My cousin Rachel and her two boys just left this morning after staying with us since Wednesday. Overall it was a really good visit, but there were definitely things we'd like to have avoided. Right, Rach? Accalia and Cole both loved having a couple extra kids around, but I'm sure they're exhausted. Cole is nursing to sleep as I type this.

Yesterday we took the kids out to the lake to play on the playground equipment. Of course they were much more interested in the beach, and they all ended up getting soaked as they played in the waves. Too bad we didn't think to bring swimsuits along! Cole was in heaven. He was crawling all over the beach and would have gone deeper and deeper into the water if I hadn't picked him up again. I think we're going to have a blast this summer.

Now I have to pack. We're heading to Lake Wilson this weekend to visit Cory's parents.

I woke up this morning at 6 a.m. thanks to a very awake little boy and discovered a big pile of dog poop in the kids' room. Thank you, Lucy! Lucy rarely ever has accidents in the house - only if she's mad at us or if she really has to go and just doesn't let us know for some reason. I prefer to think it was the latter reason this time. Ironic that I discovered the pile when I was going in that room to change Cole's poopy diaper.

Accalia really needed a bath last night but held out until this morning. There was dirt and sand lining the bathtub when she was finished.

My cousin Rachel and her two boys will be arriving in a couple hours. I've been trying to make our house look somewhat orderly. It's as if Accalia has this radar that detects whenever I'm trying to keep things neat and decides she has to make extra big messes. Accalia loves to put things in groups, stack things, etc., and today she decided she had to take down all of her videos and stack them up everywhere. Then she decided all of the piano books in the piano bench had to be stacked somewhere else. Now I'm off to do a few more things.

I'm in the midst of preparing a simple supper of sweet corn, watermelon and mac & cheese. Cory has to take off soon after he gets home to spend the evening with a couple clients for his contract work. It's been a good day around here. We went grocery shopping and to the library and that's about it.

This morning we were dancing around the living room to a Barbie tape that Accalia's cousin Mariah passed on to her. It's one song that consists of the same two words over and over again - Think Pink. Accalia loves it and does all these funky dance moves to it. She wanted to listen to it over and over again on the way home from our trip to Gettysburg a few weeks ago. Cory and I were really regretting that we forgot the headphones so she could listen to it and we wouldn't have to! Today when we were in the grocery store Accalia was signing "Another One Bites The Dust" over and over. Go figure.

If you're ever in need of getting a boost in your mindful parenting, go to The Natural Child Project and read, read, read. I've started going there and picking out one article to read to remind myself of what I don't want to do, what I do want to do and why my children act the way they do sometimes. Tonight I read the article "One, Two..."Teaching Through Love Instead of Fear" by Pam Leo.

Here's what I really needed to hear tonight:
"Many parents see a child’s uncooperative behavior as a challenge to their authority. Once we understand that uncooperative behavior is usually caused by a child’s unmet need or an adult’s unrealistic expectation, we don’t have to take the behavior so personally."

"When children’s needs are met and nothing is hurting them they are usually delightful to be with. Whenever a child responds negatively to a reasonable request we need to look for the conflicting need."

"When we treat children in ways that take away their dignity we teach them how to take away other’s dignity."

Accalia is becoming more and more independent and I love it. I just don't always deal well with it when I'm tired or impatient. And I know when I'm not dealing well with it, when it's obvious Accalia wants to do something and there's no reason she shouldn't other than the fact that I just don't feel like it. It takes all my self control not to say "Nope. That's it. We're done. Because I said so." And lately I feel as if stopping myself from saying things like that is equivalent to dragging 700 pounds of rock up a steep hill. Not easy.

So, it really helps me put things in perspective to read a little of this amazing resource that Jan Hunt has put together.

Happy Memorial Day! Cory and Accalia are outside cleaning out the van, and Cole is napping. It's been another very summer-like day here in Yankton. This morning we went to the hospital to see the new baby girl of a friend - born yesterday. It was so sweet holding a newborn again, and I can't even imagine Cole being so tiny. Well, he never was as tiny as little Lauren (a pound heavier at birth), but it's still hard to think of him as a helpless newborn not quite nine months ago. It didn't give me baby fever, though :) I have a hard time understanding how people can hold or see a newborn and then decide they want one another one. By this I mean those people who weren't planning to have another child but hold one and suddenly decide they have to. Maybe if it's been quite some time since your last baby was born, but at this point I can't imagine forgetting how much work goes into caring for a baby! Cory and I definitely want more children, but we plan to wait some time yet before trying.

