Can you say bad hair day??!!

Despite the mop tops, they still "love" their sisters ... No Maddie is not being strangled by Alyssa, but rather is trying to say "cheese" for the camera ...

Here is proof she survived the "hug":

Love & Hugs -

Amy

Decorating Grandma & Grandpa B's Tree

Well Grandpa out did himself this year and brought home a tree three grandpas wide and a grandpa plus some in height (mind you Grandpa is 6' 4" tall). It is a beautiful tree!! The family all got together to help decorate the tree include Cousins Joshua, Kaylynn and Alexia, mommy, daddy and Granny M. Mommy's cousin, Alex, from Florida was even visiting and got to participate in the big event!

The kids all had fun and the tree looked great when it was done ... now Grandma just had to add her ribbons to finish it off!

I guess the holiday season is here ... maybe mommy should consider putting up her tree one of these days ...

Love & Hugs -

Amy

Smile, Smile, Smile ...

Just because I finally got a picture of the girls together, both looking at the camera and both smiling for the first time in like at least 6-7 months ...

Also, do you think Quincy is liked very much by Miss Madison??!!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!

Love & Hugs -

Amy

SNOW!!!

Although not the first flakes of the season ... they are the first to come in any grand enough quantities to actually look like it is snowing and, of course, the girls headed outside this morning to check it out!! Now, I really am not a winter person, but I must say that seeing the season change through the eyes of my girls, helps to keep me warm inside ... but I am still counting the days until April!

Trying to Catch a Snowflake:

Love & Hugs -

Amy

Say Hi To Quincy (aka Itty Bitty)

Please welcome the newest member of our little family ... Quincy (also lovingly known as Itty Bitty by Aunt Carrie). Quincy came to stay with us last Sunday, much to Chloe's (our 3-year-old furbaby) disapproval. After four days, Chloe is finally coming around and although I am sure Quincy misses his mama, Aunt Carrie, he is adapting very nicely to life with a 3-year-old neurotic furbaby and two 2-year-old human babies who think he is a great new toy!

Aunt Carrie found him in the pasture on their hobby farm with two siblings when they were just days old and bottle fed and cared for them. She must have of done a GREAT job as the vet informed me that Itty Bitty not only is a BOY and not a girl (hence the new name Quincy), but that he is a tad bit overweight at his young, young age of 12-14 weeks, and we have noticed that he is generously helping himself to all of the food he get his little paws on ... again to Chloe's disapproval.

Although there are some ongoing "talks" and "negotiations" continuing between Chloe and Quincy, I think they may be a peace agreement coming soon ...

So, welcome Quincy ... we look forward to a lot of years together with very liberal visitation rights granted to Aunt Carrie ...

((Hugs))

Amy

A Bugless Welcome for Santa Claus

Yes, dare I say it, we made it one whole entire day without any ladybug or bumble bee costume pieces on either of the girls ... of course mommy hid the actual Halloween outfits two days ago, but still the spider hat and the ladybug hatwere left laying untouched and sort of sad looking in the living chair for the entire day ... progress!!

Anyway, after a very sleepless night for mommy (both girls are now sick with colds and very kindly decided they would like to share their agony alternating throughout the late night and early morning hours ... so nice of them to want to include their mommy), we got to share the morning with Grandma and Grandpa B. Grandma watched the girls while mommy and Grandpa continued the never ending "mudding" of the drywall (sheetrock) to finish out the basement.

After a quick clean up, the girls and mommy were off to the Burnsville Mall to view the "Welcome Santa" parade and to begin breaking the kiddos into the idea of a big man dressed in red being everywhere for the next two months. We met Aunt Tammy and Christian at the mall and did some shopping at Old Navy for winter hats and mittens. We then headed down to the food court for some curly fries and milk for a snack while we viewed the parade. After picking out "prime" spots for viewing, we waited ...


Soon we heard the drum corps coming towards us and we moved the kiddos into position ... here it comes the big start the Holiday Season ... eight drumers or so passed us, a group of people (not sure who they were), the Subway Sandwich, a demented looking Teddy Bear with suckers, oh yeah ... the Applebee's Apple and Bumble Bee ... thanks for the handful of candy on the floor in front the stroller (I am picking it up) ... wait ... what happened ... were did everybody go??!!?? Yup, mommy missed seeing Santa & The Mrs. in that brief moment of picking up smarties and suckers ...

The entire parade lasted ummm, about 2 minutes and 30 seconds ... barely enough time to get the kids brains focused on the event. The five of us frantically followed the parade desperate for mommy to get her coveted picture of Santa to document the whole occasion and so here it is ... Santa from a far, oh and he appears to have arrived safely and soundly at the Burnsville Mall for those of you who absentmindedly missed the big event:

Tis the Season right??!! Despite the parade, we had fun seeing Aunt Tammy and Christian and the kids all got to see Santa (from a distance) and agreed that it was indeed him.

Let the Holidays begin ...

Love & Hugs -
Amy

Happy Birthday Grandpa Bee ... umm I mean B

So, today mommy, daddy, ladybug Alyssa and bumble bee Madison all received our flu shots. Mommy did just fine ... daddy complained a little bit up accepted his fate and the bug and the bee, despite their costumes, both cried ... Madison only because she heard her sister crying. The crying was short lived and we were off, stopping by the sticker station for a reward and then down to mommy's office to get her mail. We got to visit with a few of mommy's co-workers and before we left the office the girls had smiled their way to little jack-o-lantern buckets from two desks ... maybe we are still trick-or-treating ...


