Sally Homemaker.

So I know I posted just yesterday that I hadn't done a lot of things in about a month, but today I am pleased to announce that Sally Homemaker is back. OK, that may be a generous title for myself, since I have yet to scrub my kitchen floor but! I did make dinner last night, and I have been doing laundry as though I didn't have any underwear clean to wear...oh wait. Never mind. I do now. 
So D and I were sitting down talking last night and he helped me realize that things around here aren't really as bad as I am making it seem. Sure we get messes every now and then, but it's not so bad. Here is the thing that is making me feel so overwhelmed and stressed...

downsizing.

Yep, that's it. See here's what's happening around here, my two older kids are moving into the same room, and Lil Pip will be moving over to have her very own room! Her first ever. It's a bittersweet thing, I guess I'm ready for it. I just can't believe how fast she is growing up. She's sitting just to the right of my computer screen playing with her toys, and I have to tell you she is quite the distraction. *Stay Focused* Anyway, the kids have bunk beds that have already shipped and are due to arrive any day now. THAT stresses me. They each have so much stuff in their rooms I'm not sure how I am going to make it all work. So slowly but surely I am going to take steps to organizing and cleaning out. As I was folding laundry yesterday I noticed myself grumbling a little about our house, and how we just don't fit anymore. We have a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, no basement, no attic- just a shed in the back yard. (That we really can't use for anything but yard stuff because we are so deep in the woods mice regularly get in it. Yuck. I know.) In the midst of my grumbling I had the thought, have we really "outgrown" this place, or are we just too greedy/materialistic? It was a humbling thought. See I am finding myself slowly getting further and further away from the simple life, and slipping deeper and deeper into that "american dream" mindset. "Oh, I have way to much stuff (clothes, toys, gadgets) to fit into my wonderful, perfectly fine home. We should start looking into buying a bigger house...to fill up with more stuff...that we don't need...while the rest of the world lives with so little." I don't want that to happen to us. I want my kids to be thankful for the little things in life. I want them to appreciate the small, thought out, handmade gifts just as much as the big ones. I really would give each of my kids the world on a platter, but what good would that do them? When you have been to other countries and you see first hand how some struggle just to put a measly meal on the table, yet here we are throwing birthday bashes with massive amounts of food that will end up in trash cans, and our kids have so many gifts to open that by the time they get through them all they've lost interest. It's sickening. Yes, I want my kids to have nice things. Yes, I am going to throw them what I hope is going to be a rockin' birthday bash. However, before all this goes down we are going to be doing some cleaning out. Going through toys, and sharing with those who may need it, and perhaps enjoy it, a bit more then us. Also, going through our clothes and shoes...I'm the guilty one here. I am to ashamed to even voice on here how many pairs of jeans I own. Grant it...(in my defense!) they range from maternity jeans to skinny to regular to fat. But who needs all that anyway? Not sure who I am fooling by keeping all those size 4's in my closet anyway. I just keep thinking, "what if I do actually stick to a diet and get that skinny again?" Not happening, and if it does I will cross that bridge when I get to it. So after all this rambling I'll give you the skinny:

The Vogt's are on a quest to organize and to downsize. I'm going to do my best, in an attempt to be a good blogger, to take pictures and document all the changes and organized systems we put into place. I'm not sure about all you other mommas, but I function much better outside the home, when I know my home is in order. Some of you may have already done this during your annual "spring cleaning". SNOTS! That's great! But, if you are like me and you haven't mustered up the strength to tackle those closets that have things shoved in the corners- you know, the ones that irritate you everyday when you see it, yet, you just haven't had the time or energy to do anything about it. Or if your kids toy boxes and bins are full of crappy Mcdonald's toys, broken toys, or perhaps some toys that the dog has mistaken for his bone...let's tackle those things too. Oh, and while we are at it...let's sort out clothes. You know how your kid is now in a 4T yet those 3T's (and let's face even some 24 months) are hanging out in those drawers having a party...let's shut that party down. I'm a list freak, and I love coming up with organizational systems that work, so as I am tackling this stuff and come across stuff that excites me, and works for us...I'll share it. Please, do the same for me. :) 

P.S. I'm thinking from how everyone is talking that I have a lot of readers, but my blog doesn't have a lot of members. I love to read your comments, feed back, and ideas...it gives me fuel to keep going. In order to leave your comments you need to create an account...just a username and a password, it'll take you 2 minutes. You can do it! Sign up, then click to be one of my blog members/followers, and then leave me your two cents. Thanks friends!