Okay, that was off on a tangent. We've been in and out all day playing and hanging out laundry and diapers to dry. Accalia came running downstairs this morning with blood all over her face and hands. She had a nosebleed, and it took a bit to stop it. She's had one or two nosebleeds before, but this one she was pretty hysterical over. She calmed down quickly enough once the bleeding stopped, though.

The kids and I went off to a welcome center just over the Nebraska border while Cory mowed the lawn. Nothing too exciting there. A bunch of brochures for visitors and free cookies. We walked around outside and took in some pretty views of the Missouri River valley. Cole fell asleep on the way back, so we took the long way over the Gavins Point Dam, past the lakes and by the campgrounds. There were bunches of boats out on the water today, and it was a pretty sight.

Our house is filled with people who refuse to go to sleep but really, really need to sleep! I think Cory just went upstairs to coax Accalia into bed. She's been a bit on the manic side for a few hours now but just doesn't want to sleep. I was upstairs a few minutes ago putting away clothes, and she was sitting on the futon in front of the tv drawing red lines in one of her activity books with this glazed look on her face. Just too tired. Oh, and now the little girl is standing right by me. Maybe Cory's asleep instead...

It's been a pretty typical weekend. Nothing too exciting. We've been in and out all weekend playing since the weather has cooperated. It'll be nice having Cory home tomorrow, too.

My cousin Rachel and her two boys are coming to visit this week for a couple days. Yippee! Accalia is going to love having a couple live-in playmates (other than Cole, of course).

I was able to view the class lists for the dance class Accalia is signed up for this summer. There are only four other little girls in her class. That's great! Hopefully this will be a really great experience for her, although I don't know that I necessarily want to pay what it costs for year round dance lessons!

Okay, I'm going to try to get Cole down to bed now.

We've been hitting a few garage sales today. There was one a couple houses down from us with a toy work bench, but by the time we got there it had been snatched up. So we headed to another where we picked up a few things. I found an original Easy Bake Oven for $1! I have no idea if it works or if we'll be able to find any accessories, but it's so neat to have one in the house finally. I always wanted one growing up. I also found a pair of overalls for Cole that should fit him this fall/winter ($1), a fall jacket from LL Bean that fits Accalia right now and will be great for Cole when he hits a 3T ($3), and an awesome navy pea coat that will fit Accalia this winter ($2.50). We're heading to another one this afternoon since there are supposed to be a ton of outdoor and indoor toys. Maybe we'll be able to snag something there.

Other than that, we have a chiropractic appointment tonight and I'm desperately in need of an adjustment. Something went out in my back this morning and it's rather painful.

I was woken up this morning at 2 a.m. by a big, dark figure leaning over me and panting. No, it wasn't Cory. Just the dog. So I let Lucy out and went back to bed. She must have had to go to the bathroom because her water dish was empty and had been full when I went to bed a little after 11 p.m.

Accalia cut out a triangle for me this morning. She came to show me while I was in the shower. That's the first time she's ever cut out a shape without me drawing something for her, I think. Triangles are her favorite shape presently.

Cole is a bit on the cranky side today. Not sure why. He threw up all over me earlier, but I think it was just because his tummy was too full of milk. Hopefully he's not getting sick.

Went to the library this morning and grabbed a bunch of books.

There's a CD stuck in our van's CD player. Something's wrong with the player. We'll have to figure out how the heck we're going to get it out!

Cory's dad has built Accalia a huge wooden dollhouse for Christmas. So now I'm going to have to furnish it with wooden furniture and a family. I've seen some great stuff online, but it's so expensive! I'm sure we'll be able to furnish a few rooms by Christmas, though. If anyone knows of any great deals on wooden dollhouse accessories or families, though, let me know! Email me at acnelson@iw.net.

We ended up eating leftover chili last night. Not too shabby. And I have biscuits now, so the taco pie will be made!

Today the kids and I went up to Mitchell for our monthly playdate with Sara, Amy, Karen and all of the kids. It's getting to be a big group! The four of us each have two kids a piece, so that makes four adults and eight kids ranging in age from 3 months to 4 1/2 years old. Usually everyone gets together well, so that makes these visits even more pleasant.

Well, for once I voted for someone who actually won. I had to vote last night for Ruben from American Idol :) And being a person with more Democratic political leanings in South Dakota means that the people I vote for don't usually win.

