MATCHERS!

Luke wore a plaid, button down shirt the other day. So did I.
And leave it to Morgan Jane to point out we were "Matchers!!!" (ala Diary Of  A Wimpy Kid)

We had taken this pic of Jas and Bubs the other day as we were headed out to take him to school- they looked so cute! And I guess Morgan Jane thought it was hilarious. Mostly because we kept yelling "Matchers" every 5 seconds.

So I was sitting here on the computer with Luke in my lap, and she came up to me and said, "Mommy and Luke matchers. You take a picture and say 'matchers' okay?" Okay, I said and took out the camera to snap a quick shot of Luke and I by myself.

"No, no,no... I do it." Uh-oh.

But she was acting like such a big girl, so proud of herself for noticing and thinking that our shirts were worthy of "matchers"-ness, so I let her.

"MATCHERS!"

Royal Flush

Its that time again. The time I dread.
Potty-training time.
(boooooooooooooooooooooooooo)
I started last November and then gave up.

I hate potty training. HATE. IT. It tests my patience to no end and makes me grouchy. I remind myself that I will get through it, and that no one goes to college in a diaper, but I haaaaaate it.

And it doesn't help that Morgan Jane is a toot and has NO desire to participate in this activity. When presented with the choice of Mickey Mouse diapers or the chance to wear Princess Pull-Ups if she sits on the potty, she is seriously tempted- but in the end goes for Mickey everytime.

So I got tough. And made her sit on there, only to realize that we potty we had was NOT comfy. At all. I wouldn't want to sit there for hours on end (Just kidding- I give up after about 5 minutes!) either.

So guess what Bubs and I saw the last time we were at the 'Mart??? I stinkin' Princess Potty: complete with coushy seat!!! After much convincing- Jas went and got it for her!!

Look at the joy! Look at the excitment!

She checkout out the soft pink seat!

She tried out the beautiful twinkling flushing sound!

She even tried it out!!

So, out of respect for Fan Target, who threatened to quit reading my blog if I wrote one more post about Luke pottytraining, this will be the end of this topic.

Wish us

me

luck!

I'm A Loser

...and that's a good thing! Some friends and I have come up a weight-loss challenge to kick off the New Year, and our first milestone weigh-in is in about 2 weeks! I saw on the Yahoo main page that people who blogged about, or wrote down what they ate and their struggles, lost two times as much weight as those who didn't: sooooo, I'm all for giving it a try! I would like to loose 15 pounds- which according to every health-nut-weight-loss-motivating site is totally doable by March 31st. And by loosing those said 15 pounds, I would possibly gain $600!! Motivation, baby! Motivation!

My official putting it all out there goals:

• FEBRUARY 5th: Milestone Weigh In - Down 5 pounds (already lost 4! whatwhat!!!)
• FEBRUARY 16th: My 32nd Birthday (whaaaaa!) - Down 2 more pounds
• MARCH 17th: Two Weeks Til Official Weigh In - Down 5 more pounds
• MARCH 31st: Final Weigh In - Down 3 more pounds

Over the past two weeks, I have become so conscience of what I used to eat and how much of it- and realized I was running on sugar-highs rather than protein. I had to do a mini-sugar withdrawl- only allowing a tiny bit in my coffee and whatever was in my FiberOne bar. Then that was it for the day. KIL-LER. I really felt ill and miserable for about 3 days. But once I got through it, I have been able to really tame that sweet-tooth. If it really gets to me I'll eat a tiny box of raisins, but that is just so sad and NO fun, so I usually just get over it.

One of my competitors and GF Andrea and I are also doing the "Eat Half" method- although that was NOT happening last night at Girl's Dinner! (Too much wine and too many carbs!!) BUT we are also adhering to the "90% on/ 10% off" rule which give us wiggle room to cheat once a week. I have invested in about a billion Lean Cuisine freezer meals (NO PRESERVATIVES!) to help with my eating choices and portion control. So far so good! I know that eating my kids leftovers and not being prepared and running through the nearest drive-through have been one of my major eating flaws, but they have been noted and ammended.

