Ka-BOOM!

All I have to say is this:

Sometimes, I just wish my house would blow up.  Spontaneously combust.  Why?  That's the only conceivable way my mind sees that it could ever get organized.  By being blown to shreds.  Millions and millions of pieces, all ready to just be scooped into a dumpster.  Seriously.  (Granted, it'd be ideal if I could grab a few keepers first - my computer, violin, maybe some pictures and journals - although I'd have to find a place to store and later organize those.  My kids and hubby, were they to be home.)  If only...

These photos seem to capture life around here of late:

- Ellie's cooking creation of 1/2 bottle of syrup, leftover milk, a freshly made muffin and some almonds

-  Abby's word search brought home from school - instructions: find words you know in a magazine (like booby)

- Ellie's afternoon activity (during my attempts at laundry) - unscrewing all the bathroom drawer knobs and lining them up on the counter

- Abby, our overachiever/gold digger, who lost both front teeth this week
- My latest attempts to figure out how my husband thinks.  J/k.  Adam preparing for bed (at his sleep study)

QFTD

Abby showing Ellie her lost tooth:  "See, there's blood inside teeth. That's what keeps their life cycle going.  And did you know, the gums where your tooth fell out store extra food?"

Overhearing Ellie playing with a pony and a babydoll:  "'It's time for hibernation.'  'What's hibernation?'  'That's when you get your jammies on.  Ohhhh yeah.'"

Abby, while looking at cousin Avery's newborn photos: "Wait, let's go back (to the one of full-length naked Avery in the scale).  I'm interested in this.  What is that?" Me: "The umbilical cord."  Abby: "Tell me about it."

Abby, recounting an incident that happened at school: "..and she said "Abby and Lila, you are ruining my life!" and I said "We are NOT ruining your life.""

Ellie: "Mom, I have a stable on my leg.  I have lots of stables on my leg and I'm a little nervous.  I want to go in my bed.  And look - you have a stable on your forehead."

Abby, after a picnic on our bedroom floor: "Daddy, you need to pick up this food you spilled."  Me: "How about if you do it for him?  That would be nice."  Abby:  "Can I pick up his money instead?"

Ellie, while playing animals with Abby (the mommy animal): "Mommy, we need a pillow and a blanket - and here's some courage!"

Abby, coming to me in tears: "Mommy, Ellie pulled my hair."  Me: " Did you tell her not to - that that's not nice?"  Abby: "I thought about it, (sniffle) and then I kept thinkin' about it (sniffle) and then Ellie thought about it (sniffle) but she pulled my hair and I didn't fight back.   Ellie just pulled my pretty hair that I like and it's all messed up."

Ellie's favorite question of late: "Amn't I...?"

Abby:  "This mac 'n' cheese is so good I just can't stop eating.  I might want five gallons of it."

Abby, explaining the process for making "pinch pots" (her school art project):  "First you roll it, then you pinch it, then you fry it, then you color it, then you fry it, then you look at it, then you wait for it to be done." 

While muscling through scriptures tonight, we discussed the stripling warriors going into battle.  Abby: "What's a battle?"  Me: "When people fight each other."  Abby: "Oh! You mean when two groups go and they start jammin' in together and fighting up?"

Abby, explaining that her side/elbow hurt: "I think I'm getting infection of my sickness." 

Skunked

Last night, at about 1:30 am, after going in to lay by Ellie at who knows what time and for who knows how long, we both awoke.  "WHAT is so stinky?" Ellie asked, half asleep.  Of course for the first time in a couple of weeks, my sinuses happened to be pretty darn clear and I nearly choked on the pungence that had infiltrated our house.  Skunk.  Uggggghh.  

It had happened before, maybe a couple of months ago - our entire house being filled with the horrific odor that lingered for a couple of days.  But nothing close to last night.  I panicked, wondering if somehow we had one or more taking refuge in our attic.  And, given that sleep was no longer an option, I fired up google and went to work.

Turns out, they can't climb very well, so the attic was 99% sure not an option. (Phew!)  But they can and do "den" under porches (of which we have two) during the winter and, should they feel the need to attack under said porches, the stench comes in through the base of the walls.  And that stench is made worse, I'm sure, by baseboard radiant heating.  So it would seem that's what we may be up against.

