someday my kids will need therapy....

:) yesterday we went to Lincoln because Papa and Uncle Howard were in the circus. When we got there, Papa already had his clown make-up on. It took maggie a little while to warm up to him, we kept telling her it was just papa under there, but she wasn't so sure.

We took Maggie to the circus 2 years ago, and she liked it then but she LOVED it now. There was one clown with a car that backfired and a loud motorcycle that she didn't love but otherwise she laughed and giggled the whole time. The dancing bears were her favorite. Gracie liked all the lights and things to look at but she's not a sitter, so she and I spent the circus standing, walking and dancing.





We went to Hu Hot for dinner (maggie picked). It took me a little while to realize that people were looking at us because we had a clown at our table. I didn't even notice.



Pony rides!!! Maggie talked her dad into letting her ride twice!






Dr. Hairbrain is MY papa!!


While Gracie and I were walking and dancing, it sounds like Maggie and Arnie ate there way through the circus. popcorn, funnel cake, cotton candy....






Good night circus girl!!

Maggie loved the circus, but it was extra special because Papa and Uncle Howard were a part of the show. She's a lucky little girl.

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"I'm not really a fan...."

Tonight has been a long evening at the Robinson house. Maggie was about 2 bites into her dinner before heading to church and she threw this HUGE tantrum about not wanting to go. After my attempt to reassure her and calm her down was unsuccessful, I sent her to her room, she continued SCREAMING and yelling. I went up and told her she could pull herself together and get ready to go to church or she could spend the evening in her room. She screamed herself to sleep and then woke up about an hour later.

After she woke up, I let her come out of her room long enough to take a quick shower. Then, thinking I was being a tough mom, I offered her a peanut butter sandwich. I knew she must be starving and she doesn't really like peanut butter (or sandwiches). I asked if she wanted honey or jelly on her sandwich. She said "I'm not really a fan of honey, so I'll choose jelly." She sat at the counter and gobbled down the sandwich and then told me I was the "best peanut butter and jelly sandwich maker in the whole wide world." I guess that plan backfired on me. I should have offered her peas.

I don't know what's going on with her. It's not church, she loves going there. She comes home and tells us all about what she did and how much fun she had. Maybe she's just tired or I suppose she's just getting to the age where she starts to feel nervous about things, I hope we're doing the right things to help her feel secure without coddling her. Maybe she's just trying to figure out who's in charge....I'm guessing after spending the whole evening in her room, she knows, at least for now.  Who knows!!

Today was also the start of potty training boot camp for Grace and I. It didn't go like I planned.  BUT she's a baby (and she did go in the potty twice today), so we'll try again tomorrow.

As for mommy....I'm not really a fan of today....I think I'll try again tomorrow.

Yesterday afternoon we enjoyed the beautiful weather at the park with some friends.

Gracie and Lauren were born 2 days apart and are both equally HUGE little girls.
I love being able to watch them grow together.

I think Gracie might be part gremlin!

I think I can, I think I can....

I CAN!!!

All this fresh air makes for a tired girl.

What are you supposed to do when you find the baby on the other side of the baby gate???

Splish Slash....2 girls in the bath....

SPRING....

I hope we get to keep this awesome weather....after this it would be misserable to be locked inside again for snow!

Do you think Little Tykes meant for this to be an off road vehicle?

"Sam, Topper, come!!" (repeat, louder!)

Grace got her first ride in the back of the Gator, apparently mom was the only
one nervous about it.

Maggie said, "Mom, I'm biking al fresco, that means outside."
Thank you Fancy Nancy!

A few more pictures....the girls stayed in Omaha this weekend while Arnie and I did lots of cleaning, sorting, throwing and organizing....they had a great time!

Always Grandpa's helper...

I have finally WON the argument over peas....Aunt Barb called and suggested I feed them to Grace still frozen, she
was right, Grace loves them....and bonus, I don't have to cook them.

An update on Gracie....

Gracie has had a crazy few days. Lots of doctors offices, lots of people messing with her....and thankfully lots of great news.

Thursday we had our final appointment at the Helmet Clinic. He decided Gracie's helmet has done what it was supposed to and we are done...almost...we have to go back and see the team of doctors and therapists that originally prescribed the helmet, to be officially checked out.  They can't see Grace until the middle of April, so she'll wear the helmet when she sleeps until then. But during the day we get to see her pretty little head, all the time!

