Kids do the darndest things

Sekoya didn't want to go to bed one night. She kept asking to stay up later with the answer being no, no, no. So when we went down to check on them before we went to bed this is what we found. She had made herself a bed at the bottom of the stairs. When she woke up in the morning she was mad that we had moved her into her bed. Funny kid.

Just cute Katera

I bought some fake nails and stickers one day. I put the fake nails on Sekoya and painted Katera's and added stickers. Katera had her stickers ripped off in ten minutes and Sekoya's nails didn't last through the day. I asked her to keep track of them when they came off so we could use them again. She threw them in the trash!

You can't go through potty training without at least one picture! I had forgotten about this one. She was so easy to potty train! She is even to the point where you have to go out and give her privacy! We only have accidents occasionally. Yay- life without diapers and a diaper bag!

Sekoya gets pampered

Hello Sunshine!

T
Today was such a nice day! It was around 60 degrees! I took Katera for a walk. It was so bright that when I put my sunglasses on she asked for some too. The closest ones I could find were my old ones. Amazingly she kept them on the whole time. I asked her about half way through if we should go home to which she replied "No, keep walking." Too bad it was just a teaser and it's gonna turn rainy and snowy tomorrow. Aggggghhhhhh! I am so ready for spring! I think winter should be over right after Christmas!

More projects

We have been spending a lot of time the last few weeks working on finishing part of the basement. Well, we haven't done a lot of the work, but we have coordinated the contractors. There is a big family room, bonus room and bedroom that are unfinished. We were going to wait and maybe not do it, but we have found that we definitely need another family room. So when I have girls over to play games or scrapbook Jason can have somewhere else to go. Three weeks ago we had a guy frame it in for us and the last two weekends Jason has helped a friend with all the electrical. He did do all the insulation himself though! We are just not big do-it-yourself people! We are now waiting on the drywall guys. Now if I can just pick carpet and keep it in our budget! I have champagne taste on a beer budget! I haven't been very good at pictures either! I will have to get down there and get a picture right now. I can't wait until it's done!

The bonus/game/exercise room

The family room

Favoritism?

Does anybody else have this problem..... Favoritism?

I have found myself favoring Katera quite a bit of the time. I don't really do it on purpose. It's just that she is "the baby" of the family and she is still learning what the rules are what is expected in our house. Sekoya is a big girl and already knows those things so I am quite hard on her sometimes. Whenever Katera makes a mess it's usually Sekoya who gets stuck cleaning it up and when they are fighting I always assume that Sekoya started it. I always make Sekoya give up a toy if Katera wants it. Katera usually gets to watch her cartoons on TV instead of Sekoya. I have started cracking down on it though. Katera spends quite a bit of time in time-out these days. And I have come to the conclusion that I am just going to have to listen to her scream sometimes instead of favoring her. I really hope that Sekoya hasn't sensed this. I don't love Katera any more than Sekoya. It's also hard not to make Sekoya not feel bad when Katera is still learning how to talk and lots of stuff she says and does is so cute. I am constantly telling someone something cute she said and leaving Sekoya out. I need to try harder and be more conscious of this! I love both my girls and don't know what I would do without them.

It's all about LOVE

Valentine's in our house was all about trying to teach my girls to LOVE each other!! I said about a month ago how sweet they were being and that we were having such good days..... well, that is not the case the last two weeks. They have been at each other's throats every day. Now Katera is starting to defend herself and fight back. In fact, on Valentine's day they were fighting and Katera bit Sekoya on her right shoulder. It wasn't just a little bite either. It left welts that has now become a lovely bruise. I should have taken pictures, but I was too busy making dinner. We had pink heart pancakes -which I am sure millions of others did that morning. Then individual heart pizzas for dinner with cupid jello cups (red and pink layered jello). As the girls were helping me make the jello they were fighting. I told them they couldn't help if they couldn't do it with LOVE. That only lasted until the jello was done. Jason spent the whole day helping a friend wire our basement so we can get it finished. We knew it was going to be a busy day so we went out to dinner on Friday after going to the freshman basketball game. We missed the crowds of other people celebrating the day of LOVE too. Jason surprised me this year and bought me a wonderful jewelery set. We had said we weren't buying gifts for each other, but he cheated. I just made the girls little baskets out of scrapbook paper and filled them with cookies and candy. I gave Katera a little Valentine bear and Sekoya a gift card to Walmart. I took her shopping with the gift card and she picked out a fun High School Musical dance mat. Now they fight over that. I took the girls to see the Little Mermaid play that the local kids were in. Sekoya got tears in her eyes right at first. I still felt so bad that she wasn't in it. Towards the end of the play Katera needed a drink. Sekoya said she could take her so I let them go. They didn't come back and the play was ending. I wanted to find them before the crowds came out of the auditorium. When I went to the drinking fountain they weren't there. I checked the bathrooms, back at the auditorium and back to the bathrooms again. When I called their names I heard a muffled cry from the elevators right by the bathrooms and drinking fountain. I opened the elevator and they both ran into my arms sobbing. They thought they were locked in the elevator because when they went in Sekoya pushed number two. It didn't go anywhere and the doors didn't open either. She said she was about to push the emergency button. I told her that is exactly what she should have done if I hadn't found them. Life with my girls is never dull, but I so LOVE them.

