The duties of a flower girl

Flower girls are busy people. They have many responsibilities.

First, you have to look cute. Very important, don't skip this step, or the rest of the steps are invalid.

Second, be ready to pose for pictures, even in the sun.

Third, be ready to throw flowers, of course. Also, let anyone younger than you help out to avoid any crying or tantrums. There should be NO tantrums on the bride and groom's special day.

At the reception, be sure to invite yourself to play with other people's babies. After all, you are adorable, and everyone wants to talk to you, even if it is in German.

Throughout the course of the celebration, play Ring Around the Rosie with the German nephews of the bride. Be sure to sing in English, of course, so that they have no idea what you are saying. Also, don't forget to fall down at the end when the boys least expect it, so that everyone piles on top of each other and makes the crowd giggle.

If you have time after all of that, try to dance with a few complete strangers.

Don't forget to stay up way past your bedtime. After all, when it's midnight in Germany, you still think it's only six pm. And going to bed at 6:00 pm would just be unheard of.

Missy

Our Travel Abroad

We had a wonderful trip to Deuchland (Germany). Audrey loved flying, or at least the novelty of flying got her through the trip. We first flew from Toledo to Detroit. We were no sooner up and we were headed back down, so it was a good first flight experience for Audrey. Here she is in the tunnel at the Detroit Metro Airport. The tunnel plays music and the colors flash and change. She loved it.

We had an hour and a half to spare at the Detroit Airport, so we rode the Tram back and forth about seven times. That killed an hour. Audrey insisted on holding onto the pole inside the Tram even though she was in the stroller and the wheels were locked. Here she is doing so:

When we got onto our 8 hour flight to Amsterdam, Netherlands, we settled in, read five or six children's books, and ate dinner. I had some chicken/rice/veggie concoction with salad and roll and brownie. Audrey had a chicken nugget looking thing and tator tots, with salad, roll, and cookies.

Later, we watched Marley and Me the movie. Audrey watched about half, and got bored of that. It was probably good because the end was sad. I started to tear up, and she asked me if I still missed Mallory and Daddy. Well, yes, of course, but this movie is sad too.

We sat right in front of the galley and restrooms, so it never really got dark or quiet. Audrey fell asleep after I draped her blankie over her head to block out the light and distractions of people walking by. I, on the other hand, sat very uncomfortably and was only able to close my eyes for about 2 hours, but still heard everything around me. Argh!

We arrived in Amsterdam and went through customs. I was accused of trying to steal my child from her father because I had no form from the police saying that I had the father's permission to take her out of the country without him. I did have a signed letter from him, but they said anyone could have written that because it wasn't notorized or anything. I thought for a minute they were going to send us back to the U.S., but finally they let me through. They just said next time I must have this form. Whatever!

Finally, we made it to Berlin, met Katrin at the gate, and got to our final destination. All in a days work.

Auf Wiedersehen!

Missy

Beautiful Babies

OMG! Audrey and I are off to Europe in two days (Thursday, to be exact). We are mostly packed, mostly prepared, mostly excited, and entirely sad to be away from our husband and baby, or daddy and sister.

Before our big trip, though, we had a wonderful visit with my very good friend, Michelle, and her beautiful babies. You heard me right, plural! Landon and Kaelyn were just about the cutest things I ever did see. They arrived, starving, from a long car ride from Dayton. After gobbling their yummy bottles, they settled in playing on the floor.

My kiddos loved watching them kick their little toes and make adorable baby grunts. Mallory especially took to putting their binkies back in their mouth EVERY time they fell out! What a helper she is! So focused, even if it is on her own agenda. Minor detail.

Then the babes snuggled up like love bugs and took a little snooze.

Aren't they adorable?

What better way to fall in love, than to fall in love twice as much, twice as quickly, and twice as unconditionally. Congratulations Ryan and Michelle! And thanks for the wonderful visit!

Missy

Not Me Monday - 6/8/09

Well, the later part of last week was dedicated to the preparations for our garage sale, which was Saturday and Sunday. So most of the things that I did not do took place during the actual garage sale or the preparing for said event.

