Silly Pictures of Reese Olivia

Reese you are such a fun, spunky, sassy, and emotional little diva. You love this Snow White dress and wear it all the time! 

Reese's Artwork

EARS....Expensive, Aggitated, Red, and Sore

I just returned from the Dr.'s office. BOTH my kids have double ear infections! No wonder they are so crabby! I suppose I would be too. Neither have been sleeping or eating well, and both have been up coughing all night. Hopefully the $48 Rx I just had to pay for (no generic brand available) will heal them quickly! I have an additional $30 Rx of breathing treatments for them coming in tomorrow morning...sick kids are expensive!!!

Anyway, our pediatrician said that if Quincy gets even one more ear infection in the next couple of months they are going to have her get tubes in her ears. I know very little about this procedure. If it will help her, then great. But still....she's so tiny! Surgery just seems so extreme.

It's a shame we didn't discover she would need tubes in November....we met her insurance deductible (and then some) in January when she had those X-rays. Looks like we might be meeting it again in early 2008! Oh well, at least they'll both be feeling better soon!

Santa Baby

On Christmas Eve, we put out some mini oreos and milk for Santa to enjoy. We left the half-empty bag out on the counter overnight...
We noticed Q had been quiet for awhile (which is never a good sign with our kids) while we were opening gifts, and this is what I discovered when I went searching for her:

Ho Ho HO!

Quincy will be joining the circus next week as the "bearded baby" act. Get your tickets now!

As you can see, the Play-Dough was also left out on the table. At least she didn't eat any of that!

Yabba Dabba Doooo! Look What Santa Brought for Youuu!

Merry Christmas!

Look out Fred and Barney, Reese and Quincy will now be on the foot-powered motorway as well!

Santa also brought Quincy a new tooth this morning! So she now has 5 teeth to bite me with.

I thought watching Reese open presents last Christmas was so fun...but that was NOTHING compared to this year. The best gift of all was definitely watching the pure joy on these two little faces...and watching how excited Aaron was to play with his new Christmas train set. He had it chuga-chug-chugging around the tree at 6:30 this morning...BEFORE our kids were even awake! I tried to explain that this is probably the last Christmas that our kids won't be waking us up at 5 am wondering if Santa came, so we should sleep in and enjoy it, but... The train has a whistle too.
Everyone was up 30 minutes later and the festivities began!

Uncle Scott and Auntie Kristie provided Our Lady Reese with more ice than she could keep track of. Her Highness put every piece of the jewelry on and fussed over it all day. The necklace and crown even light up!


In addition to the "surprise" Christmas CD, Aaron also got me this beautiful lamp! He picked it out himself and I absolutely LOVE it! It matches my kitchen perfectly!

Thanks for the great gifts everyone! We had a wonderful Christmas!

Reese's Sunny Bono Vest and a Fairy Tale Nativity

Looks like we're so awesome at Rock Band that we're headlining on Kasey and Jimmie's blog...

Check us out!

http://jimmieandkasey.blogspot.com/2007/12/new-ending-to-nativity-story.html

Don't Forget to Kiss the Cook!

I've been lucky enough to have some help with my holiday baking this year...

That's Quincy's boyfriend, Max, in the gingerbread man jammies. Notice he's doing the dishes.

Where Did the Time Go?

We spent 2 hours playing Rock Band at the Meadows tonight. Holy Cow it is fun! I had no idea how bad I am at the whole karaoke thing...this was enlightening. I've always considered myself to be a good singer and was totally surprised at the fact that I was HORRIBLE at the vocals on Rock Band. I guess it's back to singing in the shower. As far as Rock Band and Guitar Hero are concerned, I'll be sticking to the guitar.

I also feel like I should give credit to every drummer out there. Not as easy as it looks! Gives me a whole new appreciation for the talent of the one armed Def Leopard drummer.

Reese "rocked" a few guitar solos tonight and Q clapped along (on beat I might add). We may have a little percussionist in our family. She picked up a drumstick, and after biting it (which she does to EVERYthing) she spun it around in her fingers above her head then threw it in the air. Show off.

Ding-Dong Merrily On High...

Last night we took the girls to downtown Bentonville to see the square all lit up for Christmas. It was beautiful and we all had a really great time. I think Reese was disappointed that Santa wasn't there, but seemed to be ok with his absence when I told her he was busy at the North Pole making toys and getting ready for Christmas. She had to settle for meeting Santa's dog (scroll down 2 posts).



