Clean carpets = shopping time?

When we bought this house, we had the carpets replaced. Since then, we've had 2 more kids which equals LOTS of juice stains. This week, Ken and I finally got fed up with our carpet and decided to have it cleaned. It looks AWESOME!     

do you notice what you don't see? Stains!!! Or toys. All of the mess has been temporarily relocated to the spare bedroom while the carpets dry.

So while we waited for the carpet to dry, we decided to get the girls out of the house and run some errands. We got AJ some new tennis shoes. 

I scored an awesome deal on a couple of super cute hand knit sweaters for the little ones.

And we got the girls new raincoats!  Click on the link to watch the video entitled RAINING! on the left side of the page. 

http://englandfamily.shutterfly.com/

midnight ramblings of a hungry insomniac

For the last couple months my head hasn't hit the pillow before 4am. So its a bit of an adjustment to make my body go "on Christmas Vacation". So here I am, chowing down on yummy Christmas ham, corn casserole and mac and cheese and updating you guys! The England home was VERY blessed this year. Santa (whom Addison does NOT like or care to see ever again)

brought the girls a pink wooden kitchen set with lots of food and pots and pans.  Alexis asked for a first aid kit and a bell from Santa's sleigh which she received. And Ken and I surprised her with an iPod touch. (I think that thing is permanently embedded in her hand). My mom got us a membership to the McWane Center which the girls are LOVING!

Addison and Anna are especially fun at this age. Addison is showing such a sweet and thoughtful personality. Here are a few funny/ sweet tidbits from the past couple of weeks.  Sorry for the repeat if you're one of my facebook friends and have already read these stories. :) You can skip on to the pics.

•   One night when I put the girls down for bed Anna was crying and Addison calmed her down. I stood outside the door and this is what I heard: 

                 Addison: "Anna, whats wrong? whats wrong?.. Stop crying. its ok. You want mommy? 
                 Anna: "uh Huhhh" 
                Addison: "its ok. stop crying. we get cereal in da morning okayyyy?" 
                Anna: "ok" :)

• I'm sitting on the couch playing on my laptop when Addison comes up to me:

                Addison: Anna got a booger mommy. I got it. (she brings me the base of a wooden toy tree the she apparently shoved up Anna's nose to get the booger.)
                Me: yup you got it didn't you? 
                Addison: Yeahhhh, Gwoss.

• Addison's favorite movie is Toy Story 3. We watch it AT LEAST 3 times a day.  So she was really excited to get her own Woody doll and Mr and Mrs. Potato head. Actually, the Mrs. Potato head is Anna's but Anna prefers wearing Mr. potato head's glasses.  If you've ever watched that movie, there's a scene where Ken is showing off all his clothing options to Barbie and the background music is that old song "Freak out". So Addison has picked up that phrase. " Mommy, I wanna watch Freak out" Yeahhhh, we're working on correcting that. haha!

• 
  

2 little monkeys jumping on the bed!

OMGoodness, I just realized that I never posted the blog on Addison and Anna's birthday party!  BAD MOMMY!

So here we go.

Since Addison and Anna's birthdays are 2 weeks apart, we decided to have a joint birthday party for their first and second birthday.  We call Anna "chunky monkey" so that was the theme for our party.  I tried my hand at applique and made their birthday shirts.  Anna was chunky monkey and Addison was silly monkey. We had their party at our house and created an outdoor playspace of sorts for the kids.  We had lots of family and wonderful friends to help us celebrate the big day.  Here are some pics of their special day.

I made monkey invitations, cupcakes, and decorations/ favors. The big monkey cake was a custom order from Publix. SO YUM! I was busy getting things set up that I forgot to take more pics of the decorations.  It was cute though! We made lots of tissue paper balls in turquoise and pink in different sizes.  And hung them from the tent. I also decorated freezer cups with each child's name and a monkey face customized to fit each child's personality (sassy monkey, silly monkey, etc.).  Take a look.

For more pics check out our picture sharesite. http://www.englandfamily.shutterfly.com/

If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!

CLAP! CLAP!

So much to update you guys on.  The England house has been a bit busy lately.  Ken has started his  doctorate program at the University of Alabama and he is going full force into it.  I have a feeling that we'll have to make some changes to our schedules and routines to accomodate all of the studying and writing that he's doing.  But I am SO proud of him.  He's a pretty amazing man to be able to handle a demanding job, demanding school schedule and being an active father and husband to our little family.

