Conversations in the car.

On the way home from picking James up from school the other day the girls started discussing getting a dog. They claim we need a boy dog for dad since he is so out numbered. Campbell told James that she wants a mean dog. Which resulted in James crying because she doesn't want a mean dog. Here is the conversation:

James (through tears): Why do you want a mean dog? Mean dogs bite.
Campbell: I like mean dogs.
James (still crying): I don't like mean dogs. I've been bitten before and it hurts.
Me: When did you get bit?
James: Last year.
Me: Where?
James: When we lived in Milwaukee.
Me: What dog bit you?
James: Campbell bit me and it hurt. I don't like mean dogs.
Me: Don't worry we won't get a mean dog.
Campbell: crying.

I think that Campbell got the idea from a show we were watching with a bad dog that had a pink dye job and she really wants a pink dog, it just happens that the pink dog bites.

Yesterday when we were going to pick James up from school Campbell asked what instrument was playing on the radio (classical). I told her it was an oboe. She said "You play the oboe with your elbow." And showed me her elbow. I chuckled and told her no, you play it with your mouth. She responded "But you use your chin to play the violin." Me chuckling again "Yes, you use your chin to hold the violin when you play it." So clever. If only you had to use the body part that rhymed with the instrument name to play it, it might be more exciting to watch the orchestra!

Things we have been up to.

Campbell and I are taking a break from our busy day. She is jamming out to Journey and Neil Diamond on Bill's sweet record player. (that's right I said record player!) As I work away on the computer:) Enjoy pictures from I don't know how long ago, but I finally cleaned off the camera.

Sweetie is fitting right into our family. So far, most of my family likes the heat vents. When you hear the furnace kick on there is a rush and scramble to jump on a vent and bask in the heat. Saturday mornings I can find Bill and the girls all huddled under a blanket over a vent, the cats join in. I guess the girls got their Dad's thin California blood!After I dropped James off at school the other day I went in her room to put some things away and the cats were so cute. Kitty was just all cuddled up on Campbell's bed.And Sweetie was propped up with a book. Sleeping. James must've thought she needed some lite reading before her nap.
One Saturday morning at breakfast Bill and the girls were cracking each other up with making silly faces and sounds. It was quite a riot! What a silly daddy.
Campbell showing us that she can make her tongue into a "log" as she told me in the car one day.Campbell being her normal comedian self. This is her thumb wearing a hat. (notice the dino p.j.'s, she loves them!)I have been busy trying to get the house organized and unpacked. I have been working on painting the girls room. I painted some stripes in their closet. And I made this bar with hooks on it so they can reach it to put things away.
We went sledding with our friends the Pawlowski's. They had so much fun!
The girls are my olive cutters when we make homemade pizza. They got skillz!
James and Sweetie. She is growing up so fast. (you take your pick on who I am talking about!)The other day Campbell told me that she was a baby horse and this is what she showed me. It looks like an angry baby horse.
Well, until I unload the pictures from my camera again, farewell.

The future!

Yesterday I picked James up from school and she told me (or I heard) that a man talked to them at school about how he got shot because other people didn't like following the rules. I was stunned that they would have someone who was shot come and talk to the kids. I was thinking along the lines of a gang member. Then she told me that he gave a speech and used lots of big words. Everything started to click and bingo! Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. So, we had a discussion about him and what he did. The interesting part was her perspective. She REALLY does not see color. And the people who weren't following the rules weren't Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King but the people who were racist and "not being nice to everyone and sharing."

We had to drop something off at Bill's work and I had NPR on. She asked to stay in the car and listen. They were talking about Martin Luther King.

When we got home she told me that she was supposed to wear red, white and blue to school the next day because Barack Obama is going to be our president. We picked out an outfit. And she wore it today. They watched the Inauguration at school and when I picked her up today she was talking all about it. She explained about him being the first black president and that one day we might have a woman president. I love that racism (and sexism!) is becoming such a part of history. It is no longer seen in the eyes of children! The future looks wonderful:)

Since it is a snow day . . .

Again. With not much snow. I guess that is what we get for living where there are "rural"areas in our district. It is quite cold. And windy. I don't really want to go out, so I'm glad I don't have to. I have been in a blogging slump lately. So, I am stealing this little exercise from my SIL, Em. (Thanks!)

i am: still in my pj's.
i think: about the cleaning I need to do.
i know: thinking about it is not doing it.
i want: to go to Target.
i dislike: mean kids at James' school.
i miss: being able to go to a fancy grocery store, quickly. (Pick N Save on State)
i fear: things I can't plan for.
i feel: dirty, I need to shower still too!
i hear: Stuart Little in the TV room.
i smell: EVERYTHING. My sense of smell is heightened.
i crave: not much. Weird.
i cry: not often, lately. But always at weddings. I feel like a freak at Wicke weddings. They don't cry.
i usually: shower and get dressed.
i search: for socks. The girls always take them off.
i wonder: what this new little Wicke girl will look like.
i regret: not spending more time with Sarah.
i love: my family. All of it. Extended on both sides.
i care: about my girls being happy.
i always: am willing to talk to anyone.
i worry: about silly things, like if I forgot it was garbage day.
i am not: wearing my contacts yet.
i remember: when Bill and I were newlyweds. So innocent!
i believe: in family and the future.
i dance: to silly commercial jingles.
i sing: in the car.
i don’t always: do the dishes before I go to sleep.
i argue: rarely.
i write: on the blog.
i win: battles with my girls.
i lose: the comb to do the girls hair, not sure if I lose it or it is taken?
i wish: everyone could see how wonderful they really are.
i listen: to NPR.
i don’t understand: how Bill does it all.
i can usually be found: in my house.
i am afraid: of having a c-section, again.
i need: a girl's night.
i forget: to do the laundry sometimes.
i am happy: now. My life is perfect. Right now.