Around 3:00 I finally was able to fall back asleep, only to awaken sometime after 8 to the same horrific odor.  I called the girls upstairs to get dressed for church and Ellie, again, "WHAT is so stinky?" followed with her own response, "I think it's Daddy."  If only.  As we later got settled into our pew (no pun intended) at church, either the lingering odor in our nostrils or what of the odor had settled into our clothes kept Adam and me glancing and grimacing at each other.  I'm sure the people around were wondering at the continual sniffing of our own and each other's various pieces of clothing, and eventually Adam got so self-conscious that he up and left "for air" (for the remainder of the meeting).  He wouldn't even sit by me in Sunday School, thinking he'd staked out his own little corner where no one would be bothered by his skunkiness.  (Hopefully the elderly man who came and sat next to him had a deficient sense of smell.)

Anyway, long story short, we stink.  Of course it snowed last night, so airing out the house has become somewhat of a challenge.  And though I'm not one for wooden lattice look beneath porches, I think my prejudice just might be overcome here in a couple months.  That or chicken wire.  I can't do this again.

Other than that, here are some random photos from a (fairly) recent wintry trip to Niagara Falls that I've been meaning to post:

Abby: "Where are all the people?" 

Ellie, after crying about her 'froze toes':  "When can we get ice cream?"










Oh, and Happy Anniversary to my dearest, sweetest, lovable, squeeziest, cutest (and occasionally funny) teddy-hug-a-bunch.  Thanks for these adventurous 7 years.  Ti voglio bene, amore mio.


QFTD

Ellie sniffed as I put dishwashing detergent into the dishwasher:  "Mmm. That smells difficult."

Abby listed the games their school class played for game day:  "Candyland, Trouble, that one with ladders and chutes - what's that one called?" 

Ellie: "Mom, can we watch a movie tonight?" Me:  "Sure.  What should we watch?" Ellie: "How about Maple O with all the dogs."  Me: "You want to watch 8 Below again?" (her latest favorite flick) Ellie: "You mean Maple O - yeah.  Let's watch Maple O."

Ellie:  "Mom, remember last year when you weren't going to have a baby?  But then you ate a lot of food and now you're going to have a baby!"

Abby: "I'm excited to have a brother.  Boys are the prettiest, but girls are the coolest.  We're cool and blend in.  Boys are just pretty."

Ellie: "Once when I was a little girl, I had a beaver named Lodgy and she had a circle water with a dam and she hibernated.  A long long time ago."

Ellie, after begging for a muffin every minute for the last nine they were in the oven and then as I took them out: "NOW can I have a muffin??" Me: "Well, you'd burn your mouth if you ate them right now. They need to cool." Ellie: "I know!!! I'll go get my kitty flashlight to help them cool down! That's a great idea!"  After realizing that the flashlight wasn't helping to cool them down: "My belly's rumbling.  I just need some food to help me wait."

I started up the stairs to do laundry and Ellie ran to blockade me with her limbs outstretched.  Ellie: "No! No - Mom.  There's something in my room, but you CAN'T check! No! No!"

Ellie: "Mom, can I please have some chocolate milk?  It won't take long to make.  Heavenly Father made it so it doesn't take long - you just stir it.  Heavenly Father made me and Abby to love chocolate milk."

I told Abby that her friend Lydia's mom had her baby.  Abby: "I know.  Sister Richards told me that Lydia's mom's bottle broke.  That's what happens inside your body when you're going to have a baby."

Adam stepped outside of the chapel for a while during church.  Ellie:  "I need to go take a good check on dad."

Ellie: "Mommy WHEN is it going to stop snowing?  It's always Winter Winter WINTER and I'm all done with Winter."

Fun with Aunty Jo-Jo Bugs

  

Aunt Jordan came for a mid-winter Buffalo experience.  It was great.  We pretty much limited our exciting ventures out to eating fresh mozzarella and roasted red peppers on rosemary rolls at Wegmans for lunch.  (More than once.)  And that was just enough.  Chill time, catching up, games at night, playing with the girls.  Just what this sister and the nieces needed.  Abby's comment a day or two after Jordan left captured all our sentiments exactly: "It's fun when Aunt Jordan comes to visit.  It's not fun when Aunt Jordan leaves."  We sure love and miss her.  Here are a few photos captured with Jordan's fancy schmancy camera (that I now lust over):

Trying out all sorts of fun prizes that came out of Aunt Jordan's carpet bag/suitcase of wonders!  Are these girls spoiled?  Maybe just a tad.