Everyone is winding down for the night. I just put Cole up in bed, and it looks like Accalia is falling asleep on the couch. Our beds are all put back together, so we'll be all snug and cozy in our bedroom.

Great. I was just going to start supper - taco pie - and realized I forgot to buy the biscuits that are necessary to make it. Aargh! Now I'm stumped. I'm so horrible at changing direction when it comes to preparing meals, probably because I'm incredibly uncreative when it comes to cooking. Hmm, Subway sounds good...

Our bed is still drying off. Maybe we'll be back in it tonight. Found the leak almost right away. Last night Accalia and Cory slept in the guest room while Cole and I slept on the futon on the upstairs landing.

Today we've done a little of everything - some errands, some cleaning, some playing. Nothing too exciting. It's the season finale tonight of 24, so Cory and I are pretty pumped about that. Okay, and the season finale of American Idol. I admit it - I've gotten hooked on that show. I couldn't help it! And now I really want Ruben to win.

Other things I'll fess up to:

I was crazy about New Kids On The Block when they were hugely popular. I had a t-shirt. We have a tape of me singing Funky Christmas from that time. Cory swears he's going to find it and put it on the Christmas cd that we give to people.

I like "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles.

I have "She's Like The Wind" by Patrick Swayze (think Dirty Dancing) memorized. It soothes kids to sleep. I swear!

I admit that I'm not the saviest when it comes to music. LOL! But I think Cory and I are giving the kids a great variety to listen to :) Accalia has learned how to head bang thanks to Cory's preference for Metallica or Linkin Park. Accalia prefers classical music. The first music the kids have heard me singing to them is from Natalie's Cole's Unforgettable album. Accalia and I haven't danced around to the Dixie Chicks in a long time. Cory got me hooked on Indigo Girls. Last night I was dancing around in the kitchen with Cole to James Taylor. Before that it was Bare Naked Ladies.

Well, I guess it's my responsibility to look around and see what else I could make for supper. Wish me luck!

It's a rainy, dreary day. We do have to run a couple errands, so hopefully the weather will cooperate. Yet another very restless night on Cole's part. Sometimes I think that Cole just doesn't like to sleep, that he'd be more than happy if we all only slept 5 or 6 hours a night. Or he's just having a hard time wasting away the night when there are so many other things to do!

Cory said our bed has sprung a leak (softside waterbed - individual tubes, very sold, no worries about co-sleeping). So after Accalia gets up, I get to take apart everything and dry it off. I can't wait until we can afford a new bed! It's been a huge pain to move that bed - let's see, 3 times in our married life - and I'd love a nice, normal bed :)

Cole's latest addition to his vocal repertoire is this dreadful noise that sounds like he's gasping for breath. It's really, really awful. If you aren't right there with him and watch him while he does it, you might think he's drowning and trying to breath in a smoke-filled room. Let's hope this noise loses its novelty quickly!

Another pretty nice day to be outside. A little more humid than yesterday, though. We were in and out all day with Accalia and Cole playing on the swingset and in the sandbox and Cory mowing. Cole's been cranky! I think it's due to the fact that he's now getting his fifth tooth! I guess if teething makes him so cranky that it's probably good to get a lot of it out of the way. I'm going to have to start buying stock in Hyland's Teething Tablets :)

We have a somewhat busy week coming up - nothing too spectacular. Cory will be working Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings. Lucy has a vet appointment tomorrow afternoon and I have a haircut Thursday evening. We're heading to Mitchell on Wednesday to visit Sara. Not much planned for next weekend.

We went to the library today. I was able to grab up a couple of the Janet Evanovich novels that I haven't read. They're easy and entertaining, so why not? Of course I also just started reading "The Lovely Bones", which my mother in law also loaned to me. I'm trying to read the books she loaned by the time they come in a couple weeks, and hopefully she won't have any more books to pass along. I'm also trying to finish up one chapter in "Taking Charge of Your Fertility" before I start charting.

Cole has fallen asleep in my arms and Accalia is yelling for something. Better run.

Last night we saw "Analyze That." It was a pretty funny movie - lots of prison mental health humor for Cory :) We're in the mood to watch another movie tonight even though Accalia is awake and Cole just went to sleep. It's early, though, so he'll probably be waking up before he goes to sleep for good. At any rate, the movie we have for tonight is "Catch Me If You Can."

Today has been a beautiful day. Cole was way overtired this morning and wouldn't go down for a nap, so we ended up driving around the lake area and checking out the campsites we reserved for Accalia's birthday June 14. This afternoon we spent time outside gardening and went to a park so Accalia could run all around on the playground equipment.

