Isabella's #3 BIRTHDAY

My little Princess is 3!!! I can hardly believe it. And since the last 17.89 posts have been about her, I will just post some pics from her birthday party. It was quite the bash. She got lots of fun things and really loves her "wagger" (it is a stick with strings on it LOL!)

She loves the two twins. She can't stop talking about A.Z. and his hip hop (from Angelina Ballerina). In fact, Dora and Angelina brought her Christmas presents this year, she just couldn't fathom that Santa Claus did!!! She loves to take Macey for a walk. She can make Mac n Cheese by herself (the little microwaveable ones, but she is really close to the stove top one too). She loves to help in the kitchen, from dishes to baking cookies to making dinner. The other day I was chopping green peppers and she really wanted to help and so she started ripping the green peppers into tiny pieces.

I totally used them and no one was any the wiser. She loves anything princess, tutus, skirts (not the same thing), shoes, dressing herself, books, movies, etc. She loves to go to the museum, eat peanut butter sandwiches on the couch while watching a show before nap time, and snuggling right when she wakes up. Most mornings you will hear her asking mommy or daddy to lay by her in our bed and snuggle. She loves it!

She is a big helper to her little sister. She is quite opinionated... just ask her. She likes to make up songs and hip hop and dances and she loves to sing them songs and dance them dances. She is sweet as candy and tart as lemon juice. But we love love love her and wouldn't trade her for the world.

We really love her.

Baby Whisperer #3

Day #3: Now we are on night #3. I know that you all are laughing at me at this point, and I am crying in my pillow at night out of frustration... so THERE!!!

Suggestion: #3 set limits on snuggle time #4 create a magic blanket for comfort

Isabella slept mostly ok last night... she is such a toot!!! At 4 am, she wakes up screaming for mommy and daddy to come in to get her. So we had Angelina come by and drop off a "magic blanket" that will comfort her at night when she is scared.

While laying by her for said time, she says, "mommy, remember last night when you were not talking to me? Mommy, talk to me, ok.?" And my heart breaks... but I have to hold fast!!! My life, as I can see, has been run by this little princess for far too long. I have to get her on a schedule for when I go back to work (in 2 days) and this is the only way to do it. Although it's killin me!

She only comes down the ladder twice tonight and is asleep by 8:15. Success!

Scarlett's Blessing

It was such a beautiful day/weekend!

Granny and the girls. They love her SO much and secretly can't wait until Colt goes on a mission, so Granny and Grandpa can come visit for longer!!!

We had the Kunz's down for the blessing and it was a blast, non stop food and fun! We hit the ground running when they got here and went out to lunch to the all time BEST restaurant, OREGANO's, and ate until our eyes popped out of of heads. Then we went to the AZ science museum and that was super far, but super fun! Then on to Mikenna's T-ball game. And that was just FRIDAY!!

I got a Bonnet and a bow and couldn't decide!!! Which one do YOU like better?

On Saturday it was equally as fun AND busy. I spent the morning riding my bike, hiking, and (not) riding my bike back :). Actually show was over and I was spent.... I hitched a ride home. It was getting late (1030) or I totally would have ridden back home, but luckily I have a really good excuse ( I JUST HAD A BABY ). So there!

Then we had a picnic at the cemetery, the girls had sandwiches and the boys had In and Out burger.... Colt had 3000 calories in one sitting (2 double hamburgers, a shake, and fries), good thing that kid is skinny as a rail! After our picnic we went shopping, Old Navy, Target, Dollar Tree, all the important places of course :). WE were SUPER duper tired. Ok, I was. The rest of the day was a bit of a blur... preparing food for dinner, clean up, kids in bed, and then making a frito salad, a macaroni salad, cookies, and a yummy oreo jello gazzert. Time for bed!!!

Sunday was blissful. Up at 8:02 (only to find out that it was really 7:02 bc of daylight savings time), but really we don't do that here in AZ, but my phone changed... I wondered why it wasn't as bright outside as it should have been... Owell, I had an extra hour to get ready for church. And would you believe it, I still had a HARD time getting to church on time. Its just not meant to be :).

Daddy and his girls. They are all wrapped around his little pinky finger. :)

Me and My girls. I can't believe that I have 4 girls. Is that crazy?

Scarlett was a dream for her blessing, slept right through it. Bless her heart. We had tons of family and friends in attendance and it was a really special day. Special shout out to Savannah's teachers who all came to the blessing to support Savannah. And the food for lunch was great, because you really can't have a big family event without good food, RIGHT?

I am really grateful for my little family. For all four of my girls and my one little angel boy in Heaven. My husband is truly an amazing example to me and to his girls and I love them all VERY VERY much.

Baby Whisperer #2

Day #2: Get Isabella to stay in her bed

Suggestion: Take Isabella by the hand, and without any emotion, no eye contact, no words etc., and put her back to bed.