A visit from Aunt Jordan wouldn't be complete without getting all dolled up.  While she did the mani-pedi's, the girls were left to their own devices as far as make-overs went.  I don't know... they just might have Aunt Jordan's touch.

Given that Ellie started the week Jordan was here with croup, she tended to be a tad moody during her recovery and wasn't afraid to show it.  Abby's not one to avoid self-expression either. The girls love their new sleeping bags from Grammy and Grandpa!

My personal favorite photo shoot of the girls from the week:  AIRPLANE!!!

And then there was the worst photo shoot idea I've ever had.  While it was a nice, sunny day (albeit 13 degrees out) and I thought pictures by the waterfall in Glen Park would be fun, the girls weren't so jazzed about the idea by about the third minute into it all.  Turns out rubber rain boots don't insulate little toes all too well.  And that makes for sheer misery for everyone involved.

QFTD  (Catch-up time!)

Abby, whom Adam put on garbage duty, called from upstairs: "Daddy!  You are so thoughtless!  You are throwing away stuff we still need!"

I told Ellie she needed to lie down for a while because she was acting very tired.  Ellie: "But I'm just done feeling mean."

Abby, upon returning home from school on Tuesday: "Mom, yesterday I got to stay home for King Martin Day."

Ellie asked Adam what her pajama shirt said.  Adam: "What happens at Nana's stays at Nana's."  Abby, almost under her breath: "What happens to Nana stays at Nana's."

I overheard the girls playing Barbies. Abby: "Oh yeah - well, my wife is gonna get your wife."

I told Ellie I needed to make a menu for our dinners this week.  Ellie: "Dinner?  What's dinner?"

I watched Ellie navigate easily to a game on my phone, asking her how she knows how to do that.  Ellie, with raised eyebrows and shoulders shrugged: "I guess I'm smart." 

Ellie, on the way home from preschool: "Mom, I want to play outside in the snow today - but I don't want snowveralls on."

Ellie: "Mom, I want some new ruler skates.  Mine have spider webs on them."

Abby, calling Nana during sushi dinner: "Nana.  If you had this sushi you would not believe your life.  It is so fantastic." (She later told me we should go to Weggies with our sushi and all the people would follow us and want to buy it.)

Ellie was pulling Abby across the entry tile floor.  Ellie: "Get up, Abby! I don't want dead people."  Abby: "I will, as soon as you cross that dirty line."

I started to clip Ellie's toe nails.  Ellie: "That sure hurts a huckle and a peck."

Ellie: "What do forks do?" Abby: "They pick things up."  Ellie: "Well, Abby, that's a good point.  But it's not the best point." Abby: "They get food on?"  Ellie: "That's another good point, Abby, but not the right point."  Abby: "What do they do?"  Ellie: "Whatever things you want them to."

Ellie:  "Eye problems...are worse...than nose problems."

Me: "Girls, GUESS where Daddy and I went on our date last night?" (Dinner and the symphony)  Ellie: "Wendys??"  Abby: "Burger King???"  Ellie: "MCDONALDS???"

The girls were playing dolls.  Abby, calling to Ellie's doll by name: "Hey, Lemon Ninety-nine!  How are you today?"

Abby: "Mom, can we go to outer space next year?"  Me: "Well, if you work really hard in school and learn a lot about science and math then someday you can go to outer space."  Abby: "I already know a lot of math."  Ellie: "I just want to stay here."

Ellie:  "When I was a baby, I didn't like to eat oranges or clementines or paper."

Ellie, while playing with some random manger scene characters that have yet to be put away and some Polly Pockets: "Come on, baby Jesus.  Let's learn how to fight."

Abby asked mine and Adam's ages. Abby: "I believe Mommy is older than Daddy."  Me: "Yes, that is correct." Ellie: "Well, Dad is big too.  He has a big head."

Abby, while helping me make mac 'n' cheese for lunch:  "These noodles are acksolooply going to look different when they're done."

Ellie asked what the knocking on the outside of our house was.  Me: "I think Daddy is knocking the icicles off of our roof."  Ellie:  "Maybe he's getting the bugs off."

Me: "Abigail, I'm not going to ask you again to pick up your clothes."  Abby:  "I'm just getting extracted from everything around me!"

