08.24.11

Today we had another playdate at our friend F's house.  I tell you, F is a playgroup hosting queen!This time it was me and my girls, F and her boy, another mom we know and her three kids, and it was supposed to be a new mom on camp and her two kids, but she didn't show.  We had a good time talking and playing and reading to the kids.   

Mads and B both have favorite buddies.

After our playdate we came home and I made a delicious beefy italian noodley concoction for lunch.  We watched a couple episodes of Go Diego Go!, Madeline's new favorite show, and then we turned off the tube to play blocks. 

Abigail is teething pretty hard and was viciously chewing on everything in site today. She would grab anything she could with such vigor and vim she almost reminded me of a beast in the wild.  I tried to put some baby orajel on her gums but she hates that stuff. She she sucked on teething rings and ice cubes in her mesh nets all day.  Poor thing. I gave her gums some massages several times too.  Abs is also getting really good at spitting her food.  Her sweet potatoes went EVERYWHERE tonight at dinner.  I think she somehow even got some up underNEATH the table.

Abs in her jumperoo at F's house

I decided to rearrange my living room today.  I like it much better how I have it now.  I decided to move the entertainment area to a different wall, which in turn opened up the room significantly.  It gave us another wall to put a couch against.

Before dinner I checked on our friends K and T's cats.  They watched Kitty-roo while we were away on repat vacation and in return we are watching their kitties. It's the least we can do.  K and T always help us. They're good peeps.

I got in an argument with Paul tonight over something stupid. I wouldn't bring it up at all, because those things are our business and not important when it comes down to moments in life that really matter, but it was funny because while I was standing there talking to Paul, Madeline comes up and stands right in front of me and says,

"Listen to her, Daaad. Listen her while she tawkin' to you!"

It made me laugh and lightened the moment.  I say that to Madeline all the time because she gets distracted so easily and doesn't listen to me sometimes.  Apparently she does hear me.  haha

So then I got upset again, cause I am good at taking things too far, and while I stood at the top of the stairs in anger (while Paul walked downstairs away from my sillyness) Madeline stood there with me with her little hand on her hip.  She kept looking back at me and smiling so big. Then she offered to take my hand and help me down the stairs.  It almost made me cry.  My kids constantly teach me lessons!

I realized - THIS is what life is all about.  God gave me an amazing husband and these wonderful little girls to keep me humble, to teach me to be a better person, and to teach me patience, love, and what true happiness really is.  These people that surround me daily - my amazing little family, my friends, and even strangers in my path - are put there for a reason.  I am so unbelievably blessed.  I have no reason at all to complain or be moody. 

Paul spent some time building his computer tonight while the girls and I listened to music and played in the front room.  Then he came down and we made some popcorn and watched Charlie and the Chocolate Factory together - the good one with Gene Wilder.  We really like that movie.

Then Paul started playing his video game, Assassin's Creed, and Madeline and I played a wicked game of Tic Tac Toe on my iPad.  She kept getting mad because she didn't understand that X gets a turn and then O gets a turn. She would tap the pad continuously hoping for O's to appear. 

It was a long, fun day. Both girls dropped when it was time for bed - how it should be.  We hope to get a lot done this weekend.