More Progress

Walls!

We have progress in the form of... WALLS:

Canadian for a day

As you may know, my husband is Canadian...I am not, nor have I ever lived there.

Last week, I took our dog (along with our 2 kids in the pouring rain) to the vet to get his shots.  (Don't even get me started about them charging me for an ANNUAL exam all 3 times he's been there in the past 7 months JUST for SHOTS....)

Anyway, the vet comes in and is giving him the shots and then says, "So...you're Canadian?"

:: me looking very confused as to why our nationalities would have been in our dogs medical records::

Vet:  "I can tell by your accent."

LOL  Um, OK.  So, I got to be Canadian for a day.  :-)

House

Wow, so the past 6 weeks have been busy.  At the beginning of October, we formally started the home buying process.  Early on, we found a house that was acceptable, in a neighborhood we LOVED.  We decided that even though the house would need renovations, we'd put an offer in on it.

The sellers were not willing to sell for what we were willing to pay, considering the renovations.  So, we moved on.  A couple of weeks later, I fell in love with a house, but we weren't crazy about the location at first.  By the time we decided the location was acceptable (3 days later) the house was already under contract.  We put in a backup offer, just in case.  I was heartbroken.  I LOVED that house.

Last weekend, we looked at 3 houses, and each one of them had it's pro/cons.  One of the houses we looked at was already under contract, but the builder was planning a house on the next lot.  We liked the house enough that we decided that we would go ahead and make the offer on the new construction which was accepted the next day.  It was a bit anit-climatic since the house doesn't exist yet.  But, it will be a great memory for us and Mini Me to watch it being built. 

The foundation is in, and we met with the builder yesterday to discuss our choices.  We've picked an exterior color, and are picking flooring this week.  The plan is that they will begin framing it Dec. 1.  So, let's hope for a mild winter so they are able to stay on schedule.  Here's what it looks like right now:

Trick or Treat

For Halloween, Mini Me decided that she was going to be Uniqua from The Backyardigans.  If you don't have kids, or babysit kids, then odds are, you have no clue who The Backyardigans are.  Sweet Pea was a spider.  Thankfully, it wasn't too cold.

Mini Me was really excited about the candy, but she really wasn't into the "scary" stuff.  Several times, she ran from a house when someone opened the door in costume.  She's entered a phase of being scared of everything, and Halloween exacerbated that.  But, we had a nice time anyway.

Wow

It's hard to believe it's been so long since I last put anything on the blog...

I have tons to update, of course.  There's some Sweet Pea birthday stuff (I'm still in denial that she's had a birthday, btw), some fall festivities, a trip to the emergency room (me, not the kids), and of course....the biggest news...

We are buying a house!  Hopefully.

We found the house we want and are now discussing an offer and hope to make it official some time this week.

The house has been on the market for a few months, with no offers.  So, fingers crossed that no one comes along in the next few days, mkay?

Lots of updates, but for now...a bowl of ice cream and more anxiety about the house.  :-)

Happy Birthday, Sweet Pea!

At 1 year, Sweet Pea weighs 20 pounds, half an ounce and is 30.25 inches tall.

Current Skills: Walking (11.5 months), knows cow and dog sounds, tries to do itsy bitsy spider and touches her head for Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes.  Calls her sister Ge Ge, which is different than Da Da.  Rarely says mama anymore.  :-(  Loves Sesame Street, eats really well.  Switched full time to milk in cups a week before her birthday.

We will be following the recommendation of the AAP and keeping her in a rear facing car seat until she reaches the height/weight limit for the seat.  If you want to know why, check out this information.  There are also some very heart wrenching video's on Youtube if you can handle it. 

Yummy Chocolate Cupcake:

One year ago today...

... I was baking cookies for hubby to take to work (they would never make it there). 
... I was at an appointment with my midwife.
... I was watching House.
... It was raining (just like today).
... I went into labor

One year ago tomorrow...we met Sweet Pea.

Footloose and Bottle Free!

Aside from being on the verge of running, Sweet Pea is now free in another sense.  She is bottle free.  She happily drinks regular milk from a cup now, so all of the bottles found their way to the trash this morning.  Yay!  One week until her 1st Bithday!

'Tis the Season for Apple Picking

Fall is, by far, my favorite season.  The smells, the colors, the crispness in the air.  Love everything about it.

Last weekend we went apple picking.  Fun was had by all and we are stuffing ourselves full of apples.

So, the animals may have gotten a little aggressive and took the food cup from Mini Me.  Whoops!

