We're Moving!!

Not really. Got your attention though didn't it??!! I captured this photo from my phone so it's not the greatest resolution....but observe what they're building one street over from us. You can see this out our front door. Just a quaint little 16,000 square foot bungalow. Yes, that is correct. You do not need glasses, (well maybe you do...) This is no typo. Let me repeat....16,000 square feet of lakefront majesty is being built just a stone's throw from the princess collection's own residence! This monstrous single family home sits between our house and Mom Jo's (grandma), where we walk almost everyday as our little friends must release energy by climbing orange trees and throwing rocks in the lake. Our house is a little over 3300 sq. ft. and 10 yrs. old, and Mom Jo's is around 2000 sq. ft. and although lakefront, is over 35 yrs. old....both being the norm ranges for this area. This new home boasts a secret computer room, theater, poker room,6 car garage (why stop at 6??), safe room (about as big as our living room~), 2 complete kitchens just in case you get hungry and don't want to walk the 1/2 mile to the other side of the house,something like 8 air conditioning systems,a 2 story library w/spiral staircase, something like 8-9 bathrooms, and many, many other can't do without amenities. We're having fun watching it be built (a 2 year process), and just have to say.....this family sure wouldn't want that power bill!!

Sister Day!

We're doing a garage sale this weekend and of course that involves getting organized and cleaning out lots of things. So, since we figured the organizing and cleaning would get done much quicker without the help of the princess collection, Julie took the girls for the morning for a pancake breakfast and park day so Mommy could stay home and work in peace. Here are some pictures from our outing...sisters are way too much fun!!!

Desperate Times Call For Desperate Measures :)

In the top photo you will see a sampling of just a 'few' of the mixed-drinks made in the Wee Princess Pharmacy the last few days. ....These are mind-altering meds that make the sweet child very ogre-like and angry AND make the normally emotional blond....let's just say...in the politest way possible.... A CHALLENGE!! Her future husband better be a patient, patient man.:):) Katie just walks around and shouts 'STOP! STOPIT!STOPIT YIN-YIN!! (Kristin...the aforementioned challenge). We as a family are pretty health oriented and eat organic whenever and wherever possible...we've even bring food when we know healthy choices aren't available. It's just what we do. So, the upper photo is highly unusual and only happens about once a year. (usually February..the month of birthdays and asthma:)) So this year....my friend Tammi graciously bestowed upon me the second picture...which we shall name ....survival. Organic? No. Sanity? Priceless. This isn't even all she gave me. Some went home with Mel....and much had already been consumed at photo time. Katie calls Hershey kisses "choc-mil" (chocolate-milk) and this mommy has found many, many silver foil wrappers around the house today in little 2 year old places. A friend just told us that the entire Hershey headquarters and plants are moving from the good old USA to......Mexico. That's an atrocity! No more American made Hershey chocolate??!!!!Uh....not right!! And we don't know how to say 'choc-mil' in espanol!! Keeping it real people....keeping it real:)I think a protest is in order! I think our 3 little princesses could argue with Congress right now...and keep Hershey's in America.:) It just seems the right thing to do!!

Soooooo....What Do You Do When.....

Your days and nights are running together and the common thread in your house is "someone's always up"? Yes....the princess collection has been under the weather. Actually, quite buried. And the parents. And the big sister. Needless to say...our nights are endless as we are nursing MAJOR asthma attack with Leni. She has to sleep sitting up, or she can't breathe. Just a little scary. Then the other two want to be held all night too, as they are fighting bronchitis and ear infections. Lots of dosing, rocking, gatorade, and Noggin going on here:) Anyway, here's some pics of our Animal Kingdom day last Monday. You'll see our 3 ladies at the entrance telling the photographer they weren't in the 'mood' to pose. And the rest...well, you'll figure it out. Yes, they held and petted a Boa.Big stuff people, big stuff:) Back goes the mommy to her little patients!

Happy Birthday Mom Jo! Yes, Another Birthday....and Another Crazy Day For Us!

