Sassy Says, Part V

I am currently at my week-long training in KC for my new job. Yeah. It's been great so far, but I miss my girls like crazy!! (Duh). Thinking about Sassy, I thought it was time for another installment of Sassy says.

Warning- potty talk and potty humor lies ahead; weary souls beware.

So, when my mom was visiting, Sassy had a hard time pooping on the potty. She decided it would be a much better idea to go in her Pull-Up, and we had several discussions about the fact that big girls went in the potty and that she had to go in the potty and not her Pull-Up. I was visibly irritated after, oh, say, the 4th day of this, and Sassy asked me, "Are you happy, mama?" I had her bent over my knee to wipe her bottom, and I said, "No. It makes me very sad when you poop in your Pull-Up." Sassy then comes back with, "OK, Mommy... I will give you a hug when you are done wiping my butt." Oh, thanks, sweetie.

On to another potty story... Sassy was giving Tyler a hard time about sitting on the potty before they went to play outside. Tyler kept telling her that she needed to try to potty before they went, and Sassy kept saying that she didn't have to. Finally, Tyler told her that if she didn't sit and try, they would stay inside. She harrumphed and stomped to the bathroom to go potty. We were sitting in the front room waiting for her to finish, and we hear her yell out, "I'm done, Daddy! Are you happy now?" Yeah, she's two.

Right after my mom returned to Chicago, Sassy wanted to talk to Nana every chance she got. Usually, I just let her take the phone with her and don't pay too much attention. Well, I almost fell over laughing, because as she walks into her bedroom, she says, "See, Nana... my room is messy. I messed it up." She thought that if she walked into the bedroom with the phone in her hand, Nana would magically be able to see it. Ha!

One evening late last week, Tyler had an Optimist Club meeting, so I decided to rent Bolt for the girls and I to watch. Sassy sat completely still for 80% of the movie, and then she asked me if she could go up to her bedroom and get a "bippy". (Pacifier). I told her that it wasn't bedtime, so she couldn't have a bippy... those are the rules. About 5 minutes later, she asked again, and I told her no... again. She said, "But, mommy, I need a bippy so I can sit quietly through the movie!" Like she wasn't capable without one...

Then, just last weekend, we were outside playing in the snow. When we came back inside, I told Sassy that she needed to take every single baby and blanket (that happened to be strewn across the entire main floor) to her bedroom and put them where they belong. She said, "But, I need to clean my bedwoom." I said, "OK, then just pick them up and take them out of the front room, please." She then says to me, "I need to clean my bedwoom first so the babies have a place to sleep. Sound like a deal, mommy?" I was stunned. Did my two-year-old really just ask me if it sounded like a deal? Yeah... pretty sure she did.

Oh, and on one last note, she learned to say "What the hell" from a little boy at McDonald's. Joy.

Not Me! Monday ~ Stellan Style!

MckMama's little MckMuffin, Stellan, continues to battle SVT and the consequences of his sweet little heart being in distress for so long. So, this Not Me! Monday is all about little Stellan!



I have not thought about Stellan every hour of every day since last Sunday when he entered the hospital.

I have not caught myself thinking about him many, many times when I hold my own Little A, only 2 months older than him.

I have not talked my husbands ear off nightly about Stellan, MckMama's blog, and SVT.

I did not coerce my Sassy into helping me make Stellan's name for the name gallery out of her precious cheerios. And, I did not make her wait patiently to photograph the name before I let her eat them.



I have not posted about Stellan this week... twice.

I have not said more prayers this week than I have in the past 5 years. Shame.

I do not wish more than anything that baby Stellan makes a miraculous turnaround... and quick. I do not wish the MckFamily the best.

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The truth is, I wish nothing more than for Stellan's little heart to stop experiencing SVT. Pray. Pray. Pray. Hope. Wish. Whatever it is you do, please do it!




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You can check out the gallery of Not Me! Mondays, Stellan Style here.

Playing Snow...

