Backdated August-ish 2013... Preschool Bully

Last night I was in Ella's room getting her ready for bed.  Annie came in and sat in the rocker.  She asked me if she had to go to school tomorrow.  I told her yes, you go to school on Fridays, but then after that no school on the weekend.  She burst into tears and says she doesn't want to go to school.  School scares her and makes her sad.

I was super concerned because she has never said something like this before.  I asked her why school made her scared and sad.  She tells me that this boy was calling her names and called her a baby.  And she said another boy was chasing her and pulled on her dress.  YALL... this broke my heart.

Anthony heard the commotion and came up right as Annie is telling me this.  He got down on the floor and scooped her in his arms.  She just sat there and cried in his chest while he held her tight.  Of course I am clueless as to what to say next.  I just sit there holding Ella feeling helpless and just keep saying "it's ok, it's ok".  ((Yes, the #1 thing you aren't supposed to say.  Because it's not OK!))

So Anthony being the freakin' awesomest dad in the whole world starts asking Annie, "Well, does he know that you are a big girl?  And you help Mommy and Daddy with Ella?  Does he know that you feed the puppies every night?  And you pick up your dishes after dinner?  And that you are the best big sister in the whole world?"
She says, "Nooo...". .. and he replies, "Well... He doesn't know you at all then!"

Anthony and I hovered over her the rest of the evening.  Just loving on her.  When we had a chance to talk alone I told him I was going to go kick that little punk's ass.  He reminded me that they are only 3 years old....

The Worm

This poor blog.  

So neglected.  It makes me so sad, because some many good things could be written down if I took the time and did it.

The Worm.

Yesterday I got off of work a little early and had the pleasure of picking my girls up from school.  The pure joy of picking them up after a long day is the best.  Like you can't get to the school fast enough.  You are feeling a little giddy when you walk in their room.  Scan the room and see them  - and they see you.  They come running into your arms.   "MOMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!"  So so so sweet.  That is what Annie does.  

Ella sees me walk in and in her excitement starts showing off.  If she is on the push car she starts zooming really fast around the tables.  If she is on the mats she attempts back flips and rolls.  Like this is her little farewell party.  Then she proceeds to yell "BYE" to every teacher/admin/mom she passes in the halls.  

Anyway, when I get Annie, she gives me a little plastic jello shot cup  - with a worm in it.  The teacher quietly says to me "we played with worms during science today..." and adds "sorry..." when I assume I have this look of "why would you do this to me?" on my face.  Luckily the cup has a lid.  Annie easily can open said lid.  And does before we make it to Ella's room.  "Annie keep the lid on, please."  ((a worm, really? i mean, cute for science, don't send it home.)) We get Ella, we get in the car.  We get a big pep-talk about how the lid stays on while we are in the car because worms like dirt and not minivans.  We get home, unload and get ready for beans.  Worms gets left in minivan.  Overnight.

This morning I open up the van and immediately notice a slight odor.... 

The poor worm didn't survive.  As the girls are loading into the car I "discreetly" take the worm cup and go toss it into the trash can.  I go help Annie buckle up, and she says "Mom! Why did you throw my worm in the trash?"  Oh nooo... So much for discreet.  I had nothing.  Just a blank stare.  So I say "Well, Annie, it was really hot car last night... and ... the worm...."  She interrupts me to say.  "Did you know worms LOVE to eat trash? He is going to LOVE it in the trash today!  People don't eat trash, that's gross." 

So there you go. Saved from a dead pet talk because worms love trash.  

          

Polar Vortex - If you go outside you might die - Snow Day

We had a snow day yesterday. Which was really a few flurries of snow and about an hour of sleet and ice. Schools were closed and we got to enjoy a day home with the girls.

I am totally smitten with my kids. Duh, right? But sometimes I think I love them so much my heart is going to explode.
However, I could not do this everyday. Every room of my house looked like a tornado had passed through. After picking up toys, just to go back five minutes later and every toy out again, I stopped. How do  you keep your house picked up with kiddos running around? Also, I seemed to forget how to get myself together while being home all day. At 2pm I realized that I hadn't brushed my teeth or hair and hadn't put on deodorant. I was a hot train-wreck mess and see why Kaley is all about dry shampoo. Ain't nobody got time for showers.
Annie could be a used car salesman with the wheeling and dealing this girl does for treats. She was making deals with me to get candy all day. Like "Mommy, if I do this, this and then eat my lunch, I can have 6 skittles?" I'm thinking.. "throw in changing Ella's diaper and you gotta deal.."
Ella is at my favorite age right now. She grew some teeth and turned into a toddler. I'm like a broken record again but it amazes me when babies turn into toddlers. Like from just sitting and smiling to talking, following directions and knowing animal sounds. She is so snuggle-y and funny and talkative. I just want to freeze this age. It is so cute and sweet to watch.