Me: "So, girls, did you help Daddy while I was gone this morning?"  Abby: "Yes."  Me: "What did you help him do?"  Abby: "Well, we brought in our own chairs to watch the basketball game with him!"

Abby, while watching me fill the cupcake papers with batter (for her school Valentines party):  "Did you know cupcakes are bad for your teeth?  The germs that are in your teeth eat the sugar that are in the cupcakes.  And you know what else is bad for them?  Frosting.  And candy canes.  All the things you love - M&Ms, hershey kisses... and the fifteenth thing that is bad for teeth - leftovers."

Me:  "Abby, are you excited to go to Nana's house next week?"  Abby: "Yes.  But I'd rather go to Jerusalem.  I really want to go there and see what it looks like."

Adam was having difficulty getting Ellie to say prayers.  Abby: "Ellie, Dad is our husband and you need to listen to him because he rules.  He rules our family."

Ellie: "Why are you trying on so many clothes Mommy?" Me: "Oh, I'm trying to find some that fit."  Ellie: "Those pants are big. They're really really REALLY big."

I told the girls we needed to quickly stop at the grocery store. Abby: "I think I can handle myself if you go in. I think."

Abby: "Nana said that when the baby comes, she's going to take us camping and to Jerusalem and we can have a special dinner there of sushi."

Ellie, while talking to Nana on the phone:  "But Nana, I just lost my money that Granny gave me in KY."  Nana: "Oh dear.  Well maybe if you help Mommy clean today you will find it."  Ellie:  "No.  I don't think that's a very good idea."

Snails and Whales and Puppy Dog Tails

Or something like that.  Is that really what boys are made of?  I guess we'll see!

The days and hours and minutes up until last Tuesday evening (6:30 appt. time) were spent in great anticipation and, yes, angst, on the part of a few whose life would be totally altered by hearing either "Boy" or "Girl."  I had my suspicions from the beginning.  A very different pregnancy this time around.

Adam returned home from work with minutes to spare before take-off, so we scrambled for shoes and coats and headed out the door.  I have never seen an OBGYN office as packed as it was that evening and immediately reevaluated my appointment time choice - especially given that feeding the girls dinner had slipped my mind and bedtime was fast approaching.  After waiting a half hour with antsy children, I asked for a projected "start time" and was told about 45 more minutes.  Luckily, Mcdonalds was directly across the street and I assured Adam everyone in the entire office would be happier if he and the girls went and got something to eat (at Macdonalds) - I would call him when my turn came

2o minutes later, things had picked up and I was taken directly to the sonogram room.  I called Adam, whose stunned voice (mixed with panic, mixed with disappointment) informed me he had just ordered food at Bill Grey's - a sit-down hamburger joint FOUR MILES (and many stop lights) AWAY.  Seriously?  So, the doctor attended to at least one other patient in the time it took for him to get back, leaving us to then wait some more.

To say Adam was anxious would be a severe understatement.  Any little fidget the girls made while we continued to wait post-hamburger run sent him nearly into a tailspin and I finally asked "Che c'è?" (Italian for "what is bothering you?")  His answer:  "I just really don't know if I could handle another female in our house."  Just then in came Dr. Bagnarello to either compound his angst or ease it once and for all.

While all organs were checked out to look sound, baby Ashley wasn't cooperative at first as far as revealing his/her gender.  After some jiggling and wiggling, it was determined (at 99.9% assurance - Adam had to be put completely at ease) that we are getting a BROTHER!  Adam wiped the sweat from his brow and has been floating in the clouds ever since - dreaming of  tee-ball and man caves.  Ellie sulked and informed Dr. B that she was "not excited for a brother" but is coming around. I think for Abby the fact it will be a boy was outweighed by her realization that there will be another subject for her to command.  And, though I suspected it all along, the reality of having a BOY has been sinking in ever since.  What do you do with a boy???

Adam picked out the hunting onesie.

It has been returned.

Ellie and I had a little bit o' fun the morning after our news.  Hey, a boy needs clothes!

QFTD

Ellie: "Mom, what are you reading about?"  Me: "Why children misbehave. Do you misbehave?"  Ellie: "Yes. And the baby misbehaves. She'll be bad sometimes."

Ellie, after asking about Nana's dad, Pop: "But why did he die?"  Me: "he got sick and old."  Ellie: "Oh. But, Nana isn't sick or old.  Just her skin is a little bit old."

