Summer 2014 Allison 4 years old and MP 16 months

We moved into our new house on July 8th. We love it and I am really excited about living in a new small town and the neighborhood. Its a lot of young families and all very nice. Sara and JT live right around the corner which is awesome because we see them a lot and its really helpful at times as all of our girls (although MP still young) play well together. I am still working part time, the girls having been going to Mindy's occasionally and other than that I have them. They spent about a week in Crockett with the Driskells while we moved. It was really helpful. We haven't seen mom/fred in a while with the move etc, but Fred is finished with treatment (12 weeks- 6 weeks chemo, 6 weeks chemo/radiation). He is in a lot of pain right now. We are headed to Houston Thursday (Nat, the girls, and I) and Will is coming on Friday since he needs to go into the office. We are staying the next week in houston as well while he has an audit which will be nice so we can see them a bit more than just the weekend. We are keeping our fingers crossed the everything works out that mom/fred will be in the dallas area soon vs houston which is such a hard trip to make. The girls are good. Allie turned the big 4 years old. WE LOST LAMBY at the fourth of july parade. She did really well at first without him much better than I thought she would, but lately she has been really sad and talking about how she just wants him back. She doesn't want another one either. I may buy her one and get her name on it even though she says she doesn't want it. We have been off and on with attitude :) she is so sweet sometimes and then just the opposite others. My nerves have not been good and I have to work on it b/c I know she is little and I am hard on her. I just lose it sometimes. I call myself Mean Mommy as I know she thinks I am. Its a fine line in your head going from being too hard on her to not being hard enough. I also think I need to play more on her level vs always trying to get things done vs just being in the moment. I really am trying to work on that, but again its so hard. Esp when you can't devote your attention to one to complete a task as the other one is needing you and your attention. I know lots of parents feel the same. ITS HARD but fun too. The girls love the new house with the playroom and outside. Still getting used to though. Allie is sleeping in her own bed but comes in every night in the middle of the night to get in bed with us. We have to stop this new habit but I am just glad she is in her room from the beginning of the night. In the last week I am starting a new routine Dinner, Bath, play, watch TV. then at 7 start book time, Allie likes reading books in playroom so that MP can read with us, but MP is not the best reading partner but she still hears our voice reading as she walks around finding stuff to play with. Then I get Allie to brush her teeth, potty, and get in bed. We still have to lay down with her until she falls asleep. ANOTHER habit we need to break. MP is pretty easy, once we play and "read" I get her dressed as she hates to get dressed right after bath and is almost always in her diaper. I just put her in her crib with her paci (ANOTHER HABBIT we need to break) and turn on her music. Then she sleeps until 645-7 but I don't go to her until like 710. She sometimes still wants a bottle and sometimes I give in, but for the most part we don't do bottles anymore. Occasionally if she gets up in middle of night and is not going back to bed than I will get up and give her bottle but last night I turned off monitor. MP is into everything right now, probably bc she has an older sister, but loves to change her baby and put lotion on her. She talks a lot but you can't understand her but she is very serious that you know what she is saying. These days she loves loves loves Ketchup :) just puts her whole hand in it and doesn't want anything to dip with it. ITS AWESOME :) Allie has really started loving broccoli. IM LOVING IT, she honestly has gotten so much more easy with foods. She likes a lot more THANK THE LORD. She still loves pizza, spaghetti, lasagne, but loves cream of broccoli soup. She loves ice cream, often orders vanilla shakes. LOVES creamed corn,the kind I make from shucking the corn off the cobb. MP loves almost all food :) she loves to eat, little girl is always hungry. She needs her head every time she wants a snack. They both love fruit esp strawberries and watermelon. Don't know how many things she has stained as I haven't gotten a bib on her in time. MP is so curious and right now at 16 months gets so mad when I put her shoes on and now her outfits. She thinks she can do it. She is pretty smart although I think its because she has an older sibling. She loves to swing at the park. She loves to say uh huh. Allie got a doll house for her birthday. She got some other barbie stuff as well. She has gotten into dress up more as well. Loves the princess dolls. For Allies' birthday we had 7 girls all meet at a small boutique for little girls where they got their nails, hair, dressed up in dresses, and had a fashion show. they got to do karaoke too. It really as very cute. They took care of everything at the party. It wasn't stressful at all at the party I enjoyed it, a little part of me missed the big birthday party but in the scheme of things I was glad not to be stressed. AS WE know i get stressed pretty easily. Lately I have started working out and take the girls, we go to a story time occasionally in Prosper, I get babysitters some so I can work. Wee get together with Sara and her girls a lot and we do errands in town. It actually goes by quickly by the time I work out do an errand or two then have lunch, nap for MP and rest time for Allie (she watches a movie) then we either go swimming or play around and I get dinner ready. Will is usually home by 530. We really like the Methodist church up here too. Put Allie in VBS, I volunteered and was the leader for 25 kids. IT was interesting :) Other than that things are really good. The girls are fun ages, but can be trying at times.