Random thoughts today...

During playgroup at church, my 2 year old runs out the classroom door, through 2 more doors and across the parking lot before I could catch her.

Somehow, I got all 3 girls to cry (at the same time!) in the car today. Man, I am parent of the year...

Friday night is family night in the Ramsey household, and yet at one point tonight all 5 of us were in different rooms. Once again, I'm really deserving a parenting award here...

On the other hand, I have read roughly a zillion books with my girls today, they ate their green beans with supper, and everyone got a nap (except Mommy). Not too shabby. Happy leap day!

Running Class

Well, I went to my first running class tonight. All. By. Myself. Which wasn't too bad, I ran into a few acquaintances, found people to chit-chat with. Mostly I spent my time playing my new favorite game. It's called "My Hypothetical Ipod". Basically, I just plan out what songs I would put on an ipod if I ever got one. I love this game. It's going to catch on, trust. Here are 10 songs that I will never hear too many times:
FAST:

• Funky Town - Lipps, Inc.
• Dance to the Music - Sly and the Family Stone
• American Girl - Tom Petty
• Son of a Preacher Man - Dusty Springfield
• Driving My Life Away - Eddie Rabbitt

SLOW:

• Natural High - Merle Haggard
• Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain - Willie Nelson
• Jackson - Lucinda Williams
• With or Without You - U2
• First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Roberta Flack

Isn't this fun? Now, I know you are thinking, "where's the old school Acappella? the Chris Rice? the Casting Crowns?" I hypothetically have a whole other ipod for that.

Works for Me Wednesday - painting quilt

Ooooh, this is my first Works For Me Wednesday idea. I've been a little obsessed with WFMW but didn't know how to get that little buttony thing to work. Obviously, still don't. Will work on that.

Anyhoo, let me introduce to you the painting quilt. The beauty of the painting quilt is five-fold:

• it was quilted by Jeff's grandma Ramsey. I LOVE anything that is homemade/handmade. She loves that we use it so much.


• Because it is a patch work quilt, the colors are kind of all over the place, so you never see the spilled paint


• it gets used for everything. We call it the "painting quilt", but it is also used for indoor/outdoor picnics and pumpkin decorating, etc.


• anticipation - when the girls see the quilt come out, they automatically think, "something fun is coming!"


• easy clean-up. Just throw it into the washing machine.

We love the painting quilt! Bonus: the more you wash it, the softer it gets! (And yes, the pictures are a re-enactment.) Hee

I got to talk to my old roomie on the phone today! It's been said (by me) many times that I don't make friends easily. (I make acquaintances easily, though, so I usually have someone to talk to.) But, the friends I do have, man, they are such fantastic people.

When I say friend, I mean the kind of person that you have so much to say to that you talk over each other trying to get it all out. Or, that you haven't seen in a long time and you say, "you look great!" and you absolutely mean it because just seeing them makes you feel good.

It's amazing the effect that talking to one of these gals has on me! I know I am not telling you anything that you don't already know, so... here is your challenge for today: call someone you haven't talked to in a while. Huge pick me up. You will thank me!

Eliza Belle Ramsey = 4 months

In honor of Eliza's 4 month birthday, here are 4 fun facts about her:

1. The doctor says her eyes will stay blue. "Hooray!", say both of her blue-eyed grandpas.




2. She's begun rolling. Naptimes will never be the same.



3. Her thighs are bigger than Sophie's.



4. She only wears jammies. She wore a dress to church once, and cried until we changed her into the spare jammies we keep in the bag. Girls - so opinionated when it comes to clothes!

In happier news, we've been fever free for almost 48 hrs! Woo to the Hoo! Thanks for the prayers and e-mails. :-)

Totally Bummed

All those warm feelings I had while tending to my sick children have evaporated today! Today at church was our annual parent commitment ceremony and with 3 puny ones we felt that the responsible thing to do was to miss it. I feel guilty that we didn't get to share that with Eliza. Plus, I love parent commitment Sunday! I love the symbolism of commiting to raising her for the Lord and the celebrating with the other parents. (and the sickies have gone from phase one: pitiful to phase two: cranky). Serious bummage around here. So, I thought I would take my cue from Soulemama and look for 10 things that made me smile today.

1. Getting to go to Hancock's and toot around all by myself
   
   


2. finding this fabric : (c'mon, pink! lollipops!) bought some.




3. A bird picture on Etsy
   
   


4. This fabric website that has Heather Ross and Amy Butler fabric at a discount
   
   


5. The cake Sophie picked out for her birthday
   
   


6. Learning that I am a pirate! And my CSI character is Greg! And if I were a dog, I'd be a pug! And that I am only 91% feminine. (Don't like that one.)
   
   


7. Potty training pictures courtesy of Jamie's blog (I know that they've been posted for a couple of days, but still - hysterical)
   
   


8. I ate cheez-its for a snack. I love me a cheez-it!
   
   


9. Watching Jeff dance :-) you gotta see it
   
   


10. This scripture I found while doing my ladies' Bible study - Psalms 27:13

Slightly less bummed now.

Color us Puny

I don't know about anyone else, but for the Ramsey household this has been the worst year for illness. Right now both the older two are on different antibiotics and they are playing wait and see with Eliza since she is so young. This is saying something because I am of the "less is more" school when it comes to medication. Usually, we can head off the worst with vaporizers and that little nose sucker thing. Not so this time. The thing is, when I was up last night from 2 o'clock on with a feverish child, I relished my role as a parent. Don't get me wrong, I was sleepy. But, comforting my child feels right and natural and (forgive my conceit!) something I can do for them better than anyone. So many things about parenting I second guess myself on, but snuggle and comfort my sick babies, that's something I can do.