As soon as Miss Sassy woke up from her rest, she was bouncing off the walls and ready to go outside and "play snow". We did have a tiny bit of snow here in KS earlier in the winter, but never enough to build a snowman. Sassy and her Daddy did build some snow creatures in Chicago over Christmas, but they thought their chance had passed for snow play back home...

I had to really dig to find the girls some winter gear. I layered Sassy up and found her coat and hat just fine, but we had to search the house a little bit to find some matching gloves... probably due to the fact that Sassy likes to take small objects such as wash clothes, gloves, and kleenex, and carry them throughout the house to use for blankets for her babies... yeah. Anyway, here is my snow baby:



Now, Little A never had a proper coat this winter. We mostly used her JJ Bundle Me. We do have one little pink bear suit from Old Navy, but we just couldn't find it anywhere yesterday. For a moment, I thought Little A might miss out on the snowman fun, and then I remembered...

Auntie Kelli bought Little A this ridiculous, embarrassing, cute little snowman bunting last year. Little A was just swimming in it over the holidays, so she never really had the chance to wear it. Until now... I think she was less than thrilled...



The ice was pretty unbelievable. By the time we got outside, it was well above freezing, and it sounded like shattering glass all around us from the ice falling. Here are a couple of neat ice pictures, as well as what the ground looked like from the falling ice:







Sassy and Ty worked very hard to erect their snowman:





Little A mostly enjoyed her swing. The temperature was really very tolerable:



Later, Sassy wanted to be a goof and put on Little A's snowman to show Auntie Kelli...

Walking in a Winter Spring Wonderland...

Honestly, I didn't expect it. I know they warned us, but geez...

Here are some more pictures of our poor trees in the backyard:







Tyler had to leave the house this morning to pick up some groceries and stop by the post office. Our car was parked in the garage, and he got stuck trying to get out of the driveway. He threw the shovel in the car, and it's a good thing he did, because he had to shovel himself "unstuck" three times!

Sadly, Sassy is missing a dear friend's princess birthday party this afternoon. We feel so bad, but cannot justify putting everyone in danger to try to make it up there. I'm not positive, but it sounds like we, along with several other suburbs, were hit harder than they were in town.

Needless to say, we are snowed in. I am feeling pretty stir crazy, but hopefully we will all feel rejuvenated after the girls wake from their rest. Sassy is dying to get outside and build another snowman and a snow dog. I am going to make a nice, hearty dinner of pork chops, applesauce, cabbage, and sweet potato fries. Our plan for tonight is to dig out the sleeping bags and blankets, and cuddle on the basement floor, watch movies, and eat popcorn. Sounds like fun to me!

Amidst all the cold snow and icy exterior, Little A sure enjoyed her warm, sudsy bath this morning! She was all smiles. Enjoy the rest of your Saturday, no matter the weather!

Iced In...

One thing never ceases to amaze me, and that is how badly we always want to get out of this house when we are, for all intents and purposes, stuck inside. Today has felt like the longest.day.EVER. Considering the fact that Tyler didn't even head to work until 10:30 this morning so that I could go fill out new employee paperwork...

The freezing rain started just as Tyler set out for work. He called to warn me not to leave the house. He knows I am a total weenie in bad weather. Once he arrived at work, he called again and told me REALLY not to leave the house. Well, fine then. I won't get anything done today that I need to get done.

This is what it looked like outside earlier. Hello, Kansas, you do realize it is nearly April, right? You do remember that we had 70+ degree days in January, and that I packed away all my kids winter clothes weeks ago, right? Just checking...





So, what do we do when we are bored around this house, you ask. We take pictures. Here are some of Sassy checking out the ice/snow and playing peek-a-boo in the blinds:





Then, there's Little A. We had an entire pee-out-of-the-diaper fiasco. That's why she isn't wearing clothing at the moment. She was really into her little stacking cups this afternoon. I know she looks a little creepy overly alert in the one, but aren't her blue eyes fab?

Happy, Happy Friday

Here's another Happy Friday post, ala Noob Mommy!



