mommyhood by fire

so my sweet little niece, ruthie, is still in pennsylvania recovering from surgery on her pancreas.

i have come to arizona for a 2 week stay to watch over the 2 older girls.

it really has been fun.

they are 2 super easy going girls.

very obedient and polite pretty much 24/7 (except if annalee is hungry...)

things i've learned thus far this week:

1. white shirts are the dumbest idea ever. they will undoubtedly get stained.

2. even really tidy kids make big messes.

i clean the kitchen floor and counters like a majillion times a day.

3. if you actually think of something remotely fun/new to do they think you're the best person in the world.

4. they can eat like a million cookies but only like 3 carrots before they're full, weird...

5. the really will copy what you do.

here they were sitting on the couch with book of mormons open making me repeat what they were saying.

6. kids yoga is so funny to watch them do.

we are most definitely doing more of that!!!

this is the tree pose.

7. these little sinks at IKEA are the best things ever.

why doesn't every place have them?

8. while we're on the subject of bathrooms, being fully potty trained is worth the child's weight in GOLD. annalee is spectacular at it. phoebe is pretty darn good at it when she's at home and bare bummed, if not, there's no telling what it will be like. never really understood how parents remembered their children's potty schedules but now i KNOW to stay close to home during the afternoon hour if you know what i mean...

9. being a parent is truly exhausting. i now understand why other parents love when casey and i come over and play with their children for long periods of time. what a nice break!

10. mini vans are pretty darn convenient.

i'm cruisin in the honda odyssey and those automatic sliding doors open/shut buttons are the best things ever.

11. bananas are apparently the yummiest food ever.
i bought eleven  bananas yesterday before dinner,
tonight after dinner we have 2 and 1/4 left.
12. it's really funny the things kids will start repeating after you.
thus far they've really clung onto "crazy lady" and "not cool"
to my luck they ignore my crap/py, dang, and stupid.
i know, bad example on those, i'm working on it.
13. having visitors over is the best thing ever.
you'd think granny and papa and kirk and whitney were super heroes with the way they treated them

14. lastly, this moment of parenthood is GOLDEN

 
15. even more golden is getting them out of their car seats half sleepy as they cling to your neck, they half awake say "i love you kimber" and then pass them into their beds, back to sleep.

really, being with these girls all day is cake.
they're so easy.
i'm really grateful that my situation at this time in my life has allowed me to come help their family out.
lil ruthie's suregery went really well.
but she now has pancreitis (or something that sounds like that).
her stomach doesn't feel good at all, she's not eating normal, and throwing up a lot.
logan has gone for the weekend to be with blair and ruthie in PA so I will be alone with the girls til Monday night.
they facetime a lot as a family and individuals which helps everyone emotionally i think.
(even i get to facetime with casey about 2 times a day and it emotionally charges me).

i'm so happy i have this experience of being here with these girls and family!
hopefully i will actually write about more of the funny moments each day!

examples:

annalee got a cookie because she ate all her dinner.
phoebe had barely touched her dinner but she insisted she get a cookie too and NOW!
i squatted down to her level trying to explain how she could get a cookie and why it was that way.
i counted off my fingers saying "you can have a carrot, a cucumber, more potatoes, or cottage cheese."
so i have 4 fingers up.
she looks at my hands for a long time debating.
in my mind, i'm thinking i've finally gotten her.
she reaches out to grab my 2nd finger and says "cookie!"
oh that wee devil.
she did eat 1 carrot

when annalee and phoebe realized logan was with blair at the hospital through facetime,
annalee shouted at "you're in nebraska!?!"
they apparently remember me talking about casey in nebraska a lot.

annalle kept calling yoga, gogurt.

and this last one isn't really a specific story,
but every morning phoebe questions me "you have a baby in your tummy?
a big baby? because you have a big tummy."
i always ask her what should i name my baby and she always responds "boy"

that's it for now!
i must now continue my mommyhood training by going to bed early so when those girls wake me up at the crack of dawn, i won't be exhausted!

ps- i'm officially 7 months pregnant! wahoo!