I've noticed that every once in a while Cole will grind his teeth. Drives me nuts! Accalia did that for a short time, too, after she had teeth on the top and the bottom. She was older since her teeth didn't start appearing until she was nine months old. Hopefully this is shortlived.

Cory was helping Accalia get dressed this morning, and Accalia asked what the words on her t-shirt said. "Old Navy Celebrates Earth Day," Cory said. "No!" Accalia said. "Mommy, read this to me." "Old Navy Celebrates Earth Day", I repeated. "No! It's not Earth Day! It's Saturday!" Accalia said. LOL! I had no idea Accalia even knew what day it was.

Cory's out renting a DVD. Both kids are asleep, and I have an overwhelming urge to watch a movie and pop popcorn. I just need to relax for a while. The day has been good. Cory was at work the entire morning and had a chiropractor appointment. In the afternoon I went to my old OB/GYN and had my annual exam (he was very happy to see me back), and then we went to the dollar stores so Cory could collect a few things for his play therapy bag.

Lately Accalia has been asking to get a lot of things she sees on commercials or in stores or wherever. Hey, it all looks pretty cool, doesn't it? What we've started doing is writing down each thing she wants on a piece of paper so we have ideas for birthdays, Christmas, etc. She loves that. It must satisfy the need she has for us to know what she wants. Sometimes I think she just wants to be heard and doesn't care so much about the end result. At any rate, it totally cuts out any whining that might happen such as "I want this!" or "I need to have this!" Accalia's always been good in that respect. She doesn't seem to have as much of a desire to own every single object on the planet.

Looks like Cory is back with the movie!

Accalia and I just went out to look at the lunar eclipse. I thought we might miss it because it had been so cloudy all day, but the clouds seem to be moving away. Accalia was glad to see the sliver of moon, but she was more excited about all of the stars. "I have to make a wish, Mommy!" So she did, but I didn't hear what it was.

Today's been a slightly better day than the previous few. Still not at the top of my game, though. Cory came home around 9:30 tonight completely exhausted. He's not going in to Sioux Falls tomorrow because he has a chiropractor appointment that he could only do during the day, and I have my pap smear to look forward to tomorrow, so Cory will be here to watch the kids.

This will hopefully be a pretty quiet, laidback weekend. I want to get some gardening done, but that's about it.

Last night was a much more peaceful night than I've had in a long time. Cole slept very hard. Either he was really worn out or else he got whatever it was out of his system and he's more content. He's napping right now - has been for about an hour. I told Accalia this morning that today is her day and to tell me what she wants to do. Her first request was to nurse, and after that all she's asked to do is play computer games. Hey, if that's all it takes to make her happy and content!

The day is slowly winding down here. Cory and Accalia are both upstairs and heading to bed, if they aren't already there. Cole is nursing to sleep right now. He's always lulled to sleep when I carry him in the sling while loading the dishwasher. And knowing that'll get him to sleep always motivates me to do that particular household task, so that's a bonus.

This week I've felt as if I've lost my mothering mojo. It just doesn't help that Accalia and Cole have been in rather sour moods. And I know that puts me in a bad mood which puts them in a bad mood and the cycle keeps on going. So it's up to me to put a stop to it. Hopefully tomorrow will be a fresh start for all of us. Cory won't be home until 9:30 p.m. or so tomorrow since he'll be out doing contract work.

Oh, funny thing at the library. The police officer who was the guest speaker at story time today asked the kids if they had any questions. Accalia immediately raised her hand (which surprised me), but thankfully the officer wasn't looking her way. I leaned over and asked what her question was, and she said - a bit frantically - "Help me! Tell me my name!" I whispered back, "He's not asking for your name right now, but he wants to know if you have questions." Accalia said, "Oh" and then put her hand down. Hopefully I didn't burst her bubble! I didn't mean to. I think she thought they were going to go around and say their names like they did at the start when Accalia was over by the toys and puzzles in the kids' section.

I've started a couple Leader Applications the past few days for my CLA duties. I remember how exciting that process was for me, and I hope I can be as motivating and inspiring as the representative I worked with was for me. Pretty soon I'll have to write an article for the Area leaders' newsletter. Just waiting to hear whether my idea is a go or not.

