Silliness in Sunriver

We went to Sunriver last week with the Lenox Family. It was so much fun! We rode bikes, played tennis, went swimming and played games. The funnest part was playing Imaginiff. It was late at night and so we were loopy from exhaustion. The question was about Dan: If Dan were a cartoon character which would he be: 1-Minnie Mouse 2-Velma 3-Power Puff Girl 4-Tinkerbell 5-Cinderella. We all just died laughing. There were no male choices. So we sat there and imagined Dan as Tinkerbell. His tiny wings flapping wildly to keep him off the ground. Super tight tights and a goatee with stubble and of course a tight little skirt. He was a very hairy fairy with chest hair spilling out the top of his leotard! We couldn't stop laughing! So then we had to choose one for Tom. He was Cinderella. He had a blue flowing ball gown that didn't quite fit with his broad chest splitting the seams, glass slippers that didn't just fall off, but crushed under his weight, a headband with a fancy do underneath and a black choker necklace that broke as soon as he spoke in a deep voice. We were practically rolling on the floor by the time our descriptions were done. We decided we should get a graphic designer to draw them, so we could never lose those precious, yet sickening images. Thanks for being good sports Dan and Tom!

Hand Replica Project Aborted

Well folks, it's official! I am now aborting my human hand replica search. Let me explain. It all stems from this one simple fact: Daphne has slept through the night for 3 nights in a row!!! You see, we were getting desperate and desperate times call for desperate measures!

Daphne has not been sleeping through the night for some time now and the only way we could get her to fall asleep during this last month was to stand at the side of her bed and put our hand on top of her face; she would hold on to the thumb and pinkie and slowly fall asleep. Well this gets old a 3 o'clock in the morning! So we devised a plan: buy some kind of hand replica for her to snuggle up to so we could get our beauty sleep. That sounds sick and wrong you say? I say: not so! On the first night that she slept through the night I was searching for something with the same weight and appendages as a hand and I found a little snake filled with sand. I layed it across her face; she grabbed both ends of the snake and within minutes...sleep! Eureka!

So I guess I will not go forward with the hand replica search. She even fell asleep without the snake. Hopefully we are home free.

Chaos Personified

My life is choas! True to form I have not blogged in 3 months. I would say that I am going to change my ways, but that would most likely be a lie. I keep telling myself that I am going to simplify my life, but I am always in angst about what to cut out. Let me see... Getting up with Daphne in the middle of the night, wouldn't mind cutting that one out, ...laundry, it takes way too long with 6 people to wash for, ...grocery shopping, who needs food? ...if I'm going to cut out shopping I can cut out cooking and dishes too (yes!!!) I think I hit paydirt with that one. ...Swimming lessons, Do they really need to learn how to swim? ...Play dates. Now this is a tricky one. On one hand it gets them out of your hair for a little while, but then, inevitably, someone's feelings get hurt and you have to sort it all out. ...Soccer, volleyball, baseball, tennis, gymnastics. I'm left in a quandry. But there are things I will never give up doing: reading books to the kids (and to myself), going for walks, playing at the park, picnics, singing, and dancing like no one is watching. These are the things you think of when you decide to become a mom. These are the times I think my children will remember. These are the moments that life slows down and you realize it's all worth it. So if I can do at least one of those good things a day I will smile and know I did something worthwhile today.

Daphne-Doodle

Daphne is my miracle. We had a hard time getting her here. After trying for a year and a half and 2 miscarriages we found out that we were going to have a baby girl. The pregnancy was awful. I was sick for the first half and by the time the morning sickness went away I was very anemic. But I wasn't diagnosed with the anemia until much later and so I spent the whole summer in exhaustion and agony. Needless to say it was avery hard pregnancy.
She was growing fast and I was getting big. We decided to schedule a C-section, because I had Olivia via C-section and Dr. Betterton feared my uterus would rupture if I waited to go into labor and deliver naturally. So she came 6 days before her due date on November 17 weighing 8 lbs 8 oz. We were so elated to have another healthy baby girl! We wanted her to have the same initials as her daddy so we named her Daphne Elizabeth Bustos. When the doctor pulled her our she said "Would you look at all the hair she has!" Her hair was dark brown and very long! Probably about an inch! She had such a loud cry too. Daddy spent the first hour by himself bonding with her and firgured out that all she wanted was to suck. So he stuck his pinkie finger in her mouth and then she was happy as a clam.
She is 6 months now! Oh how the time has flown! Life is cruel in that way. It goes so fast when you want it to slow and it speeds up when you want to to slow down. She just started sitting up about 2 weeks ago and she is starting tosleep through the night. She is very happy with all of the attention she gets from her brother and sisters! They are always willing to help her and hold her. Liam was so sad when we found out she was a girl, but now he comes home from school and run up to her to smell her and kiss her and make her smile.
We also get A LOT of attention from strangers! Everyone comments on her hair and how beautiful and long it is. (I even put it in pony tails the other day!) They also comment on how beautiful her blue eyes are. She loves the attention, but the other day she was playing shy and hid her face in her carseat when someone was cooing at her. It was really funny. It's like she was getting tired of all of the comments and decided enough was enough! Occasionally I get a little frustrated too if I'm in a hurry. I usually get stopped 5-8 times in the grocery store. So if I have more than one place to go in a day I get stopped that many times at each place I go. It's pretty funny sometimes. I should keep a tally one of these days!

Happy Birthday to Me!

I like my birthdays every one! Each brings a greater joy to me! (To quote a primary song.) I never seem to tire of getting older. I'm 35 today and I still love my birthday! My kids all made me a picture, coupon or book. Savannah wrote a book for me complete with illustrations and I want to share it.
The title is: "Here's to You and our Family". We've been together since... First steps...Princess Fanticies... Rainy baseball games...And school plays. Our family is very special. And you play a very important part in it. Remember, that with all we go through you'll always be our Mommy and we'll always be your Baby.
Thanks Savannah! She should write greeting cards or something. I was crying by the time I got to the end!
My hubby got me an emerald ring (that I got to pick out!). I love emeralds, it's my birthstone. He is going to get off work a little early so we can start celebrating, then we're going out to Marche tonight and to a movie.
I also got to get a mani/pedicure with my friend Angie and go out to lunch. Daphne even gave me a gift. She didn't cry the whole time I was getting ready this morning (like she usually does!) and she slept through my pedicure. Very nice!
Birthdays are great!