We sang some Christmas carols, (yes even Aaron chimed in on a few....I'm actually quite surprised that the scrooge-side of Aaron has not yet made his appearance this Christmas. He even went to do his holiday shopping today, and there are a whole 3 days left...usually he waits until 5pm Christmas Eve to get me a present. Perhaps all the surplus Christmas cheer in our house has finally chased scrooge away. yay!)

We took a carriage ride, which Reese and Quincy just loved.

Reese admired baby Jesus while we were serenaded by a mediocre accordion player. Silent Night was in a minor key and really sounded more like "I'm Jewish. This is ridiculous. Please Put Me Out of My Misery."
I enjoy caroling, but I kind of know how the guy felt. This brought back many memories of "rent-a-caroler" and going on endless Christmas gigs with the Chamber Singers in High School. Sadly, I will be missing the traditional Lawrence Family Christmas Eve Caroling Trek this year, or as HolleeAnn and I like to call it, The Trail of Tears....where the Lawrences pretty much carol to everyone we know until someone gives my dad some See's Candy to shut us up. Usually we only make it halfway down the block before the neighbors hear us coming and close their blinds and turn out the lights. 2 years ago we had a poll and many of us placed bets to see how long it would take to make my mom cry...which she always does because we are all freezing, complaining and fighting with each other. I do enjoy it a little more now that Kristie is there to ring her bell and Scotty chimes in once in awhile from the back row with his own, made-up (and much funnier) lyrics to the chosen carols. It's really everything that anyone could ever ask for on a Christmas Eve. Remember Mom, all you might be able to hear is fighting, but that just means we're all together!

Here you go accordion man...carol away.

After the lights we went across the street and had peppermint hot cocoa. I was lucky enough to pass under some mistletoe on my way there and snagged myself a kiss!

3 days 'till Christmas! Yahoo!

No Shaking, Poking, or Peeking!

I was singing I Saw Three Ships as I was folding laundry this morning and suddenly Reese perked up and said,

Reese: Mommy Mommy, go tell Daddy, 'thaaaaank you'.
Meg: thank you? for what?
Reese: For the muuuuusic he buyed you for Christmas!

So I guess I'll act surprised when I open Josh Groban's Noel, on Christmas morning from Aaron.

Please Don't Do This

Attention Dog Owners Everywhere: Please don't do this...



Alright Scott. We all thought the little pink sweater was cute. I beg you not to let things get out of control with the pet apparel. Tonight we ran into a perfect example of "dog sweaters gone bad". Does Animal Planet offer a "what not to wear" segment for house pets? Reese was certain that this was Santa's doggie. Perhaps I spoiled the fun when i quickly reminded her that Santa has reindeer, not silky terriers....but I couldn't let my own child grow up thinking that this type of pet abuse is acceptable. Should this even be legal?

I mean really! Who does that? How humiliating! It can't be comfortable. And all for the sake of a what...Christmas card? Honestly, what kind of respectable human being....



I don't know if I should even bother defending myself, but Reese did throw the Blue Steel face on her own....and those are not tears in Quin's eyes. These photos were taken right after we put medicine drops in them, I swear! Ok...but at least they're not real antlers!

Back to the issue at hand, what is your stand on pet apparel? Good thing or bad thing?

Mother of the Year

This beautiful setup was not discovered until hour 16 of the 17 hour drive. However, it only took me 20 minutes to realize that it was best for everyone to have Reese travel in Grandma and Grandpa's car.

Reese's Adopted Siblings

It is becoming a trend that good friends of mine move away! It started with Tammy, then Jerushia, and now Shellie! Minnesota must be the place to go, because both Tammy and Shellie ended up there! I have learned so much about parenting from each of these people. and thought I would share a little.

From Tammy I learned that staying home with your kids is THE GOOD LIFE and that once in awhile, it is totally ok to stay in your pjs all day and crawl back in bed to watch The Price Is Right just because you can. She also introduced me to the chocolate fountain, Max & Ermas, Culvers, and the swivel sweeper. She totally changed my life.

From Jerushia I gained a greater appreciation for having TWO giggly little girls! She got me excited about dress up and sing along and princesses and sleep-overs all over again. She was my "escape" gal because our husbands would get together to watch "the game" and we would scrapbook, eat and chat while the girls ran wild through the house. She is so great to be around, so spiritual, and a great confidence boost when you are feeling low!