Sweet Pea showing off her new walking ability by stumbling around the farm

Almost a good family shot on the horse drawn hayride

What a difference a day makes

The other day when I posted the video of Sweet Pea taking those handful of unsteady steps, I thought I might still have a couple of weeks before she really became a toddler.  After all, she had been taking 1-2 steps here and there for several weeks.

Alas, that was not the case.  Yesterday, she decided that walking was better than crawling.  She is still unsteady and has no navigational ability...she just walks until she bumps into something or falls.  However, she chooses to start out by walking (even if she falls and crawls the rest of the way) to wherever she is going.

So, at this point, I think we officially have a toddler on our hands. 

One foot in front of the other

Crawling is still by far the preferred method of transportation for Sweet Pea, but that's slowly beginning to change. 

Elmo, and Cookie, and Ernie, Oh My!

It's that time of year again, where I go on and on about our annual trip to Sesame Place.

Elmo fever started the minute we walked into the hotel.  Elmo was plastered everywhere (Ironically, though, they did not carry the TV channel that has Sesame Street.  Um, hello?  What are we supposed to do when the kids are up at 5 am and the park doesn't open until 10???).  And, in the mornings after breakfast, they had an air brush artist (read: 14 year old with an air brush thing and a stencil) to do temporary tattoo things on the kids.  So, armed with our Elmo ta too, we headed out the door.

The very first thing we did when we walked into the park was hit the roller coaster...because Mini Me wanted to.  Seriously.  So, we went.  She did not scream, but I have no idea if she liked it or not.  I was holding on to her for dear life with my eyes closed.  It really isn't a bad ride, it just took me a bit by surprise because it's a little more of a "thrill" ride than I was expecting at Sesame Place. 

We hit a few more rides and such, but it started to get VERY crowded.  It was in the mid-90's, local schools hadn't started yet, and half of their staffing had headed back to college.  So, yeah.  It would be nice if they could do a bit more crowd control.  Some of the water rides/pools got shut down for various reasons (poop-EWWWWWW and an injury) so that didn't help matters any.  There was certainly a bit of over stimulation and much whining most of the day.  We certainly learned that a vacation like this with 2 kids is drastically different than with one.  And, the last time we went, we spent most of the time in the pool or at the shows.  This time, only 2 shows and most of the time on the rides...or, more accurately, waiting in line for the rides.

The potty was a huge issue because Mini Me is terrified of automatic flush toilets.  And, loud noises.  So, crowded public bathrooms are a nightmare for her.  Which results in her crying, screaming and most importantly, not peeing.  That's bad enough, but after waiting in line for a  ride for 20 minutes, to have her say she needs to go, get out of line, refuse to go, get back in line, wait more, says she has to go, gets out of line, goes, gets back in line, then has to poop.  LOL  Hubby and Mini Me spent the better part of an hour and 4 different attempts to get on the bounce house.  It was insane.

Day 2 started out much better.  We had breakfast with Elmo and the gang.  It's always a good time and worth every penny in our opinion.  It was less crowded, got Sweet Pea out of the stroller more.  Lines were shorter.  Place was cleaner.  We went to see the Elmo's World Live show and Sweet Pea got to be in the show!!!  There's a part of the show, just like on TV, where Elmo talks to a baby, and Sweet Pea got to be the baby.  SHE LOVED IT.  Turns out, she is a HUGE Elmo fan, and really LOVES all of the characters.  It was awesome and funny.  On the other hand, I think it caused some hard feelings on Mini Me's part.  I mean, she is really the whole reason we were there, and on several occasions, the characters barely acknowledged her after they saw how excited Sweet Pea was to see them.  That sucked.  Also, later in the afternoon, Season Pass members got to bring friends for free, so it got super busy again.  Then we all started to melt down and so we went to the hotel for an early night in. 

Although, the positive side of the day was really realizing how much money the season pass was saving us.  When you buy the souvenir cups, not only do you get a discount on them, but you get discounted refills.  In our case, most of the time, we had then refill with water, because it was free.  That was awesome.  Also, on meals and toys...huge discounts.

Day 3 was by far the best.  Not only was it my birthday, but it was our favorite day at the park.  After waiting in lines for 2 days, I was done.  So, I sprang for the Magic Queue wrist bands for me and Mini Me.  That got us line jumping privileges on all the dry rides and the lazy river.  Also, I decided that instead of prying the exhausted children away from the park for a nice birthday dinner where they would cry, melt down, and drive me insane at a restaurant, that we would have dinner with the Street gang there at the park then catch the parade.  It was a near perfect day.  We were able to just hop on rides when we wanted, and Mini Me got first pick.  She had wanted to get on a specific tea cup for 2 days, and finally since we could get on the rides first, she got it.  Again, totally worth every penny in my opinion.  We went on the Lazy river several times, the tea cups, the carousel, Ernie's Water Works, and met some characters.  It was a great day without meltdowns. 