Adam was checking on the status of his school loans via an automated voice prompt. Voice: "If you would like to pay off the balance of your loan today, the amount to pay is XXXXXXXX." Adam: "Owwwwwwwch!"  Voice: "I'm sorry. I did not understand your response."

Adam: "Ellie, you need to come and put your plate in the sink."  Ellie: "Well, I have one cwonsequence."  Adam: "Eleanore."  Ellie:  "And you're gonna get five cwonsequences, Dad."

Abby: "Daddy, did you meet Mommy in college?  And you were her friend and then you really really really liked her and now you're married?"

Abby's family prayer: "...bless that I can be a good person and a great character, and that I can give experience to my family and be responsible in all the things I do..."

Adam, yelping as he slipped down a couple of stairs: "OOOOhhhhhh!!!". Ellie, matter-of-factly: "You need to turn the light on to see where you're going, Daddy."

I sat down to watch a movie with the girls.  Ellie: "You can't watch the scary parts, Mom.  Just we can.  You have to cover your eyes."

Abby:  "Did you know that Huntin' Season (Wilson Farms, a convenience store renamed by the girls) has the goodest goodest yummiest yummiest famous famous hot chocolate?  Dad told me."

Adam worked through the night on a project coming due at work.  When Ellie found out the next morning that he hadn't come home, her concerned response was:  "But Daddy didn't eat dinner!"

Ellie, while bounding through the house: "Hopping and skipping takes a lot of allergy!"

Abby, upon walking in the door from school:  "Mom, I'm going to have a dance party today and play my cd player and this is the surface area where the kids will dance.  But Ellie's not invited because the kids are big and might hurt her."

Nana asked Ellie over the phone what movie she was watching.  Ellie: "Lizzard the Boz." Abby: "Not Lizzard - Wizard the Boz."  Later Abby asked: "Mom, did you know some people don't have a brain?"  Me: "Really? What kind of people don't have brains?"  Abby: "Well, you don't have a brain." 

Ellie: "Mom, I think I'm really a boy."  Me, ever-so-slightly concerned: "Why do you think you're a boy?"  Ellie: "Because I have curly hair.  And I hate curly hair."  

Abby:  "My fever's comin' back to life!  It's getting warm again."

Adam texted the night his work project was supposed to be done (which followed a 42-hour work DAY) to say there were problems and he'd let me know when he could leave.  Being as the girls and I were sitting down to what was supposed to have been a celebratory "Daddy's done!" dinner, Abby offered to say the blessing on the food.  She added onto the end of her prayer: "And bless that Mommy can get her control back..."

Abby: "Mom, can we go to Japan this summer?  Or maybe next week?"

The New Year

I wouldn't say we're off and running.  In fact, it kind of feels like the new year took off running and ran us over, leaving us for dead.  (Work, sickness, malaise and the tornado that whipped through the house leaving destruction in its wake as a result.) Now we're peeling ourselves off the pavement and once we get our wits about us, we'll fight to catch up.  We'll get there..........

The last days of 2010 were spent having fun with Nana and Grandad, who came to visit.  A jaunt to Strong (and Dinosaur BBQ, naturally), playing games and dolls and dress-ups, the UB-BYU basketball game, the bounce house, mani-pedis for the girls and one wild New Year's party (Mary Poppins ringing in 2011 for Nana and Mommy - the only two semi-alive at midnight) were just some fun things we did together.

  

Post-New Year, we've each taken our turns with a nasty flu bug and beyond that, just tried to keep afloat.  

Ellie finished preschool at Clearfield and now enjoys two extra days at home with Mom. 

The girls continue their adventures at ballet and have started learning the dances for their recital in May.

I figured since we live in Buffalo, the girls should at least have one day spent playing in the snow. Yeah... Abby doesn't even have snow pants and Ellie lasted 10 minutes.  Oh well.  We tried. 

So, there's a peek into the start of our new year.  Much more excitement (in a good way) to come.  We hope.

QFTD

Ellie: "Before we do po nail polish, do you want some hamitizer?" (hand sanitizer)

We had some lunchmeat to go on crackers for lunch.  Abby: "Mom, can I please have some fake turkey?"

Adam: "Ellie, if someone has a hard time being nice to you, then that means you get to try extra hard to be nice to them."  Ellie, brow furrowed and finger pointed at Adam: "Yeah, but sometimes you argue." 

