School Picture Day...Oh The Terror!

School pictures were today for Paige. I was pumped because last year her father had her and while she looked ok, little things like her head band not matching her outfit in even the slightest way irritated the crap out of me. Mostly because if I'm shelling out money for these things I want them to look good.

I'm sure she chose the head band, in which case it's great because it makes the photo more "her", but still a little gentle coaxing for a more complimentary color wouldn't have hurt either.

This year I wanted to make school photo day fun. I dreaded it when I was a kid. Like I needed a forever reminder of how stupid I looked in school. So I took Paige to the mall to find a shirt. This is mistake number 1. Telling her she can have whatever she wants with in a budget, that was mistake number 2.

We started in Carter's, they have stuff in her size still that's cute, and she is only 6 after all. After choosing a hideous collection of bright green and purple (no doubt her way of saying she's both a Packers and Vikings fan?) items, I suggested we try another store and if we didn't find anything we could come back for that outfit.

We scurried off to The Children's Place. I can always find something in there! YIKES! While their new line is cute - it is also a sequined mess of black, red and silver and, well not for school photos. Not to mention I wasn't dropping $40 on a "jacket thing" Paige could have borrowed from Michal Jacksons closet...not like he's using it right now.....(okay - bad joke....shut up - you laughed!)

At this point I'm getting worried. I know the next place Paige is going to want to hit is Justice and I like the store but the prices don't like my pocket book. I will have no problem shelling out the money for $50 jeans when she stops growing out of things 10 minutes after buying them. Luckily for me that will also be right about the time she's old enough to get a job and buy the damn things herself. See, and people think I'm stupid....

I suggest Herberger's. Paige says, and I quote: "Ugh. I hate that place" and then drags her feet causing her flip flops to make this flip, shhhhhhhhh, flop combination of sounds. I thought that was irritating enough, I was not prepared for what she was going to do in the store once we got there.

I was unaware until this particular trip that she has a shopping radar built in, and it targets any ugly, loud, and resembling a color-blind-90-year-old-hippies-couch, item there is in a store. She hunted down and gazed lovingly at each item with a smile the size of Texas stretching across her face. Desire flowed from her eyes as she held each abandoned and highly clearanced item like it was a puppy in a shelter looking for a good home.

The really obnoxious items were easy to shoot down, using the "Paige, we're not going to see a lot of your shirt anyway so we don't really want a lot of design on it" this made me wonder why the hell we were shopping anyway, I could have put her in PJ's and called it a day for her photos...but I apparently like making life difficult.

Then she abandoned the idea of a shirt all together and went for these....oh yes - that's NEON folks. I couldn't even justify wasting words on a response so I pointed to the rack they came from then walked away silently praying that God could grant her some fashion sense in the next 15 minutes.

I knew I had no choice left, I asked if she wanted to go to Justice and off we ran. Literally. Mostly because I was scared some of the clothes she had picked up would come chasing after me for having mocked it to it's face.

In Justice, Paige was in awe. Much like me in a book store. She walked around and touched everything hanging. Forgetting now and then we were clothes shopping and wandering over to those damned ZuZu pet things. Luckily for me (read: Alex and the bank account) the whole store was 40% off.

She started grabbing everything that, if it could speak would be screaming at an ear splitting volume. I reminded her of the "not a lot of the shirt being seen" thing and off she went again to hunt. Of course everything I held up was a no. Then there was a SPECIFIC COLOR she had to have. Then her size was out of everything in that color. God help me. Oh and did I mention Justin Bieber is playing over the sound system the entire time, giving a soundtrack to my own personal hell.

I keep looking at my watch thinking we have to get going soon and then it happens. She finds it. The shirt. Something we can all agree on. The entire store went dark and a spot light shown on the beautiful garment in the right color and size. Justin shut his lesbian looking mouth and a choir of angels began to sing.....and just as quickly as it started...the sound of a needle scratching a record sounded and it was over. I looked at the price tag. Mistake number 3.

It wasn't horribly expensive, it was just more then I'd spend on the same shirt for me. And even though I am a crazy clearance shopper for myself, this was still a lot for a shirt for a 6 year old she will wear 4 times and then grow out of.

At this point I just didn't care, so I grabbed the shirt before I changed my mind, swiped my credit card which made a small crying sound as it passed through the machine and walked away a lot broker then I intended but with a very happy 6 year old.

So help me, I don't know what I'll so when she's 15. Pray for me.

Here's her outfit, never mind the iphone camera quality of the pics....

Mommy, What's A Hooker?