Which brings us to dear Shellie, who moved away while I was in California and I miss her already! Shellie is the go to gal for parenting advice! She researches everything, and always gives non-judgmental tips to get you through the rough spots in raising a toddler! She loves to have fun with her kids and we also had a lot of fun times just sitting together as families for dinner and FHE and visiting. Shellie watched Reese and Quincy while we went to St. Louis and I honestly don't think I would have been able to relax and enjoy our trip as much as I did, had I not known without a doubt that my girls were probably in better care with Shellie than they are at home with me! She loved my girls like they were her own and Reese just fit right in with her kids...especially Rachel and Garret, whom she misses the most.

Bryant, Garrett, Reese and Rachel at our last FHE together before they moved

I sometimes wonder if Reese was really meant to be my 2nd or 3rd child, so she could have been born with older siblings to play with her...but then she just got impatient and bossy in heaven and pushed and shoved her way up in line so she could come out first.

Even though it would be easy to (because she is just such a perfect baby... 6 months old and you'd hardly notice she's even there except for her sweet giggles and smile) we can't forget about Baby Hannah!

We miss you Kircher Family and hope you are adjusting well to the frozen tundra!
Jerushia if you are reading this-when are you coming back to Bentonville to visit?

LOVE This Kid!

My 6 year old nephew, Tyler. Sooo many stories...such a little character. I thought with all the publicity Parker and Steven are getting from the baptism and adoption, Tyler deserves a post of his own. It's kind of ironic...because my mom always told me not to make funny faces because they might freeze that way forever. I never believed her until now...

Ummmm....Josh? is that you?

A Little Propaganda

Doesn't the Almond Box look nice at our house? Since I made up the "must be present to win" rule in the first place, I am now exercising my right to take that rule away. This is just another reminder that I campaign hard for the Box EVERY year...AND have produced TWO darling granddaughters since I last saw my name on it under the Christmas tree.

Out with the old rules, in with the new!
MEG FOR THE ALMOND BOX 2007!

Exercise Your Patience

I went to Sam’s Club today to get my back tire looked at and do some shopping. By the time I was finished, both of my girls were ready for a nap and had pretty much had it. Reese decided to throw a total fit while we were in the line to get lunch before we left. At one point, she reached out to hit me. I moved out of the way, then calmly buckled her into the shopping cart seat and told her she was in a time out for hitting me. She continued to throw a fit and I continued to ignore her while I ordered us some pizza and got 2 cups for water.

As we are heading over to the soda fountain, Reese starts whining that she doesn’t want to be in time out anymore, and Quincy starts crying. I set the pizza down in the cart next to Reese so I can fill our drinks and she goes crazy, “I DON’T WANT PIZZA! I WANT A PRETZEL! YOU ARE A BAD MOMMY!”

Oh no you didn’t little girl. I have cut Reese a little slack since we are coming down from a 2 week high of grandparent spoilage, but I do NOT tolerate sass from a 3 year old.

Meg: “That is enough, Reese. You do not get a pretzel because you hit me when we were in line. You can stop throwing a fit and eat pizza for lunch, or you can be hungry.”

Reese begins whining and reaches back to hit her sister.

I take a deep breath “Ok, that is your choice. You can sit in the cart and have time out while Quincy (Who is crying) and I eat lunch, and then we will go home and take a nap.”

Reese: “NOOOOO!!!! I DON’T WAN------“

“Excuse me.” A woman is standing literally 3 inches from my face (I do not handle close talkers well)

Crazy Lady: “I know this seems strange, because you don’t know me. But I am a messenger from God and I need to talk to you.”

Oh well that’s just great. I have PLENTY of time to be polite and listen right now. But then I think about all those missionaries serving MY church out there and put on my nice face.

Meg: “um... ok” I am still very uncomfortable with how close to me she is standing, and the fact that my baby is screaming behind her does not help. I take a step back and get the cups out and ready to fill…you know, hoping to appear as busy and distracted as I actually am. Perhaps she will take the hint that I do not have time for a spiritual message and move along.

Reese: “Who's that mommy? I want a pretzel mommy! I I don’t like her mommy! I want pizza mommy! Mommy MOMMY MOMMY MOM-MMMMMMYYYYYY!!!”