Cory's mom left a couple Janet Evanovich novels at our house quite some time ago in hopes of me reading them. I finally did and actually got into the Stephanie Plum series. It's definitely light, no-brainer reading, but when I have some down time lately I'm not in the mood to do much thinking. LOL! I don't especially like that Evanovich's novels are written more for women. Don't know why that bothers me. Maybe it's just because most of the mystery/suspense authors I enjoy seem much more gender neutral and I'm just not used to it.

Accalia's waiting for me to play Don't Break The Ice with her, so I have to make this quick. Cole's napping. We went to the library this morning and once again arrived when story time was going on. I really have no idea what the schedule is. It's not a bad thing that we're there for story time, but the way they do it at our library is that parents sign up for certain days and times, so kids can't just walk off the street and join in. It's good in that the size of the kiddie crowd doesn't get out of hand (as it did in Mitchell), but it's bad in that it makes it seem to exclusive if parents and kids show up who didn't sign up. And of course Accalia doesn't totally understand why she can't do what the other kids are doing. She usually sneaks in and listens to the stories, and so far no one has seemed to mind, but today must have been their last day because the librarian had treats for them. Thankfully Accalia seemed to comprehend when I told her we needed to sign up in order to have them, and she seemed happy knowing I had signed her up for the summer story time and reading program.

Okay, there was more I was going to write about but that'll have to wait until a game or two has been played.

It's a gloomy, rainy afternoon suddenly and I can hear thunder in the distance. Cory just called to warn me that storms are headed my way. Both kids are napping right now, so hopefully I won't have to interrupt their naps to take them to a safer place.

I think the three of us have been out of sorts most of the day. None of us are in very good moods, and we're all just grating against each other. Hopefully napping will improve things! I'm just not sure what is wrong with Accalia. She's been complaining a lot today. And Cole continues his restless nights of sleep. I'm beginning to think he's headed for another huge developmental milestone - probably walking. Today he was hanging onto the edge of the tub and let go and was balancing for a split second before I scooped him up.

Today we ran a couple errands - post office, grocery store, Wal-Mart. It's definitely a challenge to get out of the house and go anywhere. Today Accalia seemed fairly eager, but more often than not she just wants to stay at home. She seems more eager to get involved in kids' activities now, though, so that's why she's so excited about dance class next month. Cole, on the other hand, gets cranky if we're at home for too long. He starts bouncing up and done and screeching happily when I grab my keys. Ah, the challenges of two distinctly different children :)

We're trying to recover from our travel intensive weekend today. I think we're all a bit out of sorts. I know I'm definitely not in the best mood! After a night with a very restless Cole, both he and Accalia were sitting up all bright eyed at 7 a.m. Ergh. I wouldn't have minded a half hour longer. We've been running a few errands today, and it's been one of those days where I really wouldn't mind having one of those dog leash restraint-type things that are designed for kids. LOL! In all fairness, I know loving, gentle parents who have used them for one reason or another, but I can't get past the fact that I'd feel like I were walking Lucy if I hooked up Accalia or Cole to one of those!

Anyway, our weekend probably went better than I expected. We made it to Cory's grandma's in Redfield around 8 p.m. and she had supper waiting for us, even though we had told her that we'd eat on the way. So, Cory and I managed a few bites to appease her. I had completely forgotten that she keeps her thermostat at 80 degrees or higher and didn't have the appropriate clothes to try to remain somewhat cool. I survived, though, mostly by sleeping in the basement with Cole while Cory and Accalia took an upstairs bedroom. Cory was up late with his grandma because one of her sons' lives just a few miles from where tornadoes touched down in Oklahoma City. Thankfully everyone was okay, and there were no injuries or damages to our relatives bodies and property.

On Saturday, we drove about 1 1/2 hours to Cory's brother in Gettysburg. Sadly, the last time we were there was before Accalia was born! Of course the last time they came to visit us (not just passing through) was before Accalia was born, too! Our visit went much better than I thought it would, and Accalia and Cole both had a grand time playing with their three cousins. Mark has lost 50 pounds in three months, and we had no idea! He and Shannon are both on the Atkins diet (which I have a lot of concerns about), and by the time we left I was so sick of the smell of frying meat.