This morning, while sitting in the car waiting for the nice school lady to come around and let Paige out of the car for drop off, we were listening to K102. A normal choice in our family, when the iPod isn't on I choose this because in general it's more kid friendly then KDWB - who the hell knows what's going to come flying out of their mouths on that station in the morning, and the last thing I need is for my daughter to go to 1st grade talking about "shaky things" (KDWB's code word for vibrators..) Or whipping out words to Ke$ha during recess (yes, I used the dollar sign....don't judge me.)

So, anyway Toby Keith was playing quietly in the back ground, "I Love This Bar" to be exact. For those of you unfamiliar with the song, it talks about the different types of people you might meet in a bar. Harmless enough really. The second part of the song begins......

"We've got short skirts, I've seen high techs. Blue collar boys and rednecks"

Paige and I are still talking... something in my brain is warning me that maybe I should turn the radio off, but lack of coffee is getting in the way of my fully processing this request. So I ignore it. Song continues:

"And we got lovers, lots of lookers, I've even seen dancing girls and hookers"

(so much for this station being more kid friendly today!)

Shit.

Mentally I begin to kick myself. About the exact second I remember that word was coming, I also realized it was way to late to change the station before Paige heard it.

I start to rationalize in my head.....Maybe she missed it, we were talking. The radio was pretty quiet. Plus it's not like it's a word she knows, just one I don't want her to know. Okay, be cool mom. If you act like it was a big deal she'll think it was a big deal.

The car goes silent, and then it happens.

Paige: "Uncle Cory is a Hooker"

*trying to cover up a laugh, as Uncle Cory is the furthest thing from a hooker there is. Plus can guys even be hookers?*

Mom: I'm sorry, what? (being sure not to look at her so she can't see the smile I'm fighting with every nerve in my face)

Paige: Yea, we were fishing once and he got a hook in my thumb (sticks thumb in my face) see, mom right there you can still see the little white spot where it was. So he's a total hooker"

*At this point I deserve a freaking EMMY for not busting out into uncontrollable laughter. My kid just used the phrase "total hooker" for cryuing out loud*

Mom: Ohhhh. I see, yeah I remember that.

(At this point I have let the hooker word go. I figure since that's what she thinks it means, I'm going to let her think it. It can't do any harm she's not going to tell any one at school right?)

Paige: I can't wait to tell my friends that my Uncle is a hooker! *huge smile on her face, as if she knows..."

Double Shit.

I quickly turn around and look her in the face, and say "Paige, hooker doesn't mean someone who hooked your thumb. So we shouldn't tell the kids at school Uncle Cory is one." I'm totally grasping at straws at this point, I am not prepared to explain this. She may have just as well asked me where babies come from.

Paige: Oh? Well what does it mean then?"

Mom: It's just a grown up word that kids shouldn't use and if you do use it you will get in trouble, especially at school so forget you heard it today ok?

This seemed to tide her over. Normally it being a "grown up" thing is enough to scare her off it. However I will not be surprised if I get an e-mail or phone call today about the fact the whole 1st grade class was chanting Hooker because of something Paige said......

Someone revoke my mom card please....

She Shoots, She Scores....She gets a New Toy??

Sometime around high school I began to dislike organized sports. I didn't want to participate in them, I didn't like the cliques they made in my particular school and I thought that the parents were...well let's hold off on that group of colorful words for right now.

It stands to reason, since I dislike organized sports that I wasn't exactly rushing to the athletic department to sign Paige up the second she was old enough to kick a soccer ball. (I didn't need to, her dad did) Now, all my personal issues with organized sports aside, I do like that she's learning to work as a team and know the sense of accomplishment that you can really only learn from sports. Plus, I've made sure to encourage her both when she's doing really well and when she's not doing so great. Let's face it the kid is so sensitive if an ant got trampled during the game she'd burst into tears for a week, last thing I need is for her to think she's failed me because she couldn't get the ball away from the monster sized girl on the opposing team (seriously, I think some of these kids have fudged birth certificates because I'm fairly sure I saw that one at the bar last week....)

I have categorized the parents I have encountered at these games into 3 neat little sections....there is first the group that I am in:

The "Encouraging Parent" - These parents are never upset their children lose or miss a shot. We praise them after every game and time in on the field. Always point out the positive of the bad situation and encourage them by reminding him or her that the harder they try the better they will do, practice makes perfect and all that other happy, cliche type stuff...(I also like to call this "The Worlds Most Perfect Parent" but that makes me seem obnoxious....)

Then there's the

"Meh Parent" this one shows up but is more then likely on a business call the whole time or working on a lap top or iPhone. The only people cheering on their child are the other parents around them. Taking their kid to the game is the equivilant of walking the dog....just another chore that gets in the way of work.

