- Mother's Day -

Whether it's the women who birthed us, the women who raised us, our spiritual mothers, expecting mothers, or women who long to be mothers, one thing remains the same: love flows from the hearts of all those who nurture us, and we celebrated that this weekend!  I absolutely loved the homemade gifts from the girls this year [including a candle Harper made at school!].  After breakfast and Mass, we headed up to see both sides of our families [somehow Brian's family always skates out of photo ops!].  It was a great day celebrating our sweet mommas and grammies!

 

Happy Mother's Day to all who radiate the joy of motherhood! Love grows from you!

 

- Easter Week 2021: The one where we were NOT quarantined! -

In stark contrast to Easter week[end] 2020, we had a very blessed Lent and a wonderful Easter weekend this year!  [...And although we didn't dye Easter eggs this year or make bunny butt pancakes and watch Easter Sunday Mass from the living room TV in our pajamas, we were able to celebrate with all the people we love the most.  It was a great trade off!]  Harper learned so much about the faith in kindergarten this year, and I absolutely loved experiencing Easter week through her little heart and mind.  After I miraculously got called off of work on Palm Sunday and we made it to Mass Sunday morning [donned in red, of course]...

 

 

...we flew through the rest of the week to Good Friday when Harper recorded the cutest ever video of The Stations of the Cross book she made at school... 

...and thennnnn it was Easter!  The kids enjoyed a community-wide egg hunt organized by the local Children's Museum.  We headed out with an empty egg carton early in the morning and hopped around town to a dozen different businesses to collect treats and eggs!  The last stop was back to the Children's Museum where the Easter Bunny was waiting... Scarlett was not fond of him this year and clung as tightly to Brian as she could!

 

 

 

 After the egg hunt, we headed down to Uncle Garett's for lunch and more egg hunting...

 

 

...and then back home to clean, set out carrots, and prep for "THE REAL" E.B.'s overnight visit!  The kids were not disappointed with their loot in the morning and got to indulge in plenty of it before we skipped off to Easter Sunday Mass at our parish.

 

ALLELUIA! He is Risen, just as he said! 

 

We capped off the day with lunch with my family and -- yes, you guessed it -- ANOTHER egg hunt! 

We're over here s/p Easter x 3 weeks-ish, and there are still grocery sacks fulllll of Reese's eggs and fun-size Kit Kats in the pantry; I'm pretttttty sure I hear the baby begging for some more chocolate as we speak...

...so BYE FOR NOW! ;) :) 

PS:  A sincere and most happy and blessed Easter to all of you, sweet friends!  We are an Easter people, and "Alleluia!" is our song! 

 

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XIX -

After seeing the Easter Bunny this year:
Scarlett:  "I don't yike 'da Easta Bunny be-cuh [because] I don't yike Easta bunnies when 'dey are hoooooooge [huge]!"
Harper:  "It's ok, Scarlett... They're only like a big human all dressed up."
Brian:  "Scarlett, you didn't like Santa Claus either!"
Scarlett:  "Yeah, be-cuh I don't yike 'dat."
Harper:  "But anyway Dad, was that Easter Bunny a boy or a girl?  And who are the Easter Bunny's parents, and what do they look like?"
Brian: .....

 

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "I fink [think] 'da bebe in your tummy is a boy OR a girl, do you fink so Mommy?"
Me:  "Yes, I hope so..."

 

Randomly a few days later:
"I have a good idea!  We can name our baby 'WEESA' [Resa]!"

After passing a wreck on the country roads:
"How do dose guys put 'dat piece [bumper] back on 'dat guh's [girl's] cah [car]?  Mebbe the po-weece [police] have some goo [glue] 'dey put it back on wif.  HOPE-A-LEE [hopefully] when we drive back dere 'da other way dere are more po-weece dere to help dose people feel bed-duh [better] and also ca-ween [clean] up 'da road!" 

Before bedtime:
Brian:  "My stomach hurts."
Scarlett:  "Well what you eat 'dat's bad?"
Brian:  "I don't know..."
Scarlett:  "Pob-ee [probably] some junk food."

In the car:
Scarlett:  "Yook [look], Mommy!  No boogas [boogers] anymo'!"
Me:  "Oh... Where'd you wipe the one you just had?"
Scarlett:  "Well, I don't see it on my hands anymo'...so...I don't know!"

One evening:
Scarlett:  "I eated too much junk food at Gama's [Grandma's] and my tummy isn't huh-tin' [hurting] yet, but I fink [think] 'dere is more room for food in my tummy be-cuh [because] I am hun-gee [hungry].
Brian:  "Ok, what do you want, Scar..."
Scarlett:  "I don't know!  Well Daddy, we have BAGELS or we have staw-berries or we have apple-sawce, I don't know what is hel-fee [healthy] and what not hel-fee!"
Brian:  "You want some strawberries?"
Scarlett:  "Welllll, I want sumpin' TOASTED..."
Brian:  "You want a bagel?"
Scarlett:  "Ummmmmm.....ok!"

 

Randomly:
"Boys are stran-gas [strangers]!  But guhs [girls] are not stran-gas."

With Grammy:
Scarlett:  "Wet's go get a Happy Meal!  Can we get one?  We shouldn't tell Mommy or Daddy be-cuh [because] 'dey will say it's not good for me."
Grammy:  "What should we say then when they asked us what we had for lunch?"
Scarlett:  ".....Jus' don't say nuffing [nothing]!"

Still with Grammy:
Grammy:  "You sing so well, Scarlett!  Do you sing those songs at church?"
Scarlett:  "No!  We don't sing.  We just wisten [listen] to Fah-duh [Fr.] Jeff talk."
Grammy:  "What does Fr. Jeff talk about?"
Scarlett:  "Well GAMA, you have been to our church before! You know what he talks 'bout!"

After dropping off Harper at school [at 7:30am]:
Scarlett:  "Can we peeeeeeeze [please] go to 'Tarbucks [Starbucks]?  I haven't been to 'Tarbucks alllll day.  Daddy didn't take me to 'Tarbucks yet today and he use-a-wee [usually] gets a big coffee and I use-a-wee get a small hot shocka-muk [hot chocolate milk]."
Me: .....

Randomly:
Grammy:  "What do you think the baby is going to be:  a boy or a girl?  What's your very best guess?"
Harper:  "A boy!"
Scarlett: "WELL HAWPIE, we don't KNOW what 'da bebe is gonna be be-cuh we already just don't know if it's a boy OR a girl."

After walking out of her bed one evening:
Scarlett:  "Mommy, I hun-gee [hungry]."
Me:  "No, Scarlett.  We're not having any more snacks tonight.  Go back to bed."
Scarlett:  "Fineeee, bossy pants!"

One afternoon:
Me:  "Daddy's going back to work in two weeks for the first time since last March!"
Harper:  "Why?!"
Scarlett:  "Be-cuhhhh Hawpie, he has 'da get his money!"
Harper:  "Oh."

Some Friday night:
Me:  "Can you bring me the remote so we can find a movie to watch?"
Scarlett:  "Ok!  You want YouTube or Hu-hu [Hulu]?"

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XVIII -

Randomly:
"And how twins come out is:  one comes out of the mommy's tummy, and then the other!  And then when they get out they look just alike.  I'm thinking there are going to be twins in our family!"

Sprinting upstairs with her camera:
"Look at this adorable picture I just took of Scarlett!  So now we can remember when she was a baby and smiling!"

After leaving Grammy and Papa's house:
"Mommy, did you know that when Daddy was a little boy, he used to live with Brantsy.....and Gar-Gar.....and Laura.....and Grammy Ann watched ALL those kids every day?!"

During bedtime prayers:
"Dear God, please give me another baby that comes out of my mommy's tummy!"

After school:
Me:  "How did P.E. go today?"
Harper:  "Great! We played a game and there was a little stand and you put a little white ball on there and then you got a bat and tried to hit the ball off and then you ran to the orange cone and tried not to get tagged out!"

 

 

Before dinner one evening:
"Mommy, can I have some of that drink from the beer can?  Grammy said it's called 'Sprite!'"

After bedtime prayers one evening:
Harper:  "Mom, do you know what Guardian Angels are?"
Me:  "No, not really... What are they?"
Harper:  "Well, they have no body or anything, but you can hear them like a little voice in your heart because they're God's helpers and they're always here watching out for us." 

As Scarlett was melting down over an unfair distribution of Hatchimals:
"Scarlett!  You get what you get, and you don't throw a fit!"

While playing school in the living room:
"Scarlett!  Criss cross applesauce, we don't play with our shoes during class!"

While driving to church:
Harper:  "Did you know you can pierce your belly button?  Like, you can make a hole and put a ring in your belly???!"
Me:  "Oh, really?  Where'd you see that?"
Harper:  "Oh, I saw someone in public like that."
Me:  "Where?"
Harper:  "Ummmmm, I forgot."

While going through her backpack after school:
Me:  "Harper, this artwork looks great!  You're really good at painting."
Harper:  "Yeah, yeahhh. I'm really good at everything I do!"

On Valentine's Day as Brian was cooking a steak dinner in the kitchen:
"You guys need to turn on some music and dance and kiss each other!"

While singing along to REO Speedwagon:
Me:  "And I'm gonna keeeeeep on lovin' youuuuu..."
Harper:  "Well, you can just keep on lovin' Daddy."

 

Randomly:
"I think we should get security cameras so we can see what Scarlett's up to when no one's around!"

While pulling into the gas station in town:
Brian:  "Harper, in a few years you'll be able to get out and pump gas for us!"
Harper:  "Ohhhh, no way!  If you sign me up for that, I'm getting married!"

 

 

- Out of the mouth of babes: VOL XVII-

I've loved jotting down pages and pages of Harper-isms and sharing them here on the blog over the last several years, and it recently dawned on me that it's juuuust about time for an inaugural post of SCARLETT-ISMS!!!  So ahem...here they are!  Scarlett Clare, we love how your little brain gears are constantly turning and your mind is alllllways thinking [and your mouth is usually yakking]; you keep us on our toes and have us smiling all at the same time.  Thank you for being you! :-*

 

**********

 

While playing in the garage:
Scarlett:  "Daddy, woo [you] need a new tuck [truck]!"
Brian:  "Why, what's wrong with this one?"
Scarlett:  "Has wust [rust]."
Brian:  "Oh. Well, I'm not trying to impress any women, Scar... I already got one that's a 10/10!"
Scarlett:  "Oh."

Running over with a scrap of scribbled-on paper during a bout of my morning sickness:
"Mommy!  I made 'dis for woo [you] so woo can feel soooo much bedd-uh [better]!"

At bedtime:
"Goodnight, Mommy.  I see woo [you] in 'da morning when we wake up to hang out da-getha [together]!"

Five minutes later at same said ^^ bedtime:
"Mommy, in 'da morning will 'da weh-duh [weather] be hot or cold?  Be-cuh [because] I don't know if it will be hot o' cold o' winta [winter] o' sunny, be-cuh I jus' don't know which one..."

 

On the way to Schnucks:
Scarlett:  "Mommy, I don't wanna go to jell [jail]."
Me:  "You won't go to jail!"
Scarlett:  "Welllll, I don't yike strangas [strangers] and I don't wanna go to jell wif' 'dem."
Me:  "Kids can't go to jail.  Only adults go if they do something really bad..."
Scarlett:  "Well, Daddy is a grown-up so he might go to jell if 'da po-weece [police] find him!"
Me:  .....

 

 

 Randomly:
"Daddy, what should we name our bebe?  Hmmmm..."

 

At school drop-off:
"Have good day, Hawpee [Harpie]! I wuv woo [love you]!"

