A Visit From The Tooth Fairy!!!

We all slept late this morning ( something that rarely happens in our house!). When Big A finally woke up, she quickly checked under her pillow to see if the Tooth Fairy had come. She let out an excited squeal " the Tooth Fairy came, and she took my tooth and brought me a Tooth Fairy doll and a dollar!" I came to inspect the surprise-- I told her that actually that was a Five Dollar bill! She was impressed at being so "rich". I told her that the Tooth Fairy always brings more money for the first tooth because it is special. From now on she will probably get a dollar for each tooth.

Back when I was a kid, I got a dollar for the first tooth, and a quarter after that. Inflation has really changed things!!

Here are some pictures of Big A with her gifts...

Big A Shows Off The Loot!

Five Dollars!!

Now Big A is busy decorating her little tooth fairy doll-- she has added a purple feather to her hair, as well as a crown! She tells me she will be a fashion designer when she grows up. I'm still hoping for medical school!

Big A Loses Her First Tooth!!

Tonight Big A was so proud-- She lost her first tooth!!! She had been playing with it all day. She kept reporting to me that it was "hanging by a little string from my gums". When we got home from shopping this evening, she came into the kitchen saying that she thought part of her tooth fell out. She held out the tooth in her hand, and I said that that was indeed her whole tooth. She said that it looked so small that she thought it was just a piece of the tooth. Then she ran to the mirror to look at the hole in her smile. We called Nana, Theresa, and Erika to report the big news. She was so excited about the tooth fairy coming that she turned down a second bedtime story. She was in a big hurry to get to sleep! Little A's take on the missing tooth was to say "ooh, 'mela's tooth boken!"

Well, now I better go see if I can help the Tooth Fairy-- before I get too tired!!!

Big A Shows Off Her Missing Tooth

Wiggling Teeth...

Today Big A was at work with me (she is out of school for Christmas break- and has been having to go to work with me this week), and she bit into a cookie and complained that her tooth hurt. I briefly looked at it and it looked fine, so I continued on with my work. Tonight, while eating dinner, she complained that her tooth was hurting again. I took a closer look at the tooth in question and discovered that it was loose!!! Big A has her first loose tooth!! And she is not even 5 yet! I kind of thought that she might be losing teeth early because she is already cutting her 6 year molars, but I didn't expect it before she turned 5. Well, she will be 5 years old in a little over a week, so the tooth may not actually fall out until she is 5. I am so proud and a little sad--my little girl is growing up!

News Flash--I just checked her teeth again ( I took a break from writing to get the girls to bed), and Big A actually has TWO loose teeth! The left lower incisor is much more loose that the right lower incisor, but both are definitely wiggling.

Some people would think that it is pathetic that I would write about loose teeth, but these are the exciting moments in our house.

Christmas 2007

Christmas was a success. Santa was up until about 2:30 am on Christmas Eve putting out all the presents. Although there were not of complicated toys to put together this year, he got a late start because Little A kept waking up and getting out of bed. Big A wasn't feeling well on Christmas Eve--still throwing up, so she slept though the night, thankfully. Santa is always very paranoid about getting caught-- the girls' room is right next to the living room, and the house is very small--so any noise may wake them up. But, everything came together without a problem.

On Christmas morning Little A was the first one up, as usual. She was VERY excited-- it took a little work to get Big A up--still not feeling great. Both girls were very excited with their gifts-- they got everything that they had asked from Santa. Their lists were pretty simple this year-- thank goodness. Big A wanted a Baby Bratz Princess, Toobers and Zots, and Rocket Balloons. Little A just asked for Dora Mermaid. Of course, they go a lot more than that--I didn't go as overboard this year as I have in the past though.

The Tree On Christmas Morning

Little A in Front of Her Gifts

The Girls Playing

My Christmas Gift From The Girls

The girls gave me a very pretty figurine. The little girls look just like my girls-- one with blond hair, one with brown, and both have blue eyes--perfect. The younger girl is holding a Christmas list--and on the list one of the requests from Santa is a "bruther". I thought that was ironic, because, after all, we are asking for a brother from Russia! Very coincidental! Theresa and the girls bought it for me while we were in the mountains last month. I thought it was very sweet! Thank you Theresa! Thank you Girls!