As much as I hate those types, there are not many that I see - instead we are over run with the absolute most lithesome parent of them all.

The "My Kids an Olympic Star At The Age Of Six" parent. This mom or dad (or worse, for the love of GOD - both) yell and cheer louder then any other parent, which wouldn't be a bad thing if it wasn't phrases like "knock her down", "rip her head off" and other things that make the thought of a lion ripping the head off a gazelle pop into mind. This parent will do ANYTHING to get their kid on the field more and to make their kid try even harder....case in point...last game I was at parents were BRIBING their children to score goals, and were actually proud of themselves for coming up with this brilliant idea. The goal itself was not enough of a reward, the pride and joy you feel when you achieve that - no, no this child also requires new zu zu pet or baribe for each goal....

If your ever curious where those obnoxious, cocky, think they piss glitter and the world revolves around them people come from....look no further then these parents.

These are the people I don't want my daughter to hang out with, let alone become. So I take mental note...remember which mom has a crazy competitive streak and keep Paige from going over to their houses. I don't need an unfortunate Hi Ho Cherry Oh! incident to ruin Paige's ability have fun for the rest of her life. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against self confidence and a healthy dose of competitiveness - but these are the parents that get into fights into stands and stab other parents with hockey skates (do you remember that story from like 10 years ago!?) and I don't believe there is a place for this in CHILDREN'S or HIGH SCHOOL sports.

I'm proud to say that I am proud of my child no matter what the outcome of the game is. Nd I really wish more parents were like that.

A Few Short Clips:

I tend to take a lot of useless video now that I have an iPhone that allows it, so here's a few cute, and short videos of Ellie and how she dances....unfortuantly we can't get her to do it for more then a minute so like I said - the clips are short....

Updates.

Things have been crazy busy around here, I let the blog slip entirely. We are all alive and well so no worries on that end! Here's what's new from us.

Ellie is now 7 months old, almost crawling and just your general very happy little girl. She's eating baby food, but not liking some of it, and prefers her Farley's Rusk that Nanny got her from England. Here's a few shots of Ellison over the past few weeks:

Paige has also been doing well, loving school and Girl Scouts and Gymnastics. She's looking forward to turning 6 in April and asked for a Wizard of Oz birthday party.

Over the next few days I'll post the scrapbooking pages I have made for Ellie so far and get up some more photos! :0)

Cousins

Don't worry, those of you looking to see part 2 of my party planning and set up, it will be back tomorrow. I just took these photos last night of Paige and Ellie with their cousin Katia and had to share them!

I don't know what we will do when all three girls are up and running, because Katia and Paige flying around last night, hopped up on frosting from my birthday cupcakes was more then I expected!

After hanging out with her cousin and little sister last night, Paige this morning asked me when I was going to have a baby boy. I told her that I wasn't sure, it's not something that I can pick, having a boy or a girl. Paige thought on it a second and then told me if I concentrated enough, next time I could have a boy!

Ellison is 4 months old!

Ellison had her 4 month appointment yesterday with the ever amazing Dr C. She is happy and healthy and growing like a weed.

She's 13.6 lbs and 22 inches long, she still has a peanut sized head, in the 8th percentile but nothing to worry about there the doc says.

He's amazed how much she loved to sit up and be on her tummy. While I hope she won't walk as early as her big sister, at 10 months, the doc says that with the advanced way she prefers to sit and lay for her age, it's a good possibility she will be an early walker...no rest for the mommy here!

We also were given the green light to have rice cereal. She loved it. No funny faces or other issues, in fact she looked at us like "Where has this been all my life!"

Here's a few shots of her chowing down!

After the excitement of dinner, we thought we'd try on one of her Halloween costumes and see how it worked. It was a little big, but cute - and she only liked it for about 4 minutes before she became one crabby Care Bear...

3 Months!

It's a little behind but here's Ellison's 3 month update.

We're having a great time, laughing, squeeling, and her newest thing is trying to eat her hands! She rolls up onto her side and still hates to be laying down, so the rolling over has not been a big success yet, since we can't keep her on her back long with out her telling us about how much she dislikes it!. She just Little Miss Independent!

The sleeping through the night has stopped and we're getting up once between 3-5 each morning, but we're making it through! She goes right back to bed after her bottle and I crash out on the couch while she swings.

Here she is! Growing so very fast!

She's Growing Too Fast!

This week Paige starts kindergarten. I swear it was like yesterday I brought her home from the hospital.

She's gown up so so fast. she has the greatest little personality of any child I know, but I am a little biased.