Bring it on, baby! That $600 will be mine! Oh yes! It will be mine!

I'm Baaaacck!

Whoa, Nelly! Does this feel weird!?!?
Its been almost a year since I've typed in here, and what a year its been!
We have been so blessed with so many great memories and successes, and part of me is sad that I have to rely on myself to remember those great times, rather than be able to look back on here, like I was able to do for a few years.

And I have missed blogging. I have missed taking the time to put those memories down and share them with those that aren't with me everyday. So I made the decision to come back, pick up a year later and fill myself in on the way. Here's a photo look at our 2010:

.....and here's to 2011!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

With A Heavy Heart...

I have been mulling this over for awhile now. And after sitting on it for a few more days, and talking it out with someone who feels the way I do... I have decided to say "So Long, Farewell" to The Yarbrough 5.

As any blogging mommy knows, you can't just sit down, write a post, put in cute pictures and be done in 5 minutes. It takes a. long. time. It was easier when Morgan Jane was younger, but now everytime I sit down, she is climbing on the dining table, or dumping out the bucket of 500 sippy cups all over the kitchen. Luke is doing so well not playing the Wii, but he is needing a lot more of my one-on-one time to help him focus on playing other things. Olivia has so many new activities and projects, that I need more time to get other little things out of the way so I can be there 100% for her when those things come up. And then there is that handsome man who gives me sad looks from the living room when he is sitting watching a movie all alone while I type away in the evenings...

Oh! And lets not forget about little ol' me. I have made a commitment to myself to be the best "me" I can be. I haven't felt totally put together in a long time, and its something I am working on regaining a little everyday. I just feel that at this stage of things, if I have an hour to sit down and write a post, I could devote that hour to exercising, or preparing a healthy dinner, or just sitting on my tush and reading the latest People magazine (pure joy in my book!) While I love writing, I am also really growing to love the rush after a great work-out, the thrill of seeing Olivia perfect her kart-wheel or watching Luke re-inact a show he's watched with his little Mario figures. Morgan Jane is the last little baby I will ever have, and she is getting bigger everyday. While I have loved keeping track of everyone growing up on here, I think I'll have more time to really live it when I'm not spending the whole time thinking "What am I going to write about this?" or praying that I got good pictures of whatever shenanigans they have gotten into!

So thanks to everyone for reading! Thanks for everyone's kind words and emails through the past two year's ups and downs! I have learned so much, "met" so many neat people... and of course, I will still be reading about everyone else! ...That is when I'm not snuggling Jas and watching "our stories", playing games with Luke, selling Tag-A-Longs with Olivia or telling Morgan Jane to "Get down!" from whatever it is she has climbed on/ under/ into...

So long farewell, auf weidersehen good-bye

I hate to go and leave this pretty sight

So long farewell, auf weidersehen adieu

Adieu, adieu, to you and you and you

So long farewell, auf weidersehen goodnight

I leave and heave a sigh and say good bye -

goodbyyyyyyeeeee!

MU-AH

{HUGS}

Santa Love And Some Cheese

We saw Santa today!!!!!!! The kids were troopers getting ready and getting out the door so we could get there nice and early to score an early place in line!  Once we got there, we had about 20 minutes before Santa was going to arrive. Check out Luke's impatience after being in line for about 2 minutes:

So Jas took the kids to the play area and Mimi and I held our spot. It seriously cut down on the stress of keeping them occupied, but I was sad that they missed the Big Guy's big entrance!

Once the line started moving, I texted Jas and they came right back and we began our little journey through the Polar Express train. Before we begin the fun, can you please take a moment and notice this new face of Luke's:

 

(What is up with this?)

Okay: On with the fun! This mall has really cute snowglobes filled with scenes from the Polar Express, not to mention really beautiful trees and decorations. It really helps that the kids have things to do and look at while they waited...