Oh and real quick...here's the dinner that I finally made last night. BBQ chicken and a steak for D on the grill, complete with sauteed veggies straight out of the garden, picked just minutes before being tossed into the skillet. YUM. 

Be Blessed!

Almost A Month...

This is my 1,223,453 attempt at writing a blog entry this month. Let's see if I actually get to click the "publish" button on this one...

Truth is, I should NOT be sitting here right now doing this. I'm lazily relaxing in my pj's with a cup of coffee pretending like my house is clean, the laundry is done, and dinner for the evening is all planned out. That is definitely not the case my friends. I titled this blog "Almost A Month" because it's been almost a month since I've done a lot of things. It's been almost a month since I have posted anything here, on my blog. Almost a month since I've cooked my family dinner, and again, almost a month since I've scrubbed my kitchen floor, and although it's only been 1 week since I've done any laundry it looks as though it's been almost a month. It's crazy how one kid can change so much...with 2 kids it was a piece of cake to keep my house orderly and spotless! Throw in just 1 more, and it becomes a daunting task, that I am almost positive is impossible. Just yesterday actually I was cleaning my little heart out, then while I was dusting I started smelling something strange. I turned around and much to my disgust Lil Pip had discovered treasure. In my cleaning frenzy I had forgotten to take the dog out...yep, I'm sure your mind has already taken you where this is going. Thank God Lil Pip isn't into putting stuff in her mouth yet! I was horrified, and puking in my mouth the whole way to the tub. As if adding the extra kid and beginning home school with M girl wasn't enough we went ahead and added another dog, a kitten, and some chickens. Shew. Typing those things has a weird effect on me, it's liberating but all the while shaming. I guess it's because some of you mommas will read those statements and think, "yep, I'm right there with you", and then the rest of you mommas will think, "wow! there is NO excuse for that." Who knows, maybe there isn't really any excuse, but it's been very crazy around here lately. We came back from vacation and as soon as our bags were unpacked life took off. My sister has been in from Texas visiting, and it has been wonderful having her so close! I miss her. A lot. Of course while she is in town, why worry about cleaning? I have two reasons here...1. There are 6 kids all 5 years old and under. 2. Cleaning takes time away from making precious memories. You probably wouldn't be able to guess this on your own after reading my above statements, but I am actually pretty anal when it comes to my house, I'm getting better but I used to be like a crazy woman. Seriously. Then I had a wake up call...One day I was on my hands and knees scrubbing my kitchen floor, and I was continually fussing at the kids to stay off my wet floor, and to stop jumping on my back, knocking me over, tickling me...whatever. I've noticed anytime I try to scrub my floors on my hands and knees, I always end up being attacked from behind!! I guess I look vulnerable. Anyway, I noticed my frustration that day and how it was effecting my kids (negatively). That same night, I was hurriedly trying to clean up dinner and get everything in it's place, when D came up behind me and placed his arms around my waist and started kissing on my neck. I snapped. "Can you please stop it!! You know I am trying to get this stuff done! Just let me work." For real. I said that. He got pretty upset with me and said, "Sorry for trying to show you I love you...most women would love to have that problem." I went to bed that night thinking...thinking hard. Since then I really try my hardest to not get so caught up and overwhelmed with the mess, I try to not let it effect me anymore. Am I saying to stop cleaning, and live in filth? No. We are supposed to keep our homes nice, and to serve and provide for our families. However, if scrubbing my kitchen floor is going to keep me from wrestling or playing outside with my kids then for the time being, a quick sweep will suffice. I also discovered that letting a pot sit in my kitchen sink overnight didn't cause my house to self destruct, and that it is a lot more fun to give in to the hugs and smooches of my lover then wash a dish. If you were to drop by my house at any given moment odds are you would find a mess, but I guarantee you if you can look beyond it you will find a family that yes, has it's issues but, we are full of love and silliness. I want my kids to know that when they talk to me, I am listening. What kind of mom am I if I can't even dry my hands long enough to bend down, make eye contact and really listen to Batman telling me (while wearing his super hero cape) about all the bad men he's beat up for the millionth time that day? I want my kids to know they are heard. I want to be their #1 fan, their biggest encourager. Sometimes, it's taking a step back and working things out through discipline and follow through, it's hard to be consistent, loving, and patient if I always have "work" to get done. Here's the truth, I can scrub my kitchen floor and after our next meal, it will be dirty again, and always there for me to scrub. But M girl, she won't be 5 and imaginative forever, Batman, he won't always be 2 and wanting to slay the bad guys or "tuddle wif mommy on da couch", and Lil Pip she won't be nursing for much longer either. These are the moments with them that I will cherish all my life, and I don't want to miss out on them. I mean let's face it, one day my kids will be adults and I will be that little old grandma in the check out line telling younger moms, to soak it up...it goes by way too fast. 


