Beauty is pain!!

So there I was....blow drying Cambree's long hair... plugging in the pink straightener and straightening Cambree's long hair.... putting her on the counter and pulling out the pink nail polish. Painting her toes and then adding glitter. Sometimes I think I spend more time making my 3 year old pretty than I do making myself look pretty.  I put her in her new cute halloween pajama's and she slips on her cute pink butterfly wings. I have got to say she might just be the cutest 3 year old on the block but boy is it work!! One day she better look back at her cute pictures and appreciate everything :)

Hands full indeed!

I hear that saying A LOT when I go out.  "Oh you look like you have your hands full..."  I usually nod and smile and pretend like it's not a big deal.  I can handle a 3 year old and twin 1 1/2 year olds without breaking a sweat.  The reality is most of the time I can.  It has become something I had no choice but to adapt to and make work.  I don't think anybody expects to get twins but when it happens it is amazing and a blessing.  Most of the time it isn't a big deal but then there are days when I think WHY?! To be entirely fair the twins really aren't the problem. The majority of my struggle is with my 3 year old.  I will be the first to admit I spoiled her.  When she was born I held her all day long.  You couldn't rip her from my hands.  I rarely put her in her crib in fact.  Even if she was crying none stop all day long (and trust me she was a cryer!) I wouldn't have the heart to put her in her crib and walk away for a bit.  Okay obviously I learned from that with the twins. I learned A LOT from raising Cambree and I do the complete opposite with the twins.  The twins have a schedule. They nap at 11 and go to bed at 7.  I think the thing about your first child is that it is a learning experience. You go in having no idea what to do and not to mention the fact I was clear across the ocean in England raising my first child.  I definitely babied Cambree too much and I am definitely living with the consequences now. Now I need to find a way to give Cambree structure. To enforce her being a big girl.  She hates to be alone. HATES it! I will put her upstairs playing with the twins and go downstairs for a minute to myself and she will follow me downstairs in less than 4 minutes flat. She has a lot of weird quirky things she does too. She hates drinking plain water.  If I give her a  sippy cup with plain water she says it is dirty and won't drink it! "Dirty mommy!" She inspects her food before she eats it. For example if I give her a graham cracker and if one of the corners is broken at all... she won't eat it. "Broken mommy!" She recently stopped eating chocolate chip cookies because she turns them over to inspect them and if she sees chocolate chips on the bottom of the cookie (and obviously there ISN'T a cookie that doesn't have a chocolate chip on the bottom) she straight up refuses to eat it.  I mean crazy stuff like that she drives me insane with.  Her newest thing is she has to have her food cut up into the smallest of slivers or she won't eat it.  "Too big mommy!"  I'm talking tinsy little pieces.  All these things add up to daily frustrations and someday's I just don't think I can do it.  Somedays it hits me that I am in over my head.  It makes me feel like I am a completely failure.  I try to take some deep breaths. Walk away if I need to and try to come back and be patient.  So yeah when people say "you have your hands full"... they are totally right. I do have my hands full! Here is to hoping that when Cambree turns 4 things go a little smoother. A little easier and hopefully she will start to eat chocolate chip cookies again!

Scarlet Fever!

A week ago Buddy started acting weird.  His behavior was just a little off.  As a mother you know your child and something was definitely wrong with mine. He also had this bright red rash on his face. At first I thought it was eczema but it was such a bring color and the look of it wasn't like when Cambree gets it. Here is what also started happening. He started laying down for EVERYTHING. We were outside drawing with chalk and he was laying completely down on the pavement to draw. While I thought it was cute I thought it was always strange.  Next we were shopping at the BX and he laid down in the cart! I have never seen him do that.  The last straw for me was when I gave him a bowl of mandarin oranges and he laid down on the floor to EAT THEM! Okay I knew something was wrong.  I called the advice nurse because it was about 4pm on a Friday and clinic would be closing soon on base.  I told her what was going on and she didn't concerned but she told me she would give me a referel to be seen off base to have some "piece of mind" going into the weekend.  A few minutes I had Buddy packed in the car and on our way to the urgent care.  Luckily the wait wasn't long and we got back to see the doc quick.  As I was telling the doctor about Buddy's weird behavior and the rash he sort of gave me a weird look like you brought him in for this? Well turns out Buddy not only had a double ear infection (which I had no idea he had) he also had strep throat and accompanied with his rash he had scarlet fever!!! I felt SO bad for little Buddy and SO thankful I brought him in.  Over the next few days the other two kids started acting a little weird (not like Buddy though) so I took them in and they got on antibotics for strep! Well then came on other bombshell. Shannon called to tell me Rylie has mono! Well THAT could explain Buddy laying down all the time.  Four days later on Antibiotics he is still lethargic so now I have to take him back in.  His rash was going away but now has spread and is worse. I don't know if this is normal or not but regardless we are going back to the doc. 

