Lice Happens

I’ve debated with myself whether I should write this particular post or not. I decided to post because when I was going through it I wanted advice, support, humor and it came in various forms to help me through the process. So I hope maybe my post will help someone else or at least let them know that it happens to the best of us and all you can do is buckle down and drive through it.

A couple of weeks ago I noticed Teagan was scratching her head a little more than normal. She unfortunately has her Daddy’s dry scalp but this scratching caught me as odd. I sat her down in my lap and found lice. Several lice and TONS of nits. It literally took my breath away. How could my three year old who does not go to daycare have lice? I keep a clean home. I bathe my kids. WE ARE NEAT PEOPLE! Where did this come from? Those questions could wait to plaque me as I tried to sleep at night for now the task at hand was to get rid of them.

I went to the drugstore and purchased two boxes of treatment assuming if one had it then the other had it as well. They share every sickness so this wouldn’t be any different. Go ahead and jump my butt about using chemicals on my two and three year old. I already knew the horror stories on getting rid of lice so I bought the best I could buy and also purchased an organic “keep lice away” shampoo for the after effects.

Before treating the girls I stripped their beds. Took every stuffed animal or toy with too much fabric and tied them up in plastic bags and threw them in the garage. I washed all the sheets, their bibis and one each of their favorite stuffed animals. Then I vacuumed everything else.

I took the two girls in tandem. First I shampooed Teagan and let it sit while I shampooed Kaitlyn. When I was done with Kaitlyn I rinsed Teagan then rinsed Kaitlyn. Next was the gel and combing to get each and every last nit out. I started with Teagan. It took me five hours to comb and search and comb her hair. We watched two movies and ate lots of snacks to get through. That old stash of lollipops was God sent. Teagan was, as always, a trouper. She had her moments but sat there and let me comb the night away.

At this point it is almost 2 am and I start going through Kaitlyn’s hair. It was even easier than Teagan’s for two reasons. First, she was passed out in the chair. Second, she didn’t have any lice or nits. Not a one.

Teagan was so geeked to not be sitting still with her hair being picked through that she demanded to watch another movie. I was not going to argue. I put her in our bed and within ten minutes she was out cold.

The next day I surveyed Kaitlyn’s hair first to make sure I was not hallucinating and happily she was still lice and nit free. I looked at Teagan only to find more nits. This time I simply went through her conditioner damp hair with the metal nit comb while feeding her dum-dum lollipops. Three hours later I let her be.

I did not look the following day. I needed a break and my poor baby needed one too. At this point if her head itched she would look over at me terrified as her little hands would scratch her scalp.

After a day recess I looked again. @#$%&*! There were nits and newly hatched lice. What was I going to do? I didn’t want to use more chemicals so I started looking at every home remedy in the book. My Dad called and told me that smearing Vaseline on her hair for eight hours would essentially smother the lice. I figured a little hair cut would help so I cut both the girls hair into a bob with thankfully rave reviews by my little beauties. I then bought Vaseline and a shower cap and greased Teagan up. Little did I know how cool a shower cap was until I had to tie a plastic bag around Kaitlyn’s head because she wanted a plastic hat too.

If you have lice and try Vaseline I warn you now, it does not come out the first time you wash it. Or the second, or fourth or even seventh. We washed her hair the next morning six times before I had to leave for work and felt the slick look was eye-catching on her. A little internet searching said cornstarch helped to get Vaseline out of the hair. Sadly it did not do enough for me to notice. The only thing that got it out was multiple washings. But wet hair with Vaseline is really easy to comb through to look for nits. With every wash I looked for lice or nits. Nothing. It has been five days and I look every day and she is still lice free. All be it a little wary of my attempts to snuggle in fear I’m setting her up for another hair combing marathon.

I plan on doing preventative treatment on them. I never want to have to go through this again. I’m sure Teagan is with me on that one. So many times over I am thankful it wasn’t my hard headed strong willed daughter Kaitlyn. If she ever gets lice I’ll just have to shave her head. I am so not kidding.

The best advice I got and I can offer back is do not panic. It is not your child’s or your fault and with perseverance you will both get through it.

Around the House

Things heard around the house this weekend.

Teagan ~ Kaitlyn and I are Super Hero's.
Me~ Really?
Kaitlyn ~ Yeah, I'm Yucky Kaitlyn and she's Stinkin' Teagan.
Me~ Uh, okay.