True Story: 
While I was writing this post, I heard this banging and splattering noise, so I set the computer down to go investigate since the kids were playing outside. As I got to the kitchen I looked out the patio door to see Batman with our old Pinterest project that hadn't quite made it to the trash yet. (I was being super mom the other day and actually did a "project" with the kids. You know the baking soda and vinegar thing, if you are a mom I am sure you have it pinned to your "kiddos" board! :)) Anyway, it's hard and dry now...Batman had the pan and was throwing huge handfuls of the hardened mixture at my windows and laughing hysterically. What makes boys think of this stuff?? :)

How can I get mad at him when he looks this stinkin' cute in a super hero cape?? Seriously. 

Thankfully I caught him before it got too bad! :)

Stuck to my windows.

Today my challenge for you is this, no matter your age or stage of life take a break from the cleaning and your "to do" list and spend time making memories with the people you love, especially take the time to really listen. I don't have a lot that I can give to people, but I can listen, and when people do that for me...it means a lot. Give it a shot. 


Be blessed peeps! 

A Princess gets a makeover.

We couldn't get breakfast with the Princesses for M girl (you have to reserve up to 180 days in advance!! OOPS!) So we decided that a princess makeover at the Bippity Boppity Boutique in Downtown Disney was the way to go. When I first got online to check it out, it too said about making reservations up to 180 days in advance, so I was quickly discouraged and decided to not even bother. I was sure they were booked solid. My mother in law is from New York and she was determined to try, so I said "Go ahead!" She called the night before and said "Hi, I would like to make reservations for tomorrow." I honestly chuckled to myself at how ridiculous we must have sounded but to me surprise she looked at me and said "10 am or 6 pm??" WHAT!?! So we took the 6 o'clock. When we arrived at the massive disney store we went straight to the back where a fairy God Mother booked M girl in, and gave her a Royal Invitation and a pager. She went on to tell her that she was on her way to give Lucifer (Cinderella's cat) a bath, and that it was the least favorite of all her jobs. M girl still talks about that, she enjoyed imagining what that would be like. We went on browsing the store until she was paged to begin her make over. 
She decided that she would be Ariel. Over the past couple months Ariel has become her favorite princess. She has never even seen the Little Mermaid, but she is into mermaids right now, so it makes sense I guess. They gave her the option of Ariel's wedding dress, or her mermaid outfit, and of course she chose the fin...the two piece I might add! I just knew D would be thrilled with her selection. :) (He actually didn't mind.) They got the dressing room all set up for us in advance, and then when we got to the door it was horrific to discover that it was LOCKED! Yep, locked! Good thing M girl knew the "magic words" and upon her "Bippity Boppity Boo!" her fairy god mother was able to open the door! *shew* She got dressed, and we were ready to begin. 