The wedding was nice, too. We drove about an hour to get to it, and it was a decent Lutheran wedding :). The ceremony was about an hour, so the kids were pretty restless by the end of it. Cole stood on the pew facing the people behind us most of the time, grinning and cooing and trying to get someone to smile back. After the wedding, we drove to the reception and sat down to wait for things to begin. The reception area was rather crowded, and there was no room for the kids to roam really, and there were candles and tableclothes and sharp silverware everywhere, and Cory and I just looked at each other and knew we'd all be miserable if we tried to wait around for everything. So we left and headed back to Gettysburg. Apologies to Heidi that we didn't stick around, but I have a feeling we weren't missed :) Heidi looked radiant, and her wedding brought back lots of great memories of my wedding day and the start of my married life with Cory. I felt really old, though, being so nostalgic! At 26, I didn't expect to feel that way attending the weddings of my friends! I guess, though, that since Cory and I have been married almost six years and have two children now, that wedding day really does seem a lifetime away.

Sunday was our travel day back and, of course, Mother's Day. A belated Happy Mother's Day to all of you mamas out there! Even though I told Cory that I didn't want any presents, he and the kids got me "Moulin Rouge" and a basal thermometer. Woo hoo! I'm going to start charting since I'll be using the Fertility Awareness Method (a similar method of birth control/pregnancy achievement is Natural Family Planning). I'd be amazed if I were able to get pregnant right now since I'm not ovulating again yet, but since Cole isn't exclusively breastfed anymore there's a greater chance of that happening. And since I just can't go back on the Pill and really have no desire to experiment with other forms of birth control, I'm going the natural, very effective route.

Oh, I just had to scare what Cory wrote in my Mother's Day card from him:

"Hon - I hope Mother's Day is a great day for you. You definitely deserve it. You are an incredible mother (and wife) and continue to leave me awestruck by all the things are you able to do. Your strength, beauty, spirit, conviction, bravery, sense of humor, creativity and a thousand other things are what I see in you and amplified infinitely when I see you with Accalia and Cole. Thank you for being the mother of my children. I love you."

Aww! Isn't he just the sweetest guy? I'm so glad I snagged him!

The kids and I are leaving in less than two hours for our weekend in the remote northern reaches of the state. I'm really trying to psych myself up for this. We're spending tonight at his grandma's house. His grandma really is a dear, sweet woman, and she basically worships the ground that Cory walks on. She hasn't seem Cole yet, so this visit is long overdue. It just won't be relaxing since we'll be practically shouting the entire time in order for her to hear anything. Tomorrow we'll be spending the night with Cory's brother, Mark. Again, not that relaxing. We'll be gone at the wedding much of the time, though. Accalia will have a blast playing with her three cousins. Shannon (sister in law) and I just don't have much in common, so conversation and chatting just doesn't come easily between us. Ah well. It's my wifely duty :)

We'll be home again on Sunday, so I'll see you all later!

I've been in a bit of a clothing quandry lately. We're going to a friend's wedding this weekend in Mobridge (northern South Dakota), and I really have nothing suitable to wear that's also nursing friendly. I do have one sleeveless nursing dress, but I think I'd probably freeze my butt off wearing that this weekend! So, we ventured to the mall where JC Penney's is located. There was absolutely nothing there that struck my fancy. Then I realized that I'd been ignoring a goldmine - Goodwill! I haven't been there in the nearly eight months that we've been back in Yankton, and I have no idea why. Guess I've just been concentrating my energies on the childrens' consignment store here :) Anyway, Accalia was in heaven! They had several big bins filled with books, so she found a number that she liked. For some reason she was in a Pooh mood. I also found a couple books: We Were The Mulvaneys and Reviving Ophelia. Neither of these have I read.

Okay, so back to the clothes. I did it! I found a skirt and shirt for less than $5! Woo hoo! Nursing friendly and fairly hip, too :) Oh, Accalia also found a Cinderella board game for $1. Funny how she mentioned she had a dream about Cinderella and then she picked up a game today.

Have to put Cole down in bed now that he's fast asleep and see what my girl wants to do.

When I was appointed Coordinator of Leader Accreditation (CLA) for our LLL Area, I also became part of the Area Department Coordinator (ADC) team. This morning I had just started talking with another ADC member on the phone about facility reservations for the area conference next spring. I was upstairs in the kids' room, holding a naked Cole while we both stared out the window. Suddenly I had a noise, looked down and I had poop covering most of my pajamas. There's definitely a reason women seem better able to multi-task than men, and it's because of moments like this! So I continued on with this conversation while trying to clean both me and Cole up AND try to keep a fussy Cole and chattering Accalia relatively content. And I have to say I handled it fairly well. I would just prefer not to do it every day! LOL!

