For Great-Grandma Betty

SO much more to post for today, but I had to get this up for Grandma Betty.

"Thank you Grandma"

Hide and Seek

This morning was a bit rough for Alyssa. Before it was even 9 o'clock the poor dear had to go to time out. You see, she was dancing on the table. But that's not why we went to time out. We went to time out because we've developed this lovely back-talk habit of screaming "NOOOOOOOO!" at me any time I ask her to do something. So when I asked her to please dance on the floor, or SIT on the table (see I'm not mean, sit on the table all you want) the screaming began. Then the flailing. Then the kicking. Then the time out. She was assisted to her room where the door was promptly shut. If you'll remember the one about her being able to open doors, ya, well I bought those door knob thingys so she can't escape when she needs some alone time. Anyway, after a minute or two I opened her door so she could come join the rest of us. However... there was no Alyssa. Then came the best game of hide and seek the girl has ever played. Was she behind her door?

No... Was she IN her closet? (she always is.)

Not this time. Under her covers?

No. By this time I'm thinking, hmmm... she's really put some thought in to it today.

Not in this corner.

Not in that corner.

Now I'm starting to wig out thinking she better not have figured out how to get around those stupid knobs or I'm screwed. I looked in my room, in the living room. Not there. I go back in her room where I here the tiniest little giggle...

THAT corner. The one I JUST BARELY looked at. She had been there the entire time. So tiny she can hide behind a 17 inch long-9 inch wide-12 inch tall BABY DOLL CHANGING TABLE!

Congratulations girlie. You're the best hide-and-seeker EVER!

Never Doubt a Fortune Cookie

Be excited for this fantastic little couple. And pray for them and their new found birthmother.

Ooh, Alice

Take the Quiz and Share Your Results!

Now, if only I had her skillz...

"Expressive" doesn't begin to describe her.

I don't know how many times I've put on here that this girl seriously cracks me up. The things that come out of her mouth, not even the swearing, sometimes makes me laugh so hard that my stomach hurts. When things are especially wonderful and going her way she'll say either "Dis is fanTAStic!" or "Oh, dat be perfect." We were coming out of my mom's house last night and it had gotten dark while we were there. She stepped on to her front porch and said "Oh no, this is TERRIBLE!" You might say she's a bit on the theatrical side. You might... When maybe she's not in the greatest of spirits I get this look.

The stink eye. Well I gave it back to her the other day and she said to me, in quite the stern voice, "DON'T give me the stink eye!" Then there is my favorite for the week. Tim was talking something or other about his brains falling out and what did our little princess say? Nothing other than "You have brains daddy?"

She's just my funny little girl.

This is how we roll...

Hey, I was playing here first.

Mom! Make him stop!

Hmm... maybe this is bugging him as much as it's bugging me. (Insert evil laugh here)

Ah, he's gonna give her a kiss.

Oh, no he's not. Down she goes!

Hey, we're still smiling. All is well.

I love these little children.

FOUR A.M. and I'm doing WHAT!?!

How October 16th went for me. It's 4am. Alyssa wakes up and wants hot milk. Not an uncommon occurrence at our house. Whatev. I get up, I go to the kitchen. I toss some milk in the microwave and glance over at my roast that I started in the crock pot last night. Not pleased with what I see, I retrieve the milk from the microwave, take it back to my room for Alyssa (sure she's almost 3 and still sleeping with us, again, whatev) I give it to her, kiss her and tell her I'll be right back in to snuggle. Back to the kitchen I go. At 4am. FOUR A.M. The roast, which was frozen solid at 9:00 the night before has cooked completely and is in the process of becoming some sort of cow something jerky. My "plan" for this roast was to follow this fantastic recipe that my friend gave me for BBQ beef. The "plan" is to take a frozen solid hunk of meat, toss it in the crock pot and let it cook on low over night. Sometime during the next day, pull it apart, dump an amazingly simple sauce over the top and let it simmer all together until dinner time. My friend does this often. Rumor has it that a lot of people cook roasts like this. Not at my house. Not in my POS crockpot. Now I'm no chef. I hate cooking. I don't know the rules of how long you can leave a chunk of beef in a crock pot to get cold and all fungus-ish. The thought of leaving it out until I woke up at a normal hour kind of sicks me out. I don't think if I put it in the fridge that I'll be able to pull it apart like I'm supposed to. Crap, I have to pull this thing apart now. AT FOUR A.M.! I pull it, I dump the sauce on it, I go back to bed. Alyssa, hot milk in tummy should be sleeping by now... Ya. Right. Alyssa: Mommy, what doin? Me: Going to sleep. Alyssa: You cook mommy? Me: Ya. Close your eyes sweet baby. Alyssa: Ok. She then proceeds to stand on her head and start singing songs. At this point I decide to be a good wife and take her to her own bed so Tim can get some sleep. We snuggle in to her bed and things are quiet for a moment... Alyssa: Mommy, I yuv you too. Me: I love you too, sweet girl, go to sleep. Alyssa: Ok. I roll over so my back is facing her so she'll hopefully quit talking and go to sleep. Things are quiet again... but a mysterious kind of quiet. No slow steady breathing, no snoring... I roll over to check things out and what do I find? Alyssa playing with her shadow on the wall. Waving, scrunching her fingers, making her hands go big and small, making antlers on her head. I roll back over in total denial. A few minutes later I hear her climbing on the top of her bed, scooting across the back and sliding down the side. Alyssa: Weeeeee!!! Dat's a fun slide mommy! Me: Crap, you're not going back to sleep are you? Alyssa: Let's play!