Bugged

I am seriously bugged.

I just spent over an hour making a veggie lasagna. I thought everyone would love it. My girls love italian food such as pizza and spaghetti. I even went as far as to blend all of the veggies together (not one single veggie could be seen) so no one would say, "what is this?" as they scrape bits of pepper or onion or zucchini out of the mixture. I truly thought the kids would eat it and would enjoy it while getting some nutrients along the way.

Guess who ate it?

Me.

Oh, and Kevin, too.

The girls wouldn't even touch it.

Our policy has always been: You don't have to eat it, but you're not getting anything else. I don't cook 2 meals, just one. We just sent the girls straight to bed (I didn't feel like eating my lasagna while they stared at theirs like it might jump out and bite them.).

Tonight I was so mad...I told Kevin that I felt like forcing them to eat it. All of it...even if they barfed on the table. Then he gently reminded me what a pain it is to clean up vomit.

Good point.

All 3 of our big girls started out eating everything...all types of babyfood fruits and veggies. Then somewhere around age 2, they decided to revolt. Quinnie is right in the middle of this. She very rarely eats dinner. She isn't rude about it, but it always seems like she is pushing her untouched plate of food towards me saying, "All done, Mommy" with a smile on her face. We've decided that she is like a camel. She pretty much only eats one big meal a day. The child loves berries, though (like her sister, Chloe---who loves all types of fruit)...so, I just try to load her up on berries throughout the day. Mia on the other hand is super picky. She won't eat fruit unless it is applesauce in a cup or a smoothie. So, we have started making fruit smoothies every morning...that way all the kiddos get some fruit to start out the day.

I just wish they would eat dinner without me having to make the same old pizza, spaghetti, hotdogs, chicken nuggets, etc.

Dinner is a thorn in my side. If it were just me, alone (which I'd never wish for), I would eat cereal every night.

So, I am on a mission to figure out that daily question, "What's for dinner?"

Middle Names

Quinnlan's middle name is Greer. The other day I was trying to explain this to her and here's how the conversation went:

Me: Quinnlan, your middle name is Greer.

Quinn: No, you're Greer.

Me: Yes, you're right, but that is my 1st name, like Quinnlan is your first name. Your middle name is Greer.

Quinn: No, you're Greer!

Me: Yes, but you're middle name is also Greer. Your name is Quinnlan Greer.

Quinn: No, my name is Quinnie-Poo.

You can't make this stuff up...

Here comes the Sun

Sunday was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous! Spring fever has arrived in Atlanta! We took our girls to the Botanical Gardens to enjoy the day then to Park Tavern for an early dinner on their patio overlooking Piedmont Park. Here are some pics from this great "Family Day":

Mia trying to hug her sister (Chloe loves this, can't you tell?)

Miss Mary Britt enjoying the stroll through the gardens

Quinnie running

and playing (check out her "halo" of static hair from sliding down the slide)

Daddy with Mary Britton

Chloe's photo of us...lovebirds

Mia and Chloe really wanted to go ice-skating at Park Tavern, but their feet were too small for the skates. They look bummed.

It felt like we joined half of Atlanta at Piedmont Park

You know it's been a fun-filled day when this is what you see in the backseat on the way home (notice the paci is barely in her mouth!)

All I want for Valentine's Day is...

My Chloe's 2 top teeth have been loose since September. I was sure they'd be gone before Christmas and we could sing "the song".

Nope...they just kept hanging on.

But last Monday, Chloe came home from school and had lost one of them. The other one was barely hanging on. Chloe could close her mouth and have the lone tooth hang over her lip and look like Nannie McPhee. That was pretty funny.

I even tried to get hold of it, but every time I would do it, she would freak out.

So, I just left it there. Kevin and went to datenight and when we got home, the babysitter told us that the other tooth had come out in her mac-n-cheese. I'm so glad she told us (Chloe had asked her not to say anything) since the Tooth Fairy was coming to visit that night!

This is how she looked the next morning:

Adorable.

Holidaze

Seems like I did this same thing last year...finally get around to blogging about the Christmas/New Years holidays around mid-February.

Christmas was incredible this year with our newest gift, Miss Mary Britton.

What a doll.

We visited Santa in Mid-December and I wasn't sure how Quinnlan would be, now that she is 2, and most 2 year olds are scared of Santa, but not this monkey. She loved him. Mia and Chloe had to hold her back from rushing him football-style when she was finally close enough to see him at Lenox.

Everyone is on their best behavior for the Big Man...

Then a couple weeks later, Quinnie had her first "performance" at her Preschool. She did so well and I was so proud of how she did with her little classmates:

When Christmas Eve finally arrived, it was our year to spend Christmas Eve with Kevin's family. We met at Kevin's mom's church for Christmas Eve Mass and then we had an incredible italian feast at Kevin's mom's house with all the girl cousins. How we love our nieces. They are so precious to me:

Our newest addition, Addie, our Goddaughter---2 1/2 weeks younger than Mary Britton...love how she sticks her tongue out! Too cute...

Here's all the "big girls":

Chloe, Quinn, Mia, Katherine, & Mae

After dinner, Santa showed up. This is the best part of Christmas Eve with Grammie...

Remember how I said that Quinnie was obsessed with Santa?

This is her 1st reaction to seeing him.

Love, Love, and more Love.

I even caught her doing the "I love Santa" dance:

As well as big hugs when she was overtaken with affection for her favorite white-bearded man:

I loved seeing Quinnie love Christmas this year.

These 2 six year olds showed such patience waiting their turn for the gifts from Santa's sack on Christmas Eve.

As they say...it is so special seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child.

This is one of my favorite pictures each year...waiting on the stairs on Christmas morning:

Look how sleepy (grumpy) Miss Chloe is! Not happy to be awakened by her sister, Mia!

After opening gifts from Santa and Mommy and Daddy, we went to Nana and Grandaddy's house for lunch:

We missed my brother and his family that are in Africa again this year. We can't wait to (hopefully) have them with us next year!

Then we went to Kevin's sister, Shannon's home for Christmas dinner (and a sleepover since it snowed---a white Christmas in Atlanta??? Crazy!) Here are some pics from the night/next day:

Quinnie with her paper crown. We always have the British "poppers" at dinner and they always have little prizes and a paper crown in them.

Mia & Chloe sledding the next morning with Daddy

Spending a New Years Eve sleepover with the Brownlows at our house. Too fun.

Chloe

Mia

Quinnie

Mary Britton says, "Hey, where's my sundae???"

Fun confetti fire-works in the kitchen (with toasts from the 6 and under crowd) and then sundaes after dinner and fireworks ("real" ones from Alabama!).

It's fun to remember how far we've come...2004 was the the 1st New Years we spent with the Brownlows---when we lived in Duluth and the twins were just 4 1/2 months old and we danced the night away...in our little townhome:

Kev, Me, Kellie & Rick

This picture always cracks me up...