Accalia and I were up before Cole this morning. As we were walking down the stairs, she said, "I had a dream last night, Mommy." "What was it about, sweetie?" I asked. "Cinderella," Accalia replied. She didn't go into any more details than that, but I think it's really neat that she's remembering her dreams and wanting to share bits and pieces with me.

Her quest for letter recognition continues. She sings the ABC song almost constantly now, and I can tell that she's getting more and more of the letters in the correct order :) Yesterday we were grocery shopping, and she was riding in the cart. On the cart handle it says "Hy-Vee Food Stores", and Accalia was asking me what each letter was. After I told her once or twice, she picked out all of the "e's" and "o's" to show me.

My exciting news for yesterday and today is that I've discovered I can wear two more pair of my jeans! Woo hoo! Now I fit into three pairs of jeans that I haven't been able to wear since I discovered I was pregnant with Cole.

Gosh, so many things to talk about!

As many of you know, Accalia has been obsessed with ballerinas for some time. Yesterday we were looking through the city's park & rec department summer programs and I mentioned to Accalia that they had some dance classes for her age group. She nearly jumped through the ceiling when she heard. "Where's my ballerina clothes? Let's go!" So, it looks like we're going to be trying out dance class for the first time. From the description, it sounds pretty easy going. Classes are twice a week for 45 minutes each time for the few weeks it runs. It's a tumbling/dance class, so I'm assuming the girls (it says it's just for girls apparently) will get a chance to learn how to do a few basic dance steps as well as run around to a bunch of music. Accalia was showing me all of the ballet moves she's picked up from watching Angelina Ballerina and reading different ballet books, and she's so excited to share her knowledge with others :) Hopefully this class will be fun for her!

Summer storytime and the reading program at the library will be starting up next month, too. Every time we go to the library lately, she asks if it's storytime. Guess I should have signed her up for that last time they had registration! During the summer, though, there's no need to sign up so we'll just make a point of going when they have it.

I did a horrible job yesterday of balancing my work (LLL) responsibilities with parenting. Accalia and Cole definitely got the shaft! I know that was part of the reason Accalia and I weren't getting along so well. Accalia, too, was just off yesterday. Definitely not acting like herself. I thought she'd crash early, but she was awake until 9 or so.

Cory went into the center last night for about an hour and made some phone calls. He's meeting with a client tonight at his office here in Yankton. After Cory got home last night, Cole and I ran to a couple places to pick up odds and ends. I wasn't about to suggest to Accalia that we go shopping at three different stores today since shopping isn't a big thrill for her, so we'll just have to hit the grocery store and pick up a few things.

I really should have gone back to bed after walking Cole back to sleep a little after six (he was being very restless), but I'm just feeling that if I don't get up and going I'm never going to make it anywhere today :)

Cory's back at work today. He'll probably be gone a bit tonight, too, since he has to go into the center here and start setting up his schedule with his clients.

Accalia and I haven't been getting along the best today. Part of it is that Accalia really has needed a nap since she woke up! Now that it's 3:30, though, I don't want that to happen. Maybe she'll go to bed early tonight. I can always dream :)

We planted our 4 o'clock seeds in our front flower beds this morning. We've had some success with them in the past, so hopefully they'll thrive here. We discovered an earthworm while we were digging, and Accalia was absolutely fascinated by it, especially after I told her it's probably not a good idea to step on them on purpose. She was very concerned that the worm wasn't moving very fast and didn't seem to have any place to go. But when we turned around once, the worm was gone, so apparently it had burrowed it's way back into the earth.

I've had a bunch of LLL stuff going on today. Had to send out a couple letters to Leaders, Leader Applicants and potential LAs. I even had a phone call from a Leader. I was upstairs talking with her and came down to discover Accalia hiding by the toilet and crying. The floor all around her was covered in pee. Hmm, maybe that's when her bad mood began. Both she and Cole took a bath right after that since I thought that would probably soothe her a bit, but apparently not! I didn't fill the tub up very high because Cole likes to crawl around in the bathtub and splash. It's very cute to watch. He just does not like to sit down on his butt and be still for any amount of time!

I don't seem to get as much computer time with Cory at home (he's been home since Thursday), but that's okay. I much prefer spending time with my honey!

Cory was at home on Thursday (or at least not at work in Sioux Falls) because he was getting things set up at the center he'll be doing contract work for a few hours each week. He worked at this same place when we lived in Yankton before, so he knows many of the people still there.

Cory took off Friday because it was the day before his birthday. I don't remember anything terribly exciting happening that day.