When her fairy god mother came back over she knelt down and said "my head fairy god mother has requested that you be brought to the Royal Window Seat! Is that ok with you Priness M girl?" M girl nodded her head yes, very excitedly. We had no idea what that meant but a disney photographer headed our way and started taking pictures of M girl as she was walking. She was snapping away, like the paparazzi! As we made our way through the store she walked the aisle way while her fairy god mother announced to the crowds, "Make way for the Princess!" "Princess coming through!" Oh my! It was absolutely magical. I cried, and M girl beamed from ear to ear. We then made it to the window seat. She was on display for all of downtown disney to see, in the display window!! How cool. We were overhearing people being turned away left and right, the god mothers were saying "I'm sorry we are booked full for the next month." We then began to realize just how cool it was that we were able to book a spot. Nothing short of a miracle. Call me super spiritual if you must, but Thank you Jesus for a wonderful experience. I asked the god mother how we were picked for the window seat and she responded, "we just select at random." Again, Thank you Jesus! Very cool! :) 
Over all, M girl LOVED this experience and it was well worth every penny. And it was A LOT of pennies. I'm confident that she won't ever forget it though. Here are a few pics...ok a lot of pictures. She is just too beautiful to only share a couple! 

Getting ready...

Add some make up...

and pink princess hair...

some serious beauty right here...

Princess sash on...

add "fairy dust" aka glitter (that we are still finding on us days later!) 

We had our own personal photographer through out the entire make over, and then headed over to guest services for a 15 minute photo shoot where we were then able to select 4 of our favorite poses! We ended the evening with dinner at T-Rex's a fabulous/fun place for kids...ok, adults too! It's very cool, and the food is delicious! 

"Mommy! Mommy! Watch me!"

Well "Family Vacation 2012" has begun! We are in Orlando, Florida having a blast! So far everything has gone exceptionally well. The 12 1/2 hour drive here was just supernatural. If anyone has ever doubted the existence of God I will be more then happy to tell them about our drive to Florida with 3 kids, ages 5, 2 and 5 months. It was nothing short of a miracle...we had not one melt down or tear. I'll give you a moment to let that sink in...
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Ok, we hit Sea World yesterday, and it was fabulous. The kids absolutely loved it, and they did so well! I'm so blown away by M girl this year, she has grown so much. She used to be my timid kid that wouldn't try anything but yesterday she hit every ride, even a roller coaster! GO M GIRL! :) She won't ride the rides with me though, only D. I remember when I was little and I always rode every ride with my dad, dad's just make you feel safer. That's a cool thing. I love watching the bond between M girl and D, it reminds how blessed I (and my kids) truly are. He's nothing less then amazing. Anyway, we made it to 3 o'clock yesterday in 92 degree Florida heat, without naps before we had a melt down. We went to see a show and Batman's slushy wasn't quite cooperating with him, that didn't end well. While he was laying on the ground screaming some Dad with older kids turned around and gave me a bad look. I wanted to back hand him in the face for his glare, but instead responded with, he's 2. It's hot. It's 3 o clock in the afternoon. He turned around without saying a word and I was glad he did. Why do people do that? It's parent code...don't ever look/stare at other people's kids melting down, especially in an amusement park. It happens. Over all I was very happy with the way we handled ourselves. D and I knew meltdowns would probably occur, so we determined before the day began to stay positive and happy. We did it. We didn't once snap at each other, and the way all the other spouses around us were going at it by 1 o clock, I realized we had really accomplished the almost impossible. 