OMG the sweetest thing. You know how I rarely rarely read books to Ella at night. (HORRID to say out loud, I know. poor second child) Well she has a new found love of books and wants me to read her "boos" (all of her words sound the exact same, btw). Monday night Annie wanted to come help me get Ella ready for bed and we sat in Ella's rocker and we read books together. My two girls on my lap, just listening to me read. It was the most perfect 6 minutes of heaven, sweet Jesus never let me forget this moment, blissfulness, fill in the blank with every real good feeling you could have. I walked downstairs wild-eyed and giggly and told Anthony every detail of those 6 minutes.  He was jealous.

I have baby fever writing this. Why do we get these crazy thoughts?  It is so much work to take care of the these precious humans.  But so joyful too.  I like writing down all of the greatest parts of the day.  

And that is my snow day story.

bittersweet

holy shit.  happy birthday to Annie.  I have a four year old.  y'all. it is bittersweet.

we had such an amazing day.  best day.  disney show.  ice cream with friends.  sleepover with sissy.  hopefully a day Annie will remember and cherish.

but more importantly a day for me.  happy BIRTH day to me.  my very first birth.  good grief i've made it this far.  through the triumphs and tantrums.  Through the threenager year..... i have made it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we made it. happy birthday to my sweet first born Anne Elizabeth Bruno.  For teaching me the way... I am forever grateful and in complete awe of you.

you will always be my little girl.  I love you tootie, to the moon.

Morning Disaster

Yesterday morning was a disaster. A true test of patience.

It all started when I wrote Ella's name on her bottle bag because we were in a hurry. This is typically Annie's job in the morning. Bottles go in a labeled Ziploc bag for daycare. And Annie writes Ella's name on the Ziploc for me every day. Well not thinking, I just quickly wrote Ella's name. Annie wanted to do it. She got upset and I told her she could write it tomorrow. Yall, I thought that was done, and moving on. No. From there she refused to get dressed, running into other rooms as I tried to "catch" her. Yes, she wanted me to chase her. And I almost did. But thought better of it.
This was happening at 6:50am in my kitchen. Ella was crying because Annie was crying. ((And because I have created a baby monster who can't be put down for more than 5 seconds.)) The hilarious thing is this all came about because I was "in a hurry". And the shenanigans took up more time than if I would have just let Annie write the damn name on the bag in the first place. Good ole hindsight. Everytime.

So what did I do?
I packed Annie's clothes and just moved the party to the van. Annie in her nightgown and Ella in clothes (thank god she isn't big enough to fight me on that). The drive to school was very calm. I thought… Ok, I did the right thing. Remove everyone from the situation. We are good. Let's get to school and change really quick. I won't even remember this going down on the way to work.
Haaaaaaaaaaaaaa. Nope. Not so fast, supermom.

We pull up to school and I tell Annie it's time to change. That is when a demon came and possessed my child. Right there in the Primrose parking lot. As I opened her van door she screamed “NOOOOO!”, cried and threw herself to the floor. I managed to pull off her nightgown before she leaped over the center console and into driver's seat, out of my reach. Crying and screaming in her panties where the whole school and city of spring, tx could see and hear her.

Did I mention that we are family of the month at primrose? Yes, picture on the bulletin board and all. We are setting a perfect example aren't we...

What can you do? Parents were looking at the van while they were bringing their sweet, quiet, well behaved children into school. Probably wondering what the hell my naked kid is doing in the driver’s seat screaming at the top of her lungs.

I had two thoughts.. Bring Annie into school naked and embarrass her into getting dressed. Or leave her in the car.
Clearly, I couldn't do option 1. So I casually tell Annie that she needs to calm down. And she can sit in the car by herself while I bring Ella to her class. I close her door, go over to Ella's side, get Ella out and as I'm about to close Ella's door, Annie has a change of heart. "I want to get dressed", she says.
Hmmmm. ((thank god! I was sooo nervous because I literally had nothing else to go with)) So she gets dressed in an adorable blue polka dot dress with pink tights and gold shoes. Walks into school calmly. She got a compliment from her teacher on her outfit and she acted like oh yes, I picked this out myself and was so happy to put it on this morning.

Yalllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll. I asked Starbucks if they could add Bailey's to my coffee. Kidding, but I seriously needed it.

Ella Bs - 9 months

18 lbs, 26 inches of sweet baby girl!

Loves: Annie, Standing, Puffs, dog bowls, balls, making loud noises and "dancing"
Hates: Not to be the center of attention. 