Later, we had " a Christmas Feast!" Big A finally got her appetite back. She didn't eat breakfast or lunch, but she made up for it at dinner. We were all stuffed. After dinner we watched Shrek the Third-- a gift to Big A from Theresa. It was a very cute movie. All in all Christmas was pretty peaceful.

"The Chrismas Feast"

Resting in New Pajamas

Christmas Night--earlier the floor was covered in toys

I Spoke Too Soon....

Well, last night I spoke too soon... As soon as I finished blogging last night, out of her room comes Big A, complaining that her stomach hurt. A few moments later, she proceeded to vomit, and she continued to vomit throughout the night! Poor girl, she was really suffering, and so was I. So we sat up together the entire night-- me cleaning the "vomit tub", and Big A providing the mess to clean. Unfortunately, she got the worse end of the deal. She still feels pretty rotten, but now she is sound asleep, hopefully for the entire night. I had to drag the girls out to do some errands today--grocery store, etc. Poor Big A just slept in the buggy for most of the errands--she is way too big for the bottom of the cart, but she managed to curl up and use her jacket as a pillow while we were in Walmart--I just piled the items that I was buying on top of her, she didn't seem to mind. Little A was back to her normal, "BUSY" self today. I think that she was bored and frustrated because her sister was sick and didn't feel like playing with her.

Hopefully, everyone will feel better tomorrow. I need to take the girls to get their picture taken with Santa-- I'm cutting it close as tomorrow is Christmas Eve!!! Ooh, I better go to bed-- I've got a busy day tomorrow!!!

This Week's Adventures...

It has been a LONG week... I haven't had the energy, or time, to write this week because I was cleaning up vomit-- over and over again. Poor Little A had a stomach virus this week... She is feeling better now, but still has no appetite. So far Big A and I have avoided getting the virus--hopefully there won't be any more vomiting in the house for a while...

Last Saturday, the girls and I went up to Greenville to visit my brother and his family for the day. The girls had a great time playing with their cousins. Here are some pictures from out day in Greenville.

Nana and Little A

The Cousins....

It is very hard to get them to sit still

Sort of like herding cats!

Little A got sick on Tuesday night--so I spent all day Wednesday and Thursday taking care of her and doing load after load of laundry... it is amazing how much laundry a 2 year old can go through when she is vomiting profusely... It just so happened that my Mom was coming down on Thursday to go to Big A's school Christmas party, so, in between cleaning up the vomit, I was also trying to finish cleaning the house-- you know how it is when your parents come to visit. My Mom stayed until this afternoon. The girls really love seeing their Nana. Little A cried when it was time to say goodbye. Later when I was talking on the phone to someone, Little A leaned over and asked hopefully "That Nana?" All evening she kept asking, "Nana go home?" I said that yes Nana had to go home, but she will come back soon.

Tonight I read the books that Nana brought the girls for Christmas (beautiful pop up books)-- they were exhausted-- they both went to sleep as soon as the lights were off... Peace at last. Maybe tomorrow I can sleep in--wishful thinking, I'm sure.

Our New Fireplace!!

Thursday evening, the girls and I came home to find that the fireplace I ordered was waiting for us on the front porch! I know it sounds corny, but I have always wanted a fireplace. Unfortunately, my house does not have one--not that we really need one down here in Atlanta... I have been thinking about ordering a gel fuel fireplace for the last 3 years--but have never done it because it is not a necessity. This year I finally ordered it--partly because it was on sale (a clearance item), and also because I tend to spend money when I am depressed ( a result of frustration over my adoption). So...even though I don't really have the extra money to spend on a frivolous item, I bought it--I guess I just won't pay some bills this month! :) I stayed up late putting it together on Thursday night. The only problem is that I can't really rearrange the furniture to accommodate the fireplace until after Christmas-- the tree is in the way. So, I temporarily pushed the TV over and placed the fireplace next to it. That will have to do until after the Holiday season. Below is a picture of our new fireplace.... At least now we have a place to hang the stockings!