Meg: “Shhhh, In a minute, Reese”

Crazy Lady: “I need to tell you why you can not let your child hit you. How old is she? Two?

Meg: is this lady for real? “Just turned Three.”

I am now filling the cups with ice in one hand, and feeding Quincy olives from my pizza with the other, to keep her from screaming….which she does every time she swallows, because I am not feeding her fast enough and she gets mad if there is not another olive on its way to her mouth.

Reese: “MOMMY-MOMMY-MOMMY…”

Crazy Lady: speaking louder now...you know... so she can be heard over the ice machine and both screaming kids “you know she is only 3 right now, but she won’t always be, and then what are you going to do about her hitting you when she is 16? Are you Christian?

Well I’m not feeling very Christian right now, but….”Yes, I am” In my best sing-songy polite voice. Why can’t I find the water on this soda fountain???? I feel like I’ve been standing here forever…

Reese: “I don’t want to be in time out any more! I’m done I’m done!"

Crazy Lady: “Did you know that God has specifically chosen YOU to be the parent of these little children? He chose you because of your patience”

Meg: “MMmm Hmmm.” (WHERE IS THE WATER on this thing???)

Quincy is no longer pacified with the olives and just wants out of her bucket seat. I begin trying to un-buckle her, one-handed of course…and not really looking because I am still looking for the water on the soda fountain! Isn’t it usually on the lemonade or ice tea?

Reese: “I want water I want water I want water I want down I’m done mommy mommy I’m done and I want water mommy let me down I want a drink I’m done with time out who’s that mommy I’m done get me down mommy I want water mommy…”

Crazy Lady: “…You were chosen by God to raise these children because He knew you would have enough patience to deal with them…” She is following my every move so that no matter what I do she is always only inches from my face. I realize I have personal space issues, but this was total harassment. Block it out Meg, block her out.

Man, I am SO THIRSTY! WHERE IS THE FLIPPIN’ WATER?!

Reese: "...Mommy mommy..."

Meg: “Calm down, Reese. We’re going home soon, I’m just trying to find the water.”...and get rid of this psycho annoying lady...

Crazy Lady: “I can tell that you are not exercising your patience. God gave you your patience, and he gave you these children and YOU need to be more patient. That is why your children are so out of control. You are not using any patience. Exercise your patience”

Ah HA! There’s the water!

I thrust my cup into the machine with more force than necessary and turn toward the woman to say something when all of a sudden I’m soaking wet.

WATER IS SPEWING OUT OF THE WALL.

It’s like I’m standing in front of a fire hose. Quincy is soaked and her face is purple from screaming.

Reese is squealing about the water and has her arms flailing about in the air shielding her face as she screams.

Crazy Lady: “This is exactly what I am talking about. You don’t even take the time to notice that this machine is out of order. Don’t you read the signs?!!”

Where is it coming from? I can’t even see!

Reese: “Mommy! I’m getting all wet mommy, turn it off mommy” I seriously think her head started spinning.

Meg: "Yes, I KNOW, Ma’am. I can see now that the machine is broken, but how do I turn it off? It’s flooding the store!”

Crazy Lady: “You ignored the sign on the machine just like you ignore the sign from God that you need to be patient with your children! All you can think about is yourself and what YOU want and someday your out of control children are going to grow up and you won’t be able to handle them…just like you can’t handle them now because you do not use the patience God has given you!”

I got the fountain to turn off.

I am soaked and standing in an inch of water. The combo of the water incident and the screaming of Crazy Lady have drawn a crowd and someone goes to find a store associate and a mop. Franticly looking for something to do to keep myself from hurting this woman, I start grabbing napkins to soak up the water.

What happens to paper napkins in water? Oh they dissolve into mush, so now I am just stirring around a bunch (of what appear to be spit-wads) on the floor in Sams Club and both my children are crying, but all I can hear is:

Crazy Lady: “Exercise your patience! Exercise your patience! You aren’t going to let her just scream, are you? Even your baby has no manners. You’ve got to do something about that one too. I’ve been there, you know. I raised three of my own and I know this is no easy task, but you need to remember what God wants you to do and get your kids under control before they walk all over you! Get control! (get control? You are making me lose control, lady!) Exercise your patience!”

My blood is boiling. I have had enough. I slowly stand myself up out of the papery puddle (my shoes are so ruined) and look her in the face. (Which is easy, because she is still hovering over me like a hawk on a dead armadillo) Surprisingly, SHE is totally dry.