Abby: "Ellie, do you know what 3+3 is? 6."  Ellie: "Wow.  You sure know a lot about numbers."

Abby and Ellie were at each other, bickering about who knows what.  Me: "Girls, stop.  We do not talk like that in this house."  Abby: "Well, Ellie's being arguish."  Ellie: "No, Abby's being arguish." A: "No! Ellie..."  E: "No! Abby..."

Ellie, singing at the top of her lungs:  "I am on top of the museeeeuuum!  Oh yeah!  Oh yeah!  OH yeah! OH Yeah!  Ohh YEAH!!!"

Abby:  "Mom, I need you to pick this up immadetally.  No chit chat.  No arguing." 

At dinner I attempted to explain that milk can sometimes stain clothes.  Abby: "Tell us how!"  Me: "Well, I don't exactly know how it does - I just know it does."  Abby: "I know! Let's call Grammy and ask her!  She knows how all things work.  She's an expert on everything."

While on the way home from the grocery store, Ellie informed me she was hungry for lunch.  Ellie: "Donuts sound good for lunch.  I think I need donuts."

Attempting to help Abby realize that feeling good inside (from being nice to her sister) is better than feeling yucky, I asked her what the opposite of love is.  Abby: "Inkindful."

Abby: "Mom, can we go to Dunkin Donuts tomorrow for breakfast?"  Me: "No, silly.  You have school in the morning."  Abby:  "But Daddy goes there on school days for breakfast."  Me: "He does?"  Abby: "Yeah.  And then he goes to his cafeteria at work and buys ice cream."

Me, addressing Ellie's outburst toward Abby: "Ellie, Heavenly Father did not make our hands for hitting people."  Ellie: "Well, sometimes when our parents aren't there, people can spin around with a locker chain in their hands." (?)

I asked Ellie for some help.  Ellie:  "Can I hear something like "Eleanore, please"?"  Me: "Eleanore, por favor."  Ellie: "No.  Not "Eleanore pork and por!""

Ellie began a melt-down after I asked her to pick up her Barbies. Me: "Ellie, if you make a mess at school your teachers don't clean it up for you.  You have to clean up your mess."  Ellie: "I don't like how you're talking to me."

Abby: "Mom, do you want to be a violin teacher when you grow up?"

I was slicing pineapple for lunch and Ellie asked if she could try a bite (we think there may have been a connection to pineapple the last time she broke out in hives).  Me: "Okay, but just a bite.  If you don't break out you can have some more later."  Ellie: "Remember last time when I broke out?  That was just a dream."

I asked Ellie if she just wanted a half of a sandwich for lunch.  Ellie:  "No - I want a whole sandwich with two loaves of bread and 8 pickles."

While strumming my guitar, Abby sang (in e minor, as I sat at the computer and typed her lyrics):  "Once there was a cowgirl and her husband.  They didn't have a fridge they were so poor.  All they had was a horse and the farmer would not give them food.  Down in the village they had no things.  One day they came to a house that was called the Ashley family.  There was a mother named Alison and her husband was named Adam Ashley.  There were two girls - Abby who was 5 and Ellie who was 3.  The family gave them stuff and they left with stuff to eat and drink on their journey.  Then the farmer told them they could have all his food if they gave him all the stuff they got at the Ashley home.  But it was a trick.  He just wanted all the stuff from the Ashley home for his village.  Then he went and stole all the food and drink from the Ashleys, whose mom is having a baby tomorrow.  Then they went and had no more food and went to their village named Va-jinya.  Where there was an old lady named Nana.  Who used to have a husband named Granddad but he died.  She had some children, but her favorite ones were her grandchildren in Buffalo.  But they had another grandmother named Grammy...  The end of the story song."

Days of December

Before our Christmas is forgotten, I figure I best catch up...

In an effort to make something memorable (in a good way) of this Christmas season, I took an idea from a friend and devised a list of activities that we called our "Days of December" and each day looked forward to a holiday craft or celebration of some sort.  The first few days got off to a fairly good start - we made Christmas cards for Uncles Michael and Matt serving missions in Brazil, drank homemade peppermint hot cocoa while watching the First Presidency Christmas devotional, read Christmas stories, made stained-glass cookies, painted ornaments etc etc.