The place we are staying is fabulous. We have a 4 bedroom home in Orlando. We are away from the hussle and bussle and it's nice and quiet. We have a pool and spa in the back yard, and I love it. Especially right now, the kids are inside sleeping and I am writing typing this pool side while working on my tan. Fabulous. I said when we got here that I would love to have a pool like this in my backyard. Then the kids got in and all I heard for 3 hours straight was "Mommy! Look at me!" "Mommy! Watch this!" Yeah, i'll pass on the pool. I had to watch M girl do 50 "different" kinds of jumps in the pool, ninja jumps, princess jumps, seal jumps, the list goes on. They ALL looked EXACTLY the same. Oh my. Now I know how my mom felt when my sister and I always made her "rate on a scale from 1-10" our handstands. (Mom, if you are reading this, I would like to apologize. It's so annoying, yet you were a great sport. I'm trying to be like you.) 


Tonight we are heading to get M girl a princess makeover at the Bippity Boppity Boutique. I can't wait. After that it's off to dinner with the dinosaurs...


Now to close my eyes and work on my tan...hopefully I will get some pictures uploaded tonight to share with everyone. :) 

Farts ARE funny.

Farts are funny. They just are. I mean seriously, what momma out there doesn't let out at least a little chuckle when their little one(s) "rip" a good one? I know I do. In fact just this morning, Batman let one loose on the bar stool at breakfast. He was pushing for it, and between his force and the wood of the stool, he made some magic. M girl's eyes looked as though they would pop out of her head, and Batman reaches out to high five her and says, "wow! Dat was a big one!!" I love the giggles and happiness that filled our kitchen at that moment. I leaned back against the counter, breathed in my fresh cup of coffee, took a sip, and for a moment escaped to some perfect world. Just for a moment though, the gas continued to come and as you can imagine eventually led to the first diaper change of the morning. Now, don't get all "mommy judgmental" on me. Yes, Batman is still in diapers! I've been trying! However, if you feel as though you could get the kid to go on the potty, I wouldn't stop you from trying, Good Luck. He goes when he wants to go, and if he doesn't want to go, forget about it! Who can blame him really? It's the one area of his life that he has complete control over at this stage in the game, and he knows it. Let's face it, I can make him sit on the potty for hours but, if he chooses to hold it, he wins! I know he enjoys it because he smiles, constantly. It's like dangling a doughnut in front of my face all day long. Every diaper change "mommy, dis is soo distusting. I should do dis on da potty." It would drive me insane if I let it, so I have resolved to ignore it all together. Bad parenting method?? Perhaps. If he's 10 and still in diapers, I will consider therapy. Anyway, back to farting, er...passing gas. My mom hates the word fart. I can feel her evil eyes, and disappointed face glaring at me every time I type it. A friend sent me a hilarious story this week. Long story short, her daughter thought she had peed her pants since she saw a little wet spot in her unders. (she's prego! Cut her some slack!) Her little one was moved to almost tears, saying "mommy, it's ok that you peed your pants a little. Next time let's just not wait so long. Ok, mommy?" Oh, how sweet! We laughed so hard over this little story, but noticed that other "well seasoned" ladies didn't really seem to laugh. That got us thinking...why do we as moms have such a twisted sense of humor? Well I guess i'm dragging the rest of you mommas down into the ditch with me. I know I have a weird sense of humor, but how could I not. If I didn't laugh about being pooped on, puked on, etc then I would probably end up in a padded room. It's life. Let's face it, we moms are pros at diaper explosions at the most in-oppurtune times, singing the itsy-bitsy spider and playing catch while we ourselves are trying to "eliminate waste", the list goes on. So my advice to you today...LAUGH. Just laugh about it, because as the saying goes...sh*t happens!

