New blog!

We've moved!

Here's our new address:

http://lissieanne.wordpress.com

Come visit!

Please excuse...

the blog. We're undergoing some changes. Just to shake it up a bit. Same ol' stuff here, just different background or layout perhaps. We'll see. :)

The Adventures of Olivia

So, as usual, Olivia has been finding new ways to get herself into distress. What else is there for a damsel to do?

Here's her latest:


How, you ask? NO idea. She did this while I was on the phone with Cameron who was on his way home from work. I had to have him hold on while I crawled onto Duncan's bed and arched my back in attempts to allow her to use my back as a step to start shimmying herself up (you have to be creative when you can't just climb up top and lift her out, pregnancy has it's issues, lol). Well this proved to be useless, I apparently wasn't tall enough for her to have a real footing on my back and she was still stuck.

Laughing, I informed Cam and he told me I'd probably have to leave her for the next 5-7 minutes until he was able to finally get home and that he would come pull her out. That's when the shrieking started of, "MOOOOOOOOMMMMM! I have to go POTTY!"

I did the math in my head and realized the amount of exertion it would take me to scale the ladder-less bunk bed and pull her out myself was probably equal to the amount of unhealthy stress I would be fuming later as I was scrubbing the wall, Duncan's bed, the trim and carpet below... not to mention whatever else happened to have been shoved under the bed in the last week or so, LOL.

Needless to say, this thought process took a lot longer to type out then it did to act out. She ran to the bathroom afterwards and no one had any headache-inducing cleaning to do. Another day saved, lol. :)

"Can I tell you my dream?'

So this morning, at 6am, my children gleefully skip into my bedroom and my son pounces his fists on my mattress to bounce my head awake. I send Olivia to the bathroom, find my robe, and take them downstairs for breakfast.

Meanwhile, Olivia has been begging me from before the second I opened my eyes, to please please please PLEASE let her tell me her dream.

Finally, we make it downstairs, they sit at the table, I serve breakfast and I let her tell me her dream:

Liv: "Well, Mom, did you know Papa was in my dream?" (Papa is my Dad.)

Me: "No, he was?"

Liv:"Yes, and he lived in Utah. What country do we live in?"

Me: "America."

Liv: "Noo... uhm... what state?"

Me: "Utah."

Liv: "Noo... uhm..."

Me: "Are you trying to ask what city?" Olivia LOVES to hear what city she lives in. She continues to ask despite the fact that her little brain is much too competent to not have it memorized by now.

Liv: "Yes!"

Me: "West Jordan."

Liv: "So Papa lived in West Jordan and Utah, and Sidney was in the bathroom, and she used WAAAAAAY too much toilet paper," Olivia has been known to have frequent and vivid bathroom dreams, i.e. The Black Toilet Dream.

Me: "So, Sidney lived here too?"

Liv: "Yes, and she went to the bathroom and used WAAAAAAY too much toilet paper. You went in there to help her flush the toilet and it was so unbelievable - the toilet FLUSHED YOU DOWN."

Me: "Flushed me down? Why was I flushing for Sidney?"

Liv: not pausing... "-- and it flushed you down, and the too much toilet paper, and it left puddles all over Papa's carpet. He was so angry because there were puddles all over his carpet and all over his house in Utah and he was not happy because of the mess."

Me: "Wow. That's an interesting dream." Papa had a carpeted bathroom? What kind of sick "dream" house in Utah was Papa living in?

Liv: "Yeah. I just wish I could have puddles in my house. I would like to jump in them. Can I have some milk?"

Ahh... the mind of a 4-year-old.

Snow Day!

The day after Christmas we got some more snow.

Just a little.

So the boys went out to shovel in the cold, cold snow. But I had to share the cute photos. :) Even Woody joined in on the fun. :)

O55 & D35: Starting Anew

So I've wavered, I've wobbled - all in all I've pretty much fallen flat on my face trying to get these newsletters started. But I know I need to do better. So I am going to do better.