The Tiffany Fireplace

(the Tiffany glass window also lights up from behind)

Yesterday I worked down in Locust Grove. Unfortunately, it was a rather slow day at the hospital--I guess everyone is still getting ready for Christmas instead of taking their pets to the vet. The clinic did not have Internet--the hospital cat vomited on the dsl modem and fried it! So, the day seemed extremely long!

Last night the girls and I lit our new fireplace and laid on blankets and pillows on the floor in front of it. We watched "How The Grinch Stole Christmas"--the Jim Carey version, in front of a crackling fire!! Very cozy! Later, we all fell asleep on the floor!! I woke up at about 1:00 am and put the girls to bed!

Now I must get up off this couch and get ready to drive up to Greenville to see my nephews... The girls are excited. We are only going for the day so I am trying to get an early start. We'll see how that works out!

Getting Ready For The Holidays...

Well, I've been slack about writing again. This week has just been too busy-- I have been trying to get things ready for the Holidays, and work has been pretty busy as well. Too much to do and not enough time! Last weekend I finally got the tree decorated and the lights put on the house-- it has been very warm here this week-- I was working in the yard in shorts! Sunday I had Big A out helping me clear the leaves (again!) and pulling weeds. She, of course, complained that her hands would get dirty, so she needed gloves. I told her that that is why they have soap and water!


The girls got a Christmas surprise from Nana on Saturday. They each got two Christmas ornaments, a Christmas cup, and a book to share. Below is a picture of them displaying their ornaments.

Two Excited Sisters

A Surprise From Nana!

This week I have been trying to get the house in some type of order. Sometimes it seems that the more I clean, the messier the house gets. While I am cleaning one room, the girls will be in another room destroying it!! It seems like a never ending battle sometimes. My goal is to get everything nice, clean and organized for the Holidays. I would like everything neat and dust free for Christmas-- just in time for the girls to destroy the house with toys and gift wrap!

Theresa moved back to Miami over the weekend. She was there one day when she called to say how much she hates it down there! :) I think she is going to try to talk her Mom into moving up to Georgia. We will see how that goes... Unfortunately, she will not be here for Christmas or Big A's birthday.

I have also had a bit of bad luck this week with one of my dogs. Clifford (my Chihuahua/corgi mix) woke up Saturday morning without the ability to walk on his hind legs. Somehow he had managed to blow a disc in his back. I was really worried that he would require surgery, but the steroids I have been giving him this week have really helped. He is able to walk much better now-- he's only slightly ataxic now. So hopefully with strict cage rest for 4-6weeks we can avoid surgery. The bad thing is that he is only 3 years old, so recurrence is very likely--surgery may still be in his future. Poor little guy has not had the best luck medically-- I got him when he as 4 months old and he had a chicken "wishbone" stuck in his esophagus. His owner could not afford endoscopy to remove it and was going to have to put him to sleep. So.. I had her sign him over to me and removed it myself. That is how little "Clifford" came to be an Osborne...

Below are some pictures of our Christmas decorations. The pictures did not come out well at all. The house actually looks pretty--although, possibly a bit tacky. But the girls love it, and that is all that counts! Big A helped me decorate the tree-- some of Theresa's OCD may have worn off on her, because she wanted to organize parts of the tree by theme. For instance, she wanted to group all of the icicle ornaments together -- in the "icicle section", etc. I tried to explain that the tree would look better if the ornaments were dispersed throughout the tree--she wasn't convinced. We compromised-- there is still an icicle section, but she allowed me to spread the Santa ornaments and nutcracker ornaments out on the tree.

Our Christmas Tree
(Note the Drawing that Big A made for Santa and hung on the tree!)

"Pingoo" and "Frosty"

Christmas Lights

(The picture does not do it justice at all)

"Ho Ho Ho, Merry Chrismas!"