Really? Again with the face?!?!

Trying to get a cute shot by the bea-u-ti-ful tree:

Morgan Jane checking out the "snow"...

She just kept laughing and pointing at it! This is her new thing- the pointing and making the "Hey! Get a load of this!"-face. So cute.

Inside the train...

Almost there...LUKE! Ugh! That face!

Luke asking if he can throw the snow- such a boy!

Luke begging to throw the snow...

So then it was our turn! I love that this group comes and writes down your kids' names on your photo order form way before you get up there, which you then hand to the photo guy once its your turn, who excitedly welcomes your kids by name, therefore telling Santa their names. Genius. I'm telling you: these people are the Porches of Santa photo-takers.

Sweet Morgan Jane walked right up to Santa and started clapping, saying, "Tanta! Tanta!"- we had no idea she knew who he was! She practically climbed in his lap on her own- which was a nice suprise considering the kids that went before us were a crying mess. Miss O took her rightful place next to him and they started chatting. But, poor, poor Bubs. He has been having some stress about the "Naughty" list, and wouldn't sit next to  Santa until we got confirmation from the Big Guy that yes, indeed, he had made the "Nice" list.  By this time, Morgan Jane was sitting on Santa's knee and kept pointing up at him and then looking at Jas and I with her mouth open, like she was saying, "Ha! Do you see this guy!?!" And of course, there was more clapping.

We asked him if there was ANY way he could come a little early on the 24th since we won't have time to open our presents on Christmas morning. He asked me why and I told him that we would be leaving for Disney World, to which he replied, "Well, how horrible for you!" and winked. Ha! He said that his only concern was that the kids had to be sleeping for him to come, so we struck a deal that we would be out of the house- which works perfect since we are having dinner at my parents' so one of my sweet siblings can sneak out and play elf sometime before we actually eat! WHOO-HOO! Mission accomplished.

Then the issue of the Zhu Zhus came up. Olivia asked him for some- telling him that we had told her that they were no more in the stores. Now here comes Awesome Santa Moment #158: He looked at me while saying to her, "You know there aren't very many left..." (Then I winked at him) and he quickly said, "but if I can muster up anymore, they are going straight to you because you have been such a great girl this year." LOVE. HIM.  Bubs asked in for a "Fix-It Thomas" which, after we dropped the kids off with Mimi and went searching for, we found out retails for over $100. Yea. Never going to happen- especially since he doesn't even play with toys. So we found him a FANTASTIC Black and Decker plastic tool set, to go in his new toolbox thanks to the fabulous Cokers. We'll just tell him that Santa must of thought he had said, "fix-it toools..." He's 3. He'll buy it.

We all left in a fabulous Christmas mood- and Jas and I finished up all of our shopping! Yea! All I have to do now is finish wrapping all of our gifts, make our stockings, get the Christmas cards in the mail, wash every stitch of clothing we own.... Oh, and maybe clean the house, And make preparations for the dog. And check on our flights. And....

Theme Trees

When I was up at the school helping Olivia's class do a project during their Holiday party, I had a moment there I saw "What Could Have Been". The kids were filling the inside of glass ball ornaments with acrylic paints and rolling them or shaking them to make pretty marbled designs. They were allowed to choose two colors, but when I made the rounds a little girl in her class insisted on only using white. I asked her a couple time if she was sure she didn't want to add another color, and she insisted that she only. wanted. white. Okay. Who am I to mess with someone's artistic vision, right? So once the ornaments were complete, I went around with some glitter paint pens and wrote each child's name on their beautiful keepsakes. When I got around to this little girl, I asked her if she would like red, gold or silver paint for her name. Without blinking, she said, "silver." I asked if she was sure, because silver on white might not show up every well, and wouldn't she prefer one of the other colors. She told me no, that she HAD to have silver. "What do you mean you have to have silver?", I asked her and she turned to me and said, "My mom only allows white or silver ornaments on our tree. If I want to hang it up it has to be white and silver." Oh. My. Gosh. It broke my heart. I had a moment where I wondered how many ornaments and things had she brought home that didn't make the cut? Was 2nd grade the year when she wasn't going to let it happen again? And the thing was: there was serious potential that that could have been my kid.