Kaitlyn ~ Damn it!
Me~ WHAT did you just say?
Kaitlyn ~ D-a-m-n it.
(I blame her Daddy.)

Daddy jumps from around the corner in front of the girls and roars.
Teagan ~ You just scared the crap out of me.
(Again, I blame her Daddy.)

Teagan ~ Bring the peanut butter over here.
Daddy is walking by ~ Peanut butter?! You don't have peanut butter in your bedroom, do you?
Teagan ~ Laughs ~ No Daddy. We are using our imagination.
(I blame Mommy.)

Good Morning To You Too

After getting ready for work I come out of the bedroom to head out the door but not before I get my hugs and kisses from the bears. Only to be greeted by Kaitlyn.

Kaitlyn ~ Mommy...your hair...it's a disaster!

What a way to start your day.

Dancing Bear

A Thousand Words Thursday 10-29-2009

This was taken exactly a year ago. It is amazing what has changed in just a year. Some good, some bad, some very, very bad. The one wonderful thing that hasn't changed is the blessing of my little family.Because of them there is a constant din of laughter and joy in my life.

For anyone out there wondering if they should have kids, it is the hardest most demanding job with no sick days, vacation time and the breaks are far and few between. That being said, it's worth it. I've never had less sleep, money or time and yet I've never been happier.

Oh, and I have no idea who that chubby kid is on the left. (Just kidding, that's K-Bear).

For more A Thousand Words Thursday post please head over to Cheaper Than Therapy .

First Pumpkin Carving

Today we carved our pumpkin. I found several free templates at Scissor Crafts for Children and let the girls decide on which design they wanted. I really wanted Jack Skellington but the girls wanted the silly face. At least I didn’t have to do a cat or ghost but a real pumpkin face.

I sliced off the top and let the girls scoop out the middle. They both refused to use their hands but wanted a spoon to do the dirty work. I know they are girls, but this not getting sullied issue gets exasperating. Sharing was tested in this activity. Teagan did not want to share and showed it. Vehemently. Happily we got through it with little complaining and no tears. Not even from me.

Since the bears are so young I did the actual carving of the pumpkin. Teagan coached me and Kaitlyn nibbled on the pieces I pulled out so they technically helped the entire time. As my hand started to cramp half way through I was appreciative they didn’t choose a more intricate face. Slowly but surely we finished it and I didn’t break any of the face. I have a tendency to compromise a smile or eye during the process. All in all I think it’s the best pumpkin I’ve ever carved.

We put a candle in it and lit it up. The girls loved it. When I blew out the candle Teagan told me to turn the pumpkin back on.

I took the seeds and roasted them with some red pepper and salt. Hubby hates pumpkin anything so this is always my personal treat. Unfortunately it seems Kaitlyn likes them as much as Mommy and I was forced to share.

The night was completed by watching It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown lounging on the floor with Daddy. This is certainly a tradition I could get use to.

Dream Job

What did you want to be when you grew up? My husband says he went back and forth from baseball player to astronaut. I wanted to be a veterinarian. This was a dream on the back burner until one of my girlfriends started working a part time job at a veterinarian clinic and told me about cleaning cages and putting fuzzy friends to sleep. While a rewarding and noble occupation I could never hold an animal as it took its last breath. My dream job changed over and over through the years and in all honesty I never found my dream job. I’m still not sure what it would be. I wear many hats and like it that way. But this isn’t a post about my waffling.

The other day my Mom brought me two old memory books that chronicle a child’s school years. These books are unused and she thought I could use them for Teagan and Kaitlyn. Absolutely.

So I’m leafing through the pages and I notice something. Take a look.

Now yes these occupations are still valid jobs for today. But the boys get astronaut and police man and we get model and airline hostess!? I was just beside myself. Mainly with amusement at the arrogance of these books. Now one of my many hats is Mother and secretary and I’m not only good at it I enjoy it. Especially the Mother role. Nevertheless I am so proud that my girls have so many more dream careers to choose from.

Garden of Plenty

One of the top five perks about our new place…a garden.

We went to our local home improvement store to get the supplies. Teagan helped Daddy pick out a good shovel.



Since the soil on the property is not the best we grabbed several bags of soil. Plus our choices of herbs and vegetables. Daddy picked oregano, basil, thyme and mint. I picked cucumbers and jalapenos. The girls picked tomatoes and strawberries.



Even though it was late in the day Daddy put on some work clothes, dug and planted our garden. It is more his garden than “ours” as he will be tending it but we will all benefit. I’m so excited. I love fresh herbs and stuffed jalapenos are the best snack food invented. I haven’t reminded the girls that we planted tomato plants as they wouldn’t understand why there aren’t tomatoes on them yet. I will have to video the first time we show them that there are tomatoes in the back yard. I imagine a few awe struck faces. After that we may have to put up a fence so they don’t go scavenging when we go out back.

Side Kick

Teagan was running around the house saying “Super Teagan” pretending to fly. She started calling everyone Super-insert name. I don’t know if she is too young or if this avenue just has never been explored but I asked her if she wanted to put on her super girl costume from last Halloween. Excitement filled the air as she bounded up and around screaming “yes, yes, yes.”

The costume from last year was too big on her then so I knew it would fit. Sadly to say Teagan aka Stick Girl still swam in her super girl costume. That didn’t matter because now she had a cape.

Now Kaitlyn was looking on with excitement as well. The only problem is we only have one super girl outfit. I offered Kaitlyn her costume from last year which was a lady bug. I swear she gave me a who-are-you-kidding look. Not having many options I offered her the Florida Gator Cheerleader outfit. (Go Gators!) I think because it had a large logo on the chest like Teagan’s super girl outfit that this made it acceptable.

So here you are Super Girl saving the day with her trusty side kick Florida Gator Cheerleader. (Go Gators!) They wore these outfits all night and demanded to wear them the next day.

Monkey Games

Yesterday I mentioned donating things to Goodwill. We had some wicker furniture that needed to leave our home. Hubby put this three drawer dresser by the door for departure.

In less than five minutes Teagan had climbed in and it toppled onto her. I made sure she was not hurt and went to get the camera. Lucky for me she is out of her hide from the camera phase and gave me a nice toothy grin.

I love my kids!

Lesson Learned

Today I was gathering several items to take to our local Goodwill store. Things I no longer needed but items that were in good condition. This stop at Goodwill was to be first before going to the park and then grocery shopping. So while Hubby was finishing on the computer I decided to load up the car with the donations.

I grab two strollers and head out the door. As I get halfway down the breezeway I hear ~clunk~ which is undeniably the sound of the door being locked. Teagan has just locked me out of the apartment. I decided to worry about it after I loaded the car and proceeded in my task. While rearranging the trunk I ponder why I only took half my keys out. I had to unlatch the car set from the house set. Now this is only a click of a ring but something I rarely do. So why did I do it today? Is the other half so darn heavy I couldn’t take it too? I couldn’t come up with a valid answer except that my guardian angel convinced me to do it because he needed a good laugh.

I go back to the apartment and yes, Teagan has locked me out. I knock. I hear footsteps that are definitely Teagan’s.

Teagan: Who’s there? (For the sake of this post all italics should be said in a sing-song voice.)

Me: It’s Mommy. Unlock the door.

Teagan: Come in.

Me: You locked me out. Unlock the door.

Teagan: Come in Mommy.

Me: Unlock the door.

Teagan: ………

Me: Go get Daddy.

I hear footsteps go away. But not the way to our bedroom where Daddy is but back into the living room where Max and Ruby is playing. (For those Noggin illiterate, Max and Ruby is a cartoon of bunny siblings where Ruby bosses the younger Max around the entire episode. Really uplifting and Teagan loves it.)

Me: TEAGAN, GO GET YOUR DADDY.

Teagan: (from a distance) Come in.

I bang on the door a few times and get the same sing-song response, Come in. No true interaction with Teagan and no Daddy. I don't know my neighbors and really don't want to meet them because they come out of their apartments annoyed at the loud woman beating on the door. Time for a different course of action.

I go around to our spare bedroom window. This means I have to go through shrubs and bushes that are no doubt bug, spider and maybe snake infested. I bang as hard as I can on these. Nothing. I bang some more. Nothing.

I would have gone to the bedroom window but our apartment is on an incline and I can’t reach the window. Throwing rocks was an option but I had the fear of busting a window in my undertaking. Back to the front door I go.

I pound on the door this time. To hell with the neighbors. Yelling at Teagan to get her Daddy. I suppose she is either tired of hearing me yell or Max and Ruby has went to commercial because I hear her little footsteps again.

Teagan: Mommy, come in.

Me: I can’t Teagan you have locked me out.

Silence. But she is still there.

Me: Teagan, unlock the door.

She wiggles the door handle.

Me: No, no, honey the lock. Turn the lock.

I hear the lock move a little but not all the way.

Me: That’s right Teagan. Move the lock a little more.

She wiggles the door handle again.

Me: No Teagan the lock. Turn the lock.

~Clunk~

Me: Don’t ever touch that lock again!

I question Hubby why he didn’t come see about the knocking on the window or door. “I figured you’d take care of it.” Then he says it’s my fault because I didn’t tell him I was going outside in the first place. That’s just stupid. I need to tell him when I’m going to go to the car for a minute? He just didn’t want to be yelled at for choosing to watch his tennis game rather than see what the commotion was about.

All and all it was rather funny. No harm done and my guardian angel should have his fix for at least a day.

Starving the Kids Week

This week should be called “Starving the Kids Week.” Tonight was Cube Steak Dijon. I have a soft spot for cube steak. There is just something comforting about it. My Mom use to cook cube steak as Chicken Fried Steak once a month and it was great. With gravy and a crunchy crust. Comfort food at its finest. I have tried to cook it this way and it did not turn out right with the crust falling off and it being tough as all get out.

Cube steak is going to be chewy even in the best meal but every time I have made it in the past the texture was more like silicon than meat. Therefore this was a new recipe for me but also a challenge as I have never cooked a really good cube steak. I debated to cook this in cast iron or not, as cast iron lends a hand in chicken fried steak but since this was a simmering recipe I thought that non-stick would be better.

How was it you ask? On a scale from one to ten with five being average I would give it a six. Hubby would give it a three and the “bears” would give it a zero as they wouldn’t eat any of it and actually spit out the pieces they put into their mouths. Sad, sad, sad. The flavor of the sauce was savory and tangy and it was less chewy than I have previously cooked. I think substituting chicken for the cube steak would make it jump to 9 maybe ten in the rating.

Apparently Hubby demoted the recipe rating simply since it was cube steak. In his mind even the most astoundingly extraordinary cube steak meal would only be graded as a five “because it’s cube steak.” Just for the curious ones this was the meal I had planned on making and no, Hubby didn’t piss me off. I was just too tired to get the required ingredients from the store for the other meal.

Cube Steak Dijon
Source: Taste of Home April/May 2003 with my spin
Servings: 4

4 beef cube steaks
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup white grape juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons corn starch

Salt and pepper cube steaks. In a large skillet, sauté steaks in butter for two minutes on each side. Combine the grape juice, Worcestershire sauce and mustard; stir into cooking juices. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Turn down and simmer for ten minutes. Remove two tablespoons of liquid; mix with the two tablespoons of corn starch; pour back in. Cook one minute more or until sauce thickens. Serve sauce over the cube steaks.

No picture tonight. I’m a little bit distracted with a burden I’m dealing with. I’m hoping this distraction will go away tomorrow (actually since this post will be on Wednesday, today is more accurate) to either launch me in a wonderful direction or wrap things up for our family to quite literally move on. If you get a chance, say a little prayer for the path to happiness to open, no matter which one it is, I am grateful.

Poor Meow-Meow

Every child will have their favorite stuffed animal, doll, action figure that they carry with them everywhere. One that will give them comfort when they are upset or shares the bed when they go to sleep. Teagan has had a few toys that have filled this position. When she was a baby she had “bug.” A rattle, crunchy, multicolored, chewing drool catcher. We would not leave the house without bug. For almost 9 months this was her best friend. To the point that once at daycare on a totally inconsolable day the caretaker got Bug out of her car seat. Even though outside toys were strictly forbidden. Kaitlyn has not had such a friend. Her go to item has always been her BiBi. (I’ve mentioned before that BiBi is what the bears call their blankets.) As a baby and now into her toddler years, toys come and go but the only constant for Kaitlyn is BiBi.

Teagan being almost three, moved past bug a long time ago. Like her sister she has a BiBi but no new toy really stuck until her Gammaw and Poppy gave her Meow-Meow. Meow-Meow is a fluffy white animated cat. It was programmed to purr, meow, open and close its eyes, twitch its ears, move its tail and when petted it would actually sit down and after a few seconds would raise itself back up. If you pulled Meow-Meow’s tail it would growl and hiss. It would also do this if you operated a laptop too close to it. Which my Dad (Poppy) and I found hilarious and a fun game.

Meow-Meow is Teagan’s buddy. It sleeps with her every night. Has shared many a car ride and on occasion has been allowed to sit at the table while she eats. Meow-Meow has even gone on family vacations. As I felt that being in a strange environment her friendly pal might bring security. Which she did.

Meow-Meow is almost a year old. This year has been remorseless on Meow-Meow. Imagine being dragged along day in and day out by a careless two year old. One who loves you dearly but does not know how to really take care of you. Teagan has never let me brush her coat as “it hurts.” Teagan has also tossed poor Meow-Meow around so much that three legs are broken and one is sprained. I stopped replacing the batteries since the legs are broken because when it tries to stand up it looks like the cat is going into convulsions and I would rather not etch that image on my child’s memory. Just recently both ears have fallen off the cat’s head. This unfortunate though loved toy is on its last legs. Literally. Yet the loving and playing with has not even begun to wane. I’m not sure how bad Meow-Meow will look when Teagan finally gives her up. But this is her before and after photos currently. The object at Meow-Meow’s feet is an ear. Poor Meow-Meow.

Helper Sister

Kaitlyn has taken to temper tantrums. Not a normal one where the child throws their entire body on the floor with arms and legs flailing accompanied by a nice loud constant scream. But an exceedingly cute one. If she asks for something and you do not oblige within, oh I don't know, a nanosecond she starts stomping her feet like she is squashing grapes and whining like a little lamb. "ah-ah-ah-a-a-a-a-ah."

The problem is that it sometimes takes me a bit to figure out what the child is wanting. Her vocabulary is rapidly expanding but at the same time she is not pronouncing her new or old words as well as she should. Trying to explain this to a 1.5 year old is futile. So you ask her "what" about three times and it's over.

The other obstacle in this tantrum phase is that Daddy finds it hilarious. So while she is crushing imaginary grapes he is hiding his laughter and turning beat red. This makes me laugh out loud because, I am not as debonair. This does not make little bear happy. Luckily we eventually figure it out.

The best part is Teagan really tries to help us to understand Kaitlyn and for Kaitlyn to get what she wants. If she can’t help the language she can always help to hug it out.

Sleep Wanderer

Teagan is my wandering sleeper. She doesn’t sleep walk but occasionally she will find another spot to sleep, other than her bed. I’ve found her under Kaitlyn’s bed. She likes to sleep in the recliner or on the couch. And once we found her down the hall in front of our bedroom door. This child has always had issues with a bed. As an infant on those really exhausting nights Hubby or I would lay with her in our bed and just pray she would fall asleep. Not once did she sleep in our bed. She would sleep with us if we were on the couch but I didn’t get much sleep as I was too afraid of rolling over on her or off the couch.

The other night Hubby and I were chatting a little in bed before turning out the lights. When I heard a bed squeak down the hallway. The squeaky bed is Teagan’s. This is a nice alarm system when little bear tries to sneak out of bed to play.

So after the squeak I hear little feet running straight for our room. Then a jump and in-between Hubby and I was the cutest little girl who was so excited to be up and in bed with us. She said a few nonconsensual things in a whisper followed by a soft giggle.

“Do you want to sleep with us?”

A huge smile lit her face and she nodded yes.

She put her head on my pillow and we all snuggled in to go to sleep.

At this moment of smelling her hair and holding her little body all burrowed in sheets I got sad.

Even though I look for a job every single day I am lucky to be a SAHM and enjoy watching my girls developing and turning into little people. Every day I am in amazement at their intelligence and exuberance. I marvel at how quickly they learn things and how fiercely independent they want to be.

Yet at that this moment I saw my little girl in the future as a teenager. Going off with her friends, being involved in sports and groups and having little time for her old Mom. This is what children do. They grow up, become independent and dance to their own tune.

So I squeezed her tighter and wished she would stay my Tea-Bear forever. As if foreshadowing in real life she mumbled something to me and got up and went to her own bed.

I have tried very hard to appreciate my girls everyday but realize that I will still miss this time and times to come. That’s why memories are sweet.

Potty Games

I have a feeling that a lot of coming posts are going to be about potty training. If you don’t have children you should read these anyway because when you do have kids you’ll need the reference. For if that foolish lady can do it, you can to.

One obvious hurdle we are going to have with potty training is dealing with Kaitlyn. She wants to be a part of everything Teagan does. Every time we go to the potty Kaitlyn flips out that she cannot sit on it too. I don’t mind too much because her jealousy of Teagan’s special attention gets me extra Kai-Bear hugs throughout the day and they’re just fantastic.

I’m not one to incite moments that can be easily diffused. So I let Kaitlyn sit on the potty. She will just sit and hum or talk in her gibberish. Teagan does not like it but at the same time Teagan will not be as melodramatic as Kaitlyn would if I denied her.

Something has happened that has made me confident that letting her sit there is a good idea.

Bath time can be ruined very quickly by a poopy. We can all agree with this yes? Yes. And Kaitlyn is 99.9% of the time the culprit. Lately she has taken to getting out of the tub to do the pooping so at least the tub is not tainted, just the bathroom floor.

I see the little bear climb out of the tub. Sneak over to the little potty and sit down. She sits for a bit and gabs then gets up and walks back to the tub. I immediately come over and see that she has pooped in the potty. My 18 month old has pooped in the potty. I gave her a high five, congratulated her and did a little dance. Even Teagan said “Good job.”

I might have to go get another ten dollar potty and train both bears at the same time. Below is Kaitlyn "playing." I'm sure she will hate me or have to go to therapy from me posting this picture but it's too damn cute not to.

Camping With Bears - Post 3

Our entire camping trip seemed like we were always close to cool, refreshing water yet never got our feet wet. Especially annoying since most of the time we were hot and sweaty because we climbed hills to see these beautiful refreshing places of water. So on our final day of camp we decided to check out the local tubing outfitter. That’s right we wanted to see if they would allow us to take our 2.5 and 1.5 year olds down class 2 rapids.

We went to Cool River Tubing (http://www.coolrivertubing.com/) in Helen, Georgia. They said that tons of people took their kids down but they discouraged infants. INFANTS?! I felt I was slightly nuts taking my toddlers, yet other people are trying to take their infants down the river.
I wanted to have Kaitlyn with me as she is the baby and I’m too neurotic to trust her to anybody but me. So Daddy was in charge of Teagan. We got little life jackets for the girls and grabbed two tubes.

We linked our tubes together and I sat down with Kaitlyn and Daddy sat down with Teagan. To make sure everything was workable we stayed near the beginning for a few moments. Good thing as Teagan looks over to Daddy and says “You need to get out.” Daddy asks “what?” “Daddy, you need to get out.” Up the hill he went and grabbed a kid’s tube for Teagan and we were off.

At first I was in severe Mommy mode and was clutching Kaitlyn like she was the last bag of chocolate left on earth. While I also lectured Daddy to watch Teagan and pointing out he wasn’t being as diligent and apprehensive as he should be. To which he laughed and told me to lighten up.

It didn’t take long and I was enjoying the ride with the rest of them. Teagan was definitely nervous at first but that diminished after the first rapid. Instantly a perma-grin lined her little face and she was ready for the fun. I held Kaitlyn in a sitting position so she could see what was going on. Sometimes she would fidget and I’d lay her on me. At one point I suppose she “rested” too long and actually started to fall asleep. Ah, she is her Mother’s daughter. I love to sleep in the sun and my many sunburns can attest to this partiality. I sat her up and she discovered a new enormously cool game; slapping the water with her feet. This became the ultimate amusement on and off for the remainder of the hour long trip.

I have been white water rafting, canoeing and tons of boat trips but this was hands down the best time I have ever had on the water. I’m positive the exhilaration and delight of my girls was the major factor of the enjoyment. I wish I could say that everything went without a hitch but alas this is reality.

Towards the end of the trip we came up to a solid class 2 rapid. Now by myself this would not have been an issue. However I was not alone and my sight was slightly obscured when we hit. Kai-Bear and I went over the rapid and my big feet planted which caused us to flip. Neurotic Mom to the rescue. I was under water but I held that baby up so her butt didn’t even touch the water. I stood up with some trouble due to the rapids but luckily Daddy had gotten the tubes to stop and held them until we could get to him. During this time I seriously don’t recall any fear all I know is that I was going to get my baby to the tube and safety. Which we did with help from Daddy, since I have a bulbous butt and squeezing a donut lover into a donut is tricky.

Even with the little tumble I had more fun than I thought was possible. We will definitely do this again and hopefully soon. And might I add that once in the car Teagan passed out from the adrenaline rush and just shy of refused to get up to eat dinner. Below are some photos for your viewing pleasure.

Camping With Bears - Post 2

This was not the first camping trip for the bears. It was, however, the first camping trip where both were mobile.

The main rule when taking children of any age camping is you have to be resolved to the fact that they are going to get dirty. Very dirty. Within minutes of arrival Kaitlyn was covered in mud, eating rocks and trying to wander away from camp. Luckily it stopped raining and I didn't have to deal with mud the entire time but the first night's clothes are ruined. When either Kaitlyn or Teagan felt that their hands were too dirty they just wiped it on their shirts. A habit that has to be broken.

Camps do not have bathtubs. You are lucky if they have nice showers that do not cost money to use. Our camp did have nice free showers but that point was lost on the bears. They HATE showers. Now I tried to prepare them for this for a couple of weeks before we went. At home it was okay because they still had the bathtub to be in while the water came down. Not so much love at the camp shower. We used the handicap stall because it had a pull down bench which I sat them on as I scrubbed them down. Both girls screamed, not cried, not whimpered, screamed the entire time the shower was on. As they were being dried off. And basically until I opened the main door to leave the restrooms. The next night it was seriously considered to just let them be dirty. Unfortunately I wouldn't have been able to live with it so I decided to use our dish tub. Daddy boiled some water and added it to lukewarm water in the tub. Kaitlyn was first and complained a little to the sponge bath but sucked it up rather well. Teagan even stood by the sidelines and tried to help scrub her down. When I put Teagan in she just plopped her butt down and assumed it was her little bath. Certainly not an ideal way to get them clean but neither is being partially deaf because of their caterwauling.

I've never had a campfire around the bears as I felt they were not old enough to give it respect. They now understand "no" and listen to it as well as a 1 and 2 year old will, so we made a campfire. They stayed away because of the smoke even more than me telling them to be careful.

You know having a campfire means you have to have s'mores. Teagan and Kaitlyn were completely under foot as soon as the chocolate bars came out. "Chalkit? Chalkit?" over and over. Hubby toasted the marshmallows to a golden brown, took out the graham crackers and put down the chocolate to make little s'mores for the bears. They didn't even get a full bite into them before they spit it out. Not marshmallow lovers. So I took out the chocolate and left it at that.

Overall the girls were extremely well behaved and listened to us. I gave them more freedom to roam and play than usual so it was a give and take adventure that I think they understood as well. But we ran them everywhere. Up mountains, into gorges and down rivers. But that’s tomorrows post.

The special moments I’ll remember the most are morning bottles in their director chairs, the girl’s first watermelon slices with rinds, huddling in one bed to watch Monsters, Inc. on a laptop and witnessing the exploring spirit budding in each of my little bears.

Wii Fit

For Mother's Day this year my husband was extra wonderful. I won't get into the details but I did almost nothing and the world is still turning and in good order.

So if I'm not writing to regale you with either how he missed the ball or making you jealous of the wonders that he bestowed, then why? Because a present I received was played with by the entire family and just has to be seen. Hubby got us a Wii Fit.

Now don't get defensive. This was not a hint from hubby to lose weight. It was something that I have wanted since they came out. Some what to lose weight and be "fit" and also because I love the Wii and thought the added component would be extra fun. Well it is. I Hula hooped my way to a sore hip. No old jokes please. I laughed at hubby dancing and doing yoga. But I truly enjoyed my toddler girls participating in the fun. Family game night is off in the distance but something I've been looking forward to since conception. Okay maybe not conception but awhile. And to speed up the process a little by knocking soccer balls or skiing on the Wii is great. So I've attached some of the best photos. There are none of me as this is my day and laughing at me is not allowed. Also there are no pictures focused on hubby as I would not like the return favor.