Then, of course, I threw in "Christmas in Germany" and "Christmas in Mexico" (and seven other countries) in behalf of my little xenophile Abby who has a fascination with all things foreign - and to come up with other holiday activity ideas.  Let's just say that after cooking Rhot Kohl and Brats and German pasta salad and Stollen from scratch all day in my effort to really get in the German Christmas spirit of things (since that spirit is first and foremost found in food, right?) and all of it being left largely untouched on the plates of my sweet "engel," the other countries' celebrations didn't end up being much to shout about.  

Christmas in India was celebrated with frozen Chicken Tikka Masala tv dinners while we made paper lanterns, for Mexico night we made gift bows out of magazines (?) without even chips and salsa, I plain skipped Christmas in Ireland & Ukraine and still get asked when the girls get to dress up like Santa Lucia from Sweden. Italy night was even reduced to pre-packaged gnocchi with pre-made pesto, though I did make sure to have a pandoro.   Better attempts next year.

And, while my dreams of a pleasant Christmas Eve complete with a glorious feast didn't quite end up as envisioned, we were just excited to finally have Daddy home to celebrate with us on Christmas.  Our first (and last) Christmas day spent together as the Adam Ashley family foursome was filled with dressing up, playing games, listening to karaoke concerts by both Abby and Ellie (well, Ellie when Abby didn't sneakily unplug Ellie's microphone), talking to Uncles Matt and Michael in Brazil and just good relaxation.  

 

Good times...

We look forward to what 2011 has in store!

QFTD

Abby acquired a small ceramic jewelry box while at church in VA last Christmas that has the figures of Mary, Joseph and baby Jesus on top.  It is her most prized possession on and off during the year, but especially now at Christmas. After singing a song about baby Jesus to me (while holding her box), she said: "Mom, Jesus is our Savior.  He is the bestestest ever."  Later she made a hilly cave structure with her quilt.  "This is Jesus' tune where He was died."

Abby: "Ellie, do you know what subpar means?  It means 'ridiculous' and I think you are subpar."

Ellie: "Credit cards are not suckers."

Ellie, play talking to herself:  "I am so lucky to eat breakfast."

I'd had a particularly hard day and then had a very Abby-action-packed afternoon "date."  Later, Abby said the blessing on the food at dinner: "...bless that we can be a family forever (she leans over and rubs my shoulder) and that we can be happy -(interjected) 'I love you Mom' - please bless the food..."

I tried a scripture recap of our reading from the night before.  "Last night we talked about King B..." Abby: "Benjamin!"  "Good.  And where did he speak to all of his people before he died?"  A: "Venice!"

Me: "Should we have soup for dinner?"  Abby: "I think mac n' cheese, rather."

Adam asked Ellie to join us for family prayer.  Ellie: "That's a very good question.  I do not rescind." 

Abby twirled her scarf in a creative fashion, singing: "Thiiiis is what Americans know how to dooooo."

I called Abby to dinner.  Abby, whining: "Awwwww Mom!  But I just started reading the fifteenth page of my second magazine!"

While in the middle of putting together a 100 piece puzzle, Abby said to me: "We just have to keep keeping on.  That's what my other mother used to say.  Before she died.  A long long time ago."

Until next time...

I'm back.  Merry Christmas one and all.  (And a belated Happy Thanksgiving, and Happy Halloween.)  I know I know.  2 1/2 months is a tad long to keep everyone wondering just what kind of utter mayhem is happening at the Ashleys that would so overcome me, I just could not bring myself to capture it in words.  Actually, life has been so calm and peaceful that I've been left without material.


Ok, not really.  There's been plenty of chaos to be sure, however I really am just hoping that eventually it'll all be forgotten, as the driving forces behind it haven't been...exactly pleasant to live through.  The culprit?  Bronchitis.  Serious bronchitis.  3 months now.  And no signs of letting up.  Oh, and little Ashley #3.  Coming this June.

