I need to update my blog, my blog, I need to update my blog right now!

• Sheer boredom has lead to getting REALLY creative for the kids.... 70 degree weather please come soon

• Ebony and Ivory playing harmonies together forever...

• Alexander, "Oh mommy, I wike Chawie Bwown"
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• Late breaking news...
• Another job opportunity has presented itself and it is a total risk... something that I love to do but I'm not sure if I can handle it so it deserves more prayer.
• Another newsletter deadline has come and gone... Another newsletter (almost) completed. I should receive final edits today and release final copy today. I would post a link but the online version is password protected.
• In Christina's words, "my mojo is off" because of Spring Break so I am looking forward to a visit with my inlaws at the end of the week.
• While we are visiting Grammy and Grandpa we hope to take the train downtown with the kids for the day. Without nap times this could be a total disaster. I pray NOT!
• Yesterday Alexander told me that I am "rediculus" really? Crazy for sure but rediculous It's only the beginning dear son.
• Potty training for both babies starts after Spring Break. Let the games begin...
  

Alexander: "I wike Chaulie Bwown mommy!"

In my daughter's eyes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLS0Y40WwlA

A long time ago, my mom recorded herself singing this song on a cassette for me. I took it for granted until I had a daughter of my own. Abbie is sick today and while I don't feel like I can do enough for her I would just like to celebrate that God gave her to me to rescue me in so many different ways.

Lazy or Burned out?

It has been so long since I blogged and I can't decide if it is because I am lazy or burned out. Burned out on what? Well, I have had some AMAZING creative impulses lately. I only put one into action, but the rest were really good ideas, I just don't have the energy to make them happen. Lately I feel like even the simplest tasks require as much energy as climbing Mount Everest. The following are on my list of things that I should have done a long time ago:

• Send my grandmother a birthday card and gift
• Sign my husband's birthday card and Valentine's day card
• Send my friend, Ann's, birthday card
• Send a sympathy card to my step uncle
• Print family pictures and send them to my BFF
• Clean out the refrigerator

Please pray that God will light a fire under me to complete these tasks... Hmmm maybe you already did because now that I have written this blog, I suddenly feel like getting to work! Hey, THANKS :)

Pictures Say 1000 words

I'm sorry this post is sort of lame, my pizazz tank is empty with no plans for a refill. I signed Alexander up for Preschool today and pray that my attempts to prepare him for that will benefit his future preschool teacher. Abbie's been crabby and now that she has had an antibiotic, hopefully she is on the mend or has a full set of teeth by next week. Isaac continues to bounce back and forth between the limits of a child and the independence of an adult. Mike is sick and going to the doctor tomorrow. I love him like no other and pray this will relieve some of his anxiety.

Possible Captions...

"What do you mean I'm sick?"

"Abbie Soares: Saving monsters one scream at a time"

"all I ever needed in life I learned from Monster's Inc"

"Who let the snot out? Who who who, who who?"

"I better practice my Trident smile for my future in modeling. CHEESE!"

I don't mean to brag, but Isaac ROCKED THE HOUSE at his band concert. I guess $6,000 on a bedroom in the basement was worth it.

Is this how Tommy Lee started out?

If we zipped up this tent and left them for 15 minutes, who do you think would last the longest? I think Abbie.

Leaps and Bounds

That's me trying to imitate Jane's blogger identity picture with her baby girl. It's not a very good imitation at all.



I haven't written in over a week because there isn't anything exciting happening in the Soares house. The kids are VERY tired of being cooped up in the house. Their new past time is climbing. As a result, they are in to EVERYTHING. It seems that everything that belong to me is much more exciting than their toys. Here's the damage over the last week:

If you can guess which child committed which crime and comment about it I will send you a prize!

• Lots of tissues strewn about the house
• 4 spilled glasses by one child
• 2 more spilled glasses by another child
• 1 salt covered table
• 4 pepper covered cars
• 1 carpet stained by nail polish
• 2 hands covered in nail polish
• 1 nose painted with nail polish
• 1 wall colored on by a Sharpie

Isaac, on the other hand totally surprised me by creating a Power Point presentation for extra credit in his class. I didn't even know he could do Power Point. It was really cool too! He had animation and everything. What a good kid. Now if he could only learn where to put his shoes when he is done wearing them...

Thank you

Praise God that he was merciful to me on Friday! To make a long story short, I took the whole clan of children (except for my sick Abbie-she stayed home with Daddy) to Make a Mess and they had a BLAST. Actually, I did to because my friend came to keep me company while her son played with Alexander. We were actually able to have girl talk-uninterrupted while keeping an eye on all the kids. The kids then wore themselves out and were too tired even to argue with each other or me the rest of the day. A true miracle.

Another miracle began the following afternoon after I had ran here, there and everywhere before our night away for our anniversary. Mike helped me get laundry done and get the house picked up so that I could give the kids their baths before running my mother through the gambit with unnecessary instructions. Finally we were on our way. Inside, I felt pretty rotten. I hadn't had a spare moment to myself, hadn't looked in the mirror and barely had enough time to change my clothes before heading out to an upscale restaurant. At the last minute I said to Mike, "let's just leave now and I can get ready at the Hotel and then we can go out to eat." That is what turned our night around. I was able to get ready in twenty minutes at the hotel BY MYSELF (it would have taken 40 if I were at home). Mike made sure that I knew he thought I was beautiful and I didn't need to do anything special for him, still I thought it would be respectful to show up at the restaurant with hair that looked a little better than last night's pony tail. Once I was ready, our dinner was quiet, romantic, and fabulous. As we were eating, we praised God by talking about all of the wonderful moments we've had together. We both declared that while we were in love with the person we saw in each other 5 years ago, we recognize that that perception is skewed by our own subjectivity. What we have now is better and we can only thank God for our vulnerability and perseverence over the last 5 years. I am truly a blessed woman for I have been given a gift from God and while he drives me CRAZY most days, God has given me His representative to care for and love me. For that I say THANK YOU to all of you who have been a part of our lives and prayed for our family.

Sick little baby girl

... And all she wanted was her big brother. So cute. Abbie has never been sick before, but she showed her vulnerability last night. Her temperature escalated to 103 and after (finally) keeping the tylenol in her system, she was splashing in the tub and jumping on the couch. Who knows what today holds for us? Today is our 5 year anniversary. The kids have been off of school for 3 days for bad weather and I am a wreck. Mostly because the parents of the kids I watch weren't threatened in the least by Abbie's illness. They knew their kids had already been exposed and since Mike is home, I couldn't really claim that I am incapable of caring for their children, but they ignored the risk. Please forgive my cynicism. I am running on low sleep and these three days are EXACTLY why I got out of full time day care. My prayers (and yours) were answered yesterday when I explained to my day care parents that I needed the afternoon off to go work at the Office so please pray for MERCY for me today. At this point I don't want to go away with my husband tomorrow night, I don't feel like looking pretty or eating at a nice restaurant or skiing with my oldest on Monday. Please pray for God's best regarding those decisions. Thank you! Carrie