I did not coax my three-year-old into an oh-so-cute sales pitch with as many customers as I could. She comes up with that stuff all on her own.

I would never forget to give my very own kids lunch. Even in the hustle, bustle of hosting a garage sale. Furthermore, it wouldn't even be remotely like me to give them snacks all day to avoid giving them lunch. Even if the snacks were nutritious, like raison, rice cakes and graham crackers. No snacks take the place of a healthy lunch, right? Oh and by the way, I always give my kids healthy lunches, too!

I would not see my loving husband for only approximately 30 minutes on my birthday, which was just about enough time to collect my birthday present. NO not THAT present! Geez, where is your mind! I'm talking about my Reese cups and fancy new toothbrush that I've been asking for (and the new tennis shoes that I have to pick out myself before leaving for Europe). Sorry honey! We'll find time together another day.

Oh, and in case you were wondering... I did not make $200.00 at the garage sale, and more importantly, got rid of a bunch of junk!

And, with that, we're off for another week of perfect parenting at it's finest and children that are always well-behaved!

My Little Literature Ladies

My kids LOVE to read! I guess having a teacher for a mother has some perks! Not a day goes by that we don't enjoy a good book or four, or five, or six. People look at us funny when we leave the library with a bag of 21 books. Hey, what can I say, three books a day, and I'll see ya back here next week.

Of course, it makes me smile inside when I hear both kids' teachers comment on their love of books too. "We always make sure we have a reading station open for Mallory. She loves to read." I know. That's for sure.

And then on to the next conference, "Audrey really enjoys reading and writing. She's been opening the books and looking at how to spell things, so she can write them."

My kids make me so proud!

As you can see, they'll read anywhere, anytime, with anyone. Here is Audrey reading to her kindergarten friend, Hannah (remember the Hoppy story, enough said). Thanks, Hannah, for telling her the words she doesn't know!

Here's Mallory, listening to a book being read by the husband of my friend, Rose. I tell ya, they don't care if it's familiar people or not, they just love books. (I love this picture)

They'll even take time from their argueing to read to each other.

Summer Reading Club begins this week at the local library. You know we'll be there!

Missy

Not Me Monday - 6/1/09

Join in with MckMama, and half the world, in the blog craze, "Not Me Monday".

Are you feeling guilty for pretending not to notice your toddler playing with the dogfood? Feel like a slouch for staying in your jammies all day? We'll don't! Not Me! Monday was born out of my desire to admit some of my imperfections and reveal a few moments I'd rather forget. You may find it therapeutic to join in and do the same thing!



While entertaining guests at our rural establishment, I would never let my kids and the guests' kids play with a random toad they found minding it's own business in the grass. I wouldn't carry on conversations with my guests acting like I didn't just hear them name it Hoppy, like it's a pet, and allow said toad to plunge to the concrete repeatedly from any apparatus the kids could find. Don't toads carry a plethora of germs. What parent would use a germ-infested creature to entertain guests? No one would seriously do that! Nor would anyone secretly giggle when the children come in the house and mention that Hoppy is dead! Poor guy. I mean hypothetically, of course.


And before our guests came, I would never bribe our offspring into helping clean the house. I mean is a cookie a valid way to earn your keep? Aren't parents supposed to teach their kids that they should clean up their own things JUST BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO! I mean my husband and I definitely have this parenting thing down pat, and we always use teachable moments to show our kids right from wrong.


When someone asks my eldest child where she got that cute outfit, and she replies honestly that it is from a garage sale, I wouldn't even think about fibbing that it's from Baby Gap, Old Navy, or Gymboree, and laughing it off as kids just being silly. Remember, I use all teachable moments to teach right from wrong and lying is just not something I would ever model to my children!


And lastly, I would not wait until nine o'clock at night on Monday to post my first "Not Me Monday" blog, knowing full well, no one is likely to read it until Tuesday. I mean it. I'm completely into the craze.

Missy