I've never been one for outspoken and obvious New Year's Resolutions and really anytime I h ave been it's about being healthier in order to lose a little weight, or being more organized in order to to... be more organized - all of which sort of just HAPPEN in January because I'm a nutcase. But mostly, being pregnant this time around, I happened to stop and think about non-physical resolutions. I wasn't going to start jogging (well, and then subsequently go into labor, lol) or eat less - by gosh darn it, I AM going to do newsletters!

So I'm starting over strong in January of 2009 with a double whammy and a little dose left over from Christmas.

You both grew so much last year, both physically and mentally. It's hard for me to even look at photographs of you and realize that you weren't always the size you are now. Last night, during my mini nesting session, I organized photos from earlier in your childhood(s) and was just blown away by how your sweet little faces were just basically now glued onto bigger bodies! Duncan will always be one of those kids that loses the "Who Is This Baby?" contest because he will look EXACTLY the same for the rest of his life. Olivia has changed enough that she could pass for an older sister of the said baby in the photograph, possibly tricking some but not enough. The real giveaway would be a video of her incessant chattering, IDENTICAL to the incessant chattering that occurs every day.

Olivia and her new purse from Mimi & Papa
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

You were both fascinated again by the snow this year, despite it's late arrival, and begged to go out in the snow and play. I, of course, caved and allowed you to do so - only to be thanked by the hysterical crying faces of "It's COLD out there!" Gee. Perhaps that's why it's SNOWING.

No matter how much I bundle you up, you both always manage to find a way to get cold or snow INTO your bundles and burst into hysterical crying spells beyond comforting. Duncan tends to be less emotional when he's interested in being outside. By the time he's bored or done, he figures, cry with Liv - we'll get a quicker response.

Duncan and his new football from Mimi & Papa
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

You're still doing very well playing together, we get a little over the top at times, but you're at the age where you easily entertain each other. Putting the crib up in your room has been an interesting adventure. You both refer to it as "Baby Rachael's Bed" and know the rules about using it to climb or scale other objects and comply fairly easily. It will be interesting to see if the addition of an actual BABY inside the crib will change that.

Olivia, and her cousins Kyla (4 yrs) and Kortney (2 yrs)
(all eating Mimi's chocolate, lol)
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

We went to IKEA over the weekend to pick out some things for your room and also to pick up the linens and things we wanted for the baby. Both of you were very excited to be able to see that Rachael was going to have matching linens and that we bought special curtains JUST for your ROOM! It's frustrating being in an apartment and not being able to paint. The whimsical animals that go along with the IKEA line we've picked for your room would be adorable on the wall. That's part of the reason that I love these curtains, they bring color AND fun little animals onto some very basic, boring, wall color.

Duncan, and his cousins Zachary (10 mths) and Jordan (4 yrs)
(They were playing "drums" on the popcorn tins from Grandma Martha Wagner)
Taken 12/25/2008 at the Wagners' Home

It's so cute to see you with your baby cousins (who are rapidly racing towards their one year mark, hardly babies anymore!) and to see you making comparisons to Baby Rachael. Of course, it will also be interesting to see how disappointed you are when Rachael's not able to walk or play with the toys you've reserved for her withing 2 days of being born. Some things just take time and I'm curious to see how else you'll strive to play and connect with her. Rachael will be lucky, much like my sister Maddie, to be born into a family that not only has a Mom and Dad but also a big sister AND big brother - best of both worlds.

Well that about wraps up this month's double newsletter. And you WILL be seeing more next month. Bet your bottom (Shrek: "Bet my bottom?!" Haha, inside 2-year-old joke...) dollar and more photos to accompany them.

Duncan (2) & Olivia (4)
Christmas Eve

Love you two. :)

35 weeks

Here we are at 35 weeks. I remember thinking, it'll be so nice when I'm finally there.

Now I'm here.

35 weeks, wow.

And guess what! Now that I've reached the ripe old age of 35 weeks, apparently, I'm starting to "LOOK" pregnant.