On our way in....

They put this sock on her head and mark her ears before they put her in the 3d image machine....she's not
real fond of the process.

Friday, for her first whole day without  the helmet, Maggie insisted Grace have a ponytail and wear one of her bows.

Friday morning, we headed back to the pediatrician to have the girls ears checked. Maggie had swimmers ear in both ears and Miss Grace STILL had 2 ear infections. This time they finally gave us an option of some antibiotic injections, so that's the route we went. She needed 2 injections, and they are really painful, so 2 different nurses gave them to her at the exact same time....she wasn't a happy camper. BUT it worked. We went back Saturday morning to have them checked and the infection was already gone. Next time I won't wait 2 and a half months to insist on something stronger.  It's probably time to start considering tubes for her ears, we put it off with Maggie until she was 2, but I'm not sure we'll be able to wait that long with Grace.

Grace wasn't quite done yet....Friday afternoon she had an EEG. While it was probably the least invasive of all of her appointments, it was likely the most traumatic...and as her mom, the most worrisome. She has these little tremors, that I assumed were just an excited baby thing, but the pediatrician witnessed one once and recommended we have her evaluated further. So Friday was the day. Thankfully the neurologist called this afternoon to say that the EEG was normal and while she'd like to continue to monitor Grace for awhile, she's optimistic that whatever it is that causes her "shakes" she will likely grow out of. THANK YOU GOD! We truly are blessed.

They use goop to attach all the monitors to her head, when we got home it looked like we'd rolled her in crisco!

Thankfully, all is well and she is a strong and resiliant little person.

Grace got one other piece of good news while we were in Omaha....as of November, she will no longer be the littlest cousin :) Aunt Laura and Uncle Mark are having a baby!!! Maggie is so excieted and while Grace doesn't understand I know how thrilled she will be to have a cousin close to her age to grow up with. Mark and Laura will be awesome parents and I can't wait to have another niece or nephew to feed lots of sugar (payback), buy lots of LOUD toys (more payback) and mostly I can't wait to love and snuggle the little bundle. Yippy!!!

I believe...

State basketball didn't go quite like we hoped. Unfortunately the Panthers got beat in the first round. It broke my heart to see the boys (and the coaches) so sad. I wanted it so badly for them, we all did. It's no secret that I don't always love everything about living in Norfolk, but I do love the way it feels like the whole town comes together to support "the team", whatever team that may be at the time. There were hundreds of familiar faces in the stands, most of them weren't people with kids on the team or even kids in the school. They were just people who care about the kids, the town and the team. That's fun. Win or lose that's something to believe in....








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Peas??

http://youtu.be/5yl_7Wyk480

Sometime when grace doesn't like something, I try giving it to her a couple days in a row...sometimes she'll decided they're okay. Doesn't seem to be working with peas.

So much to do, so little time...

This week had been crazy at our house and it's only going to get crazier. There is all the usual getting home from vacation stuff, I have TONS of work I should be getting done, Grace is getting into everything (oh ya, and she's getting 3 teeth), starting tomorrow we have State Basketball in Lincoln, Gracie has appointments in Omaha Thursday and Friday (hopefully we'll come home helmetless), etc., etc. etc....

It's all fun, it's just hard to get everything done. I have a pile of shirts in my office I was hoping to get made before the basketball games, it looks like they will have to wait until next year.....good intentions....

Anyway, you probably won't hear much more from me for a few days....just wanted you to know why.

Yesterday was JJ's 4th Birthday. I can't believe he (and Maggie) are so grown up. It seems like just yesterday we were waiting for them to arrive. JJ continues to be a miracle, he's defied all the odds and won't be slowing down anytime soon. He and Maggie are such good friends, they fight like brother and sister, but they also are very quick to stick up for each other and they always want the other close. Friends are special, even when you're 3 (or 4).






Maggie was really excited to tell Ben that Jake Owen, their favorite singer, would be at the fair in Wayne.



Yesterday I tried to mix peas into the macaroni at lunch....it didn't take Grace long to catch on...she could suck the noodles off and spit the peas out in one quick motion.....stinker!


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