Then we had dinner with the gang.  It was going well.  Even Sweet Pea who was beyond exhausted perked up because of the characters and was completely happy.  Then, it happened.  Mini Me said her tummy hurt.  She got the look, and hubby got out of the way just in time before she spewed her hot dog.  Ugh!  Fortunately, it wasn't a huge mess and we contained it, cleaned up and all was good in a matter of minutes and on with the fun! (Really, what is with her and the puking on vacation?  She hasn't puked this much in her entire life as she has this summer)

Then, we headed outside to watch the parade.  It really was the perfect ending and a near perfect day.

*Pictures coming as soon as I get them uploaded*

The Big 3-0

Today, I turn 30.  I'm not really freaking out about that.  After all, I've been married for 5 years, I have 2 kids, a dog, and a house is in the works for spring.  So, why shouldn't I be 30? 

To be fair, I had a hard time with turning 25.  That sucked.  But, that was so 5 years ago.  :-)

And, since becoming a mother, my whole perspective on birthdays has changed.  It is not my birthday that means anything to me, but those of my children.  For me, celebrating a year in their life, really is celebrating a year in mine.  Remembering so vividly the day they were born, thinking about how much they have changed in the past year and how much they have changed me. 

So, today, 30 years since the day I was born, instead of celebrating me, I want to say 'I love you' to my mom and dad.  Thank you for 30 years of your love and support.

(Oh, and just because I'm 'ok' with 30....we're still gonna call next year 29+2, mkay?)

GRANITE STATE OF MIND by SSP and Jay Z full video the super secret project

I saw this right before we moved, but I haven't watched it since.  It's even funnier now...

So that's what a unicorns horn is for....

While we were hanging out in the playroom this morning, Mini Me and I were playing with her My Little Pony stuff, while Sweet Pea crawled around chewing on everything she could find.

Sweet Pea eventually made her way over to us, and Mini Me holds up Sweetie Belle (who is actually a unicorn, not really a pony I guess) and starts honking.  I asked her what she was doing....

And she informed me that Sweetie Belle was honking her horn to make Sweet Pea get out of the way. 

Hmm, so that's what a unicorns horn is for...

She's too funny...

Sweet Pea started clapping this week.  And, it was just random.  Just started doing it perfectly like she had been doing it all her life.

She loves to clap...excect when I pick up the camera.  I don't know why, but every.single.time. I touch the camera, she refuses to do it.  I'll keep trying.

Also, she's working on monkey sounds and shrieking.  Then Mini Me gets in on the fun.  Needless to say, its noisy in my house.  Ear plugs for Christmas, please!

Would you believe...

that a really big fish grew legs, climbed out of the Cocheco River, swallowed our house and took us on a trip around the world before depositing us right back here just this minute?  No?  Really?

Then I have no other explaination for my lack of blog posts in the past couple of weeks.  I have Sweet Pea's 10 month pics to post, our trip to the beach to post about, some new Sweet Pea milestones, some awesome Mini Me successes, awesome knittiness on my part, and of course our whole buying a house dilemma.  And, yet....I'm struggling to find the time.

At the moment, I am feverishly using every free moment to knit.  Oh, and I need to start planning Sweet Pea's FIRST BIRTHDAY.  Already!  I promise that I will post all the posts and get this blog back track.  Yes, I know I've said it before, but this time, I really mean it.  :-)

Vacation in 3 easy steps

Step 1: Get there

We decided that leaving at the girls' bedtime would be ideal.  They would sleep most of the way, wouldn't need to stop to eat, no potty/diaper changes, and we would avoid traffic.  We knew we would be tired, but we had knew that Gram and Grandpa would be waiting in the driveway to waiting to squish the kids while mom and dad collapsed in a heap of exhaustion. 

Ummm....yeah.

It went a little more like this:

Prior to leaving, Mini Me had been constipated for several days.  She was complaining of being in pain and having a tummy ache.  I'll spare you the details, but needless to say, we tried to remedy the situation with only a small success.  But, thinking that we were at least headed in the right direction, we piled everyone into the car, and off we went.

After a very short time, we ran straight into strong thunderstorms, complete with torrential rain and wind, just as it was getting dark.  Sweet.  So, we were crawling along, unable to see very much.  Mini Me was in and out of sleep.  Finally, a break in the weather.  And then, I heard it.  Mini Me started to puke.  I had a blanket on my lap, and immediately lept into the back, holding the blanket in front of her to puke into.  So, Hubby finds a place to pull over and I send him inside for extra napkins.  Thankfully, the blanket caught most of the nastiness, but some was on her, the carseat and the car.  I carefully got her out, cleaned the carseat and car, and then stripped her right there in the parking lot.   While I was doing all this, another storm was approaching.  Lighting, thunder, wind.  I was hurrying, but still ended up getting soaked.

Finally the skies cleared and we were on our way.  The girls' finally fell asleep and all was quiet.  Except that every time we stopped for gas, they woke up.  They did go right back to sleep, but still.  We arrived the next morning, with 2 tired kids, exhausted parents and a back of puke-covered stuff.  We were a sight to see (and smell).

Step 2:  Have fun

Despite being slightly off schedule, and all the excitement, the girls' did really well.  There was only 1 night that Sweet Pea had a really rough time, and that was because she had fallen asleep and gotten woken up.  Other than a few accidents and some normal 3 year old moments, Mini Me was fine.  We were able to leave the kids with Gram and Grandpa for a couple of days so that we could go away.  We had a great time and from what I hear, sounds like the girls' had fun too.  Sweet Pea also got a new tooth on vacation.   Grandpa knicknamed Sweet Pea 'Sparky' and their cousin calls Mini Me 'Dragon' (not because of anything in particular, but she's almost 2 and that's how she pronounces Mini Me's name).

Step 3:  Get home

We decided that since driving overnight had not worked out so well for us, that we would try driving during the day.  That would have been OK, except that we got stuck in traffic, at the border for almost 2 hours.  Our kids are fine in the car, as long as its moving.  When we're stopped, it's not so much fun.  We had left just before 8:30am and we arrived home at midnight.  Thankfully, the kids had not slept all that much, and went to bed fairly easily.  And, they have done a great job of settling in and getting back to their routine.  Mini Me has not had a single accident since arriving home (nor any in the car, for that matter).  So, yay!  Great vacation all around, but happy to be home!

No post about our vacation would be complete without a ton of pictures.....

Casa Loma

A pretty fountain outside Casa Loma

A museum dedicated to shoes.  We did not go in, but I saw that they had a special exhibit on socks.

Is Lady Gaga missing her shoes?

CN Tower  Only 58 seconds to the top.  Um, no thanks.

There are just certain angles you should not take pictures from...this might be one of them.

Amazing Toronto skyline

The Flatiron Building

Creepy Sculpture in the Distillery District

There was a motorcycle in the middle, bottles stuck to the ceiling and my feet stuck to the floor.  Good times.

Uh Oh! We've got a climber...

Remember this picture?

Well, Sweet Pea is getting her climbing practice in a bit early:

Look!  I can see out the window from up here!

The Magic Word

Sweet Pea hasn't really had an official word yet.  But, she's been playing with the ba-ba-ba and da-da-da sounds for quite a while now.  And, despite my constant efforts to get her to say ma-ma-ma (knowing full well it won't really mean mama yet), she has refused.

Until, tonight.

I was changing her diaper and getting her ready for bed.  Without any prompting at all, she smiled so sweetly, looked at me and said in a really soft tone, "ma ma ma ma" then reached up and stuff her finger in my mouth.

Heart.Exploded.Imploded.Melted 

Our (most recent) Duh! Moment

Shortly after Sweet Pea was born, Mini Me decided to finally take the dive into daytime potty use.  That was awesome and other than a few minor regressions (the last one being the worst), she was doing great.

Around her birthday, she even stayed dry for several nights.  We thought we were on our way to night time training.  And then, one morning after about 4 days, she was wet.  Then EVERY.SINGLE.MORNING since then she has been wet.  So, following advice from other parents here on the interwebs, I ignored it.  "When she wakes up dry for a couple of weeks, then it's time to ditch the pull up" was the general consensus.  Makes sense-who the hell wants to be changing a wet bed in the middle of the night, right?

Well, here's the deal...my kid is smarter than I am.

I know she is usually awake pretty early because I hear her playing in her room.  I've never really minded, because it's early, I have to get Sweet Pea changed and fed, and all that.  So, whenever she's ready to come out, she does.

The other night, I was tired.  It had been a long day and I was just trying to get through bedtime.  At 5am, I hear Mini Me yelling for us.  At first, I think about ignoring it-it's 5 am for Pete's sake!  But, I thought better of it, because she sounded like she needed something.  I go to her room and she says to me, "Mommy, I need a pull-up so I can pee."

I was confused and asked her why she didn't have a pull up on (thinking she had taken it off during the night) and she said, "you forgot to put one on last night"  Oh.  So, I took her to the potty then back to her room.

The past 2 nights, I haven't put a pull up on her.  And, what do you know?  She comes out of her room sooner, and is dry.  Hmmm... Me thinks the kid was just hanging out in her room and peeing in her pull-up in the morning and really has been "dry at night" for some time. 

Duh!

Can be be an attention whore for a moment?

I've been going to the gym a couple of times a week.  I've been doing classes and running and more classes.

At first I was feeling guilty because Sweet Pea was not enjoying the nursery so much.  But, now I am SO glad that I stuck with it.  Not only are Mini Me and Sweet Pea doing well in the nursery, but I am feeling confident that I could rock a bikini this summer. (Well, I still have a bit of stretched out excess skin around my tummy...but I'm starting to think the only solution for that is plastic surgery.)

Y'all, my size 10 jeans are too big!  I stopped into a store today, just for fun and tried on 8's!  And, they were comfortable!!!  I haven't worn size 8's in, well....at least 8 years.  LOL  In fact, I don't even own any size 8's, so I see some shopping in my future!

OK, you can all hate me now.  :-)

Independence Day!

Happy 4th everyone!  Here are some pics from the first half of our holiday weekend:

Put the damn camera down and pick me up!

No patriotic event is complete until Thomas the Tank Engine does a fly over

Gotta love the cheesy scrunched face smile

Adams, Franklin and Jefferson reciting the Declaration of Independence on the steps of City Hall

Happy Canada Day!

I kid you not...

This afternoon we were on our way home and were driving along the main street in our town.  While stopped at a traffic light, I saw a man sitting on a bench holding a leash....that was around the neck of a full size GOAT.  Seriously.  In the middle of town.

9 Months!

Or, 3/4 of a year.  Holy Cow!

So, Sweet Pea is 9 months old today.  She is an excellent stair climber, super fast crawler, and a daring cruiser.  She often lets go when standing and, if she is anything like her sister, will be venturing out to take those first precious steps very soon.

Sweet Pea also adores her sister, even when the feelings are not reciprocated.  Although, she does get a devilish grin when Mini Me cries, so perhaps there's more to her than meets the eye.

All in all, she is a very easy going, friendly, happy baby.

At her 9 month appointment today, she weighed 18 pounds, 4.5 ounces and was 28 inches long.

Speaking of her appointment, maybe my expectations are a little too high given how much I loved our old pediatrician, but I'm not impressed with her new office and will start the search again.  I made the appointment for her 1 year visit and will give them one more shot, but I'm not optimistic.

To be fair, we saw the NP, not any of the actual pediatricians.  But, she told me to give juice to my 9 month old.  WTF?  My 3 year old rarely gets juice, and when she does it is watered down.  Per the advice of our previous pediatrician and our own preferences, we have decided that juice is not necessary.  We would prefer that our children get their nutrition from eating fresh fruit and drink water, both lifelong healthy habits, instead of pounding sugary sweet drinks.

Then, when questioned about what else she eats, I explained that we don't give pureed food anymore, that she is only eating solid finger foods.  To which she said, "She's a little too young for that".  Umm, no.  As long as she's eating, what difference does it make whether the banana is in bite size form or mush form???  Are you kidding me??? 

I'm starting to wonder if I should just stick with our old pediatrician 1.5 hours away.  Seems crazy, but if I can't find a pediatrician that is more in line with our views, then I might consider it.

So, posed pictures are not really possible at this point, so here is one attempt, and more importantly, a video.

The good, the bad and the gross

It's been ages since I sat down and actually wrote anything of substance.  Partly, it's because we've been so busy.  But, I'll be honest.  Things here are not all puppies and rainbows lately.

Mini Me is going through a really rough phase.  I have been blessed with having two wonderfully easy babies.  Sure Sweet Pea was a little more needy, but still a piece of cake compared to most other babies.  But, holy hell.  Three year olds suck!

I hate this age.  I hate saying that, because there are moments when Mini Me is so funny, so amazing, and so darn adorable.  But, the majority of the time...suckiness.  As much as I wish they could stay little forever, I am SO FREAKIN DONE with 3.   Seriously.