Who'd'a thunk?

Christmas Morning [part 2]

Ohhh... must get these done! I've been lagging. Here are more, enjoy!

Here they are opening their presents that we were the most excited for. :) Woody and Jessie dolls! They love them. I've got some photos I'll post soon of Duncan and his Woody doll outside in the snow "shoveling with Daddy" - such a helper. :)

Honestly. How does he do it? Every time.

Cameron apparently felt the need to take a photo of me directing wrapping paper disposal. Surprise surprise.

More scrappy stuff! Yay! :)

Cam and his new slingshot monkey. :) He has too much fun with this one. Literally. ;)

Boots from Tanya! Thanks Tanya! (My first pair! Well, okay, besides the ones I wore in 2nd grade, pink cowboy boots with pink tassles... how about my first SANE pair of boots?)

Goldfish Crackers from Gma Bonnie and Gpa Bill! Thanks!

More LOTR movies. :)

Olivia's "Sleeping Beauty" church dress from Gma Tanya! She LOVES it! Thanks!

Duncan announcing "BOOTS!" as he pulled the gift out of the box, lol. From Gma Tanya, thanks! :)

Daddy and his BIG present. :)

Craftsman Tool chest! :)

Wow, okay - Christmas morning is done. :-P Phew!

Back to more normal blogging tomorrow!

Christmas Morning [part 1]

Here they are... there are a LOT. :)

Waking up to see Santa Presents and inspecting the leftover cookie crumbs and milk.

Duncan's present from Santa: Don't Wake Hulk
(same idea as Don't Wake Daddy)

Olivia's Santa present: Cinderella's Enchanted Slipper Game
(VERY princess...)

Wall stickers for the both of them, Liv's: Princess, Dunk's: Cars.

Daddy's first gift
(note the strategic box and then paper placement to avoid being photographed?)
JIGSAW, woo hoo. :)

Mommy opening "The Lord of the Rings". Yay!

Duncan's gift from Aunt Laura!
He LOVES this blanket, nice and soft
- it even matches their bed linens, way to go!
Thanks Aunt Laura. :)

Olivia's gift from Aunt Laura
- she calls it her "Mermaid Blanket" because
"it looks like flowers underwater".
Thanks Aunt Laura! :)

Cameron and his Woodcraft gift from Dad
Thanks Dad!

Olivia's present from Gma Cole, a matching puzzle!
She's getting very good at matching the words with the pictures.
Loves it, thanks Gma!

Duncan and his not-yet-unwrapped Lincoln Logs Set from Mommy and Daddy. :)

Daddy's new tool set... not sure what it's even called... but I did buy it and he liked it, LOL. :)
Works, right?

Duncan's Cars book from Gma Bonnie and Gpa Bill!
Thank you!

Another post-preggo shirt from Aero, yay!

CANDYLAND! I was so excited to get this, I could hardly stand it. This was a gift I definitely didn't see coming because Cam can't stand the game, LOL. I'm so glad we can add it to our collection though. :)

DVDs for the kids, Monsters Inc. for D, and The Little Mermaid for Liv.

Liv's gift from Papa - GYRO WHEEL!
She's a pro now, you should see her. That is when Daddy or Duncan haven't swiped it for themselves, lol. :)

Duncan got Gumby and Pokey from Papa! He loves them, Thanks Papa!

The Elf going under the tree for more presents.

Yay, Coluzzle Alphabet!

Gma made Patriotic gifts this year in honor of my cousin's husband, Sam.
Ours is great! Thanks Gma!

More presents for Mommy from Daddy.
(He kept having the kids bring them in groups, lol.)

Duncan opening his puzzle from Gma Cole, like Livy's but opposites to match instead! :)

Olivia's ribbiting frog from Gma Bonnie & Gpa Bill, thanks! :)

Another DVD for Duncan, Jungle Book!

Olivia's Princess Book from Gma Bonnie & Gpa Bill! Thanks! :)

More tomorrow!