Beating the SPRING Heat

So is it just me or has it gone straight from winter to summer?! What in the heck happened to this lovely little season we call spring??? Not that I'm complaining or anything. This weekend was SO beautiful; warm weather, no Ellensburg wind. It was a perfect time to take the kids out of this house and go have some fun! We went to the park and played and hung out with some neighbors. They have two little boys about the same ages as the girls. They drew with sidewalk chalk, blew bubbles, chased each other around, and dug in the dirt. They got down and dirty! Let's just say that come bath time later we had a "pre-rinse" cycle before actually drawing the bath water. We came inside and cooled off with some push-ups. Yum yum! Sticky sticky! It's fun for me to watch them play hard and get so dirty. I can't even remember what it's like to not have a care in the world, but I'm sure it was nice. I wish I'd taken pictures of them playing.

Hair

Joanna and Jaclyn are funny girls because they both hate having their hair done. Every time I attempt to put Joanna’s long hair up in pigtails, a ponytail, etc., she just rips it right out. Same goes with Jaclyn. So we’re lucky if hair even gets brushed before heading out the door. But the other day Jaclyn actually let me put her hair in these little pigtails that, I think, look more like antenna or teletubby horns, you take your pick.

As for Joanna, her hair was getting SO long. It was always getting in her face and in her food, and so since she never let me do anything with it, I took her to get it cut yesterday. She did so well. I was impressed. She sat in the chair all by herself and held still while the lady cut her hair. I think she looks so adorable with this new “do”.

Joanna before the haircut













Joanna striking a pose

Blowing me a kiss?

Who says the firstborn has it rough?!

Just the other day I read in the news about a recently-released study which states that firstborn children have it rougher than their younger siblings. Well duh?! Did it really take an expensive study to figure that one out?! ;o) I AM a firstborn child, afterall. But what the study focused on was the extra duties, responsibilities, and higher expectations placed upon older firstborn kids. It did not address firstborn babies.

Here's some funny reasons why us firstborn babies had it WAY BETTER than our siblings!!! They made me laugh and I know we can all relate to most of them. Enjoy!

BIRTH ORDER OF CHILDREN

Maternity Clothes:
1st baby: You begin wearing maternity clothes as soon as your OB/GYN confirms your pregnancy.
2nd baby: You wear your regular clothes for as long as possible.
3rd baby: Your maternity clothes ARE your regular clothes.

Preparing for the Birth:
1st baby: You practice your breathing religiously.
2nd baby: You don't bother because you remember that last time, breathing didn't do a thing.
3rd baby: You ask for an epidural in your eighth month.

The Layette:
1st baby: You pre-wash newborn's clothes, color-coordinate them, and fold them neatly in the baby's dresser.
2nd baby: You check to make sure that the clothes are clean and discard only the ones with the darkest stains.
3rd baby: Boys can wear pink, can't they?

Worries:
1st baby: At the first sign of distress--a whimper,a frown--you pick up the baby.
2nd baby: You pick the baby up when her wails threaten to wake your firstborn.
3rd baby: You teach your three-year-old how to operate the baby swing.

Pacifier:
1st baby: If the pacifier falls on the floor, you put it away until you can go home and wash and boil it.
2nd baby: When the pacifier falls on the floor, you squirt it off with some juice from the baby's bottle.
3rd baby: You wipe it off on your shirt and pop it back in.

Diapering:
1st baby: You change your baby's diapers every hour, whether they need it or not.
2nd baby: You change their diaper every two to three hours, if needed.
3rd baby: You try to change their diaper before others start to complain about the smell or you see it sagging to their knees.

Activities:
1st baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics, Baby Swing, Baby Zoo, Baby Movies and Baby Story Hour.
2nd baby: You take your infant to Baby Gymnastics.
3rd baby: You take your infant to the supermarket and the dry cleaners.

Going Out:
1st baby: The first time you leave your baby with a sitter, you call home five times.
2nd baby: Just before you walk out the door, you remember to leave a number where you can be reached.
3rd baby: You leave instructions for the sitter to call only if she sees blood.

At Home:
1st baby: You spend a good bit of every day just gazing at the baby.
2nd baby: You spend a bit of everyday watching to be sure your older child isn't squeezing, poking, or hitting the baby.
3rd baby: You spend a little bit of every day hiding from the children.

Swallowing Coins (a favorite):
1st child: When first child swallows a coin, you rush the child to the hospital and demand x-rays.
2nd child: When second child swallows a coin, you carefully watch for the coin to pass.
3rd child: When third child swallows a coin you deduct it from his allowance!