Isabella slept fine in her bed last night... now tonight was a different story :) She came down out of her room and came into the hall. I took her by the hand, led her up the stairs, and put her on her pillow, all the while ignoring her as she cried, "Mama, mama, talk to me mama, I want you to lay by me mama." Ya about broke my stinking heart! She then began to cry that her blankies weren't on her. OOPS! and Owell!

She came down a second time and on her way down she slipped maybe a centimeter. Fake tears ensued. "I fell off the stairs, I fell off my bed, I want my blankies" I took her by the hand, led her up the stairs and put her on her pillow, (and this time) I put her blankets on her... in order (yes they have to be in a certain order... we don't call her Princess Isabella for nothin), and walked out, ignoring her as she cried, "Mama, Mama, I have a question, lay by me mama, Mama, why you not talking to me?" (she smart girl, pick up quick).

She came down a third time saying she had to go potty. I know this is a ruse/excuse, and she has a diaper on for such occasions, so I ignore her until she cries that she needs to go poop!!! Seriously?!?! I am not about to change a poopy diaper, so I take her to the potty (A BIG MISTAKE!!!), but I ignore her, I leave off the light, put her on the pot, and wait. She begins to whine, "Mama, Mama, turn the light on. Mommy, why you not turning the light on? Mommy, why you not talking to me?" At this point I don't know whether to laugh or cry. So I continue to ignore. We finish and I take her by the hand, we walk up the stairs and put her on her pillow, apply blankets in order, and walk out.

It's 9:21, and she is asleep. Mercy Mercy, she is going to be the death of me.

The Baby Whisperer #1

I have a child, ok let's be honest, I have 3 children, who DON'T sleep. Maybe you have met one of them. She's the princess. Princess Isabella. She is such a love. Love. Her. And for the most part, she is a dream. But her dreams have been shorter and shorter in that she has NOT been sleeping. It didn't really bother me before baby sister was born, but now that I have a new baby, I need her to SLEEP!!!

Apparently she hasn't had a schedule for a while (like her whole life), and she has been suffering from it. So I did what any good mother would do, I called the "baby whisperer". Now, let me tell you, if you have ANY children in need of a schedule and you don't have time for a bazillion books, then SHE IS YOUR ANSWER! I am serious.

Here is a recap:

Day #1

Suggestion: get Isabella her OWN bed, with her OWN bedding.

Background: about 7 months ago, I put Isabella's bed in the garbage. Don't judge, it was falling apart, I had #10 cans in each corner with basically just a mattress. It was destitute. So. I pitched it and put her on Sannah's bed. Every day for 3 months, she would cry herself to sleep, "I don't hab a bed, mommy phrew it in da garbage." (Mother of the year #1) Not only did I phrow her bed in da garbage, I displaced her from her room to Sannah's room so that Mikenna could have her OWN room. So poor Isabella has been homeless.

So this suggestion was huge for me (and Isabella). We had our work cut out for us. We put the twins back together as bunk beds (one was in Mikenna's room and one was in Savannah's room) and moved the full into Mikenna's room, made a trip to Big Lots and purchased her OWN bedding. Much to my dismay, she chose Dora, but hey, this was her trip, so I bit my tongue and obliged.

Side Note: I dragged the 3 older girls to the store and we all had to pick out own bedding because I was displacing Mikenna's "new room" and Isabella was getting new stuff, and I couldn't leave Savannah out, so lets just say it was an expensive, yet very productive trip.... UNTIL Isabella found a "shooting gun." It was a marshmellow shooting gun and she couldn't wait to get it home so that she could shoot marshmellows. I told her that she would have to put back her Dora blanket and her sparkly pillow if she wanted the "shooting gun." She was more than happy to make that deal (OOOOOPPSS!!!!) I had to recant (Mother of the year, remember?) and as you can imagine DRAMA ensued.

Luckily the store was really big, so you could hear her screaming throughout the entire store, and the Luckily the cute little couple who moved into our ward, married 8 weeks, and blissfully in love were there to witness my 3 year tyrant tyrading (I made that one up) her opinions at the top of her lungs. I had to practically DRAG her out of the store. Luckily the people behind me were TOTALLY patient (NOT) and didn't even crack a smile. I bet they thought that I was a bad mother because I was letting her act like this in PUBLIC!! Oh they hadn't seen anything yet! Besides what did they want me to do? Spank her in front of them? Yell at her? What good would it have done. 3 year olds are NOT to be reasoned with. They just don't get it. I digress.

I came home to my husband taking the beds apart and putting them in their respective rooms. Awesome. Now Isabella had her OWN bed with her OWN bedding and her OWN pillow. (Luckily on the back of the Dora bedding is a cute floral print... THANK GOODNESS!)

OH and here is a cute pic of Scarlett :)