Just a little confused

J...h came home from school in a dizzy of excitement. "Mom can we go to the farm today after school. My teacher is going to be there for story time and so are all of my friends" I couldn't figure out what she was talking about. I explained that we were not going to the farm but to Barnes and Noble for school story night. Her eyes lit up with excitement " Yes Mom that's right we are all going to the barn!" Needless to say she was just a little confused as to why you would call a book store a barn if they didn't have any animals.

Rock Star

Yesterday was a snow day and J..h had fun being a rock star. She decked herself in hot pink from head to toe, put on some glam makeup and wore bright pink braids in her hair. She used my lint brush as a microphone and performed her own original song. It was entitled " I wonder who I am" and she sang bout how she could be like lots of different things i.e. a rose, a stuffed hamster, a white cat, a ring, a bouncy ball etc. The best part is that as she named the items she took them out of her purse and threw them at the "audience". I don't know where she go the idea from since we have never watched Hannah Montana etc. I guess it is instinctual for little girls to want to be divas. If I were a good Mom I would have caught all this with video and taken some pics. If she does it again I promise I will but until then I had to write so I would never forget my little rock star!

Freezing

I noticed the oil was getting a little low beginning of the week and scheduled a delivery. Burke was working in Florida for three days so we didn't use the wood stove. I can't believe how much of a difference it makes. I realized a little too late that I had used all the oil in the tank and once the delivery was made the house was not getting warm. In fact the temperature kept dropping. When I went to do the dishes I had no hot water! When the tank runs out of oil the pump has to be primed so the new oil can start moving into the furnace again. If I had known the oil guy could have primed the tank when he made the delivery. Now it would cost a small fortune to have him come back and do it. So after forwarding several DIY articles to Burke I am bundled up waiting for my strong handy man to come home and get us some heat!!! I will let you know if he is successful. Until then I am going to make some hot chocolate.

8:40 pm
Burke has added a new skill to his repertoire. So the next time you forget to get oil in time give him a call and save some money. I am going to sleep warm tonight!

Of Mice and Men

I saw a mouse scamper across the floor the other night. Burke, eager for the hunt, set the trap. The next morning he discovered that the mouse made of with the bate and its life. I spotted it again the next day and Burke re-set the trap with "fool proof" bate. To his surprise the mouse took the spoils and Burke realized that he may have met his match. This mouse was fearless. I was able to catch it with the camera but it knew its way around a trap all to well.

Late that night the mouse made a bold move. It darted from the wall and ran under the couch. In one fluid motion Burke grabbed the shovel from the fireplace, threw the couch on end and knocked the mouse out cold. I watched in shock and awe as he scooped up the injured mouse, flung open the door to the wood stove and sent his foe to a fiery death in the blazing inferno. With the calm repose of a triumphant hero Burke put down his instrument of death and said

"Not very smart of him to come out in the open like that."

18 Months Old

Our biddy is such a cute little girl. I can't believe how much she has grown up just in the last few months.

A few weeks before 18 months she decided she was ready to walk. Now she is walking and running everywhere. She loves the independence and fun that comes with her new found freedom.

She is a very independent eater. She uses a spoon and a fork although most of the time it just makes a bigger mess. She loves to sit at the table with her big sisters too.

We moved her into a giant big girl bed. She adjusted in one night and when she wakes up she calls to me until I come get her out.

Biddy is a chatterbox.
She talks in complete sentences and will engage in a long and animated conversation with you. The only catch is that she speaks in her own language. Every now and then we catch a word we recognize. Here are the ones she uses with frequency:
Mama
Dada
Hi
Bye
Shoe
Sock
Blankie
Night Night
Drink
Water
Milk
Cookie
No
Uh Uh
Uh Oh
Nose
Cheek
Tum Tum
Up
Down
All Done
Thank you
More
Mine
Stair
Doll
Play
Car
Go

I am trying to teach her to say J...h and S...a but she seems to be fine just screaming at them when she wants to play. She screams a lot but her screams are starting to sound more like words and that gives me hope:)

She is such a little character; always smiling, laughing or making us laugh. She gives the cutest hugs and kisses. She likes to wrestle and play chase with her big sisters. Her imaginative and creative play is developing as well. Biddy also likes books, puzzles and coloring.

She is fascinated by the television and will stay put for about fifteen minutes.

She is a very obedient little girl. Like our other girls she is not overly curios and responds well to a stern "NO". It is a trait inherited from her Dad since I was a nightmare as a toddler.

She is still cutting her teeth and that can be very trying at times, specifically nap time! She still takes two naps a day and sleeps twelve hours at night.

I couldn't ask for a sweeter more wonderful girl. I am so grateful for my biddy and we all love her so much!