a big helper and loves her little sister so much! Thank God!

She found it!

2008-08-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

Tonight she found her little thumb! Yeah! I'm ok with my kids sucking their thumbs, I did.:) Maya sucks hers still when she is tired and going to bed, they won't do it their whole life, so I'm not too worried.

Tummy Time

2008-08-25T21:34:00.000-07:00

Trying to work on our daily tummy time. Simone's head is up high.
A little tilt...is she gonna roll over?? Come on Simoney!!!
No, she's down! Not today, maybe next time! Good try sweetie!

Dress Up Party

2008-08-24T21:30:00.000-07:00

We went to a birthday party and Maya had a ball dressing up at The Little Village. I don't think she even saw any of the other areas to play except the dress up area, of course!

I LOVE this pic of the girls. Simone is laying a big kiss on Maya!

How many?

2008-08-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Wondering how many pics will I have of them together...ALOT..at this rate! This is mainly why I wanted to have this blog to keep all the pics updated so family and friends can see them! Otherwise, they are all kept on our computer and nobody can see them!

Goodmorning girls

2008-08-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Simone was full of smiles this morning. Maya showing off her bed head!

My lovely girls!

2008-08-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

I needed to send Ford Model updated pics for Maya and tried to take some on my own till we get a professional to take then in the fall. I think I did a decent job, we just need a good 3/4 one and the one below is cute! I also love the one above here of Simone!

Pretty in Pink

2008-08-17T22:46:00.000-07:00

Simone is 13 weeks old in this pic. Maya had her dress up earrings and necklace on and was playing with Simone, so of course I got my camera out. I got some really cute pics, but Maya looks way too grown up for her age.:)

Simone 12 weeks old

2008-08-12T22:41:00.000-07:00

My little Simone is 12 wks old already!
We watched a princess play in the park today. Maya loved it, but of course she wanted to be in the play herself.

Maya playing at the park again a different day. We met up with some friends for another picnic playdate.

Meeting up with friends..

2008-08-11T22:37:00.000-07:00

We met up with Lisa, Thea and their newest addition Sona today. Thea is Maya's age and also born in May. Sona is a week younger then Simone and also born in May. So we had 4 May girls and all are close in age.
We met up at Barnes and Nobles and walked around the outside mall. The girls had fun at PBK playing and then grabbed a bite to eat. Wish we could see them more often!

Picnic at the Hollows.

2008-08-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

Today we went on a picnic at the Hollows. It was so nice out, we also went for a walk afterward. Maya rode her bike and Trixie got to go swimming. We have been trying to take advantage of the weather and have family picnics on the weekends. We also have been doing lots of playdate picnics during the week. Lots of fun!

The Ducky Dress

2008-08-07T22:29:00.000-07:00

As soon as Simone was born, Maya kept asking if Simone could wear the "ducky dress". Time flew by and we forgot to put it on her. So it's too small, but since I promised Maya, we put it on Simone today. Maya was so happy(Maya wore this dress in her baby announcement)!
Daddy just got home from work.

More pics in August...

2008-08-06T22:25:00.000-07:00

Simone is 11 weeks old. I love the sleeping baby pics the best, so peaceful.

I like this one, where she see's herself in the mirror.

My little Mulan

2008-08-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

Maya never seems to amaze me with her love for dress up. She started at 2 yrs old and it seems to be her favorite past time.:) She will go on for hours by herself dressing up and matching all the accessories along with the dress. The shoes have to match and the right tiara too! She really enjoys herself and lets her imagination go! Her favorite is Ariel & Cinderella, but I love the Mulan dress the best. She even has a little snow white dress waiting for Simone to fit into it.

Simone is 10 wks old

2008-08-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

Simone is 10 wks old and getting so big!

Princess Playdate

2008-08-01T22:13:00.000-07:00

We hosted a "Princess Tea Party Playdate" at our house. We had all the princess party plates, napkins and cups. We had "tea" and lots of goodies, including Maya's favorite pink marshmallows. Daddy even made his homemade carrot cake for the mom's! Everyone dressed up in their fancy outfits and enjoyed tea and goodies.

Bathing Beauties

2008-07-29T22:07:00.000-07:00

Simone is 6 weeks old and loving the sun!

My girls..

2008-07-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Maya looks like she is 4 going on 14!!!

My girls giving eskimo kisses!

Simone 8 weeks old

2008-07-15T10:26:00.000-07:00

I think our dog Trixie is thinking to herself "Another baby in the house"? No, seriously she is very good and loves all the excitement in the house!

Poor Simone is not a happy camper in this pic, but Maya doesn't seem to mind.
Simone is 8 weeks now and really loves to smile! She is cooing, smiling and "talking"..too cute!
Daddy and Simone. I love the way Simone is looking at her daddy in this pic.
And of course..Maya always a ham!