One of life's lessons

Today was an audition for The Little Mermaid play for kids age Kindergarten-5th grade. Again, it was announced at school and notes sent home so Sekoya knew about it and wanted to do it. I wasn't too sure about the idea. I don't think she is ready for the disappointment that comes along with not making it. But I want her to be able to make her own decisions and reap the rewards or consequences from them. So we went at 3:30 and walked out at 5:30 with a crying little girl. It was a very long two hours! I don't think she would have had fun in the practices if she would have made it anyway. About half way through the audition she got out of line to come tell me that she was bored. I wish the flyer about the auditions had been a little bit more specific about how many parts were available. They only gave out 25-30 parts to a room full of about 80 hopeful kids. And only one of them was a kindergartner. If I had known there were that few parts I probably would have talked Sekoya out of the audition. Needless to say there were lots of kids leaving in tears. I guess this is just her first life lesson in disappointment. But it's not easy being the mommy to a crushed 5 year old.

On a lighter note, she got her hair cut today. I realized when I was doing her hair for church yesterday that she had cut it AGAIN!!! This is I think the 5th time- I've lost count. I asked her if she wanted it short and her answer was a definite yes. So we went to visit Grandma Sindy at the beauty shop this morning. Sekoya knew just what she wanted and told Grandma just how to do it. I tried talking her out of it since we probably can't do ponytails now, but there was no changing her mind. I guess she is a bit like her mommy. Once my mind is made up that's the end of discussion. She giggled the whole time and was absolutely pleased with the end result. I think it makes her look so grown up. As if she needed that.

I hate hair! I hate doing it. It wastes so much of my time drying and doing my hair. Then I have to fight the girls to do their hair. And I am not a prissy girl that has to have PERFECT hair. I just wash, dry, and curl as quickly as I can. It still takes me about 1 1/2 hours to get us all ready for the day. I could think of so many other productive things to do with an extra hour! It sure would be nice if all the women in the world would just shave their heads. Then no one would stand out and we could all have more time in our day! Don't even get me going on make-up! Half the time I don't even wear it. Well, that was my rant for the day!

First Play Date for Katera

Yesterday we dropped Sekoya off at a friend's house to play after school. Katera was so sad that she didn't get to go play too. So we came home and called a friend for her. Yes, I am totally crazy! It was a cute little girl that just moved into Sunbeams this year so she is little bit older. I told the mom to plan on just a half hour in case it didn't go well. After the half hour was up they were still being nice so I called and told the mom not to come yet. That was when it went down hill. Katera started being clingy to me and not wanting to share or be nice. I don't think they ever even played WITH each other the whole time. They just played next to each other in the toy room. Thank goodness it was a short play date. I don't think I could have handled any longer. It just proved to me that she isn't quite old enough for play dates..... but soon!

Bikini Girl

Is anyone else out there glad that Bikini Girl-or Katrina something or other went home?! Yes, I am talking about American Idol. I know this is the 8th season and it is getting somewhat old, but I just can't help myself. I really don't watch it faithfully until they get down to the top 12.

Back to Bikini Girl.... I so hated her from the moment she did her first audition. And not cause she is beautiful. Because she is- you can't deny that. I just hated how she flaunted it in everybody's face and acted like she was the greatest thing to ever walk the face of this earth. Not to mention how she tried making out with Ryan Seacrest. Then in Hollywood on group day she was such a brat and didn't practice with her group hardly at all. She just thought that her short skirt and hot body were going to get her to the next round.

Probably the reason I hated her so bad is because I have come across people like that in my life. They think their looks and charm can get them whatever they want. That is so irritating when you have worked hard for everything in your life and they just get it handed to them- and expect it.

My cute girls

I just have to jot down some of the cute things my girls have said lately before I forget.

I just colored my hair yesterday. I went from highlighted blonde to dark red/brown. When I got home Sekoya told me I looked goth.

When Katera woke up from her short nap today -
Me- What are you doing up already Silly Willy? Are you a Silly Willy?
Katera- No, I'm Tara. Your best friend.

Sekoya calls late night- Bednight instead of midnight.

I always count the stairs with Katera when we go up or down. She surprised me and counted to ten all by herself today.

Katera says 'mamik' for oatmeal. One of her favorite breakfasts.

The other night Jason was trying to hold Katera and help her play cards. She looked him in the face and said "Keep your hands to yourself!"

I know there is more, but I will have to put them on here when I remember.

Sekoya's pretend birthday

Today was Sekoya's pretend birthday at her kindergarten class. They celebrate pretend birthdays for all the kids who have summer birthdays. Sekoya brought home a poster last week that had some things for her to fill in about her and what she wanted for her birthday. Then she got to color the whole poster. Some of the things on her poster- She's excited to turn 6 so she can get presents and she wants a Nintendo DS for her birthday. I got to go and share with the class what she had put on her poster and read one of her favorite books- Priscilla Superstar. They also get to bring treats for the class. Sekoya picked brownies. So I bought some cute heart brownies from WalMart (the treats can't be homemade) yesterday and put them in the cupboard. But... when I pulled them out to give to all the kids there wasn't enough. There was just enough for everybody but Sekoya. Thank goodness her teacher had given her a sucker that she could eat.

Boy do I feel like mother of the year right now.

In my defense- I did buy enough, but somebody at home helped themselves and didn't bother to tell me. Sekoya was a very good girl about it. She didn't cry even though I could tell she wanted to. I gave her a big hug and told her I would take her after school to get whatever treat she wanted. Then I went home and cried. It was her special day and she had to sit and watch all the kids eat the treats she picked. Some days just really suck!

Superbowl

After school project

My girls are kind of high maintenance. They can't just come up with things to play or do on their own. They either have to have a friend over or want me to come up with a project for them to do. And they can't be simple projects like coloring. No, it has to include paints, play dough, glue, and all other things messy.