The Little Purple Tree

Last night the girls decorated their little Christmas tree in the playroom. They were so excited. Big A decided that she should put on all the breakable ornaments, and Little A would be allowed to place the wooden and plastic ornaments on the tree. (Yes, I am a bad Mom, they do have little glass balls on their tree-- I figure that if they break them and get cut, they will be more careful next time.) Little A especially liked the little Dora The Explorer ornaments that we got at Target--she put them along the bottom branches--she was very meticulous about the placement of them. So serious. Both girls worked very hard on the tree. When it was finished, they turned off the playroom light and sat in front of the tree oohing and aahing. They did a great job on their tree--now if only I could get mine finished!!!

Two Sisters Decorating

The Finished Product

Little Purple Tree With The Lights Off

(Little A said "Ooh, Petty!")

Broken Lights

Not much going on the last few days. Yesterday I worked at a spay/neuter clinic and performed 27 surgeries--so today my back is killing me. I don't know why I do that to myself. Must be the check they give me. :)

I picked the girls up at school at 3pm and had every intention of finishing up the Christmas decorating. But, I ran into some problems with the lights which required a visit to Walmart to get more. That place is always crazy. I try not to go there often. It is so unorganized. Big A pointed out that they "put too much stuff around, so there is no room for carts." She's right-- the middle of the isles are always so packed that you can barely get your cart through. Of course our quick trip to the store took much longer than expected--after all, we had to browse through all of the toy isles and examine each ornament in the Christmas section.

When we got home, it was dark--so I started trying to get the tree situated while the girls ate dinner. Little A has been asking for "fench fies, chicken nuets, an chocate miwk" every night lately. It is funny, because she doesn't even like chocolate milk very much-- usually her sister ends up finishing it off for her. Then the girls got to stay up late again to watch "Santa Claus is Coming to Town".

Hopefully tonight I can get everything finished-- I love it when it's done, but I hate putting the decorations up.

Tuesday Tree Shopping

The girls are watching "Rudolph" on tv. Hopefully they will get up without any issues in the morning. I can tell that Little A is tired-- she is hitting her sister and trying to pull her hair-she always gets a little violent when she's tired.

Today, I finally got a Christmas tree-- I intended to decorate it tonight, but by the time we got home with the tree, it was already dinner time, and now it's bedtime. The girls would be extremely disappointed if they don't get to help decorate. I hope to finish work early tomorrow, so I can pick them up and finally decorate the house. I usually am one of the first people on the street to decorate-- not this year. Then again, I am always the last one on the street to take down my decorations. I definitely will be this year, because I am planning to keep them up until the Russian Christmas ( Russia celebrates Christmas Eve on January 6th). Big A likes that because they celebrate Christmas Day on her birthday--Jan. 7th.

I haven't written much about the adoption lately because there hasn't been any good news to tell. A few more US adoption agencies got their re accreditation last week, but my agency was not one of them! Yesterday I was very depressed about it, but I think I am better today. I keep thinking of giving up, but then I think of "D". How can I possibly leave him there in Russia- with no future, no family. I have to keep going... I have to believe that it will eventually happen, for his sake. Actually, I guess there is some good news on the adoption front... Theresa finally got her travel document, so now if/when I ever do get to travel to Russia, the girls can go along with me. Theresa can now go along to help.

The Polar Express!!!

We're back from our weekend in the mountains. The girls got to skip school on Friday so that we could head up to the North Carolina Mountains to ride The Polar Express. I got up early to pack-- that was supposed to happen Thursday night, but as usual it didn't. We ended up leaving a little later than planned, but we still made it in time to go up to the cabin to unwind before the train ride. Fortunately, I dosed the girls with Dramamine before we left, so no one got sick--last year the 3 hour drive took 5, because Little A vomited the entire drive through the mountains.