Vacation in MI..more pics

2008-07-13T10:19:00.000-07:00

Here is a cute pic of grandma and Simone.

Here is Aunt Shirley(MaryAnne's mom)w/the girls
Stephanie w/the girls

Aunt Laurie w/Simone

Vacation in MI

2008-07-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

Simone had lots of fun at my brother Jon's house. She loved the whole family. Maya had fun w/the boys as usual and Zach really seemed to like Simone and was so good w/her.

We had such a fun time at the reunion this year. The weather turned out nice too. Here are some pics of Maya and her cousins. She had so much fun with all the girls!

Simone's 1st Professional Pics!

2008-07-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

We went to go get pictures taken. Simone was 7 weeks old and did fantastic! She isn't smiling a whole lot just yet, but at least she didn't cry the whole time. We got a cute shot of Maya and Simone together too.

Fourth of July Parade

2008-07-05T20:55:00.000-07:00

We didn't go to MI for the 4th this year, since we will be going next weekend for the family reunion. We went to the Crystal Lake parade and it was fun. Very hot out! In this pic, Maya was saying "too loud" and covering her ears. This was Simone's 1st parade and she slept almost through the whole thing. She woke up at the end, hungry and ready to eat!

Maya's new bike

2008-07-03T20:52:00.000-07:00

Maya got her Disney Princess bike from Will and I and grandma Kortge. Auntie Jenn gave her the helmet and knee pads to go along with it(disney princess too, of course) for her birthday. She is getting the hang of it, but needs lots of practice.

Girls just wanna have fun!

2008-07-02T20:48:00.000-07:00

Simone is growing too fast! Love these pics of Maya and Simone rolling around on Maya's bed.

2008-06-28T21:00:00.000-07:00

Maya went to a birthday party at My Secret Garden dress up and had so much fun! This girl could play dress up 24/7 if we let her. She has to have the shoes, accessories, it all has to match perfectly! After the dress up portion, they had a tea party. Lots of sweets including her favorite marshmallows! Too cute!

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:44:00.000-07:00

We went to The Brunch Cafe, our favorite spot for breakfast. Simone's first time out to a sit down restaurant and she slept the whole time. Will, Maya and I played the jellybean game at the table , while we waited for our food to come.

April showers bring May flowers AGAIN!!!!

2008-05-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

Simone decided to join us on May 16th. She weighed in at 7 lbs 13 oz and 20 inch long. Labor was quick w/no complications. Went to the hospital at 5:30pm. They had to break my water at 7:30pm and I delivered within 20 min. No pain medicine at all!

So Maya's birthday is May 13 and now Simone's May 16th. So my motto is April showers bring my May flowers.:)

Auntie Jenn visits

2008-05-15T21:19:00.000-07:00

Auntie Jenn comes to visit! She has been busy w/school, but still made time and was able to come see us. It's been awhile and we missed her, so it was nice to see her. It turned out she stayed and was with us when Simone decided to join us, so Jenn was able to stay at the house w/Maya while Will and I were at the hospital. She was a saint and I don't know what we would of did without her? I felt so at ease knowing Maya was in good hands. Thanks again Jenn!!! We love you!

Happy 4th Birthday Maya

2008-05-13T21:05:00.000-07:00

Here I am 3 days before Simone arrives. I'm 37 weeks and I was crossing my fingers that she would wait till after Maya's pool party, which she did listen(what a sweetie). Today is Maya's actual birthday and I made her a ice cream cake and she opened some more presents from us and family. She got a Island Princess barbie and Auntie Heather sent her a cute charm bracelet.

Here is her 4 yr old professional pic, she is getting so big!

Mom's Day at Preschool

2008-05-08T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today Maya's preschool had a Mothers Day program, it was cute. All the moms and kids sat in a big circle(being so preggo, I didn't know if would be able to get up)and the kids did songs and skits for us. It was very sweet. Here is a pic of Maya with Mrs. Gallagher and Mrs. Lorenzen, they were the best teachers and we will miss them both. I hope they are still teaching when Simone goes to preschool there.

Maya's 4th Birthday Party!

2008-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:00

Maya had a Ariel Pool Party at the Centre of Elgin. The kids had a blast and Maya said this was her favorite party ever! The first pic is her at home all fired up for the party!

Maya and her close friend Kevin at the pool

Wow, she was tired out. A true princess has her tiara on even if she falls asleep in the car.:)

Happy Easter

2008-03-22T20:48:00.000-07:00

Maya and Grandma are coloring easter eggs(Disney Princess of course). The Easter Bunny brought Maya a Ariel Toothbrush to brush away all that sugar from the candy! LOL!

Here is Maya at the CMG family party w/Easter Bunny! She loved him and wasn't scared at all!