A Happy Day of Mothering

We celebrated our Mother's Day this year on Saturday. It was nice, the kids gave me cards and all kinds of homemade gifts, and D bought me a chicken coop and plants for my garden. Yes, that's what I wanted. Flowers are beautiful, and of course I love to receive them, but I am a realist when it comes to flowers...they are expensive, and they die. I'm not much of a jewelry person, and when it comes to handbags, a cute Target clearance will suffice. But, the thought of fresh eggs, chickens for my kids to play with, and a flourishing garden...now that gets me excited! We had a lovely cook out with the family, and I was able to spend part of the day with my mom since she was in town. It was great. All that being said, we woke up on Sunday morning and D was getting ready to head to church (it was his Sunday to lead worship). He was also leaving that day for some training for work and would not be back until Thursday, bummer! The kids still had a few chicken pox that weren't quite scabbed over so, we stayed behind, hanging out in our pj's. D needed some clothes washed so he could pack for his upcoming trip, so I started a load of laundry. For some reason as soon as I open the washing machine and start loading it, I enter "cleaning mode". By the time I sat down on the couch at 10:30 (am) to have a cup of coffee I had finished 4 loads of laundry, unloaded, reloaded, started, and unloaded the dishwasher, swept the floors, vacuumed AND straightened the kids rooms. I took a sip of my coffee, grabbed the iPad and logged onto Facebook. Big Mistake. I was immediately sent spiraling downward into a pit of self pity. Reading everyone's status' about how they were enjoying their day, all the gifts they were getting, oh and the best part, the pictures! The pictures of the mothers with their children all dressed up and looking nice. And there I sat. In my pajamas, a headband wrapped around my wild, greasy hair, and the buzzer on the dryer going off. I was arguing back and forth in my head with myself. "Oh stop! You celebrated yesterday, today is just another day." and "Yeah, but TODAY is mother's day, and look at me. I'm disgusting and i'm working my butt off!" The kids started fighting so I logged off, and broke up the fight. I then plopped back down on the couch and immediately started reflecting. I was faced with a choice. I can be bitter, impatient, upset, and ungrateful for the day we had yesterday. -OR- I can be happy that I am able to be at home with the very beings that gave me the title of "mom", mothering them and nursing them back to health in love. I pulled out my bible and started reading and journaling. God spoke to me in such a still, loving voice and I was flooded with love and peace. 

Proverbs 31:10-31:

10 "A wife (mom) of noble character who can find? 

    She is worth far more than rubies.

11 Her husband has full confidence in her

    and lacks nothing of value. 

12 She brings him good, not harm,

    all the days of her life.

13 She selects wool and flax

    and works with eager hands. 

14 She is like the merchant ships,

    bringing her food from afar.

15 She gets up while it is still night;

    she provides food for her family

    and portions for her female servants.

16 She considers a field and buys it;

    out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

17 She sets about her work vigorously;

    her arms are strong for her tasks.

18 She sees that her trading is profitable,

    and her lamp does not go out at night.

19 In her hand she holds the distaff

    and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

20 She opens her arms to the poor

    and extends her hands to the needy. 

21 When it snows, she has no fear for her household;

    for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

22 She makes coverings for her bed;

    she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

23 Her husband is respected at the city gate,

    where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

24 She makes linen garments and sells them,

    and supplies the merchants with sashes.

25 She is clothed with strength and dignity;

    she can laugh at the days to come.

26 She speaks with wisdom,

    and faithful instruction is on her tongue. 

27 She watches over the affairs of her household

    and does not eat the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise and call her blessed;

    her husband also, and he praises her:

29 “Many women do noble things,

    but you surpass them all.”

30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;

    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.

31 Honor her for all that her hands have done,

    and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

So, I decided to be thankful. Thankful that God has blessed me with these incredible little people I get to mother. Thankful that I am blessed with an incredible husband who honors me day in and day out, not just on special occasions. I realized that sacrificing for my children, and caring for them, shows them this love I have for them is unconditional. I also realized that stopping myself, and taking the time to sit down with God's word and my journal is the very thing that will allow them to one day "arise and call me blessed". So we cuddled. Me in my pj's, Batman and lil Pip in their diapers, and M girl in an oversized T shirt. We watched The Little Rascals for the 12,323543,4356436th time, and it was probably my best Mother's Day yet. :)  

Chicken Pox. (enough said)