I know part of it is age, and part of it is the addition of Sweet Pea.  Mini Me is getting increasingly horrible with her.  Hitting her, scratching her, pushing her down, and just in general being mean to her.  Obviously, there is a bunch of jealousy.  Mini Me is threatened by Sweet Pea's newly emerging mobility and "big girlness" in eating and playing.  At some point, I am hoping that Mini Me will see Sweet Pea as a playmate and not a threat.  Perhaps not, but it's that thought that gets me through the day.

In the meantime, Mini Me is acting out in other ways too.  Crazy potty regression-last week she pooped in her panties TWICE, and peed numerous times.  WTF?!?!  We had some pee accidents shortly after we moved, but I was expecting that.  Then things got back on track.   Then, POOP!  GROSS! 

Throw in some stubbornness, highly refined stalling tactics, bossiness and the sudden COMPLETE INABILITY UNWILLINGNESS to entertain herself for even a single second and there's not enough alcohol in the state to calm my nerves at the end of some days.

But, lest you think I'm just wallowing in this dark tunnel of crapiness, there are good things about this age.  She loves going out and making new friends.  There are times when she does adhere to rules, even if she needs to be reminded of them frequently, she can do a lot more independently (dishes to the sink, put her shoes on/off, help unload the dishwasher, feed the dog).  And, she can be incredibly funny and sweet, when she wants to be.  She is a performer, through and through.  Give the kid anything that even remotely resembles a microphone and she will sing and dance for you for as long as you cheer and clap at the end of every song.

I've been feeling a little sad about Sweet Pea getting to be such a big girl and have thought about the possibility of having another baby.  I love having little babies.  But, then I look at Mini Me, and I wonder how many more times I can go through the 3 year old phase.  That, my friends, is the most effective form of birth control known to mankind. 

Summer fun

Because Girls Can Be Rock Stars Too!

Fireworks?  Who cares about that?  I've discovered GRASS!!

Too much grass exploration.  Must.Nap.Before.Fireworks.

Oooohhhh, so pretty

Let's not tell her we forgot to pick up this masterpiece at the end of the day.  Whoops!

Soap ::check:: Water ::check:: Toys ::check::  It's like bathtime in the middle of the street!

Woof!  Woof!

She'll be in therapy for this...

A recently overheard conversation between Mini Me and Daddy:

Upon being questioned by Daddy about her itching, I heard a reply: 'No, Daddy.  It's not my bum.  It's my china.'

.....................

Bikes R Us

Not so much.

Mini Me asked for a bike a while ago, and I promised her that when we got to our new house, we would buy her a bike.  And, so we did.

I got her in the car and we made the trip to our neighborhood Target.  We were trying to decide what size bike was appropriate for her.  The store only had a 12" on display, but not the 16".  So, we went to Wally world.  No bikes in her size.  So, I begrudgingly went to the toy store.  You know, the one with the big backwards R.  The one that I have now sworn that I will never step foot in again. (There are other reasons besides this stupidity that has led me to despise this chain store.  This is just the final scam straw).

Mini Me spent several minutes on and off the various bikes and with the "help" of a sales dude, I decide to stick with the 12" (so, FYI, that means that we could have gotten an almost identical bike at Target).  Anyway, she picks one and sales dude asks if we want one in the box or assembled for an additional fee.  I ask for one in a box and he grabs the ticket and tells me to meet him at the register.

So, I'm in the store with a 3 year old on the verge of a meltdown because she didn't want to get off the bike and didn't believe me that the dude was going to meet us up front with her brand new bike.  We finally get up there and the dude comes and says they don't have anymore.   

Wait for it....

And that my choices are wait until Tuesday when they get more in (um, really?  I promised my kid we were going to get a bike.  We are waiting to pay for said bike.  Waiting 3 days is not an option)  My other "choice" was to pay the additional assembly fee and take the floor model.  I guess my third option was to just go back to Target, but at that point, the kid was going to be heartbroken if we left without the bike she picked out.

So, as I'm loading up the assembled bike into the car.....  LOL

We get home and she wants to ride it that very instant:

And that was it. We tried to get her outside to ride it, and she refused. So, the princess bike that was such a headache to get, sat untouched for weeks. Memorial Day weekend, we actually convinced her to give it a try. It was only a few minutes, but she had fun and in the end, that's all that matters.

We've been so busy...

that our kids are exhausted. 

Here's Mini Me who was reading on her bed...and just fell asleep.

And here's Sweet Pea, who was jumping in her Jumperoo...and just fell asleep.