                                                Poor Buddy! Laying down to draw with chalk

                                                           Cambree after the doctor! 

                                                Ashley with some oranges trying to feel better!

4th of July!

 We had a fabulous 4th of July weekend! My sister's family came down and we had an amazing time! The morning of the 4th we went to our neighborhood pool to swim and then headed up to Fort Bragg for the day! Wouldn't you know it the second we get there and set out stuff down we were told that everyone had to go to their cars because severe thunder and lightening were coming.  Sure enough by the time we grabbed our stuff the rain started! Well of course Morgan and I had straightened our hair (apparently we need to check the weather forecast before doing such a silly thing next time) so picture the two of us trying to fit under a small umbrella while trying to save our straight hair. It only partial worked.  Morgs, Cambree, and I waited out the storm in my car and let me tell you it might have been the best part of the day for me.  Morgs and I were singing to songs and Cambree decided to keep honking the horn which made all the cars around us start honking back.  It was so hot and so humid after the rain but we had a great time! Gloriana performed and we all loved them (except Morgs lol) The fireworks were pretty cool and we all had a great time except for Buddy... who just wanted to run around cry! Here are a few of the pictures :)

Could Ash be America's Next Top Model or what?  Cambree is standing next to our neighbor Serena who she LOVES! 

Morgs attempting to entertain Buddy. ALL he wanted to do was run and be free!

This is poor Cambree hot & miserable but a great trooper. Naturally the cheetos helped!

Could Ashley BE any cuter? I'm here to say no!

Of course I got this drink for me and of course Ashley took it over. Cambree & Buddy fell asleep before the fireworks started but my lil Ash stayed up and LOVED them!

This was Morgs and me trapped in the car! 

It is a miracle!!!

Soooo anyone who knows Cambree knows one thing about her... she tends to be a bit lazy! For example she refused to hold her own bottle. EVER.  I'm not talking like a six month old baby refusing .. I'm talking like girlfriend was 11 months old and refusing to hold her own bottle.  If I didn't hold it... she would just go without rather than hold it herself. DIVA! Another prime example was crawling. She straight up would not crawl. We tried everything to coax her into crawling. I KNEW she could crawl but would she? NO! Infact she didn't crawl until her first birthday! True story! She was walking 2 weeks later.  This brings me to the present day issue of potty training.  When you have a baby you just assume (or at least I did) that the hardest part of having a child would HAVE to be the endless crying and lack of sleep.  I thought that once you got to the stage of them sleeping through the night that you had conquered the hardest part of having a child.  Of course then came teething and again once Cambree got all her teeth in and was sleeping all night again I thought.. yep, the hardest part is done.  Hello, the hardest part hadn't even begun!!!!!!


So when Cambree turned 2 years old I had the twins.  Life sort of revolved around these two little babies and I was not about to add potty training Cambree on top of the stress.  I wasn't too worried because she was only 2 .. but when she turned 3 I started to panick thinking I had to get her trained.  I tried to talk to her about it and I would always ask her.. do you want to sit on the potty? Her answer was always NEVER! Not even no, or nope, but NEVER! Followed by DIAPER! I swear she was having a love affair with diapers.  Well Cambree is almost 3 1/2 and I decided it was TIME! No more procrastinating! I kept asking her.. do you want to be a big girl and use the potty and of course I got the NEVER answer. Infact she had such little interest in potty training that I seriously had the thought what if she NEVER potty trains? I had visions of Cambree not being allowed to go to school because she wasn't potty trained. I'm not exaggerating. These were actual concerns I was starting to have.  Cambree is one determined and stubborn little girl but I figured I wrote the book so I could do this. It was potty training time.  


June 28th, I decided to take the plunge.  I took away the diapers and put her in underwear. What resulted was her simply peeing in her underwear and me eventually putting her back in a diaper discouraged. She didn't even attempt to try and use the potty.... and let me tell you we have a killer potty. My mother in law bought us a singing potty! Yes that is what... if you pee it will sing.  How cool is that? Well I was determined that Cambree would make this toilet sing.  June 30th I put her in underwear and every 20 minutes we decided to make her sit on the potty.  Keri started working with her that morning and would you believe by lunch time not only was she peeing in the potty.. she was telling us when she had to go!!!! IT WAS A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I seriously thought this day would never happen! By the end of the day we had zero accidents! She had successfully peed in the potty all day!!!!!! I have never been prouder in my whole life. I'm serious. Turns out my little girl is smart!!! We are now three days into potty training and she has had a total of 1 accident!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *cue the hallelujah chorus*  Now as excited as I am now..... I just have to remember that I have twins to potty train next. GREAT.