I've been a mom now for almost 6 years. (That's just crazy when I think about it!) From the day M girl was born I've always had this fear in the back of my mind, you know, one of those fears that you think, "Oh my! If this were to happen, what. would. I. do?!" As i'm sure you have guessed from the title of this blog, that fear is WAS the chicken pox. The thought of itchy red bumps everywhere, fevers, and trying to convince little fingers to not scratch, it was very intimidating. However, I am a living testimony...there is still life after chicken pox!! :) And actually, it's a dang good life, knowing I will never have to deal with them again. (Well, at least in my older two kids.) So far lil Pip has seemed to dodge the dreadful disease, I was kinda hoping she would go ahead and get it over with but, so goes life. It all started a couple Sundays ago, I thought Batman was getting a couple pimples on his face from sweating so much. Then a few more showed up on his stomach, and it hit me what was happening. Then just a couple days later M girl started getting a little spotted as well. Is it sick of me to say they were actually quite cute with all their little polka dots. :) M girl had one right on the end of her nose, I claimed that one as my favorite. She wasn't amused. So basically it's been two solid weeks of literally waking up, not leaving the house, showering (every other day...or so) and getting right back into pajamas. I had asked M girl to take the dog out one evening and didn't realize Batman had escaped with her. Yeah, I look out the window to see them standing at the end of the driveway, (Batman only in a diaper) calling the neighbor kids over to play! I was horrified. I ran to the door to call them back inside since the kids next door were making their way over, and about that time I hear, "NO! GET BACK OVER HERE!" Oh my! My poor neighbor, she is such a good sport when it comes to all of our craziness over here, and i'm sure was having a mini heart attack at the sight of her kiddos almost making contact with my infectious kiddos. *shew* That was a close one. I herded my unclean children back into the house feeling ashamed I had let them "escape"! :) D did take me to Lowe's one evening to get some plants, I needed out of the house. As we were climbing in the car he said, "Wow babe! You look great!" I blushed and replied, "well thanks, it's just a t-shirt and jeans." And of course, you know i'm thinking...I guess I can make anything look good! Then he says "yeah, but I think it's the first I've seen you with a bra on all week!" I opened my mouth to argue, but what was my argument?? It was true! So we had a good laugh and set out for the store. While eating dinner, there was a couple with four kids sitting across from us. They kept looking over at us lovingly through out the evening and commenting to their kids "yes, they have a baby. Babies grow up so fast, and soon will be as big as you!" I knew they were thinking "How CUTE! Their first baby!" Every time we go out on dates lil Pip is in tow since she is nursing and refuses a bottle up to this point. Without fail at least one person asks, "Is she your first?" Guess we still look young, that's a good thing right?? Anyway...during the course of the meal, I nursed lil Pip and while she was eating she filled her diaper up! I knew it was bad, because my leg started feeling reallllly warm. Yep, sure enough, she exploded all up her back. No worries though! I have a change of clothes in my diaper bag, I am ALWAYS prepared. Off to the bathroom we go. Long story short, Batman likes to "unload" my diaper bag, and he apparently had worked his magic at some point during the day so I was left with a burp cloth and a bib. What's a mom to do?? I'll tell ya! Remove the poop filled onesie, tuck a burp cloth in the back of the poo stained pants, and slap a bib on her to at least cover the "girls"! Poor lil Pip! I wrapped a blanket around her and returned to the table. D is staring at me and inquires about her nakedness, while the other family still watches us with their "perfect family" smiles. We end up leaving together, and as we are loading up in D's mom's red sporty Toyota Matrix (that we borrowed for the evening to save on gas), we hear "aww. I remember those days." We smiled and continued on, all the while thinking in our heads: "Don't let us fool you. The truth is, the reason our daughter has no clothes on is because our 2 year old is into everything and unloads the diaper bag on a regular basis, we have a 5 year old too. They aren't with us tonight because they have the chicken pox. We haven't been out of the house in 5 days, and we drive a mini van that honestly smells kinda funny, actually really funny." SO anyway, about those pox...we survived. I knew we would. Some days were rough, but we pulled through. Now D is gone for training for his work, so I'm on my own for four days. I'm thinking we will survive that too, but, I'll let you know-hopefully. :)