And the girls are all growing up so fast.  We moved Anna into Addison's room since they love spending time together and its worked out well so far.  I still have LOTS of decorating to do for their room but it frees up a room for my mom to stay in when she comes.  It's nice to have a guest room again. 

Anna is practically running and is still working on vocab.  She doesn't talk as much as the other girls did.  I guess she's just taking it all in.  She'll occasionally bust out with words here and there like "Aday sue" (AJ Shoe) and Doe (Door).  Her little personality is really coming out and its so cute.  She is sweet natured but definitely has a feisty side.  Her feistyness just comes across a little more sly than Addison and AJ's.   Her thing lately has been nodding her head.  When you ask her if she wants something she'll nod her head and go "mmm".  I can't get her to say yes for the life of me.

Addison is talking up a storm now and we have entered the "why" phase.  Me: Addison clean up
Addie: Clean up? why? Me: because its messy Addison: Oh messy? WHY?  hahah! You get the picture.  It goes on FOREVER. But she's such a good girl.  She's sweet to her sisters most of the time unless one of them took a toy she wanted or was even thinking about playing with.  We've got to seriously work on the sharing.  I'm working with her on her abcs, numbers, and colors and she's doing pretty well.  The key is to do the flashcards during her eating time.  Because then she's distracted and eats more and focuses on what we're talking about.   She's also done AWESOME with her potty training.  She's able to stay in panties when she's awake and tell me when she needs to go.  We still keep her in pullups at naptimes and at night though.   BUT YAYYY for Addison.  Hopefully not much longer and I'll be able to get her completely in panties and then it'll be Anna's turn to potty train.  I am SO ready to be done with diapers. UGH!

And AJ starts THIRD grade next monday! Can you believe it? She's grown up so quickly.  She just started her second year of cheering and she is so excited.  I'll be sure to post more pics when the games start. Go HOOVER! :)  I'm having to work with her on her attitude since she seems to have picked up a sassy pants attitude and I do not like it one bit.  I talked to a few other parents and they seem to confirm what I was thinking about her watching too many Disney shows.  If any of you have elementary school kids you probably know what I'm talking about.  Almost all the shows the grown ups seem to be the bumbling idiots and the preteens and teens all smart mouth back to them.  So I've cut out a lot of her tv time and am trying to keep her busy with activities and such. 

As for me.  Most of you know that I've started my own business.  And if you didn't.. I DID! It's very exciting and I'm loving it.  Still trying to figure some things out like work schedule, etc. But I think its going pretty well.  Make sure to check out my etsy shop, blog or facebook page!
http://www.etsy.com/shop/bahbooodesignstudio
http://bahbooo.com/
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Bahbooo-Design-Studio/206786469361043

And help me spread the word too! (For every 2 people you refer to me (that place an order) you get a free monogram!)- Shameless plug right there.

Anyway, I guess I'll leave you with this.  Have a happy week!

One, TWO, Four

Me: Hey Addison, How old are you?
Addison: Addison.

Me: No, I said how OLD are you?

Addison: One, Two ... Four.

So I guess this time next year she'll be four years old.. We'll work on numbers more later..

Today was Addison's SECOND birthday!

For those of you that know Addison, know that she gets cold VERY easily.  And when she's cold, she doesn't sleep.  SO, this morning Addison got up before 7am.  (She usually sleeps until 10:30)  Ken picked her up and we all went downstairs because AJ was itching to give her the birthday present she got her. 
 

Opening her present from her big sissy AJ!





"stashios!" (Pistachios are her favorite.)



She could finish that entire bag of pistachios in a day if I let her.  She loves them that much.  OR maybe she's just trying to keep Ken from eating them ;)  just kidding Ken.

snuggled up, eating pistachios, drinking juice and watching Pingu!
What could be better?



So last week we got in the new "One Step Up" catalogue and she's been carrying it around showing Ken and I the pictures and saying "want it" "get it" of the tricycle, sandbox, and any and all water toys...  So needless to say she liked her "big" present.

Addison's first tricycle

 

I got Wheels!!

  



Check me out! Zoom! Zoom!

"go AJ go!"

She rang that bell NONSTOP for ten minutes... at least. Her legs can't quite work the pedals yet but she likes to push it around or have AJ push her. 

For her special birthday dinner we had all her favorites:

see-weeal (cereal), pancakes, rice (my little chinese girl haha! No meal is complete with out rice), boiled shrimp, leftover chicken nuggets (from lunch). 

Then we waited around for Ken to get home from Tuscaloosa and we had CAKE!

