a "real" update

Yes, so I have been a little behind on the blog. To be honest, just haven't felt like updating it. We have been busy and have had other things filling up my time. Only 6 months ago, I was trying to find things to fill up my time. Now, I'm looking for ways to be able to just stay home. CRAZY!!! This morning, we ALL slept in. And I don't have to be somewhere until 11AM, so it feels like we have a lazy morning today. Nice.

Emma's preschool has been going really well. She is still concerned that Ellie and mommy are doing fun things while she is at school, so she has been hesitant to go. I have promised her that we will only run boring errands and go home and clean while she is at school (Ellie and I sneak in a few fun things). Emma has made some friends at school. If you know Emma at all, she is all about making friends (still misses her best friend Rayna in Nebraska). The teacher said she is doing really well and picking up on things well.

Ellie oh Ellie. She is ornery (more so than I had ever imagined). She likes to sneak into the food pantry while mommy is on the phone. She likes to say "I did it" anytime she does something. She likes to rip all the books off her sister's book shelf. She likes to be stingy with her kisses. She has really come into her own since Emma started school, which is good. She is talking more and playing independently. Where is the time going???

I have been working only one day a week, which has been enough. I have been working on projects around the house. We are converting the downstairs scrap/crap room into Chris' room. I decided to stop scrapbooking. Don't get me wrong, I love to scrapbook, but it is just too much for me. Besides all the "stuff" to store, it is very time consuming. So I am going to do all my photo albums online, which should save me time and money. So Chris will have an office again to display all his sports stuff and whatever else. So now I just have to figure out what to do with all my scrapping supplies!!

The kids keep me runnin' most days. I'm thinking back to when they were babies and how easy that was!! Phew. They are busy busy bees. They get along most of the time, but still need to be separated at times. Ellie seems to like to bully Emma and I'm trying to teach Emma not to "take it" in a non-violent way. We have taught the girls to not hit back (to deter them from fighting), but it seems Emma is getting beat up now by her little sister! So now we are doing the walk away thing and then mommy gets involved. It's working so far. They love each other to pieces, but have their moments (like we all do I guess).

Chris has been working a lot here lately. The bank opening went well and continues to grow customers. He is still putting in 12 hours days most of the time and that is hard on him and us too. We will get through it. Just takes some time. I'm hoping things start settling down within the next couple of months. Poor guy just doesn't get much downtime. I finally got him on Facebook, so maybe that can be an outlet to just not think about work!!!

Here are a few pics from yesterday . . . .

Emma loves to read with Grandma . . .

Ellie and Poppo

Ellie saying . . "See? See?"

So this is my project for this week . . . in order to trick Emma during daylight savings, I made her new curtains to block out the light. Her and I are still deciding how to paint, but we do now there will be pink somewhere. I'm pushing for pink and brown, but Emma has not approved yet (she is very particular about her room - took some convincing for her to let me move her bed!! Does not like change - AT ALL!) They turned out pretty good for being homemade!