When I was in my early 20, and before I had children, I had great visions of what my own personal Christmas trees would look like. When I lived with Alyshia, we did "A Few Of My Favorite Things" tree, compelte with hot chocolate packet and concert ticket ornaments. The next year, my girlfriends and I did an "Everything Shiny" tree with tons of Mexican tin ornaments (it helped that they were about $1 a piece at the fabulous folk art store down the street) and anything else we could find that fit our college kids budget. We made ornaments out of our favorite pictures of us and with our neighbors, who we shared the holiday with. The decor was always really reflective of where I was in my life, and what I loved...

Before I was married, (and my mom loves to remind me) I proudly proclaimed that one day, I would have a beautiful theme tree done up just how I wanted it. At that point my mom pointed out that one day I would be faced with a bunch of green painted popcicle-stick christmas trees and hand-print reindeer ornaments. What would I say then to my child hoping to hang their hand-made creations on my "theme" tree? she teased. My heart-less-child-less-at-the-time-response: "This tree has a theme and theme is not crap." Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh- what a mean non-Mommy I was!!! So of course, when Miss O brought home her first little tiny precious face in the middle of a finger-painted ceramic present ornament, I melted and couldn't hang it on the tree fast enough.

People always say, "Just wait til you have children!" and you can never really understand what they are telling you until you do. You would do anything for them: You will gag while you peel the cover off of those tiny Vienna sausages because that's all they will eat for two weeks straight- but they don't like the skin. You will sleep on the floor and hold their little hand for nights on end while they get used to sleeping in a Big Kid bed even though you can hardly stand up straight the next day. You'll let them breath their toxic germs on you when they have the stomach flu and the only way you can get them to sleep is in your bed next to you. You'll drive 30 minutes back to their preschool and bribe the janitor to let you in after you've just arrived home after a long days' work only to discover that you have left their favorite blanket there. You will drive to every store on the planet to buy a silly toy because it keeps a dream alive. And you will most certainly hang their ornaments on your tree.

A Yarbrough Tradition

I have never in my life been afraid to get up in front of people and talk, or dance, or talk and dance (which I'm not sure ever really came in handy...) So why is it that my children, my precious off-spring that do have some of my DNA refuse to perform in from of people???

We went to Luke's preschool Christmas program yesterday- so excited to see the precious little costumes and hear the adorable little songs. Well, we got there, got settled and in they came....

SO CUTE! He had told us he wa singing a song about candy- but I just thought he was being a toot. Turns out he was telling the truth. They were dressed up like Hershey kisses and peppermints- complete with little headbands! So he is all smiles, and then turns and looks out at the audience. And his eyes got huge. They start the show with all of the classses singing together.

We waved at him and blew him kisses, smiled and give him thumbs up- anything to break him out of his 100-people-looking-at-him-shock. No luck. Then its his class' turn to sing their special song. He turns and stares at his teacher- sending a silent SOS with his saucer-sized eyes. No luck. She just keeps smiling. The music starts, his class starts singing and he starts screaming crying. We are talking full on body-shaking, hands in the mouth, get me the hell outta here, crying. And his teacher keeps smiling and singing, hoping to snap him out of it. No luck.

(See that open spot- bottom row, left?? Yea.) So half-way through the song she walks him off the stage. He then proceeds to cry very loudly during the next classes' song. So at this point, as much as I hate to be "that mom", I go over to where he is sitting with his teacher. He looks in the the eye and between sobs says, "I. want. to. go. hooooooome!!!" Poor guy. He was totally traumatized. I was able to convince him to sit with us until the show was over. Look how sweet they all are! (Don't you just love that one kid that always yells the songs??)