The cabin where we stayed is in a group of cabins called "Hidden Hills"-- our cabin was called "Hummingbird Hill". Here is the web link: http://www.carolinamountainvacations.com/cath.asp
It is very cozy little cabin nestled high on a mountain side. The drive to get up to the cabin is a little scary, but it is worth it. Unfortunately the cabin is VERY small-- it was a very tight fit for the nine of us. Next year we will have to get a bigger cabin for sure. But, it is a very peaceful place-- guests are greeted by a big old yellow lab named "Bogart". In the morning you can sit on the porch and hear roosters in the distance, and at night you here all sorts of spooky "wild animal" sounds. It would have been very restful and peaceful if thee weren't 6 kids running around all over the place! :)

After we washed up and stretched our legs, we all made the trek down the mountain to Bryson City to ride the train. We ate a quick bite of Pizza next to the train station before boarding. Then we were off to ride the "Polar Express". The girls had a good time. Little A was VERY excited. Big A was more subdued-- I think she was trying to act more like the teenagers. ( last night she told me she was too old to get excited about Santa Claus! I couldn't believe it she's only 4 years old!!! I told her that she needed to remember that Santa Claus only visits children who are excited about Christmas and truly believe in him. I told her that the reason Santa does not come see teenagers is because they have the attitude they are too old for Santa. I told her that she better enjoy being a child while she can--it may seem like being a "grown up" is a great thing, but when she grows up she will miss her childhood. I reminded her that Santa Claus knows everything about her-- he can tell if she truly believes in the spirit of Christmas--if she doesn't, he may not come. I hope that works. Kids try to grow up too fast these days... I do not like it.)

The train ride is pretty cool. On the way to the "North Pole" the waiters (dressed like in the movie) serve hot chocolate and chocolate covered marshmallow Santas. They read the Polar Express book to all the children while they eat their treats. Then the train pulls into the "North Pole" to pick up Santa Claus. All the houses are decorated with beautiful lights. I heard Big A telling Little A that they were gingerbread houses with glowing candy decorations--I hope she really believed that. (Last year Big A asked me why there was no snow if it was the North Pole--that kid thinks too much!) On they way back everyone sings Christmas Carols while waiting on Santa to visit each car. When he got to our car, Little A jumped up and down and kept saying "Gora Mermaid!" (Just trying to remind Santa that she wants the Dora Mermaid doll!) Santa signed all the children's Polar Express books, and spoke to each child-- he also gave each child a little jingle bell. After Santa left our car-- the waiters lead us all in singing more Christmas Carols-- very badly, I might add. The entire trip takes about 1 1/2 hours. I think the girls had a pretty good time, I did, too.

The Polar Express

Little A and Big A Enjoying The Ride

Erika And Her Little Ones

Cam and Chrissy Hamming It Up

(Erika's Teenagers!--we are so old!)

Big A Posing




Little A Trying To Hide From The Camera

Got Her!!

Big A and Theresa Singing

Santa Claus Signing Big A's Book

Shopping The Next Day

We all went shopping at Cherokee on Saturday morning. Then we watched the Bryson City Christmas parade in the afternoon. It was a very long and tiring day, but all in all pretty fun. Saturday night we cooked out and hung around the cabin... All in all a good weekend-- although I can't say it was a restful one. It never is with kids! :)

Christmas Pictures!

Boy, I have been really slack about writing for the past few days. Well, actually, I started writing a blog a few days ago, but when I reread it, I decided that it was way too much of a downer-- so I didn't post it. I think that I am finally getting in more of a Holiday mood now. Hopefully this weekend will get things back on track. Tomorrow, I am taking the girls to Bryson City to ride the "Polar Express". We are meeting my friend Erika and her family up there-- so the kids should have a great time. The little cabin where we are staying is very cute and kids had a great time there last year. Hopefully the weather will be nice. I am really hoping this trip will get me in more of a Christmas Spirit. I still haven't started to decorate yet-- but I plan to when we get back in town.

The girl's Christmas picture proofs were emailed to me -- so I thought I would post them here. They turned out pretty good-- considering that Little A does not like to sit still for photographs.

The Gingerbread House...

Yesterday was pretty busy. After I got over my morning bad mood, the girls and I made the Gingerbread House. I put it together, and the two girls did all of the decorating themselves. They did a very impressive job! Little A decorated the roof-- then got bored and started eating the candy. Big A decorated all the sides and added to Little A's roof design. It turned out pretty cute, I think.