She loves Rascal Flatts, The Beatles and Celtic Thunder and the Jonas Brothers. She can't get enough of Wizards of Waverly Place and the outdoors. She loves basketball and football and watching sports with her dad, whom I might add is probably one of the greatest dads in the world. I'm grateful that even though our paths didn't lead us to a single family, he has always given 110% to his daughter and would do anything for her in a heartbeat.

Paige has 2 GREAT step parents (or soon to be step parent on her dads side! Hopefully!!!) Alex, my husband and Kim, Michael's girlfriend. They have both really contributed to Paige's upbringing and made her even more of a great kid.

She's so lucky and so loved, and Oh My Gosh getting so big! So in honor of Paige's first day of school coming up on Thursday, here are a few photos of her over the years....try not to tear up....oh wait - that's me....

2 months
One Year
2 years
3 Years
4 Years
5 Years

2 Months!

Ellison Esme Violet is a very healthy and happy 2 month old now.

We had her appointment with the fantabulous Dr. Brian Cress and all is better then good!

She's weighing in at 10.63 lbs (42%)
Height is 22 inches (33%)
Head Circumference is 14.5 (6%)

And here she is at 2 months, my Little "Newborn" (yes, Twilight thing...shut up!) She is ALL smiles these days, the happiest baby you ever met!

Wha?

I'm looking over posts realizing I never posted Ellison's birth announcement. Geeze you'd think since I make them I'd want to show it off even more!

Well here it is, I' showing it at the 2 month mark, better late then never I always say.

If you or someone you know is in need of cards of some sort - let me know :0)

I Even Facebook While In Labor

Giving birth to Ellison was the easiest part of my whole pregnancy!

I was induced a week early, myh doctor could clearly see I was near the point of breaking, mentally and agreed to it. Bless her heart! So on June 8th 2009 we headed to the hospital to get the process going. I was thrilled not only to have the birth "scheduled" which really helps me when I know whats going to happen and when, but also that because it was an induction I knew my doctor would be able to deliver Ellison which was a huge thing for me. Having her see me through the whole pregnancy and then not be there for the birth would not have been fair!!

Alex and I arrive a little late to the hospital because my iPhone decided to break on me the evening before and I of course didn't realize it until the morning. I had to restore it back to factory options and then add everything back on it that I had accumulated in the past several months. I didn't think this would take an hour to complete...after it made me a half hour late I finally gave up, left the phone connected to the computer to complete it's cycle and arranged for my friend Mary Jo to pick it up on her way into the hospital that afternoon.

Yes, it is that important for me to have it with me. Though with out it, I maganed still to Facbook my way through labor using my lap top. And I really did keep everyone updated, every few minutes in fact!

I was given my epidural about 4 cm into labor, and then they broke my water. Things slowed down for a bit at this point, but I had my phone, computer, and family there to help keep me company. When I was espcially bored I would re-watch the New Moon movie trailer on my phone, and funny enough when I would my pulse ox machine would go off in sirens because my heart rate would drop to near nothing! LOL. Turns out that I really just have a very slow resting heart rate, it went off a million times through out the whole day. Rater annoying.

After an hour the nurse came in and checked me to find I was fully dialted and the transformation of hospital bed to delivery bed began and Team Amber arrivred and took their positions. Both my sister and my sister in law were presnet for the birth, along with Alex of course.

When Dr. Goudge came in, she sat down on her stool in front of me and said "Okay. Go" and laughed. The alughter continued through out the rest of the delivery, which lasted about 20 minutes - it would have been even shorter if I wasn't wasting 2 full pushes per contraction laughing so hard I coulnd't concentrate.

What could possibly be so funny, you ask? Well how about my sister ducking her head down near the doctors and saying "Why's it look like a rasin and all wrinkly".

Or my SIL reporting I needed a pedicure as she held one of my legs and then goes on to smell my foot. We have photos.

Or, what about when Ellison crowed and Dr Goudge commented on how much hair she has and then proceeds to give her a mowhawk before her head is even out.

It was too funny. That is until I looked up and realized my epidural drip was nearing empty..I asked if they were going to replace it. When Dr. Goudge said no, I pushed like a mad woman to get her out. Pain is a fear I do not like having!

Alex said Ellison came flying out all on her own. I pushed, relaxed and suddenly there was baby! It was by far the easist thing I had done in months, there was no pain and only my family could make something like Labor & Delivery a laugh riot!

Keeping the Masses Informed
Debbie and my foot, so what if I needed a pedicure!
Ashley and her job - taking pictures!
And here's the Baby! Go Team Amber!

Goal!