Today we celebrated yet another birthday in our ever expanding family!! Happy Birthday Mom Jo! Believe it or not, she's only 39! :) Mom Jo does so much for our family....from special dates with the girls, movies,to doing the weekly ballet run, to 'wiping counters' with great gusto, making sure everyone has a special Christmas and Birthday, and always making sure tummy's are full. She also lives just a few doors down from us, so daily visits are pretty much the standard. The girls run amuck on her 2 acres climbing orange trees, making sand forts on the shore of the lake, picking flowers....Mom Jo usually has tea sets set up and ready to go for spur of the moment visitors (even Cade has had his share of tea!). Today, Leni got a special lunch with the Birthday Grandma at the "Elephant Bar" Restaurant. Then she and Mom Jo went to visit Uncle Vic's rescued baby squirrels. (Just Leni's thing!! The babies drink from special littlesquirrelbottles:)! Tonight we celebrated with dinner, Texas cake and American Idol. Leni had to steal the show by swallowing 2 pennies today.....and then tonight she DRANK her Xopenex asthma medicine. It's supposed to aerate into a nebulizer....but no. Not us. We drank the entire vial.(it's really sad, sad, sad when things like this almost seem normal and just another part of the day!) This could only happen on someone's birthday....and while having the worst asthma attack of the year. Dad said she would be fine. Let's hope so! Katie has an ear infection and cries when you touch her ear. Kristin is coughing...but that doesn't keep her from performing now does it?? Mom Jo brought some of her childhood pics to dinner tonight and we were suprised to see how similar she and Kristin looked at the same age! Happy Birthday Mom Jo! Here's to many more!!

P.S. Did you notice our newly capped coffee barista?! Yes, in search of big money, Julie now dons the famous Starbucks apron and hat for her part-time job (among her other 5-6) jobs (she makes me dizzy) and talks latte's, espresso's and other words I can't spell. This mommy prefers Diet Coke....but boy, oh boy is her dad happy. Oh, and pray for her. She has the 5:30 am shift on Friday.:)but you're done by 9:30 and on to her day job! Whew!

UPDATE: Last night after this was posted, we discovered Kristin had a temp. of 102 (she was still going strong), and Leni absolutely was unable to breathe. Katie was busy projectile spitting any medicine given right back at the 'giver'. After K and K were sent to bed, and we thought Leni was too....we hear 'HELP!' To find our non-breather had more than thrown-up the vial of Xopenex she had swallowed, and other items included. Today....they are all sick, sick, sick...all with different issues. On we go!!

You'll Never Believe What Happened Today!

And the miracle God graciously bestowed on our friends....and allowed us to be a part of! First a little background info. Our friends the Easthams sent their dossier (paperwork) in for a China adoption in January of this year. (adoption lingo...they're LID 1/9/08). The wait for China is currently well...a little long. So they looked into a domestic adoption in the interum. After the green light decision to proceed...they completed their paperwork and sent it in LAST TUESDAY. This mommy here (me) decided to take her 3 little dumplings to Animal Kingdom today and as I was pushing my 100 lbs. of child DNA in stroller into the gate...I got a call from Vickie E. Their agency had just called them and asked if they could pick up their NEW DAUGHTER at 3pm today?????? People....that's less than a week wait!!! This family woke up this morning and was going about their normal business, God intervened ...and tonight they have a new baby! Anyway, please meet HOPE NICOLE EASTHAM ....born Saturday, Feb. 16th. and now residing with her new family in her new home. We are just as overwhelmed at God's providence in this little girls life as we are our own girls. Our God is amazing and we rejoice with this family and their new addition ! Adoption is truly a miracle and such a representation of the gospel lived out here on this earth!! Congratulations to this family and to Hope! After Animal Kingdom, this family (minus Katie who went home to bed) rushed over to see Miss Hope. In this case the doctor made a house call and declared the newest patient to be absolutely perfect! The Animal Kingdom pics will have to wait. These here are way too important:) We've witnessed a miracle today!

Anyone Ever Seen.....

A bug vacuum? Auntie Michelle sent this to the girls and they have been sucking up various items for 2 days now! It actually is a vacuum contraption that sucks up a bug using ever so gentle force...into a little container with air-holes and a magnifying glass. Pretty clever eh? I had never heard of it....but then I'm not always the brightest crayon in the box either. Leni sucks bugs.....and Kristin uses it to blowdry and style her babydoll's hair....and Katie just stands there and screams 'BUGBUGBUGBUGBUGBUGBUGBUGMOMBUG! We live loud!

AND...This Is What E Picked to Do On Her Birthday Day!