So, when Mommy has had the strength and energy and desire to arise from her bed (or wherever she's plopped her ailing body last), upon then beholding what little Ashley #1 and little Ashley #2 have found to entertain themselves with, she typically has found her way back to bed or just closes her eyes and mutters not-so-sweet nothings as she shuffles through the rubble to make some hot cider or tea before collapsing once more.  In fact, at one point I was "cooking" whatever could be made with boiling water in an electric tea pot on the bathroom counter.  I'm talking DINNER - Top Ramen, fed to my children for the first time in their lives, in the bathtub!  Pathetic, eh?  Oh yes. We've descended to the depths.  In fact, when we asked the girls what they want for Christmas, Abby's response was: "(some toy), a clean house, and a wonderful mommy and daddy and sister..." Ellie told me "I hate our house.  It's so messy." Ugghhh.  And no matter my feeble efforts to at least keep clean clothes on our bodies and wash enough dishes to eat off of, I am just no match for the force that is my daughters' need to disrupt any sense of order and "create" - with any and every possible thing in this house.

Anyway... there's the update on the household chaos front.  As far as the whirlwind of life (that has sort of been like a windmill in a windstorm, but with a couple missing sails swirling erratically around - buh bump buh bump) we've been just holding on as best we can.  Pretty much the only consistency around here has been found in the girls' ballet and tap class each Saturday morning - which we're regularly late for, since there are 8 shoes and wandering leotards and tights involved.  Twice I've been the one who, in spite of getting out the door to be very close to on time, has forgotten the shoe bag entirely.  Once we had to make a stop at Target on the way, since I figured the time it would take to buy a new leotard would be less than to look for it.  But at least the girls really seem to enjoy their new-found artistic outlet and I enjoy watching them "practice" at home.

I can't mention the erratic windmill without mentioning that our elation (disillusion?) at the prospect of Adam working semi-decent hours at his new job lasted for, oh, about two weeks.  M&T just had to up and buy a couple banks which has turned this new job (in my opinion as the sick pregnant wife) into a worse (meaning time-consuming) situation than the last.  And so, some nights we eat Top Ramen in the bath. (Ok. It was just one night. I promise.)

Turns out that when one feels gross, one tends not to focus on spreading joy.  Or maybe that's just me - and now you might understand why I've held off writing for as long as I have.  I'll do my best to pep up and recall happier events from the last near-quarter of the year in more posts, but felt it was high time to at least make some record of our life.  We're alive.  Barely at times, but alive.  And hoping you (whoever might read this anymore) are well and enjoying this Christmas season.  Until next time...

QFTD


Ellie, after we dropped Abby off at school: "Mom, I don't want to stay home with you today. I want to go to school."

Ellie, looking out the car window one evening: "I see piles of sky. Pink, blue and purple."

Ellie: "I don't want a princess ice pack. I want a fruit snack ice pack."

Abby, while coloring at the local library: "Mom, my head is telling me a story while I work." Me: "Oh yeah? Which one?" A: "The heffalump story. Shh! I can't hear it!"

Ellie, holding up a mesh dirty clothes hamper: "Mom, what is this?" "I's a dirty clothes hamper." E: "What does hamp mean? When do we get to go hamping?"

Abby, singing to Follow the Prophet while in the bath: "Enoch was a prophet, sixth one that we know. He lived in South America and helped the things to grow.  Ammon was a prophet, he lived in...Egypt.  He was very special, he taught the Holy Ghost. This is Samurai, tenth one that we know, he lived in..." Ellie: "Egypt?" Abby: "Mexico."

Abby: "Let's play 'whom the crazy do you think you are?'"

Abby: "It was very important for Nephi to go back to Jerusalem so he could get the Plates of Grass.  He had thaif in the Lord."

Abby, holding up a "10-minute workout" page in a Parenting magazine: "Look Mom! Here's something you could use!"  

Ellie: "Do you know what 'darn it' means?" Me: "No, what?"  Ellie: "It means our car is in the water."

Ellie:  "Mommy, I am so assumptive with you."  Me: "You're so what?"  E: "I am SO assumptive with you.  Assump means disappointed.  And I am assumptive with you."

Ellie, gasping with delight at the first word she read on her own: "N-O! That spells No!  I spelled it!"

Ellie, feeding me her pretend soup: "I made it with smashed potatoes, and with watermelon, and it has beef and candy!  And... spunch!"

Abby: "Mom, on Saturday night, Lisa and I are going to have a Release Siety Ball.  And Ellie has to stay in the toy room because we'll have very dangerous equipment."  Ellie: "No! I don't like your recision!"

Abby: "Mom, I'm making this necklace for you for you to wear when you get married again." Me: "Oh? When am I going to get married again?" Abby: "When you're old.  Sometimes old people get married again.  And Mom? Can you not make your head hang down when you're old?"