1. Um, did I mention that I got a job this week? Pretty cool.

2. Along with this job comes a week-long training. 3 hours away from home. Now don't think for one second that I won't miss my husband and my girls terribly. I have never been away from the girls for more than a night or two. Having said that, don't think I am not looking forward to peace.and.quiet. A king sized bed to myself for 6 nights. A pool. A hot tub. Time to read. Time to think. Ahh...

3. Although it was sad when my mom went back to Chicago, it's been really nice to get back into our routine. I like our routine. I am a creature of habit. We just "do better" with a semi-schedule.

4. I had the pleasure of having a friend and her little girl over for dinner last Sunday night. Her husband was out of town, and they made the trip down to see us. It was fabulous... I need to have company more often. It makes me happy... (and it makes me clean).

5. Sassy has given me SO much material for another Sassy Says post. I can't pretend... this little girl makes me laugh. A lot. Like, she has such a great sense of humor that she makes me laugh more than many adults I know. She's been a fun little cookie this week!

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Please, please, please continue to pray for Stellan and his MckFamily. He is still in the PICU, still in SVT, and still struggling. Conventional methods of care are not working. Pray for answers and pray that his body can hold on until these answers are found.

Little Lady...

I ordered some clips from a new etsy shop ran by a blogger who is raising money for her adoption. The creators claim that these bows will adhere to any amount of hair. I'm not going to lie, I wasn't overly optimistic.



Well, here is a picture of Little A sporting one of her new barrettes!



Tyler says that I am ridiculous and that it looks like we glued a clip to her head. I disagree. She looks precious and I know she loves being a little lady. She told me once...

Well, now look at that...

It's official. I just landed myself a little job. Sweet!

Just before Christmas, Lynzee told me that her Parents As Teachers lady told her about an upcoming opening for a parent educator. The job was finally officially posted in January, at which point I sent a resume and cover letter. Then, due to the economy and the state education budget, there was a hiring freeze in effect and they took the listing down. So, I missed out on the training close by, and she said that we could possibly revisit in June.

So, I wasn't expecting to hear anything until then. To my surprise, I got a phone call Monday night from them. She said that they approved a hire to be phased in, and it's been an absolutely crazy few days since. I had an interview last night, their last of the interviews for the position. She wrote her letter of recommendation for my hire last night, but it was ultimately left up to the superintendent. Then, they had a really hard time contacting my references on short notice. I gave them some additional character references over the phone this morning, and they did end up speaking with 2 of my 3 professional references later today. Anyway, I just got the call officially offering me the position. Who hoo!

Here's the craziest part... the training is this coming Sunday-Friday... 3 hours from where we live!!! Yeah. So, basically I will be going with thanks that I have such great, dependable friends willing to watch the girls! Saying that Tyler will have his hands full is an understatement. I am really excited, though.

The position is perfect for me. It's extremely flexible and just 10 hours a week. The pay is good and I can schedule home visits as they suit our family schedule. In addition, I will be responsible for holding a playgroup a month at the primary school, and I will focus a lot of my attention on crafts.

It will be an interesting transition for our family, but I am really hopeful that it will be a great fit. Wish me luck!

Cross Your Fingers...

... I may have some very exciting news to share tomorrow...

(...NO, I am not pregnant...)

Stay tuned...

Making up for lost time...

I know the blog has been seriously devoid of scrumptious pictures of my two little sweet peas. So, today will be a recap of sorts from the past week or so.

Sassy being a bubble monster:


Sassy thinking she's pretty happening:


Sassy being an extremely weird alien-like entity:


Look, mommy, I am a BIG "sitting up" girl:


Little A not so sure she is wanting more pumpkin & apple:


Little A playing with one of her favorite toys:

The Goat, Revisited...

Yes. We are still talking about the goat.

Sassy has referred to the gorilla bar thief numerous times since our zoo trip last Friday.

So, tonight, we were in the car talking. Sassy said, "The goat ate my gowilla bar yestewday. I said, "I know, honey." Sassy went on the explain that he was a bad goat and a mean goat. I concurred, for the sake of her little feelings.

We spent the next few minutes talking about the zoo, and all different "aminals". Then, I turned to Sassy and asked her, "What's your favorite animal"?