On a side note I had a weird dream last night that we were moving to NYC ( I so totally wish, and then we could hang out with Jacob and Em!). It was only going to be for 6 months and it was exciting. We had lots of dream activity last night. Campbell had a nightmare that "fluffy" by the dresser ate her. And James joined my in my bed around 6:45 because she had a nightmare too. I wonder what spurred all the night imaginings.

Evolution of "Why did the chicken. . .:

In the car today Campbell was telling jokes. The best one by far was:



C: Why did the chicken cross the playground?

Me: I don't know.

C: To get to the other slide!

I think she came up with it herself, I had never heard it before.

Our new kitty and other stories.

James wanted a new kitten for Christmas but we decided that we wouldn't get one until we moved into the new house. Our great friends the Pawlowski's were able to get one for us, and they got a new kitten too. She is very tiny and playful. The girls named her Sweetie. And they have been having a blast hauling her around and making her do all kinds of things. I am thankful for the preparation this is giving them for the baby. Bill watching a Bowl game with a bunch of cats.Kitty, our original cat, is adapting pretty well to Sweetie. The first day he was really timid of her, now they wrestle around. You can see the size difference. We'll see how big Sweetie will get.

On another note, I just had to document this. Campbell came up and gave me a hug the other day, so I naturally hugged her back. She leaned back to look up at me and said "I'm not hugging you I am hugging the baby!" She also likes to kiss the baby (my belly). I am in no way to assume these signs of love are for me. She is just so full of spunk it makes me smile:)

Here is a new thing we tried for breakfast, well, not new but I haven't bought it in like 10 years. The girls were excited to get to eat chocoalte for breakfast. I was hoping it will keep their tummies warm and full for a long time.

Christmas Pictures

Bill doesn't look too excited but that was just the photog's mistake. He loves the race track the girls gave him for Christmas.We love our Hello Kitties! They each got a Build a Bear gift card for Christmas from their cousins and they LOVED the experience. Thank you Alaska Cousins!
Dinos from Santa. Campbell loves them. She was brushing their teeth and making them stomp around and chase Scoot A Loo.
James with Scoot A Loo. I have her quoted saying that she is better then getting the Diamond Castle. Whew!Christmas Dinner. Aren't they just cute?
The weird cat loving the presents. This is where she slept Christmas Eve. I wonder if she saw Santa?Sledding.

Christmas Dresses.

So . . . thirsty!

Last night when we were going through the bedtime routine: p.j.'s, brush teeth, tucking in, kisses, Campbell told me she wanted some water. We are trying to bedtime potty train so we are cutting out the sippy of water at night. I told her no turned off the light and shut the door. Bill later went to check on the girls and gave them each a sip of water. We try to not be horribly cruel.

This morning when the girls woke and climbed in bed with us I asked them each what they dreamed about. And guess what Campbell's response was? Drinking fountains.

We had a good chuckle.

The New Year

Sorry I don't have pictures yet. We are still unpacking from moving to the new place. We are excited to start the New Year. Last night we partied with our friends the Pawlowski's, that happen to be our new down the street/around the corner neighbors (yeah!). I wanted to put together a list of the biggest events of the last year for our little family. Here goes:

January: Campbell had her tonsil's removed. This was such a life changing event for her because she grew taller and gained some weight. She was 25% for weight and 50% for height. Now she is 50% for weight and 80% for height.

February: Nothing too big this month. I was decorating the kitchen at our old house and I learned that my husband didn't know how to peel an orange.

March: My best friend since I was 7 came to visit. That is one of the most wonderful things to have friends visit! We knew for certain that we would be moving to Iowa!

April: James and I were able to go to her first Broadway show. What better than Wicked!

May: May brought many things. It is one of my favorite months because it is when it finally starts warming up around the Midwest. Bill bought a car on ebay, James graduated from Preschool, we celebrated 8 years of being married and we started our summer vacation trip to California!

June: Our wonderful vacation to California. Oh, how I miss California!

July: We moved. You can read more about it here.

August: James started school, 10 Year Reunion, and James turned 5! It's weird looking back at pictures from this time because Bill and I knew we were having a baby but we weren't telling anyone yet.

September: Enjoying the nice weather outside, joining the YMCA, our first bat in the house (we have since had 2 more, I think they just live in the basement at that rental house) and apple picking.

October: Pumpkin picking, football games, and James learning how to ride a two wheeler.

November: Campbell turned 3, sold our house in Milwaukee, made and had an accepted offer on a house in Iowa.

December: First pictures of our new little princess, buying a house in Iowa (pretty much close to a dream house with the most perfect price tag!), Peter and Raeah's wedding, Christmas, and moving! Whew! What a packed month. Or year!

We are looking forward to the beginning of 2009! New house, new baby coming and who knows what else! I think we're ready.