Meg: “Excuse me. But I AM exercising my patience. All OF IT. ALL of my patience is being used so I can still tolerate being here in the same room listening to you. We are going to go eat our soggy pizza now. If you have anything else you’d like to tell me about my horrible parenting skills please feel free to write me a letter.”

Crazy Lady followed us to our table.

Meg: “No. No thank-you. We’re actually done listening to your unsolicited advice”

Crazy Lady: “You know, I had a friend who reminds me a lot of you” (OH MY GOSH! I have GOT to get rid of her!)

Meg: “Here’s your pizza, Reese” (finally, her toddler-schizophrenia kicks in and she magically decides to cooperate. Quincy has settled to a whimper)

Crazy Lady: “My friend used to let her son hit her when he was young, and when he grew up he shot her.”

Seriously?!!!

Meg: Thank you, Reese for sitting so quietly. We are going to eat our lunch in peace because this woman is going to go away and leave us alone now. Won’t that be nice?

Reese: Oh thank you, Mommy, I looooove pizza.

Crazy Lady gave us one last look of disgust and decided to dust her shoes and move on. She returned to her table (full of shocked and equally disgusted comrades) and together they continued to damn me for being such a horrible mother to my out of control children.

Reese sat and quietly ate only the pepperoni from her soggy pizza and Quincy chewed on the receipt and we went happily on our way.

Crazy Lady, if you are out there in the blogosphere I hope you will remember to “exercise your patience” when you read this.

Home Again Home Again, Jiggity Jig

Well I am finally home! I know you all have been missing my regular postings about our super exciting lives, so here is a fast-forwarded update on the past few weeks....

At the Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey

Q turns 1

Reese turns 3
The cousins threw a combined "Barbie Princess Party" for them.
Notice my awesome creativity...Reese wanted a Barbie cake and it was last minute so we cut the Barbie picture off of a box of fruit snacks and jammed it onto the cake. She was thrilled and I didn't have to spend $40 on an airbrushed Barbie frosted cake.

Went to a funeral, a baptism, a blessing, and a sealing.
Was buried by an avalanche of Christmas decor in my mom's garage.
Helped my parents host 2 and attended one holiday party.
Laughed at the gas prices my familymembers are paying in California.
Celebrated Quincy's 1st birthday!
Celebrated Reese's 3rd birthday!
ATE, ATE, and ATE some more at Super Taq, In-N-Out, Eriks, Mavericks, Olive Garden, and PF Changs.
Was "attacked" by Spider-Rats at HolleeAnn's.
Fed the geese at Dennis the Menace park and ate clam chowder on the wharf in Monterey. Visited with old friends, Emily (Hepner) Evans and Annie Grover.
Left my fingerprints in the seat cushions of my brother, Mark's, Audi as I clinged for dear life on our drive home from the temple at 110 mph.
Shopped at IKEA.
Went to a movie (Enchanted) with my sister.
Found a hair in my Fajita Quesadilla at Chili's. (ew)
Visited with all 17 of my cousins and laughed and laughed and laughed.
Took pics of my girls with all 8 of their cousins.
Took my girls to several toddler gymnastics and music classes at my brother's gym (thanks Mark, Melinda, Dad, and Amy).
Changed a turquoise blue poopy diaper (not Quincy's...blue poop is the work of Stinky Steven).
Survived the flight home-a total disaster...(another post, trust me)

Jordan, Reese, Garrett, Quincy, Taylor
Zachary, Steven, Parker, Brock, Tyler

Usually when I visit my parents for such a long time, I end up being bored for a few days. But this trip was so packed with events that the 2 weeks just flew by! My girls were in heaven with all those cousins and grandparents around to play with. Reese didn't even know what to do with herself at my sister, HolleeAnn's house because there were so many toys to choose from.

Also, a little shout out to Scott and Kristie...who were wonderful enough to give me their old camera! It is so much nicer and faster than the ghetto camera I was using. And now, when I take pictures, I no longer feel like I am standing behind a tripod under a black curtain, holding cord up in the air for the flash. So, thanks to Scott and Kristie for being so thoughtful. You probably could have sold it on craigs list or ebay....so we really appreciate your generosity! I promise you will be rewarded with a plethora of pictures of my cute kids as a heartfelt thank you. Oh, and i have a couple great blackmail shots that i took of amy and mom as well.

More pics to come...