Her response...

"A goat".

Baby Stellan Needs Prayers!

One of my very favorite blogs to read, featuring my always entertaining "Not Me! Mondays", is written by MckMama.

For those of you who do not know their story, MckMama's youngest, Baby Stellan, was sick with Supra-Ventricular Tachycardia in utero and not expected to live. He beat all odds and has been thriving wonderfully for months.

Stellan was sick over the weekend, and it seems as though some nebulizer treatments he received in the ER sent him back into SVT, and they have been having a very hard time reversing it. He is in the PICU currently, and sedated.

Please take a moment to say a prayer for Stellan and his family. Feel free to visit their blog, read updates, and leave some supportive comments for them!

I ♥ my husband!

Mmmm... I am such a lucky girl. I have had such a fantastic weekend so far!

Last night, a few friends and I met at HuHot for dinner and then went to see The Reader. First off, I should probably just memorize that HuHot link... I must have posted it on this blog 5 times already. The movie was really interesting... not quite what I expected, especially the beginning, but a really good movie. Kate Winslet was really great. I haven't seen all of the rest of the nominated films, but she probably deserved the Oscar!

Then, tonight, Tyler surprised me with a "date". I don't know wy I just put that in quotations... that's what it was. The word "date" is just so far inclusion in my every day life nowadays, it seems more like a concept than an actual occurrence! We have a great little Italian restaurant in town that we have been dying to try. I've been to lunch a couple of times since we have lived here, but never dinner. It's not super fancy, but not really a kid place, either. Especially on the weekend. Anyway, we had a fantastic dinner, from appetizer down to dessert. After dinner, we walked around downtown for a bit and walked through a little park and train display from the early 1900's. Lastly, we actually shopped Target (for formula, wipes, pull-ups, and shampoo) in peace and quiet. Ahh...

I feel almost out of my comfort zone, having this many kid-less functions recently. I feel like I've been going out way too much, but the fact of the matter is I/we need to take advantage of the free baby-sitting while my mom is here, and that explains all of the fun things we have done the past two weeks! Thanks, Mom!

Goats and "Gorilla" Bars

As I said previously, we went to the zoo yesterday. It was a little chilly and a lot windy, but we had a good time.

At our zoo, if you veer right upon entering, the very first thing you hit (besides some flamingos) is the children's zoo. We do have a nice children's zoo- there are several sections based on geographical location. I had Little A in the big stroller, so my mom offered to follow Sassy around and let her see the "aminals".
Well, about 38 seconds after they split off, I heard Sassy crying. I looked over, and my mom was carrying a sobbing Sassy over to me. I figured she tripped or something, and I asked her what was wrong. She replied, "Thegoahmugrlabar!" in between sobs and deep breaths. I said, "What, sweetie, I can't understand you". Sassy said, "Thegoahmugrlabar!"

At a complete loss, I turned to my mom. She said, "The goat ate her granola bar". Oh, what I had to do to stifle a laugh! Sassy was really upset.

I made sure her fingers were intact and explained that the goat didn't know any better. I told her that we'd buy some popcorn as soon as we saw some, and that everything would be okay.

From that point on, Sassy was a bit off. She was cranky and we didn't last too much longer. On the way home, she was still talking about the goat eating her snack. I told her that it would be a funny, silly story to share with Daddy when he got home.

Sassy went down for her rest, but no sooner than that garage door opening, Sassy was yelling through her bedroom door, "Daddy... the goat ate my gorilla bar! He ate my gorilla bar, Daddy"! Tyler was like, "What?!?" I had to explain the story, and we all had a laugh.

I am hoping that she is over the trauma today!

Happy Friday!

Time to play along with Noob Mommy!