Ella is a really fun baby.  But, oh my, she is going to be trouble!  I can see it.  She is so nosy.  Wants to be into everything and notices everything.   

Remember how Annie has never touched my china cabinet (that is on the ground)... Trust me, Ella will be in it.  I can just see it in her eyes.  I can tell by the way she gets her mind set on something. TROUBLE, yall.  I swear she has a magnet for the dog's water bowl... bee line for it every time.  Even when I sneak and move it.
I've already caught her climbing up the stairs.  Already using distraction tactics.  She is keeping me on my toes and keeps me smiling all day long. 

She is such a little firecracker.  And we are totally obsessed with her!

  

July Catch Up!

Yall I was reading my old blog post.  I'm so happy I have that documentation of my life.  All the funny stories about Annie from age 1 - 2.  I need to start this again.  Who knows if I will, but I wish I would. 

So catching up on the last god knows how many months have passed since I've written something.  I have a 3.5 year old and a 9 month old.  And we are going through a really sweet spot right now.  Both girls are just happy and easy.  We still have bits of insanity and temper tantrums, of course.  But at this moment I can't relate to the mom blogs of "holding on to the edge of sanity by the your fingernails just trying to make it through the next second of the day".  Not that I don't get it.  I've been there. Sweet spot, yall.  It makes all the negatives seem so far away.  Sweet spot.

So what have these sweet girls been up to?  Road trips!  We,ve been to New Orleans 3 out of the 4 weekends of July.  The girls are professional travelers.  Annie (the tv-oholic) is perfectly content watching 6 hours of jake and the neverland pirates on the ipad.   I swear, not a peep out of her except to pee.  We pulled up at my parents house last Friday and I switched off the ipad.  And she blinked, looked around and said, "oh, we are here?"...

 

The first weekend trip to NOLA was for girls weekend.  Hart party.  Text message build-up for weeks.  As the weekend approached, I realized it might be better for everyone involved if I toted Ella along with me and have my mom pick her up for the weekend.  Mom gets alone time with Ella, Anthony gets alone time with Annie, I have alone time.  Win-win.  Except I was little bitter about the actual roadtrip part. Not quite the usual freedom ride with a crying baby in the back seat and pulling over so Jess could pump... but it worked. 

 The weekend itself was mellow... but I think that is reality.  We are old.  BUT, it was time away from my usual life, and I was grateful for it. Becky and Steeeeeeve were the all-star host/hostess.  I loved Steve’s house and being uptown.  Just a completely different experience then where we grew up.  Becky got us goody bags and matching monogrammed sunhats. She had champagne waiting for us when we got there with back that ass up playing on repeat. She served us pastries and lattes on the back porch Saturday morning. SHE DID IT RIGHT, yall.  Then Saturday night Steve took us to dinner and then to a cool bar, Cure. Mellow but good, see?

Then a weekend break, and SURPRISE! Annie and I drove back in (I had to go for work) to spend the evening with my mom for her birthday.  It was a glorious 36 hour trip.  Mom was totally surprised.  I can't remember the last time I got to spend that much alone time with Annie.  She was delightful. I'm not just saying that because she is mine. Well maybe I am.  Multiple times during the trip I would just peek back at her in the rear-view mirror and think "who is this adult child in my back seat and thank you for letting me take credit for her".

And to conclude the month, we drove right on back for Wyatt's birthday party.  The entire weekend was just wonderful.  I feel like I keep repeating myself.  Sorry, but it was.  We got in town and took the boat over to Phil's for dinner.  Fried bowtie pasta with creamy crab dip.  Fried artichoke hearts and fried shrimp platters.  With some fried beers too.  Delicious!

Catherine and Stacy of course went over the top with Wyatt's petting zoo birthday party.  I can't wait to see the pictures and hopefully write a guest post on TLC about it.  It might have been the cutest party to date (and I don't say that lightly).  I have never been to a backyard petting zoo before.  It was awesome.  And the kids LOVED it.  And I don't know what came over my shy/scared of everything daughter, but she just walked right in and picked up a chicken!  And just held it.  Like she owned it.  Like she does it everyday.  And then she decided, why not pick up the baby alligator and ride the turtle too. I asked Anthony multiple times why we don't own a farm.  Why don't we?  I could go to work, Anthony could tend to the farm with Annie.  Ella strapped to his back in the ergo.  It just makes sense.  We live in TEXAS for goodness sakes.  It just makes sense!

So that about wraps it up.  Sure I left out lots of glorious details.  Sure there were so many uncaptured instagram quality moments that just passed on by.  Now the plan is to pick up starting now.   K, see yall soon.