Memorial Day Weekend

Whew! What a weekend! Friday night Josh, Renae, Caleb, Chloe, and Kiera came over to eat pizza at our house. Fun! Saturday Gary and Deb came buy for shishkabobs and wine. Sunday we went to Dave and Denise's house for a pool party and got to see everybody- Sally, Quinn, Tessa, Tanner, Jerry, Barb, (their friends Evayan and Paul), Carol, Dick, the the other Lunn family again- FUN full house! Monday we went to the Frisco Memorial Celebration. We saw a real fly over- 3 planes zooming past our heads and spent the time with our friends Chris, Chuck, Nico, and Marlee, and surprise friend from Victoria's class Claire. During the silent prayer Jeremy comes rushing up to me. "Victoria wet her pants!" We took off then and there. We actually decided to go to Carol and Dick's house, even though Victoria was in diapers, so that Jer could get a much needed haircut. When we arrived, Josh's family was there too! The kids had so much fun running around, eating cereal, and playing doll babies.

Oh, the places we get stuck!

During naptime, I put Bella and Victoria down and came out to the computer to play around. I heard Bella being whiney and not wanting to go down. After 10 minutes I hear her again, this time with more empasis on the whine. I decide to go check on her. She is standing up in her bed with her arms out for me. I go to pick her up and realize she won't budge. She looks up at me and says "stuck!" Her leg/inner thigh had gotten wedged between the rails. I tried to pull it/push it out- no luck. I tried seperating the bars- no luck. I went to the fridge and grabbed butter and smeared it on the rails and her legs- presto- baby freedom. This reminds me of a story my mom use to tell- when I was two, I was weaving in and out of the outside railing leading up to the second floor at our apartment building and I got my head stuck between the bars. My parents didn't know what to do, so they called the fire department. A fire engine (highlight of my life at the time) came, and the men sawed the bars in half- presto- baby freedom. Must run in the family.

By the way, Bella used her little potty last night for the first time before her bath. This morning, she was dry after sleep, so I put her on the potty and she went agian.

Albuquerque vacation in a Nutshell

Thursday- plane delayed by hour and a half, get into Albuquerque late, stop by Walgreens for medicines for the kids and me- maybe cold?, see Uncle Jeff and Paul and go to bed.

Friday- wake up, Cindy definately has a cold- she can't speak, go to Battleship Rock in the Jemez Mountains and Soda Springs, funny story- Jer leaves expensive camera on top of roof of van and luckily because of Cindy's very small bladder (we had to stop at next exit) the now have a miracle camera- all is OK, Paul, Jer nd I hike up Battleship Rock (takes 1-2 hours- left kids with Grandma and Pappap while they played happily on rocks)- AWESOME VIEW! Although Jer alomost gave me a heart attack with getting TOO close to the edge. Went to Soda Springs. Went to winery as girls and grandma slept- bought a lot of yummy wines. Went home and ordered pizza and picked up a birthday cake for victoria's actual B-day. Sang Happy Birthday to Victoria. Bed- slept well- even on an old pullout sofa couch!

Saturday- Paul's graduation at 9 o'clock. LONG, esp. with 2 kids! After 2 hours got to cheer for brother as sleeping Bella lies cosy in my arms and Victoria snoozes in Pappap's arms. Went to Tucanos (Brazilian meat place) to celebrate Paul's moment. Went home and drank some of our wine purchase. Slept well, except for the two wake up calls- both Victoria and Bella had a nightmare and woke screaming for a couple of minutes.

Sunday- Church in Albuquerque. Went to Sandia Mountains. Cindy got carsick with the hour ride up there. Had a picnic at top. Went for a hike. First half an hour OK, then we started to hike through snow and forrest and Bella was fighting a nap, so... life was slippery and hard. After a mile of hiking in the snow we came o a fork in the road- go back on solid ground to original site (where Mom's been waiting for hour) or go on snow to our destination. I decided to take cranky Bella back to the car, others followed. Went home, sleeping in the car (altitude sun really wears you out) . Mom made ham and scalloped potatoes for supper- Yum. Found some of my old dolls and toys for Bella and Victoria- they were soooooo excited and so was I. Drank some more wine and did not relish going to bed on old couch this night. But all still slet well.

