Home again, home again...

...jiggety, jig.

Thanks so much for the crayon soap, Auntie Jocelyn.  It makes the bath water a lovely shade of brown.

Bath for four?

I believe this started as a bath for Chandler, and then some volunteers decided to help.

I'm sure she was spic and span when she got out.

And then I got older...

...and Zoe and Frances helped me blow out the candles.

Forty-Six Weeks

Christmas - when Mark and I feel inadequate

Our Christmas in Arkansas was broken down into many, many rounds.

Thank goodness.  If we'd opened all the presents at once, we would have been completely overwhelmed died of excitement!

Round One: We opened a few presents at Mark's parents' several days before Christmas.  It gave the kids some toys to play with, since their parents hadn't brought any with them.

Round Two: Frances went to see Frozen with Mark's parents.  I thought this was a sufficient Christmas present from Grandma and Grandpa.  Mark told me it was not.  Frances also received a Princess Twilight Sparkle.  It lights up and sings.  She loves it.  I also thought Frozen was rated G, because all Disney movies are rated G, right?  Wrong.

Round Three: We opened more gifts with Mark's brother's family on Christmas Eve.  We gave Grandpa a coffee mug.  Mark's brother gave him a fancy coffee maker.  We felt inadequate.  Around 10 p.m., we drove up to Fayetteville, with Frances "singing" at the top of her voice the whole way.  Joy!

Round Four: More gift-opening.  This time with my parents and my sister Lindsay's family.

Don't I look impressed with whatever this gift is?  Alas, Frances doesn't.  More alas, I'm sure the gift was for her.

Next year, I vow to doll myself up a bit before we open presents/take pictures.

Here's Frances, dear, opening a toy stethoscope her father bought her to make up for the nail polish that I bought her as her big gift.  (Mark turns out to be a feminist!)  

Again, she looks thrilled.

And here's Chandler, helping herself to one of her cousin's gifts.

Here she is sucking on one of her own gifts.  It's a rattle.  She'll love it as soon as she realizes it works better as a noise maker than as food.

The most painful parenting moment was when Cousin Zoe opened an Elsa doll, from the Frozen movie.  Frances was so overwhelmed with its awesomeness that she held her head in her hands and gaped with her mouth hanging open.  That's when Mark and I shriveled a little on the inside and knew we'd completely missed the boat on awesome presents.  We even considered going to Wal-Mart on Christmas day to get her one of the dolls.  Luckily, that impulse passed.

It wasn't all bad.  Frances liked these wings.  

They sure weren't an Elsa doll though.  

Oh, parenting fail.

Round Six: Chandler went down for a nap, Frances and Cousin Zoe got their nails painted, and Mark and I tried to help a laboring sheep.  It wasn't interested in our help.  We left our daughters on Christmas day to help a sheep that wasn't interested in our help.

Round Seven: Mimi and Sir present Frances and Cousin Zoe with scooters (don't forget, I gave Frances nail polish as her "big" gift) and...

...the girls went to throw rocks at the frozen pond.  Big fun.

We think she survived not getting an Elsa doll.

But, next year, I'll do better?!  And shower before we open presents?!  I promise?!

Forty-Five Weeks

Ah, taking apart big sister's room!

Such fun.

Crossing Over

It's been a wee bit nippy in these parts lately.  Many days, I think of thirty-two degrees with nostalgic fondness.  Frances's school is right across the street, so our whole commute takes about two minutes.  But, when it's nine degrees, even two minutes of exposure can be brutal.  Here's some of what we put on to cross the street:

Let's see here, that'll be:

• Chandler's coverall
• carrier cover
• Chandler's winter jacket
• Frances's snow pants
• Frances's hat
• Frances's gloves
• Frances's winter jacket
• mom's boots
• Frances's boots

Not Pictured:

• Chandler's socks
• Chandler's pants
• Chandler's shirt
• Chandler's hat
• Chandler's mittens
• Frances's socks
• Frances's pants
• Frances's shirt
• mom's socks
• mom's pants
• mom's shirt
• mom's gloves
• mom's hat
• mom's winter jacket

It takes us longer to get dressed to cross the street than it does to actually cross the street.  Future self: Years from now, when you ask yourself, "What did I do with all my time as a stay at home mom?" the answer is you located winter gear and dressed and undressed children, a lot.

Ten Months of Baby Chandler

They let me raise kids!  Even though, when I saw my kid in the dishwasher (I missed the part when she climbed in), I ran to get my camera rather than get her out!  I'm a great parent, but Chandler thrives anyway.

Ten Month Fun Facts

• Mobility: So much cruising.  And she can stand independently, but just for nanoseconds.
• Sleeping: Still good.  I'm beginning to forget all the months of painful wake-ups.  This is how humans convince themselves to have more than one child - forgetfulness.
• Teeth: Nope.  I don't know why, but I've developed this fear that when they do start to come in, they're going to come all at once.
• Obsession: Going into Frances's room when Frances isn't here to protect it.  Frances doesn't seem to realize that Chandler is destroying her room almost daily.  I make Frances help me pick it up, because I've picked up after her so much.  Plus, I'm evil.
• Disposition: Such a joy - the other reason humans convince themselves to have more children.

Forty-Nine Months of Preschooler Frances

Just a touch of regression?

Yes, I think so.  Frances's newest favorite pass time is climbing into Chandler's crib with Chandler and sucking a pacifier.  Sigh.  She's also expressed worry about getting too big.  We've tried to reassure her as best we can.

Forty-Nine Month Fun Facts

• Mom's favorite moment: One morning we woke up to our first hearty frost of the month.  Frances looked out the window at our car and assessed the situation.  Then she came back to me and said, "You remember when you in the bath a long time, your fingers get..." She rubbed her fingers together.  "That's how the car is."  So frost on a car looks like finger wrinkles after a long bath.  I've never heard that metaphor before, but I thought it was pretty good for a four year old.
• More creative thinking: Frances is convinced that Santa's sleigh is pulled by snow deer, not reindeer, because, well, what makes more sense?  Here's her rendition of Santa's sleigh: