What a week!

First lame thing of the week-
So... a couple of weeks ago we got a really sweet and cute puppy that named Mae Be. She was perfect up until a couple of days ago. She started snapping and attempted to bite in an aggressive way (not a puppy way) at the girls. This happened a couple of times, and was pretty scary. So... in talking with some friends, a dog trainer, and the girls we decided to give Mae Be back to the breeders. So sad. (Side note: this is the second puppy we have given up. Not so lucky with picking the right dog). Also, we will not be getting another puppy for a very long time, no matter how much my heart aches for one. Done! At least for a while.

Second lame thing of the week-
Our car has been funky the past couple of months. It has a hard time shifting gears, and kind of jerks. So we finally take it to the mechanic (whom we totally trust) and have avoided taking the car in only because of the dread of hearing the amount that it will take to fix whatever the problem is. So... we take it in, and they say $3,500!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Are you kidding me? It needs a new transmission and other stuff. So after we picked our jaws up from our feet we had to figure out a plan. Talked with the folks, and got a second opinion from another mechanic and sold our gas hog family car today. Bye bye Ford Expedition. Hello, fuel efficient car that makes us happy.

So that is the good thing that happened this week, we got a new car that we feel really great about. And can save money on gas, finally! And the other good thing is that the girls are doing well with Mae Be being gone. And to be honest both Jon and I are relieved and the girls can go back to being relaxed and not fearing the dog.

This week I have eaten more cookie dough, drank more coffee, taken a shower only once, and have never loved my bed so much! Praise God it's over! Yeah for Friday, and the weekend! Cheers, to next week! Toodles.

Our future Olympians

Who says you can swim in the bath tub? Just another day in the MacDonald house. And another hour where the girls are happy, and I can take a deep breath.

Having trouble getting the goggles on

Upset because they are too tight

My little fishies

And we brought out the umbrellas again. Who knew umbrellas could be so much fun?

Heck, maybe I should put on some goggles and take an umbrella in the bath. Never mind, that would just be weird.

Cello Birthday Bash

Buggie enjoys the show Little Einsteins. There is one episode called "Baby Cello" that has been her favorite for the past year (literally). We watch it ALL the time. Its about a mommy cello that has baby cellos and lost has lost one of them. So the go on a MISSION to find baby cello.

So... when I asked Buggie about a month ago what kind of birthday party she would like to have, she of course said without a doubt "a baby cello birthday party". Great, how the heck am I supposed to do that? I will say that there wasn't as much "cello" as I wish there could have been that day but, I do think I did a pretty good job. We played pin the bow on the cello (blindfolded of course), we did freeze dance to Buggies favorite music (which happens to be anything R & B), I made sugar cookies in the shape of cello's and music notes that the kids got to decorate, and made activity "cello" books for their party favors. It was a difficult "themed" party to put together, but it was a success! Buggie felt loved and celebrated, and I just relaxed and let the circus of kids take over.

I cut out 2 cellos and spelled Buggies name on our chandelier

We played pin the bow on the cello

Many cookies were eaten that day, yummy!

Jon was being tackled by the kiddos. Look at his face, pretty funny.

Tobin and Buggie were tired. Hudson and Jac were in love. Jac probably gave him 50 kisses that day.

Buggie is 3!

Three years ago, Buggie was born. (Her actual birthday was Sept. 8th, just slow on the blogs lately). When Annie was born we had two names picked out for her. She was either going to be Violet or Annie. We decided on Annie, and turns out she prefers "Buggie". And truthfully, she is Buggie. 99% of the time that is what we call her. She goes around the town introducing herself as Buggie. If you decide to call her Annie she turns around and says to you very directly "I am Buggie". Pretty funny.

Before Buggie was born I felt lead to pray that she would be "healing". That her touch, her spirit, her joy and personality, her presence would be healing for those that know her. That she would be able to make peoples hearts feel a bit fuller, happy, complete, healed. That prayer was answered, and it is has been amazing to hear stories of how our Buggie has touched the hearts of people we do and don't even know. Crazy and cool!

She is full of life and love, and has lots to give. Our hearts could not be more full of the joy that Buggie brings! We love our Buggie. I can't believe she is 3!

Today is her birthday party, will let ya know how it goes...

Mae Be

Meet the newest member of our family,
Mae Be Sprinkles MacDonald. Her name is pronounced "maybe" just like the character from Arrested Development. Buggie gave her the middle name "sprinkles" because she said that her spots on her fur look like sprinkles. She is a basset hound and border collie mix. She is 3 months old and the sweetest thing! She is calm, and gentle, and loves to cuddle all day long! The girls are in love with her, and have attached to her quickly. How can you not, right?
Were pretty excited, and have needed some new "joy" and "spunk" to come into our home and lives, and we got it!

Rain drops

Rain drops are falling on my head...

The MacDonald clan wants fall to come now! The heat has been intense this summer. Everything is brown, the kids can't play outside much at all, the ac can't get cool enough, and were just sick of it! Two days ago, it poured rain in Redlands for about a half and hour or so. It was such a gift. The girls and I ran outside with our umbrellas and played in the rain. It was so alot of fun.

It made me want fall more than ever. Wanting to decorate the house with pumpkins, twigs and berries, lighting all my yummy smelling candles, listening to the sound of the wood crackle in the fireplace, putting on a cozy sweater, jeans and my uggs. Oh it sounds so nice!

So today the girls were hot, sweaty, and cranky (a great combo). And I thought of an idea! I told the girls to get their bathing suits on. I gave them each an umbrella and put them in the shower, and told them to pretend that it was raining. They loved it. They kept giggling, and saying "man, it sure is rainy in Redlands today".

So... if your kids are hot and have run out of ideas try this one, it was quite successful in this household. Stay cool.

Breathe

So we all have those days... The kind that seem to last forever, the kind where nothing seems to go as planned, the kind where both your kids decide to misbehave and bug their mommy all day long! I just keep saying to myself "it is just one of those days". Do any of you Moms feel like those days aren't really just "a day" though? It seems like with my girls it's like a week of "those days", where they're just off and nothing you do (or read about in all the parenting books) seems to work. You just have to SURVIVE it, get through it, and then all of a sudden your sweet kid is back. You know what I mean?

Lately, Buggie has been really testing my patience. Let's just say the fire in her red hair is starting to flame. Yikes! When something affects her negatively she goes from 0 to 10 instantly (no joke), it's almost startling and sometimes takes a while to figure out what the heck she is even reacting too. For example this evening while we were eating dinner Jac took a piece of chicken off Buggie's plate and she screamed so loudly and said to Jac " don't do that again Sissy or else I am gonna punch you in the face"! What? Are you kidding me? Did Buggie really just say that? Now, clearly we don't talk like that at home but, Buggie is a sponge just like all other kids, and has learned from the herd of "older kids" a new "lingo".

So it was that kind of day where you have to remind yourself that the job I am doing as a Mom is greater than today. To remind myself that I am making a difference, and she will learn the things I am trying to instill in her. And until then just love her, and take many, (I mean many) deep breaths.

Hang in there fellow moms. We can do it! I think this is the time where the lamaze breathing has come in handy. Not so much during labor but, now as I try and raise my kids! Geez!