 

 

 

While procrastinating bedtime:
Scarlett:  "Daddy!  What do we buck-uh [buckle] up 'da bebe wif?  Oh!  Daddy!  I have a gate [great] idea to buck-uh up 'da bebe in a bebe car-see [carseat] when we widin' [riding] in 'da cah [car].  'Den we need 'da get a high-share [highchair] for 'da bebe!  Oh!  And Daddy!  We need 'da buy some toys for 'da bebe!  Mebbe we can put 'da bebe on a sing [swing] and see if 'da bebe fall as'eep!"
Brian:  "Goodnight, Scarlett..."
Scarlett:  "Mommy, can we buy a bebe guh [girl]?"
Me:  "Well, we don't buy a baby, it just shows up..."
Scarlett:  "Oh.  Welllll Daddy!  How 'bout we just pay 'da money for 'da bebe so we can have a guh [girl]!"
Brian:  "Goodnight, Scarlett..."

 

The next morning after said ^^ conversation:
"Daddy!  We need 'da wipe 'da bebe's butt so poop not get alllll ova' us.  So we need ummmm...dia-puhs [diapers] and wipesssssh, we need a dia-puh changing pad, we need 'da go check down-tairs [downstairs] to see if we can find 'dese things!"

 

At breakfast, cont'd:
Scarlett:  "But what will 'da bebe drink?"
Brian:  "It will drink all your milk."
Scarlett:  "Oh!  Daddy! How 'bout we buy 'da bebe shocka [chocolate] milk too and 'den pour it in 'da bodda [bottle]?!  How 'bout 'da bebe dink [drink] 'dat yike [like] me!"

 

 

 

At breakfast, cont'd:
"Daddy!  We can teach 'da bebe how to wide [ride] a bike!  We can buy a bike for 'da bebe!" 

 

At breakfast, cont'd:
"Ummmm, some day 'da docta [doctor] godda cut Mommy's tummy out so we can get 'da bebe out.  But NOT 'da WHOLE tummy...  And 'da bebe will say, 'WAHHHHHHHHH!' when it comes out.  Pob-ee [probably] we will need 'da buy 'da bebe a toy.  How 'bout we buy one each for me and Hawpee [Harpie] too?"

As a large bug buzzed past her head:
"Shooooo fyyyy [fly], don't bah-duh [bother] me!"

 

 

 

On the way to school pick-up:
Scarlett:  "Why 'da sun shining in my eyes?"
Me:  "Because God gave us the sun for light, and every day he says, 'Here's the sun, it's time for a new day!'"
Scarlett:  "But Mommy, when it's bedtime, does God say, 'IT 'DA ENN [end] OF 'DA DAY, TURN OFF 'DA YITES [lights]?'"
Me:  "Yes, the sun goes down at the end of the day and the light is gone."
Scarlett:  "But why God say it 'da enn of 'da day?
Me:  "Because he knows we need rest..."
Scarlett:  "Why we need west [rest]?"
Me:  .....*needing rest*.....

Randomly:
Scarlett:  "Wait, Mommy! Is Daddy older 'an [than] me?"
Me:  "Yes."
Scarlett:  "Whatttttttt in 'a wood [world]?! Why Daddy soooo old?"

 

- Back 2 Skewl -

Today is Harper's last day of Easter break; it's back to kindergarten tomorrow!  But luckily during her time off, there was still plenty of "schooling" going on around here...

 

 

In fact, "BIG SISTER-ology 101" has been in session all day, because a new baby sibling is on the way!  These two big sisters could not be more excited for their new [for Scarlett] and improved [for Harper] roles!!!

 

Babies and bottles and burp cloths...oh my!  After a long battle with secondary infertility [for the second time!], we are soooo over the moon to welcome another little member into our family this fall! 

Keep growing, little babe...  We can't wait to give you alllll the snuggles and teach you alllll the things! :)

- Egg-stra Cute! -

We luv us sum truh-dishhh-en!  

After our next-door neighbors invited us to join them for their annual egg painting adventure last spring, I knew it was something I wanted to start doing with our girls every year also! We searched and searched for a date to go together; before we knew it, it was only a week before Easter and time was running out!  Grammy stepped in to help/paint with us this year, and we had a great time.  [I should mention that Harper was so upset Dana wouldn't be able to join us, and that sweet soul stopped in to watch the girls paint for a bit!] 

Looking forward to seeing the Easter basket grow over the years! :)