Then we went to his classroom for cookies and juice, and he was instantly 10 kinds of bright and shiny: telling us he was so glad we came, asking us if we liked "his show", singing the songs he was supposed to have performed.

His sweet teacher just smiled and rolled her eyes, telling us, "See- he was really excited before he realize the whole world would be watching him!" Ahhhhh! At least we didn't ask any grandparents to fly 1,500 to watch this non-performance...

Teacher Gifts '09

Its Teacher Gift time! Having worked in a school for numerous Christmas-es, I know what NOT to give: Bath and Body Works. Ha!

I always try to make something... and then I usually end up wanting to keep it. Last year I made coffee baskets. And it took everything I had not to brew up a pot while I was pouring each specialty flavor coffee into their precious labeled tins... KILLER.

So this year, I needed something that didn't have to do with my serious addiction, why do that to myself two years in a row. So I went the crafty-route. And made tassels.

I luv Nester. And I loved the tassels she made. And I stocked every picture trying to figure out how she made the darn things. There had to be something in the middle- but what? Alyshia and I spent several hours discussing what we could use: old thread spools... wooden circles... Well. Last month sweet Nester sold her secret and I bought it. And wouldn't you know... She just rolls the dang fringe. Could it get any easier than that??? So I read her "How To" ebook, waited til ornaments went on sale at the Hob Lob and got my tassel on. (Ooo... that sounds kinda bad. Sorry.)

Normally, the brightly colored toppers would not be my first choice, but my children loved them, and since they are for their teachers, I got over it. I made one for each of their teachers. Then I made two identical ones of the glittery Santa on his bag for O's principal and and Bub's director. 'Know who I love so much I could eat him? The chocolate Santa. He's for my Nanna. YUM.

I hope they go over well, and people don't look at them like, "What the heck is this thing??" I have been prepping my kiddos on what to say, "Its decoration..." "You can hang it on your doorknob..." Ha! We'll see! Careful though... they were so fun and easy to make... it might be the gift everyone gets from me from now on...

Cookie Party

H and Lysh came over today so we could gab about the other night's shinanigans!! to bake some Christmas cookies! I love that the kids are old enough now to where we can do projects and they can really help. They helped us crack the eggs, add the sticks of butter and stir. So fun! And SO CUTE!

I LOVE these little chefs!

Artsy Fartsy

So, last night Jas and I got dolled up and hit the town.My BFF was having a set of angel wings she made (these guys on steroids) at an art event called "Flight". She had been asked to join the event on a whim, and in the group of all of the artist featured- (and maybe I'm just biased) I thought that her piece was the most impressive.
There was obviously a whole "wings" theme- the concept was that these models wearing wings(which Alyshia also made) would carry the art down the stairs, have it float through the audience and then it was carried up to another level of the complex where it was displayed for proper viewing. The event organizer has a friend who composes music that expresses the feeling of the art pieces, and he was joined by a women who sang along. I know what you are thinking. And we felt the same way. (snicker) (The highlight of my night was looking over at Jas and seeing the faces he was making, and everytime I would catch his eye, he'd do the " 'sup'" head bob and then smirk. SO not his scene! Such a trooper!)

So once all of the art had been flown through and the music wrapped up, we went to the atrium and had a chance to really check out the pieces. Some were really amazing. There was an artist that had made several ceramic masks- which were incrediably detailed when you looked at them up close. Lysh said the funniest thing was the artist makes them and then takes them to the ceramic-painting- party place to have them fired! It cracked me up to think of these dark, abstract masks hardening next to a "Happy 1st Birthday" plate and a Winner The Pooh piggie bank! I guess you gotta do what ya gotta do!

It was nice to get out, to be a part of the underground art scene for a night, and I would have happily endured 2,000 hours of Artsy-fartsy-ness for my best friend. So many great things are happening for her, and I'm happy to get to share in some of the excitment!