Nicknames

It all started when Maddie was first born. For some reason, Sophie started calling her "Maddie Poops". As in, "hey, whatcha doin, Maddie Poops?" Finally she quit doing that only to get another baby sister whom she calls, that's right, Eliza Poops. We're so used to her calling her that, that we've started it up also. Only, and this is the sad part, we tend to shorten it. So, long story short, we have a lovely daughter that goes by the name of Poops. That's bad, isn't it?

A Star is Born :-)

Just got back from the big performance. They sang a song about a penguin and did the Hokey Pokey (that's what it's all about, after all). It was incredibly fun. Why is it that whenever your child is on stage, whether they really get into the motions (as Sophie did) or stand there and make faces (as most did), you just laugh hysterically. The whole auditorium was filled with parents cracking up. I like to think I have a highly developed sense of humor (cough, cough) , but have a little kid dance around in a costume and I'm a goner every time.

Lost in Translation

This was our conversation today:

Me (talking to myself) - "what time is it?"

Sophie - "it's P o'clock"

Me - "what?"

Sophie - "P. it's P o'clock, Mom"

Me - "okay, so it is"

Thank you, Lord, for my babies. They are so weird and wonderful.

It's funny, as a parent, you are always trying to stay "present in the moment" so you don't miss anything. I have had so much fun this past week reconnecting with old friends and remembering things I had completely forgotten. What's really ironic about all this is that my closest friend here in J'boro also went to Harding! Our lives are just so far removed from that scene, even though we live just an hour and a half away (and she even married an alum!). So, today, to complete the nostalgic feel, I broke out my old Screaming Mimes c.d. Those of you who went to Harding remember! Those of you who didn't, I'll lend you my copy. :-) Suddenly, I don't feel quite so old. Now if I could just find where I put my jersey...

sleeping arrangements

Striped sheets by Target, quilt by my grandmother, pillow arrangement by M. and S. Ramsey... It's funny, we moved to this 4 bedroom house when we had one toddler and one on the way knowing that we eventually wanted to have 3 children. Each could have their own room, etc. Not only do the older two not want their own room, they don't want their own bed! Their talented daddy built them beds of their own, yet they continue to sleep together in one bed (usually snuggled up or touching in some way.) May they always feel this connected. I think it's beautiful.

Adios, glasses

There will be a missing photo today, because Jeff caught me trying to put his photo on here. I think it finally dawned on him what I was doing taking his picture all day! We both have the same issue with having our picture published (actually, just having our picture taken is a nightmare.) One day I might decide to put our whole family's picture up here, maybe.

Anyhoo, this little post is not about pictures but about glasses. Specifically, Jeff's glasses. He's getting Lasik done tomorrow, which is wonderful, but I must confess that I have always found men in glasses attractive. It must be a "Clark Kent" kind of thing. So, sayonara, Glasses, it was good while it lasted. :-)

In happier news, Nana is here! And Eliza can read!

Well, had to call in the reinforcements (Mom) to help me out with the poodle skirts. I can make dresses all day long, but can't seem to do anything that has a waist. Fortunately, fit is my mom's specialty. Hugs, Mom!

The skirts are for Sophie and Lucy Box (The Best Friend) to wear in their first ever school program. I am soo excited about it. Maybe even "dork excited" as an old friend would say. Am hoping that the girls don't chicken out.

And yes, they are technically kitty not poodle skirts.

I have to give props to my friend Amy today. She read about how I was taking on an enormous smocking project and offered to help me out if I started running out of time. She has three girls of her own, so this was a very generous offer! To answer my friend Lisa's question, smocking is stitching across pleats. You should try this, Lisa! You would be very good at it.

This is Sophie's Easter dress. Maddie's will have purple on white and Eliza's will have either blue or green. Can't decide. This weekend I have to take a break from the smocking and work on some poodle skirts (that don't actually have poodles on them.)

Question of the day: if Dora is a girl, why doesn't she have eyebrows?

little girl hairdos

This is a picture of what a 2 year old's ponytail looks like. On a good day. Poor Maddie is going through the "I have a nest on my head" phase. Sophie went through it, too. It must be a right of passage for little girls.

And, yes, the walls in the background are two different shades of green. We'll work on that.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Firsties

Okay, first blog... I guess I could give an update on my life, but the last four years can be summed up pretty easily - pregnant, baby, pregnant, baby, pregnant, baby. Yep, I have three children and the oldest one is three. It's still blowing my mind. Here is a picture of my darlings. Eliza ( the youngest) wasn't really feeling it. To be honest, she never really does. She may be in pre-school before we get a decent picture of her.

Right now I am consumed with a major smocking project. I decided last week that I was going to smock their Easter dresses. What's the point of having three girls if you aren't going to dress them alike, am I right people? Anyhoo, since I haven't really smocked a whole lot, I ended up picking a pretty complicated pattern (or "plate" in smock-speak). I should probably just go buy the Easter dresses, but I am stubbornly forging ahead with my plan. I'll let you know how it goes!

In other news, those of you who know of the battle my mother has faced will be happy to know that she is doing fantastic. She will never be cancer free, but she is chemo and radiation free for the time being. And she has the sassiest wig! Thanks for the prayers!

Well, I don't really want my first blog to be unbearably long so I will sign off with a few more pictures of the girls. God bless!

Maddie Eliza Sophie