This mommy gave K the choice of going to school and having cupcakes delivered on her actual birthday, or going to DisneyWorld. Can you guess what our little 5 year old picked?? We have a wonderful family friend that graciously volunteered to go with me.....and we couldn't have had better WEATHER or a better day! At the racecar track they even took the time to address the crowd of the fact that there was a birthday in the yellow car...and announced K's name and age. Then they attached a giant Happy Birthday sign to the back of her car. The look on child's face was priceless! Those are moments permanently imbedded in this mom's brain as cherished memories. Thank you Kathy for making Kristin's day a blast, and for helping the mommy do all the mommy stuff! You were/are wonderful!! We stayed till the fireworks, which by the way I couldn't have done without MISS KATHY and about halfway through the day, Katie even let Kathy hold her! (You have to be on Katie's A-list to get to hold the Asian Princess, as she's quite particular about those kinds of things:)) Enjoy the pictures, and I think you'll see it was a successful day! Hopefully, Kathy still likes us:) and we didn't run her too ragged as some of our sister sibling issues can resemble something from the 'Gladiators'....and they're only 2, 5 and 6! We have alot in store for us:)(wait till the hormones) and alot to be grateful for! Happy Birthday again...Kristin!

P.S. Has everyone noticed that it's ALWAYS someone's birthday around here??

Lordy Be, and Land Sakes Alive! Alert the Media....Cuz Eloise Just Turned 5!

Yes, hold on to your hats. You may not have gotten the memo or notification of our national holiday....but it's true. Our 4 year old is now 5....and enjoying every moment! We do a big friend party on their 'even' year and a family party on the 'odd' year. So....here's our family plus a couple of our very best neighborhood friends. Lily's mommy has been in and out of the hospital lately (more in than out) so she was very, very excited to come over and spend the evening dressed as Cinderella and eating cake and ice cream!(Lily, not her mommy...:)) Friend Alexis came too. We refer to her as Alexis VanLue because she's here so much! As you can see...we had a great time celebrating Kristin. She is a never ending blond bundle of emotional energy that brings us much joy and laughter every day. It's sad for me to bid goodbye to 4 (I think 4 year olds are the true "little golden book' definition) but know 5 with this child will be opening new wonders and gifts we haven't even imagined! All of our children have been so unique and different....that we're amazed constantly at the diversity God has given us in them! We're grateful for them all and the joy they bring! Happy Birthday Kristi-loo-who! DISCLAIMER: Now, before you all have a heart attack thinking we let this 4/5 yr. old sit and watch Hannah Montana all day...let it be known...we do not. We frequent Disney, and from there and D. Channel she knows enough to get the point. We do not indulge her with endless H.M.AND let her soak in pop culture. She doesn't need to. She has her family to soak in. On that note....aren't the pics funny?! She really thinks she's a serious musician!

Randomness~But Quite Fun Randomness!!

Just a few shots of our past week. Very random shots. We went to Disney and Julie got to go this time. It's rare that we have all 4 girls being able to do that with us. It was a blast. Leni dared to try "Tower of Terror" and will Never-ever-do-the-droppy-thing-again-it-was-scary! But she did get asked to dance in the High School Musical Show, and did quite well! Playhouse Disney was a big hit (hint hint Croker and Seltzer family!!). We took Katie to "China" at Epcot and saw the Terra Cotta Warriors. She could've cared less, but jumping off the benchy thingys was fun.Katie said Ni-Hao to all the Disney workers actually from China...they always seem to appreciate the effort. We went to our local zoo with Mom Jo, where much to our horror....their favorite thing....was the snake room.(Look close by K's head in the picture) Then, the Eastham Family came over for the day and the girls wrangled Ms. Vickie into drawing Katie's current favorite "Hoe-White" (Snow White) out of chalk on the driveway. (It's still there FYI Easthams!!)Let's hear it for Ms. Eastham's artistic endeavor!Their paperwork is in China to adopt...so Katie will have a little buddy. What you don't see are the Eastham boys riding pretty princess bikes. Next time there'll be blackmail pics guys! AND then this mommy had a meeting Saturday morning...so the daddy took all 3 little ladies out for pancakes and the park. Brave, brave man is he! There you go! Whew! Somewhere in there we did school, made breakfasts, lunches, dinners and did laundry! These pictures loaded out of order and one did a double. Oh well...sorry. Kind of like life lately:)I personally think "Hoe-White" needed to be shown twice!

We Love Our Neighborhood~

....because it has precious afternoons like this one! In addition to the oreo sisters, meet Lily and Mitchell. They live across from us. Lately their mommy has been having a rough go of it...but we wanted to show her one way we spend a beautiful Florida afternoon. After popsicle time, we went on a L-O-N-G walk with Elizabeth and Julie (who is dog sitting....what do yall think....a new career path for daughter #1??)Lily is 4 like our Kristin, and Mr. Michell is actually 3 months younger than Katie. We love them so very much AND their very special mommy!!