1. We went to the zoo today for the first time this spring!! Now, today wasn't the nicest day we have had, weather-wise, but who doesn't love a trip to the zoo? We met up with the meetup (haha) and spent a couple of hours there. The elephants were just too cute... I ♥ elephants. Since this zoo doesn't have polar bears, they are my favorite thing to see. Oh, and I was able to use my new double stroller. So far, I really love it. It was a bit hard to unfold, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of it. And, it steers like a charm. Afterwards, I enjoyed hearing Sassy talk about her favorite animals to see, and it came down to the giraffes and the fish. I am so glad we purchase season passes to the zoo so that my Sassy can go see the fish...

2. Little A has been rolling and rolling like a little monkey. She was a bit slow on the rolling from back to front, so I'm loving her new found skills!

3. I am going to dinner and a movie with several of my girlfriends tonight! Hallelujah! It's been a rather long week...

4. Did I happen to mention previously that we had a fantastic St. Patrick's Day feast? Yeah. Happy, happy, happy!

7 Months...

My sweet Little A is 7 months old! Here are some highlights... Little A:
♥ can sit up for very brief periods of time unassisted.
♥ is always looking for a toy. Some of her favorites are Mr. Banana, bunny, and carrot.
♥ is totally getting the hang of eating "real" food. She loves her rice cereal mixed with carrots and sweet potatoes. So far, she has not been so fond of the banana.
♥ adores her big sister, Sassy. She will follow her every move around the room and just beams when Sassy pays attention to her!
♥ gets a kick out of raspberries- both giving and receiving them! This is the one thing that never fails to make her giggle.
♥ is still obsessed with the middle two fingers of her left hand as her "bippy", as Sassy would say.
♥ still has just those bottom two teeth, but many more look as if they could be making their entrance any day now.
♥ is sleeping more and more in her crib in her bedroom. She rarely sleeps in our room and hasn't napped in her swing in weeks.
♥ is generally just a very sweet, happy girl who brings us so much joy!

Where Can I find the Time?

I have been a total bloggie slacker the past week or so. I've still been posting here and there, but I feel that there has been a lack of substance and thought. I'll tell you why... The culprit- my mother.

My mom came in on the 7th, and I just haven't had the time to gather my thoughts and sit at the computer long enough to write anything overly intelligent. We've been having a great time, though. I have quickly come to the conclusion that there are few things that make Sassy happier than a visit from Nana. Mind you, she has her so wrapped around her little finger, it's a bit sickening. I've been trying to explain to my mother that she really doesn't have to take every.single.last command from the 2-year-old to heart. Sassy is a natural born leader bossy as hell! She barks orders and Nana obeys. Oy!

Yesterday, for St. Patrick's Day, I made corned beef. I sheepishly admit that we skipped out on the cabbage this year. I make it every year, and we eat it, only to look extra forward to the leftovers the next day for scrumptious reubens. So, this year, we cut to the chase and skipped step one. I baked two big corned beef briskets in Guinness and brought them over to Tom & Lynzee's with all the sandwich fixins'. They were delish.

I also made homemade Irish soda bread. Let me preface this conversation by saying that Jewel Bake Shop's Irish soda bread is probably in my top 5 favorite foods EVER. So, this was my first stab at it. The bread was actually really good. A bit more savory than sweet compared to Jewel's, but I would definitely make it again.

Today, Sassy had no MDO because of spring break, so we took a trip up to Wichita to run some errands. I spoke to a lady about the details for Sassy's third birthday party- more details to come. We had some lunch, and now everyone is resting besides me! Oh, and I just realized about an hour ago that today is Little A's 7-month birthday. I will be sure and post a pick and milestones tonight!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

I ♥ being Irish!!!

At Long Last...

My new computer is up and running, connected to the internet, and my pics from the new camera...uploaded! Here is one of my favs. More to come!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did not buy a brand new double stroller despite the fact that we own five other strollers. My husband does not fear that I have a stroller (or any other baby paraphernalia) addiction that may never be cured...

I did not buy the most adorable dress from joyshope last week, and completely justify the purchase for the mere fact that my daughters share the same initial and, therefore, it will be doubly worth it! I am not completely addicted to joyshope...

I did not order grilled fish on our date night on Saturday, only to later indulge in movie theater popcorn... with butter. Not me!