Saturday was Cory's 31st birthday, and as Cory put it, he's "firmly entrenched in the 30s". I think he really enjoyed the day. Cole and I got up before he and Accalia, and we got his favorite pre-packaged breakfast (Great Start pancakes and sausage) and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. Then we blew up a bunch of balloons and set out party favors. That was more for Accalia's benefit since that's what a birthday is mostly about for her right now (besides the presents). Cory received mostly music from us. He's into a wide range of styles, but this time around he received more metal and alternative bands. His birthday lunch was at McDonald's (again, for Accalia's benefit), and she had a great time running around the playland. And it was relatively calm, so that was a bonus for us. And for his birthday supper, he opted to grill hamburgers and make his grandma's potato salad. I made milk shakes and a caramel cake with caramel frosting. So, as you can see, the day revolved a lot around food!

Oh, Cole's shipment of diaper covers arrived on Saturday, too. We ordered a dozen Bummis Super Whisper Wrap Snaps from The Baby Marketplace. The reason I ordered from this store is because they had a good price on bulk orders and free shipping. We had received a shipment from them last week, but they sent velcro covers instead of snap covers. We took care of everything relatively quickly, though. They sent out the correct covers before they received the wrong shipment back from me and immediately refunded what I had to pay for shipping. So I'm pretty impressed with the service and glad Cole has diaper covers that aren't falling down!

Both kids are napping right now, and Cory is rearranging our upstairs landing. For The past few days, Accalia has been constantly asking me to tell her stories. It started out with her wanting me to tell her fairy tales and the like, but now she wants real stories about each of us. It's fun telling her about things that happening to me or to her when we were younger.

This or That
1. Lying down on the couch, or stretching out on a recliner? Stretching out on a recliner. If I lie down on the couch, I'll have two kids crawling all over me. If I'm on the recliner, they'll both be cuddled in my lap. And if there aren't any kids around, I still prefer the recliner.

2. Going barefoot or wearing soft slippers? Barefoot

3. Eating ice cream, or pizza? Ice cream

4. Watching on TV...a classic movie or a reality show? Totally depends on my mood. Some nights I just want to sit and veg and watch American Idol or Survivor. Other nights I want to get lost in a whole other world like Casablanca.

5. Wearing: blue jeans or sweat pants? Sweat pants if I'm sticking around home.

6. A long, soothing bubble bath or a quick, invigorating shower? I can't even remember the last time I took a bath, let alone a bubble bath. Would definitely be fun to do that again. Any kind of shower - especially if it's uninterrupted - is paradise.

7. Furniture: leather, or something more on the fuzzy side? Fuzzy

8. Soft, classical music, or upbeat rock & roll? Again, depends on my mood. I'm usually torn between the two.

9. Darkness or light? Light

10. Thought-provoking question of the week: You get married, or otherwise begin cohabitating with a significant other. S/he moves into your place, but brings with them the UGLIEST chair you have ever seen! You really don't want this thing in your home, but SO says it is the most comfy chair s/he has ever sat in, and no way will they part with it. Do you: grin and bear it, or scheme to get rid of the montrosity somehow?

How about compromise? Maybe put a throw over the chair to cover it up or have over it when it's not in use. Let's say a certain husband had a collection of posters - everything from Star Wars to Spiderman. By no means ugly, but at the same time not something I want in the living room. We don't have any hanging up since our move, but before he claimed a room where he could hang up all of his stuff. Made us both happy :)

Yesterday the kids and I spent part of the day at a district workshop for La Leche League in Sioux Falls. It was a typical LLL event with more children than adults. Overall it went well, but I think it would have been a little more relaxing (and perhaps less over stimulating for some of the kids) if we had been in a bigger room. I did a session on using the Preview and Breastfeeding Resource Guide during the leadership application process. I think it was supposed to be more of a presentation - maybe at a workshop with a few more moms and fewer children - but it ended up being more a case of me leading a discussion in between stopping to parent. Hopefully I provided some people with helpful information!

Cory took today off from work. He's meeting with his boss at the behavioral health center where he'll be doing some contract work and counseling a few families after he's finished at the penitentiary. The main reason he's doing this is because we need the money, but I think he's also looking forward to doing more actual counseling rather than intakes.

Accalia spent about 45 minutes playing in the bathtub this morning. We also shared a peanut butter sandwich. She really seems to enjoy eating in the bathtub for some reason. Not sure why. Great place to contain food messes, though :)