The Girl's Gingerbread Creation

Later, I went out to do some Christmas shopping. Theresa watched the girls while I shopped. It is much easier to shop alone-- especially for presents. Big A is always inspecting the cart, so it is very hard keep gifts hidden from her. The stores were not as packed as I expected. I guess most people got all their shopping done the day after Thanksgiving. I got a few things at The Schoolbox--educational games, of course. That store is pretty neat, but can be expensive. I have to say the people who home school must spend a fortune on supplies. Of course, Big A has a few Bratz dolls on her list-- as well as a microscope and chemistry set! Talk about varied interests! Little A is the one that is hard to shop for-- when you ask her what she wants for Christmas all she says is " Gora Memaid!" (translation- the Dora Mermaid doll). A lot of the gifts they are getting, I ordered from catalogs, so that helps. There is a great catalog, with toys I just love-- unfortunately, I can' t afford any of them. Here is the website http://www.magiccabin.com/

It has really cool toys-- Waldorf inspired. Pretty neat stuff.

Later, Theresa, the girls and I went to the Mall to shop around. As I have said before, I hate Malls, so I didn't have much fun, but the girls got a kick out of it. Too many people in a confined space for me!

Today has been very laid back-- too laid back. I have been bored out of my mind all day. I got the girls dressed for a walk earlier, but as soon as we started, it began to pour rain! So much for that! So, we have been couped up in the house all day. At least I got a nap in! :)

Just Rambling...

I have to admit, I did not wake up in the best mood today. I have no reason to be grouchy but I am. Ever have one of those mornings where everything and everyone just gets on your nerves? That is the way I feel today. The girls woke me up by pouncing on me, screaming and shrieking at the tops of their lungs. They are both being VERY hyper this morning-- chasing the cats, dragging blankets throughout the house, nagging me to make the gingerbread house... I just want to sit here and quietly have a cup of coffee. I must be PMSing. I want to get myself in a better mood, so I will try to "write it out".

A few irritating things happened this week that have contributed to my bad mood. On Wednesday, while I was having the girls' Christmas pictures made, some Asshole hit my van in the parking lot. Of course they did not leave a note-- they just left a large dent in the hatch door and a smashed up fender. The van is only 1 year old! My uninsured motorist coverage will cover the repairs after a $250.00 deductible. That is $ 250.00 that I could have used for bills or Christmas presents. I guess those Christmas portraits of the girls turned out to be more expensive than expected.

On Thursday night, my brother called me to wish me a Happy Thanksgiving. That was a nice thought. He wanted to know what my plans for Christmas were. I haven't really thought about my plans for Christmas. I never travel on Christmas day. I think the girls should have the whole day to enjoy their presents. It is just too stressful to get up, open presents, get dressed and go to someone else's house. I like my holidays to be restful. I guess I will have to make the trip up to Greenville one weekend before Christmas. We'll see.

I did get some (sort of) good news this week. My adoption agency has received all of the signatures that they were waiting on from the various ministries in Russia and have confirmed that the Ministry of Education has received all of the required paperwork. They say they expect Re accreditation any day-- funny, I have heard that one before. But I am going to try to be optimistic about it. The adoption agency also sent me an email asking me to redo some of my dossier documents, so that I will be ready to travel. I REALLY hope that I get to go on my first trip in December! If I don't get to go by the end of the year, I won't get to travel until February because everything shuts down in January-- that is the Russian holiday season. Anyway keep your fingers crossed.

Our Thanksgiving Day

Happy Thanksgiving! Yeah, I know I'm a day late, but it's the thought that counts. I was worn out last night, so I couldn't bring myself to write about the day's events. All in all, it was a quiet Thanksgiving for us. We stayed home and had our "Big Feast" (as Big A calls it). I actually cooked the entire thing-- that is a feat in itself, because I am not the best chef. It turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. Of course, I did not cook a turkey-- I don't eat meat (other than seafood), and the girls' idea of turkey is deli sliced. So that is exactly what they got-- deli sliced turkey! And it was a big hit! I made -- broccoli casserole, green bean casserole, stuffing, mashed potatoes, sweet potato souffle ( I have to admit, I bought that already prepared), cranberry sauce, honey pecan crusted salmon (for me), dinner rolls, apple pie (frozen), pumpkin pie (also frozen). The frozen pies took forever to bake, but were actually very good. Any way, after a couple of hours cooking, the girls wolfed their food down in about 10 minutes. And that was that.