I did not accept another book offer from PBS after lamenting that we have WAY too many books last night whilst rearranging furniture and moving bookcases across the room. Never! I will not plug this AWESOME website for my own personal gain (i.e. refer-a-friend). Seriously- worth checking out!

I did not almost miss LMB's 4th birthday party this morning because I thought it started at 11:45, when in reality, it started at 10:45. I did not spend 45 minutes running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying desperately to shower, get the girls ready, feed everyone breakfast, wrap presents, and get my camera ready. Not me!

Busy, Busy, Busy...

We've been going non-stop this weekend! Friday night, we went to the children's theater to see The Elves and the Shoemaker. Yesterday, we took everyone to see Marley & Me (good, but not as good as the book) and then last night, my mom watched the girls so that we could go out. We went with Tom & Lynzee to the Wichita Fish Co. for dinner and then to see Slumdog Millionaire. I liked it a lot. Today, we are just getting some cleaning done and **hopefully** setting up the new computer! Then, I can share pics again. Yeah!

Toddler Physiology

Actual conversation from the car last night:

Mommy: We need to go to the grocery store
Sassy: What's a gwocewy store?
Mommy: It's where we buy food.
Sassy: Why?
Mommy: So that we can eat.
Sassy: Why?
Mommy: So that we can live.
Sassy: Why?
Mommy: Because food gives our body energy.
Sassy: Why?
Mommy: Because, sweetie, our body needs energy to work.
Sassy: Oh. OK. I will put a cheewio in my mouf and it will work.
Mommy: Sounds good...

Sorry for the lack of pictures. Hopefully, we will have our computer and camera issues solved during the weekend sometime!

Sassy's New Word...

**INTERESTING UPDATE**
So, apparently, gonk is a (sort-of) real word. The first meaning of the word gonk that I came across is a stuffed animal produced during World War II. Teddy Bears stopped shipping from Germany, so a couple of clever ones created the gonk. They became very popular in Britain in the 1960's, and supposedly, if someone called you a "gonk", you were "hip and happening" (well, what do you know?). Here is a very old ad for the gonk:

There are apparently other meanings for the word gonk in the world of slang. Sometimes, gonks refer to underpants (Ireland). In the UK, it can be a derogatory term, referring to a "droopy looking character".

Wow- you learn something new every day... huh? For more about the gonk, click here.

As for the mentality of a two-year-old, I like Sassy Engineer's logical comment!________________________________________________________________________

For the past few days, Sassy has been completely fixated on calling people a new term of endearment (I can only hope). Her word of the week is gonk, usually paired with silly. Everything is a "Silly gonk".

Sassy called Nana a silly gonk several times yesterday. She told me I looked like a gonk. She sat at the table eating lunch and yelled out, "G-O-O-O-N-K" repeatedly...

...Anyone want to take a stab at what the heck gonk means?

Dressin' for a Recession...

As I read Kelly's blog over at Kelly's Korner, I began to think. Here are a few of my favorite finds for myself on the cheap...

Outfit #1:

I found this dress at Old Navy for $15.00. It's cotton, comfy, and cute:

Paired with this tank underneath, it has a little something special. I found this tank at Old Navy for $3.99:

For a bit of modesty, I pair it with these leggings from Target at $6.99:

Total cost- $25.98!

Outfit #2:

OK, this outfit is a little over the $30 guideline, but not by much. I got this dress at American Eagle for $27.60 after my 20% off coupon:

It looks super cute paired with this tank that I found in-store from Old Navy for $3.99:

Total Cost- $31.59.

Outfit #3:

They have long layering tanks at Old Navy for $5.00:

I will pair this with my "Cora Paige" messy flower pin from joyshope that I bought for $10.00. I plan to place it on the front/shoulder of the tank:

With my trusty SJP Bitten jeans from Steve & Barry's ($14.98), I have a super cute outfit!

Total cost- $29.98!

I have had these ballet flats for months now. I just saw that they are on sale at Famous Footwear for $19.99 down from $49.99. I have several pairs of Blowfish flats and highly recommend them. The.most.comfortable.EVER: