No, I did not misspell Oklahoma, but according to Ellie, we went “Oklamahoma City” last month.  Rather than let me go to a huge craft show by myself, Dustin thought he ought to accompany me along with the girls for a little weekend vacation.  We really had a blast and I am now three for four on hotel stays. . .let’s not forget the hotel we stayed at for our honeymoon the day before we could start our stay at the resort!

We missed the Oklamahoma state line sign because Ellie was sleeping.  Good thing Dustin’s coffee kicked in and we had to make a pee break at this lovely gas station.  Such a wonderful idea to add a “Welcome to Oklahoma” sign at the entrance to the gas station.  However, they seem to have forgotten the “ma” in “Oklamahoma.”

The girls big day with Daddy.

Emma the Mall Cop. . .I never did see that movie with Kevin James, but every time I see one of this ride-on-thingy-majiggies, I think of Paul Blart Mall Cop.

What a big girl!

Where’d she go???

Climbing to the top of the slide.

This was the three-story slide that Emma told me she was backwards, forwards, upside down and right side up. . .it was awesome!  She added the sounds she made while going down the slide too.  Dust said it was more of a challenge for him and Ellie and he more or less scooted a little, stopped, scooted a little more, stopped.  I think his hips were a little too wide for the kids’ slide!

The tree house area of the museum.

This really put our Discovery Center to shame.

I think the girls were either flying to the moon or one of the planets.  The space ship went up and down with the girls inside. 

Emma listened to Mission Control while Ellie had a field day with all the buttons and no one telling her not to push them.

A little bit of unknown knowledge brought to you by Dustin and his camera.

While the girls and Dustin went to the museum, I Christmas shopped along with hundreds of other people.  I even got a little “too many people in my personal space” feeling.  Granted I got most of my Christmas shopping done, but I’ll only do that once a year.

I splurged and bought these dresses for the girls.  The front has white and silver scroll designs with guitars.  This is so my girls!

Enjoying a little Food Network before bedtime.

No amount of flipping on the lights and drying my hair and toilets flushing were going to wake up this tired Ellie Belle.

My goober monkies riding the luggage cart down to the car.  Notice the very stylish headphones we “thought” were a good idea making a little quieter while the girls watched their movies and listened to their CDs. . .totally not the case.  Apparently since they couldn’t hear themselves, they had to sing louder. . .so maybe we didn’t think that one through. . .

The little things in life that make children smile.

Yeah!!!  Texas. . .wait, what’s with the wind. . .ohhh, we’re back in Texas. . .yeah.

Me and Dust.

For the past five years, we have gone to a pumpkin patch, taken silly pictures involving said pumpkins and then I have posted in an email or on my blog.  This year was a little different.  Out of the five Saturdays we would go, here’s what happened. 

We do didn’t go the first Saturday of the month because that was just too soon. . .were there even pumpkin patches around town yet???  Halloween being on a Saturday somewhat through off our chances of going to a pumpkin patch not to mention that wonderful flu that wiped us all out.  That’s three Saturdays.  We went to Oklahoma City one weekend in November which gives us four out of five Saturdays without a pumpkin picture in sight.  Well, the one weekend we did try to go to the corn field maze and hay ride and all the other activities that are involved, it was raining and freezing.  Luckily I had my camera ready to take our 2009 Pumpkin Patch pictures at. . .Wal-Mart.

I promised the girls that if the weather was too bad, we would paint pumpkins instead.  I’ve learned after five years, ALWAYS HAVE A BACK UP PLAN.  There will be less fit throwing and crying involved when Plan A doesn’t work out.

Dustin and I looking for the Great Pumpkin. . .yep, that’s us in the middle of Wal-Mart on a Saturday taking pictures in the Halloween/Christmas section.

What a great family picture!

I don’t know who was more annoying, me or the girls telling Papa, “The other pumpkin, the bigger one.”  Dustin said it was me.

Dad and his well earned pumpkin that had very little deformities unlike most of the Wal-Mart pumpkin selection.

Ellie, Emma, Mama and Nana.  Yes, that is Christmas lights in the background.  Happy Halloween!

Emma’s baby pumpkins she just had to have at United.

That is an evil smile for my 2-year-old.

Silly Emma.

Goofy Ellie.

Did anyone else see The Mist with Thomas Jane?  Okay did anyone else make it halfway through the movie before turning it off and giving up on it being a good movie?  This is going across the bridge to Mom and Dad’s house.

I was out on the boat dock looking across the lake.  A little creepy if you ask me.

Another of the mist coming to get us with its octopus like tentacles.  I could be wrong, but that movie was just really not good.  Did it get any better once the giant bugs got into the store?

Emma painting a landscape scene on her pumpkin.  She used a marker to outline her design and is painting it now.

Ellie’s just excited that she is left to her own devices and paint was involved!

Emma wanted me to help her paint the rainbow and Ellie wouldn’t let anyone come near her masterpiece.

Nana called her “Ellie-casso” for her unique style of painting.  I’m sure if you look closely, there’s an eye or a nose painted on that pumpkin.

Me and the girls. . .no, do not adjust the color on your monitor, those are some pretty jacked up pajama pants I am wearing.  Mine were in the dryer from all the rain and I borrowed Dad’s because I wanted long pants.  Why Dad has geometric prism pajama pants I’m not sure?

You’re trying to get a closer look at my pants aren’t you???

Ellie and Emma’s pumpkins for 2009.  Happy Halloween!

First Kindergarten, now she’s losing her teeth???  What’s next??  Emma’s too scared of needles to get a tattoo and piercing her ears hasn’t been the best experience, so hopefully we won’t have any more baby book entries any time soon!

It’s official, Emma was visited by the Molenator last Thursday.  Watch Santa Clause 2 and you’ll see that the Tooth Fairy wants a more butch name and contemplates the Molenator.  Emma told me the next morning that she got her Tooth Fairy Pillow and held onto it for dear life so that when the Tooth Fairy/Molenator tried to get the tooth, she would wake up.  She has what 19 more tries, so I’ll bet she gets a little more creative to try and catch the Tooth Fairy/Molenator!

Emma and Ellie’s Meme and Papaw came over for dinner on Thursday and Papaw took a look at Emma’s tooth for her.  Dustin, much like his Dad, have the same theory when it comes to home doctoring.  Why go to the hospital when I can stitch you up?  Dustin would have been able to get the tooth out, but it didn’t help with me right over his shoulder going, “Ooooo, eeeee, don’t hurt her.  We’ve got alot of these to go and you don’t want to make this a bad experience for Emma.”  One might call it annoying, pestering, irritating, etc.  I call it motherly love. . .and Emma has a memory on her!

Needless to say, Papaw got a Kleenex and started wiggling the tooth.  Emma said with a mouthful of Papaw’s fingers, “tat’s ta wong toof.”  Her tooth was so small that Papaw had to wiggle her loose tooth and was barely touching the others!  But enough for Emma to notice!

I managed to get my camera right in time for Emma’s 1st tooth to come out.  She was on cloud nine!  Emma was jumping around and dancing. . .until she got a piece of toilet paper and saw the dot of blood.  My daughter cannot handle the sight of blood and dry heaving and gagging is involved.  She said that she could taste the blood and had the look in her eyes and waited in front of the trash can for her near vomit moment to pass.  Once the bleeding stopped, the dancing commenced!

Dr. Papaw, D.D.S. inspecting the loose tooth.

Emma’s tooth.

“I can’t believe my tooth came out.  I can’t believe it’s out.  It was there yesterday, and now it’s not.  I need to go was my tooth so I can get the germs off of it.”

Ellie heard something about money being traded for teeth and had Papaw work his magic on a few of hers!

Emma’s Tooth Fairty Pillow she helped Nana make over the summer.

I know, I know, the angle I took this picture makes that teeny, tiny pillow look huge as well as the two dollars that are the size of Emma’s head!

Okay, that picture is a little more realistic.

This was the second time Emma woke up that next morning.  I was greeted by a little toothless girl at 5:34 a.m. telling me that the Tooth Fairy came and left two dollars.  How many more times am I going to be waked up because of the Tooth Fairy/Molenator?  Times that by two because Ellie will be at this stage in three years. . .ohh dear.

Emma before we left for school.  What a cute smile!  She got to make an announcement to her class and show them her new smile.  She was so proud!

A few weeks ago, the flu bug hit our house and hit it hard.  Emma was out of school for a week, Ellie didn’t get to go to gynaskicks (gymnastics) and I was forced to stay at home, feel miserable and want pity.  My best friend Erin called and when I weakly said hello, she said, “I so pity you.  You have it the worst.  I feel so bad for you.”  Now that’s a great friend! 

When Dustin’s sick, he wants to be cuddled.  I don’t want to catch whatever he’s got nor do I want the girls to have it, so I force him to the bedroom and not to come out.  I’ll send food and drinks in whenever he needs something, but I totally blame my upbringing on this one.  It has been passed down from generation to generation, but the women in my family are not nurses.  Therefore, Dustin and I are not the best healers for each other when it comes to one of us being under the weather.  Shoot, by day three I think we’re both ready to put each other out of his/her misery! 

So when all four Tows had the flu, we each were ready to get back to our daily routines. . .away from each other!  Emma was begging to go back to school because she didn’t have to take naps there.  Ellie asked about gynaskicks everyday.  I caught up on my reading, so it wasn’t a totally loss and come to think of it, I didn’t do any cooking unless you count opening a can of chicken noodle soup just about every night.  And Dustin finally got bored playing his PS3.

This was easily $70 worth of medicine from our pharmacy. 

Day 6 ~ Out of the house and having enough energy to put up the spider web.  I think we had all forgotten how bright the sun was!

Ellie feeling daring and wanting to add a hospital visit to our day.  All I kept hearing was Ellie saying, “Watch Emma!”  No broken bones that day luckily.

Why is Ellie attracted to things that cause bruising, bleeding, concussion, vomiting, etc.???

Emma and the spider we kept in a bag up in the attic because I knew I would freak out everytime if I saw that thing hanging in the corner of the garage or shop.  Check out the spider’s eyes.

Another one of Ellie “helping” Daddy with the drill and nails.

Our finished spider web for Halloween.

My birthday has come and gone and I’m now 28-years-old.  I still see myself in my early 20s, but my hair lady keeps pointing out my gray patches that seem to multiply everytime I get my hair cut or highlighted?!?  I want my future gray hair to look like Anne Bancroft in Keeping the Faith.  Mom has the “respectable gray” coloring that I want, but I need to be more specific and want it in my 50s! 

Anywho, the girls not only got me Rubbermaid plastic bowls and lids for my birthday, they gave me a cards, random toys from their collection and danced for me.  And the fact that Ellie is going through a “no pants” phase, that video will not be posted.  She manages to leave her pants on long enough to drop Emma off at school and by the time we make it back into the house 10 minutes later, she’s had enough of them!  On the up side, laundry has gone down some. . .

Emma asked me if I had a birthday card she could borrow.  Then she asked me to write “Happy Birthday Mama!  I love you!”  So this is the card from Emma. . .she didn’t even write her name!

Ellie colored a picture for me.  She’s more into abstract art.  She also spells her name “E-L-I-E-submarine.”  I’m not sure why she adds submarine at the end each time, but I’m impressed my 2-year-old has four out of five letters right!

Goofy smile on my part, yes, but Emma wrapped up “My Biggest Playtime Book Ever” for my birthday present.  The ironic thing here is that that book was mine when I was Emma’s age and I found it at Mom and Dad’s this past summer and gave it to her.  I also remember wrapping up all of my play jewelry for Dad for Christmas when I was Emma’s age.  I was so excited and proud of myself for getting Dad such an awesome gift!  The look on Emma’s face was priceless when I opened the book up.  She was so proud of herself because she knows how much Mama loves to read and she gave me one of her favorite books.

Emma, Mama and Ellie

I got a copy of Dad’s pictures from all the happenings of this summer.  Due to the snow storm and post-poning Emma’s birthday party until June, here are some pictures from her swimming party.

The Tows having a good time.

This is right before we got swept into the whirlpool that was nearly impossible to get out!

Emma wanted piggy cupcakes to go along with her barnyard napkins and plates.

Sometimes I just want to buy a cake from a bakery to make it easy, but then the frugalness comes out in me and I refuse to pay more than $1.00 for store bought cake mix and make my own cake or cupcakes.

I thought my pigs turned out pretty good!

My big 5-year-old. . .well, she’s now closer to 6-years-old as I type this. . .

This is Jewel and Emma.  Needless to say, Jewel was accepted into Emma’s stuffed animal collection that takes up most of her twin size bed.  I think Jewel makes nine stuffed animals. . .and yes all of the stuffed animals are named!

Amazing how being at stay-at-home mom is not as much fun as when you are staying at home because you are sick.  I don’t mind staying at home for days on end as long as it is optional.  When you are told not to leave the house and are FORCED to stay at home, there in lies the problem.  I always tell Dustin that’s why I don’t go out into the workforce.  I have a problem with people telling me what to do, including doctors.  Dust says he doesn’t like people telling him what to do, but I tell him he handles it better than I do!

Finally after seven long days of coloring, reading, playing PS3, computer games and watching really bad movies, we are back to our normal routine.  Ironically enough, today Ellie and I laid on my bed and she watched Pooh’s Heffalump Halloween and I read a book.  That’s pretty much what we did for the last seven days in the livingroom, but today there was no coughing and we could breathe out of our noses.  Ahhh progress!

Emma made it to school this morning in good form.  It’s 12:10 p.m. and no one has called to say that Emma is running a fever or coughing to much or whatever nurses call parents with to come pick up their sick kids at school.  Emma was ready to go back to school so she wouldn’t have to take anymore naps.  The first few days were okay because she didn’t feel good, but after day four of mandatory naps (probably more for Mama than Emma) Emma was reminding me that in Kindergarten, she doesn’t have to take a nap.

Dustin finally started feeling better on Saturday.  He actually made it outside and put up our Halloween spider web.  We all ventured outside and what a great day it was.  I think Dustin even managed to get tired of playing his PS3 games.  He never did take up the idea of reading like I did though.  Even on Dustin’s deathbed he wouldn’t take up reading.  He did however tell me that looking through his Harley-Davidson catalog was like reading?!?

I on the otherhand managed to start the Twilight series again since the New Moon movie is coming out next month and I’m going with my friends to the midnight release.  I turned in all my books at the library I borrowed thinking it would take me a while to finish the 500 page book, but I finished the first book in less the 24 hours.  Dustin scared the crap out of my Friday night/Saturday morning.  I still wasn’t in bed, so he came into the livingroom to cover me up thinking I fell asleep on the couch while I was reading.  He was greeted with a scream from me when he walked out of the hallway and scared me half to do death.  Doesn’t he understand that no one should be up wandering the halls at four in the morning, especially when I’m reading vampire related books???  I usually read a few books at the same time, and my preferences are murder mysteries, vampire-related and movies that are coming out that say “based on the best-selling novel. . .”  I tell you, My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult will have you bawling like a baby at three in the morning when you are reading that one.  I wonder if anyone else forgoes sleep for the sake of a good book. . .or is that just me?

Well, I’m off to eat some lunch and read my book.  Ellie’s asleep, Dustin’s already called and there’s nothing ever to do on Monday.  Hope everyone is fighting off the flu!!

Well, three out of four Tows have the flu at our house.  Emma and I both had a really bad headache Monday afternoon/evening and by bedtime, Emma was running a fever and crying because her head was hurting so bad.  She was up at three in the morning, coming in to our room to go to the bathroom and burning up.  Emma asked if we could go to the livingroom and watch cartoons, but even if you’re sick around here, Mama doesn’t have much sympathy at three in the morning.  She was up again at four crying that her head hurt and she was cold.  Needless to say, she didn’t go to school on Tuesday and then by that afternoon came on the coughing. . .followed by me coughing and Ellie coughing.  

Ellie was running a fever last night and Emma’s cough leads me to believe she’s been smoking since the age of two.  The medicine she is taking known to Emma as ”the really bad grape medicine” is helping the girls make it through the night.  Ellie takes “the really bad grape medicine” like a champ and asks for more, while Emma almost throws it up.  She has a medicine in one hand, water in the other and I’m holding her nose. . .I don’t know where she gets this from?!?  Surely I wasn’t like that at all!!

Emma has to be fever free and not taking any medicine for 24 hours to go back to school and she started up with a fever right before bedtime again last night.  So no school for Emma again today.  Ellie’s coughing up a lung and her eyes are really puffy and let’s not forget about the fever too.  Funny enough, while I’m typing this, it’s almost 80 degrees outside, 73 in our house and I’m wrapped up in a blanket and stretching my head back and forth because I’m so achy all over and freezing.

After checking on the girls last night before I went to bed, I got into my bed and it felt like someone had turned the heating blanket on high. . .we don’t have a heating blanket.  It seems as though the fourth Tow aka Dustin was freezing cold but felt like he was on fire.  Thank God for Dustin stocking up on flu medicine that afternoon from the pharmacy because that’s all that’s saving us right now.

Mom made a trip to our house or as far as the driveway (let’s not forget Ellie taking out the Matriarch two years ago when she, Dad, Dustin, Emma and I all got the stomach flu. . .compliments of little 20-month-old Ellie).  Cans upon cans of chicken noodle soup and crackers will be our dinners for the next few days!  The girls stood on the porch and waved at Nana while Nana stayed safely in her car.  Emma cracked me up because she said, “We don’t want to get our Nana sick because we love our Nana.”  So apparently, if your kids give you the flu, they don’t love you!

As soon as I started to put the girls down for naptime, Emma started complaining that her head hurt and I felt her saying a silent prayer before I felt those warm cheeks and feverish forehead.  The thermometer read 100.4 and Ellie’s was 99.6.  Another day at home tomorrow.  I called the doctor and their appointments were full for the rest of the day, but nurse told me to keep up with the fluids like gatorade or as Ellie calls it “alligator” and to switch between motrin and tylenol.  What I told her about the girls and my symptoms, she said we had the flu and to just take it easy and not to get out of the house.  When I called Emma’s school and told the secretary Emma wouldn’t be at school tomorrow and also told her what the nurse said, she said, “We’ll see Emma on Monday!”  I’m not sure how bad the flu is at the school, but I think at least two kids in Emma’s class has been out everyday with the flu.

So now, the girls are watching movies and cutting up anything they can get their hands on with their scissors.  I’m about to start our third meal of soup and Dustin’s making him some spiced tea.  I’ve just been informed by Ellie that she needs some more “alligator” so I guess that gives everyone an update on the Casa de Tow.

A three hour nap does an Emma good.

Ellie drinking her “alligator” and coloring. . .notice Dustin in the background taking a nap. . .at 5:15 p.m.

We’ve hit Day 16 on our P90X work out.  Every day is getting a little easier and sadly I’ve become that person that actually feels bad if I don’t do the work out.  Mind you I didn’t say I enjoyed doing the work out, I just feel guilty.

We made it two weeks sticking to the diet and then decided that cooking a minimum of three hours a night was not going to work.  Lunches are the chef salads or tuna salad/chicken salad.  Those meals are so much easier and contain fewer ingredients!  We’ve moved the more difficult meals for our dinners and are doing some of our own recipes that are healthy.  The first week I lost eight pounds.  I think my body was in shock that I was putting it through such rigorous training and denying it butter among other foods.  Going into the second week I started going up on the scale and then back down.  Going from Atkins to eating a lot of carbs was a big change, but now I’m back to Atkins.  I don’t want to eat rice or potatoes, I’d rather eat extra broccoli or spinach.  Call me crazy but everyone we’ve talked to that has done P90X NEVER does the diet, so I’m thinking working out seven days a week at an extreme level would make anyone lose weight! 