After taking a rest back at home, we were off once again to help Grandpa B celebrate his birthday. We met, Grandpa, Grandma, Granny M, Uncle Clayton and Cousin Alexia at Bonfire and had a great meal!!! Yes, in our bug outfits (although Alyssa agreed to take the thick winter coat like ladybug off while she ate).

Happy Birthday Grandpa "Bee" ... we love you!!

Love & Hugs -

Amy, Peter, Ladybug Alyssa & Bumble Bee Madison

Any Buggy Seen My Girls?

Yes, here we are on day eight of the Bug-A-Boo Festival which has been taking place at our little home ... although we managed to remove the bug outfits long enough to get the girls to school in "regular" clothes, the outfits were promptly put back on upon returning home. It is still mainly Alyssa who demands to remain a ladybug rather than a human girl and she unfortunately can be a bad influence on her sister who has now added Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Buzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz, Buzzzzzzzzzzz as the primary word in her already limited vocabulary whenever donning the bumble bee outfit.

As we were shopping at Target this afternoon, parents smile at us, kids point at us and store clerks as if we are trick-or-treating ... cute, no ... yeah ... maybe ... I say if being a bee and a bug on our shopping trips makes for two happy girls, who am I to argue!

We have flu shots scheduled for Thursday morning and dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Thursday evening to celebrate Grandpa's birthday, I wonder if the girls will be attending or if it will be the bugs ...

Love & Hugs -

Amy

The Bee & The Bug

Okay, daddy was down helping Aunt Carrie and Uncle Kory install some trim work in their house today. While there, Grandma B and Aunt Carrie went in town to do some shopping while the men worked. On the clearance rack at one store Grandma found a thin, sleeveless ladybug costume and a cute little bumble bee one ... she bought them in the hopes that it would get the heavy winter coat ladybug off of Alyssa while in the house. Daddy brought them home with him in time for supper and they were a hit!! Although Alyssa's outfit is a tad bit too small for her and she looks like a hunch-backed, no neck ladybug, but she loves it just the same.

Later that day, the IKEA ladybug hat made another appearance underneath the hood of the new ladybug outfit ... Alyssa definitely is persistent ...

Love & Hugs -

Amy

The Spider & The Bug

Here we are enjoying breakfast this morning ... yes we immediately upon arising this morning put on our spider and ladybug hats ... shortly after eating, Alyssa demanded the rest of the original ladybug outfit as well ...

Kids will be kids right??!! I just hope they outgrow this phase by Christmas ...

Love & Hugs -

Amy

NWA Employee Appreciation Day(s)

This weekend is the "big" Minneapolis based NWA Employee Appreciation Celebration which takes place annually at the MOA (Mall of America for non-locals). This year is the first year that they have offered free unlimited ride bands for the kids to play in the amusement park and go on rides. We decided to take the girls for the afternoon and check out the festivities. Of course, we had to wear our ladybug costumes to the event (they were also the chosen attire for our outing to Target yesterday). Alyssa is very adamant about wearing it and Madison, poor girl, is just along for the ride at this point!!

After getting a goody bag for the girls and a banana for each, we signed up for the prize drawings and headed over the amusement park only to find out that Madison is 1" to short for all of the rides, unless the ride workers would allow us to measure her to the top of her ladybug antenna, we were out of luck.

Since we were not ready to go home just yet as we had anticipated a fun filled few hours at the park, we decided to walk over to IKEA and do some food shopping as well as some "window" shopping for our soon to be finished basement. The girls did pretty good in the stroller for a while but it soon became apartment that two little lady bugs wanted to be free, so we let them lose in the store and it actually went quite well, especially once we arrived at the section of the store devoted to kids toys and beds ... they were in heaven. While in the kids area, mommy found a ladybug hat and a spider hat (Madison loves spiders!!), the girls loved them and wore the sample ones around while they played.

Next it was way past the girls supper time, so we decided to get them a bit to eat at the IKEA restaurant ... little did we know that half the population of Minneapolis was also thinking the same thing ... really, that many people actually wanted to eat at IKEA ... I am still dumbfounded by it all. It took me about 20 minutes to make my way through the line to come back with mac & cheese, french fries and Swedish meatballs ... to which they ate some french fries. During my time in the IKEA food line, Alyssa noticed that her ladybug hat was not on her head (mommy had put them back in the kids area) and I saw her repeatedly tapping her head and looking at daddy with accusing eyes ... so once I brought the food, I immediately headed back to get one ladybug hat and one spider hat. On the upside, maybe Alyssa will now give up the whole ladybug costume and be happy with just the bug hat ... we can hope right??!!!

Finally, we made it to the food mart in IKEA and daddy made a mad dash through it throwing items left and right into his basket. While he waited to pay, I had one very delirious spider (it was now at least one hour past their bedtime). Yes, in the back of the stroller sat Miss Madison, ladybug jacket with wings on and a spider hat with green goggles and eight long legs danging from it ... shouting SPIDER as loud as she could over and over again while her sister, the ladybug (now wearing the original ladybug costume as well as the new ladybug hat) laughed and pointed ... Yes we do make quite the site ...

Stay tuned for the continuing saga of the bug girls ...

Love & Hugs -


Amy