Monday- woke early- I think Bella caught my cold and had a cough. Packed suitcase and helped clean stuff that we used. Off to the airport- traffic jam- slight worry. Albuquerque airport is actually more strict than Dallas- took longer to go through checking. Board plane in the nick of time. Girls are definitely active (nicely put) on the plane. Go to luggage and discover that we're missing a car seat that we'd packed and boarded. Fart around for an hour. I casually look under the first car seat that Jer pulled off the lugged rack only to find our second seat under the first- I call Jer who is standing in a long line to fill out paperwork- he's pissed. He goes to get the car, while I wait with kids for him to pick me up. After half an hour, he calls saying he can't find our car. I tell him to keep looking and come pick us up. Ten minutes later, he comes. We go home during rush hour and mommy and daddy have a stiff drink. Did I mention that the computer moniter died today too? Ahhhhh, it's good to be back.

The Birthday Girl

We celebrated Victoria's birthday this weekend. She'll be three on the 16th- just don't tell her that, she thinks she's already 3. All of her little friends came out to Frisco Commons park and helped her make birthday hats, play on the playground, eat pizza and cupcakes, break a Scooby Do pinata, and spray water on the flowers and each other. There was 13 little angels and their parents present and tons of family. But what fun we had! Victoria was the queen of the day. I have tons of awesome pics of her running everywhere with all her friends. (I love my new camera that I got for Mother's Day.)

Red Velvet Cake

For Jer's birthday, I decided I was going to make him a Red Velvet cake- his favorite. My friend Jolyn makes awesome cakes and she let me have a bite of one of hers. So I asked her to email me the recipe. The next day, Jer's birthday, I go to the grocery store, with the list of ingredients. Let me set the stage- Frazzled Lady Cindy with Crying Baby Bella running up and down aisles trying to find buttermilk. After 10 minutes, I break down and almost start to lose it. So I think, forget this, thank goodness for Duncan Hines, and buy a premixed Red Velvet cake. (Besides won't it be fun to bake a cake with the girls?) I pick up Victoria after her school and head home. We wrap Jer's present- 20 comic books that he wanted in her blanket and tie it with ribbon and place it neatly on the kitchen tablet. Then set about to make the cake. Both girls drag their little chairs over to the mixing bowl to see what I'm doing and stand right beside me. I'm explaining to them about adding the ingredients and their helping me dump the mix and pour the oil. I tell them never to play with the electric beaters. Then I show them how I turn it on and mix the cake. At this point, it's like mixing cement. I think- it's going to break the beaters- what's up with this Red Velvet cake mix? So I turn it off and reread the ingredients... Oh, I forgot to add water. No problem, I'll just add some now. And just turn back on the mixer... and... Holy !#$@! Red Velvet Cake spewed out of the bowl and hit everything at bowl level- all three of us, our shirts, our hair, the counter, the walls, the fridge... luckily it did not reach the ceiling (that'll be in a couple of years when Victoria uses the blender.) Did you know that Red Velvet cake has red food coloring in it, which is ever so fun to get out of clothes and off of the counter/walls. I finish mixing what was left of the mix, disconnect the beaters from the mixer, and then go to get a paper towel. As luck would have it- we're all out. So I go into the pantry to get some more, when I come out, Victoria has helped herself to a beater and is licking it. Red Velvet is everywhere, not like it was before. At this point I start laughing hysterically and run and grab the camera. I also give Bella a beater too who has been screaming words that what I can assume to mean- this is so unfair- Victoria gets one- I want a beater too. And click, click, click away. The cake actually turned out pretty good- it's amazing what frosting can cover up. Victoria wanted to decorate Daddy's cake with plastic dinosaurs- she saw it at her friends birthday.

Almost cried!

Last night Victoria and Bella weren't as tired as they usually are, since they spent most of the day sleeping from being sick. Although putting them down at 8:45, I still had to keep going into their bedroom and telling them that it was time to go to bed every 15 minutes. Finally at 10:00 I said told Jer I was hitting the sack (I'd had only 4 hours of sleep the previous night from Victoria throwing up.) As I laid my head down on the pillow I could hear Victoria on the monitor talking to Bella. Here's what she said.

I'm not tired... you need to go to bed Bella... Do you want me to sing to you?... (in the most precious voice, she starts to make up a song)... God loves Bella- Bella needs to sleep... go to bed Bella.

At this point I start to get teary eyed. Then, in only a Victoria way, she says...

Humm... what else do I know?... Rock a bye baby... in the tree top... when the wind blows... the craddle will rock... when the bow breaks... the craddle will (Victoria pauses, then yells as loud as she can) FALL! (and in a demonic voice) Down will come baby, craddle and all.

I bursted out laughing so hard that Jer ran into the bedroom to see what was going on.