Paige had her last soccer game last Thursday. Ellie was very irritable and so I did not attend (sad face) but Alex went for most of it and was proud to report she scored 3 goals! She's really getting good! Well as good at one can be at a soccer game that has no rules, doens't keep score and is 3 on 3 with no goalie! Gotta love the little kid sports!

Here's a few shots I got of her to commemorate Season 1 Year 2 of Soccer.

Time is A Flyin'

Ellison is 1 month old already! Can you believe it?

She's growing like a weed and finally getting out of the Newborn size and starting to (very slowly) fit into 0-3 month sizes. I'm worried that all the clothes I bought ahead of time, that are pretty "season specific" won't fit her at the right time and she'll be wearing a Christmas outfit in February...LOL

Paige is also having a great time being a big sister, getting diapers, giving her her "nook", wants to hold her all the time. She's a great sister!

Star Spangled Babies!

It has always been my dream to have two little girls to dress a like, and now I got it. Though finding clothes that match for a newborn and a 5 year old is difficult, it's not impossible when you're as clever as my mom - Paige is actually wearing a 18 month old size dress with shorts under it! And when she's done with it, we can give it to Katia!!! Sweet!

Anyway, here's my first attempt at "matching girls" photo shoot. It's 4th of July themed since that's that next holiday coming up - and I think they turned out fairly good! Enjoy!

Go Back To School!

Having a high school diploma is apparently not a requirement for being employed by Washington County Government Center. I came to realize this many years ago but it was reconfirmed for me with Ellie's birth certificate verification paper work arrived in the mail the other day.

The paperwork was filled out in the hospital and WCGC sent the info back to me to "yay" or "nay" before they print the final birth certificate. Everything on it looked good until I got to the "Country of Birth" for Alex.

On the paper work I put "UK", which means what class....? The United Kingdom. Very good.

The loser who inputed the info from Ellie's paperwork obviously missed that day of school because what the verification paperwork said was that Alex was born in the Ukraine. Now I understand, Ukraine starts with U and K, however how dense are you to not know that stands for United Kingdom? The proper abbreviation for Ukraine, for those of you wondering is UA.

Shouldn't people who have to input this vital information be at least given some type of key to reference for just such these issues? I'm contemplating printing one off and mailing it back with the corrected information just so they don't have this issue in the future.

Ellison - 2 Weeks

Ellison had her 2 week appointment yesterday, and it went really well!

She's grown a quarter inch, gained almost a full pound since birth and is still just as perfect as she was the day we had her!

Her official stats for 2 weeks are:

Height: 19.5 inches - which puts her in the 18th percentile
Weight 7.5 lbs - which puts her in the 23rd percentile
and her head circumference is 13.25 inches - which puts her in the 4th percentile.

Ellie is doing great and Paige is loving the big sister life. She's an awesome diaper fetcher, bottle holder and pacifier finder! It has been a little challenging for me to find time to make sure Paige has things to do, I find she's been watching a little too much tv and I hope that passes soon as Ellie gets older and I don't feel that we need to keep her inside as much.

A Little Update...

I've kept you waiting long enough and I apologize. It's been a bit busy here with Paige and Ellie, and today actually is the first day I will be going at this alone. Alex went back to work, reluctantly this morning.

So far things are great, Ellie sleeps most of the time, Paige is a great big sister always wanting to help and is also completely grossed out by my pumping - or what she calls "breast milking". She asked if she had that when she was a baby, and Alex said "Yes, for a while you did" to which she replied "Ew, that's nasty"

Here's a few photos of our past week, from the new born session attempt I made. I promise to keep you more updated with more interesting blog posts soon! I promise.

Welcome Baby Ellison!

Ellison Esme Violet arrived June 8th at 4:58 PM (just with in the 4 o'clock hour, like a Sweeney does!)

She weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and was 19.25 inches long.

I will take the time to post all about the birth in a day or so, until then please enjoy these beautiful photos taken by a long time friend of mine, Nicole Stewart. She drove almost an hour to visit us at the hospital!

Score!

Paige had her first soccer game on Thursday night. I made it a point to waddle my fat butt down to the field behind our house because I couldn't bear to miss it. I know I'll miss game 2 and possibly 3 since Ellie is joining the Sweeney clan on Monday. I hate missing her sporting events, even for good reason.

Here's a few shots my my little "Raiger" making soccer kleets and the color orange look better then anyone! She scored 2 goals this game, and I swear there is nothing better then the look on her face when she accomplishs something she didn't think she could! Priceless! More the worth the waddle down!

Huddled Up With Coach Daddy
Showing Off Her Mean Side
After Her First Goal of the Game
After Her Second Goal of the Game
Never too Busy for a Smile!
Stay Tuned for more Soccer Girls Team Updates!