I have to say though, that it was nice just to be able to stay home. No traffic, no stressful family gatherings, just a peaceful meal and a relaxing afternoon. That is something to be thankful for!

The Flowers Nana Brought

The Girls Eating Their "Feast"

Adventures of a Housecall Vet

Yesterday was not a good day to be a vet. It seemed like every thing went wrong with work. First, I had to deal with a disgruntled client, then I drove all the way out to Alpharetta to vaccinate some cats, only to find that the client was not at home! I should have known-- I always call to confirm my appointments before I leave, but this client never called me back. Against my better judgement, I went out there anyway. My mistake. From now on, if I don't get a call back, I am just not going to go. Gas is too expensive these days. Thankfully, today has been a better day. Traffic was very light today, so I actually arrived at my first appointment early for a change. Maybe I shouldn't have said that today has been better. The day is not over, and I may have just jinxed myself.

Hopefully, I can get done with my appointments relatively early, so I can take Big A for a haircut. Her hair is SO long-- she needs a trim desperately. I made an appointment for the girls to get their Christmas portraits tomorrow afternoon, so it has got to be cut today! I wanted to get the portraits done early this year, but that didn't happen, obviously. I had very hard time finding a dress for Big A this year.

I am just home to grab a quick bite to eat, then it is back to work... Later.

Nana's Visit And The Earring Disaster

So, far it has been a pretty good weekend. Friday, the girls had a Thanksgiving dinner at school. Unfortunately, I was not able to attend because of work. Normally, I would have taken the day off to go, but this year business has been slow-- partly because of the economy, and partly because I initially kept my schedule light-- thinking I would be traveling to Russia. My Mom came down though to go to the dinner with them. She first had lunch with Little A-- she was surprised that Little A came up and hugged her when she got there. She said she thought that Little A wouldn't know who she was-- I have always showed Little A pictures of her and talk about her all the time-- it is just a shame that she doesn't come to visit the girls more often-- I think I've made the effort to get her to come visit more-- she just chooses not to, I guess. After lunch with Little A, my Mom went over to Big A's classroom to eat with her. I had arranged for Big A to leave school early, so the two of them went shopping at a nearby mall while Little A took her nap at school. Big A said that they had a good time. I think it was good that they had some alone time together. Big A really loves her Nana, and it really breaks her heart that she doesn't get to see her much. Big A is always asking why Nana doesn't come to see her. She tells me that she wishes Nana wasn't mad at me, so she would come more. I wish she would come more also, but I can't do anything about that. I have tried to get her to visit and stay more than one night at a time, but she obivously doesn't feel comfortable being around me-- therefore my kids suffer. It is a shame.

When I got home from work, we orderd Chinese food and just hung out. I let the girls stay up late so they could spend more time with Nana. Theresa also came over to spend the weekend-- so the house was pretty full. Saturday my Mom took me and the girls to brunch at The Cracker Barrel before she left. Then we rushed to get to a birthday party for one of Big A's classmates. It was at a nearby park. The girls had a great time, although there were a couple of stressful moments-- one of Big A's earrings fell out at the park, and I could not get it back in, and Little A had a few fits because she had missed her nap. But all in all, it was a fun party. Below is a picture of the girls with one of the prizes from their goodie bags.

The Two Marx Sisters

The real drama/trauma occured after the party, when I tried to get that Damn earring back into Big A's ear. It was the same earring that had fallen out a few days before, only this time, I could not seem to get it back through the hole. Finally, after a lot of ice, antiseptic, and SCREAMING from Big A, I got it back in. I'm not who was more traumatized me or Big A. Now I am very worried that her ear will get infected. I hope that this does not happen again-- I don't thin I can take it. I basically had to repierce the back of her ear, because the earring would only go through halfway- finally I just pushed REALLY hard, and earring went through! I made me nausious, but it had to be done. Hopefully her ear won't fall off. She says it doesn't hurt now, so I think that is a good sign.

Now I must go blow the millions of leaves that have covered my front yard!