The small notes

I'm not sure if anyone really reads this or if this is more just a place like a diary where I can write down things and come back later and remember them.  Either way I wanted to write down a few things. Things have been crazy around here.  I wrote a long blog about a week ago and just as I went to hit publish... Ashley hit the button on the CPU to shut down the computer. Isn't that just my luck? Right now we are in the twin teething phase. You know the phase where the kids are just about 1 year & 1/2 and they are sleeping SO good and then their molars start to come in.  Yep, we are in molar city around here.  Here is what typical nights are like... We put the twins to bed at 7pm.  A half hour or hour into their sleep one wakes up screaming...and I mean screeeeeeeeeaming...  a few seconds later the other one wakes up screaming.... we orajel them up, depending on the situation we give a little motrin and the cycle continues ALL night long. Waking up....orajel... trying to get them back to bed.  It's almost like you are back in the newborn stage where they only sleep a few hours at a time.  I know this is all normal but when it is double the screaming it makes for some long nights.  Last night Ashley was the culprit.  Usually when I put them down Ashley will put her pointer finger in her mouth and she is out but last night she was the one who started the scream fest.  I quickly grabbed her and decided to bring her in my bed and she went back to sleep.  An hour later Buddy woke up screaming so we put Ashy back in the crib.. grabbed Buddy and put him in bed with me. I guess it is kinda funny if you think about all the moving around and bed hopping but at the time I am definitely not laughing in the moment.


The next thing we have going on is Cambree's dance class.  Now let me begin by saying I am the second most paranoid/anxious person in the world. The first being my mother.  I am SO my mother when it comes to this.  I am talking knots in my stomach anxious.  I wish I knew the secret to relaxed mothers however I just have to point out having the 3 kids who are 3 and under probably put me over the top in my anxious category.  One thing I know for sure is Cambree LOVES to dance.... another thing I know for sure is she doesn't love ballet. Today she has her second class of ballet/ tap/ tumbling and I'm praying it goes smoothly.    I have put Cam in her ballet shoes all week in preparation for class. She dances all around the house and believe me she would tap all day if I let her.  I wish I could just relax and realize it is just dance class and it will be fine.  


Luckily my sister and her family are coming down for the 4th of July.  Fort Bragg is having a huge extravaganza! Then after that it is the countdown until I get to go home for christmas! Yes I know it is a long way off but hey it is the small things that keep me going everyday! Now back to that dance class... just kidding. 

Dancing Diva!!

From the second Cambree could walk she was dancing! She use to watch the movie Rio over and over and over again and dance along with the birds. The beginning sequence was her favorite.... and let me tell you her little legs can move fast! She will dance along to any song! Her favorite right now is "I like to move it move it" from Madagascar 2.  Then she surprised me and started doing the splits during her dances... yes the SPLITS. I knew right then (okay I knew before) that she is going to be a star! A dancing star! I have been waiting for my lil girl to turn 3 so she could officially start dance classes.  I have been on the look out for a good dance class and luckily one fell into my lap.  We live in off base housing in a housing area called Linden Oaks. There is this group for it on Facebook (of course) and this lady started talking about a new dance studio that was opening up just down the street from us. How perfect is that? Fate? Destiny?? (What, I'm excited!) Naturally I signed Cambree up and dance classes start June 18th! I signed her up in a combo class of tap, ballet, and tumbling.  Luckily a cute little girl from church is in the same class as Cambree so today Kimmi and I took our girls out shopping for the class. We were on a mission to find tap shoes (could you die?! Cambree in TAP shoes?!), ballet shoes (again could you die?!) and of course a leotard.. but lets be honest at her age of course I'm buying her one with a tutu!! I wanted a cute pink one but I found this amazing black one! It is to die for! We took the girls back to try them on in the changing rooms and I heard Kimmi squeal first... her daughter found an adorable pink one. I had Cambree try on the black one and I was in love!!! I'm telling you... Cambree in this tutu... she is destined to be a star!!! Well I came back off my cloud as we tried on tap shoes. Ohhh my gosh... can you say melt down? Cambree was screaming... loudly. Naturally as any mother with a screaming child does.. I started to sweat.. and get flushed. There is nothing worse than a screaming child... unless it is a screaming child you are trying to get to fit into a tap shoe!! It was truly one of the most embarrassing moments I've had as a mom.  Anyway we purchased our items and of course Cambree insisted on wearing the tutu all day.  I let her tap tap tap in the bathroom with her tap shoes for a minute and boy was she excited when she found out the loud noise those shoes made.  I had to pry them off of her and hide them!! I am sooooo excited for these dance classes.  It is one thing to put a girl in dance classes because it would be cute... it is another to put a girl who LOVES to dance in dance classes and see her blossom! I'm so excited for my lil dancer :)


                                                                  

This is cute little Allegra & Cam in the dressing rooms trying on their tutu's

This is Cambree at home tap tap tapping away in her shoes!