Yesterday, I really noticed a difference in the “muffin top” area.  That would be the extra skin that falls over your jeans if you wear jeans lower than your waist.  My “muffin top” is slowly going away and I even agree with the compliment that made me almost hit my husband, “my back fat is not as bad as it used to be.”  You have to love the way a man thinks he is giving a compliment! 

Dustin is definitely having results too.  His stomach is becoming more defined, but when you do 349 crunches every other day, you too would see results.  He gets home every afternoon a faithfully does his work out.  Anybody that looks into our front door and sees Dustin sweating like a pig and me sitting on the couch reading and eating a cheese stick or sugar free jello cup would think I’m a bad wife!  I work out in the morning with my friend Robin so that I don’t have to dread the upcoming torture that awaits for me everyday.

All in all, I’m amazed that I’m in better shape, hell, I’m actually in shape now.  The fact that after two c-sections, I’m doing crunches and sit ups again amazes me.  I was doing volleyball rolls in the livingroom this past weekend that I haven’t been able to do in seven years.  Thank you P90X for making me break down and cry because I was so sore and miserable.  Thank you P90X for making me feel guilty that I don’t want to go into town and eat a huge bacon cheese burger with a side of ice cream with caramel and marshmallows (yep, that’s what I’m craving) because I’d rather do my work out and eat chicken salad for lunch.  Thank you P90X for showing me how ungraceful I can be during the yoga segments but still proving I can put my legs over my head while still laying on the ground. . .granted I can’t breathe very well and Robin has to tell me what the next move is because one of my boobs is sufficating me, but I CAN DO THAT YOGA MOVE!!  And lastly, thank you P90X for even making an “easy day” still make me sweat.  I never knew that the day designated for only stretching would make me hurt a little.

This was I think day seven.  Obviously it was a tough work out.  Ohhh, I remember, this was right after the AB RIPPER.  See, I’m still smiling. . .I think?!?

I stayed like this for a while. . .

Here’s the vegetable stir fry.  It was really good.  The diet is really pretty good, but it just lacks something. . .BUTTER!!!

We splurged one night and had pizza.  Dustin said that this better be worth it and I think his next words were, “Ohhgg, my ggggoogg, dis iz gggooodgg.”  Needless to say, sometimes you just have to reward yourself.

Dustin and the best piece of pizza he’s ever had in his whole life!!

Let me just say that my girls have the coolest rooms a kiddo could want.  Ellie’s “pish” room turned out better than I could have ever imagined.  Ellie’s Great Aunt Debbie did awesome! 

I made the mistake of telling Debbie she had the easy job of just painting the black and white on zebra fish because I was doing the seaweed. . .and then I saw her shading the fish and painting the eyes and eyelashes. . .and then I shut my mouth!!

Here’s some pictures of the finished product.

Ellie jumping in her bed to touch all of her fish.

Princess Ellie’s Underwater Kingdom

This is Ellie’s door.

The octopus wall with the “Emma” fish and “Ellie” fish.  I was in charge of the seaweed (which I kept calling algae) and the sand on the bottom of the ocean.

Ellie has mermaid bedding with starfish and other sea creatures.  This is also her “big girl” furniture.  Mom and Dad finished off with the last grandchild and getting their “big kid” furniture.  See Jess and I really are saving them money!?!

The seahorses by the closet.

My favorite fish that are over Ellie’s bed.

Seriously, how talented is my aunt?!? 

I’m pretty proud of the light switch plate and the plug ins that I painted.  It’s like they are not even there. . .okay, I know you can see them, but this is so much better than a bright white switch plate!

I painted the fish, which took forever because I kept changing my mind on the colors.  Debbie had way too much paint to choose from.  And then I thought to myself, “Self, I bet you could shade the fish and even do the eyes.”  Yah, that didn’t turn out too good, so I just painted the fish, the sea horses and the sand until 2:00 a.m.  By then, Ellie had been crying for me because Emma’s room had scary shadows on the wall, so I moved her back into her “Underwater Kingdom” at 2:30 a.m.  She fell asleep in about two minutes!