Addison is quite obsessed with Pingu (a claymation penguin cartoon).  So I had this cake made at whole foods!

Then she got to open her last present of the day.

PINGU! PINGU!

Happy Birthday my funny girl.  You make my days brighter. Mommy loves you!

Bathtime Fun

Bathtime at our house is an all out fun fest.
Recently, Addison has come up with a new bath time game.  Its called "sticky Anna" She takes the bath foam letters and sticks them all over anna's body and if she happens to come across a toy that doesnt stick she either puts it on Anna's head or "hands" it to her so hard that Anna falls backwards. 

That Anna.  She's a tough girl.  Here's a video of her having fun with her sister until Addison head butts her and makes her cry.

Anna's Walking!

Things have been busy in the England house!  Ken broke his tailbone two weeks ago.  We've been busy fixing up the house (repainting, replacing eaves and replacing our crappy, single pane, leaky kitchen windows.)  I'll do a separate post with all the home improvement pics once we get finished.. Which if its actually on schedule will be done by May 7th.  (The girls' birthday party)

Anna took her first steps Friday night!  She's still a bit wobbly but she's taken up to 5 steps at a time.  I love it.  She has the cutest triumphant expression on her face when she makes it to where she wants to go.  Heres a little video we shot.  Sorry the lighting is dark, it was taken on our phone.

Love sweet love

Valentine's day. 

 A day where you bare your soul to the one you love.

A day to tell them how much they mean to you and how grateful you are to have them in your life. 

A day for romance... for all ages.

 Alexis has an admirer (we'll call him Mr. B).  I picked her up from school today and boy did she have a lot to say. :)  Today was her Valentine's Day party. They did the usual card exchange and her admirer gave her a present!  A chocolate bear (which she had already devoured) a handful of cards and lots of handmade "gifts".  It was so sweet! He even made a card that said "do you like me? yes or no?" The dillemma: She has a crush on another little boy in her class (Mr. J). So our dinner conversation tonight was filled with our little second grader's thoughts on how she should break it to Mr. B that she just wants to be friends.

Ken's solution, "tell him my dad says I can't have a boyfriend until I'm 30" haha!

Don't worry Ken, you're the only man in their life... for now anyway! :)

(the girls with their Valentine's present from daddy)

Houston we have liftoff!

We have a new crawler!! Anna has been crawling backwards for a couple of weeks now and we finally have forward progress! She gets up on her hand and knees now and rocks back and forth (I guess for momentum) and then she'll take a big lunge forward. Its hilarious. Addison has been working with her ;) She'll get on her hands and knees and crawl around the floor and say "come Anna". Its pretty comical. Toys don't seem to motivate her to crawl though, for now she only wants to crawl if there's food, electronics or jewelry to reach for. So she's got her basics covered.

Here's a video of her rocking.. This was taken a few days ago so it doesn't show her actually moving forward but its still pretty funny to see. I'll try to get a new video in the next day or so.

Dear people on Lakeshore Running Trail

Hi there.
Here in Birmingham we have a wonderful running trail that runs alongside Lakeshore. Unfortunately, there are people who run it that have no idea about trail etiquette. So this list was put together by Ken and myself to help inform/ educate. Feel free to add any of your "tips" in the comments section. I'd love to hear those too!

- If you are running on the trail with your dog and he doesn't want to take two steps off to the side to poop in the grass. Don't just leave it there for other runners to run around. CLEAN IT UP or at the very least knock it off to the side of the trail with a stick!
- If by chance you do let your dog go off to the grassy area to do his business, walk into the grass WITH him! DO NOT stand in the middle of the trail talking to your girlfriends blocking the path.
- If you are socializing while you walk- DO NOT walk 4 by 4- taking up both lanes of the trail. Go to the mall! Your designer outfits will be appreciated more there.
- If you have kids on the trail and they want to ride their bikes. Keep them on ONE side of the path. This may be a good time to explain rules of the road to them. The line is not something you swerve back and forth over.
- And if by chance, someone needs to pass you or your child. Do not yell "rapido" to get them to speed up. Tell him to stop or move him over to let others pass.
- Here's a key one. Run WITH traffic. If you are running in the lane and runners are coming TOWARD you, You are in the wrong lane. MOVE OVER. You are not special and the rules apply to you too.

I'm sure there are lots more but those were the first ones off the top of my head.
Hope everyone is enjoying the beautiful weekend!

Confessions of a Stay at Home Mom

Ok. Ashley this post is for you..


In response to my friend Ashley's blogpost requesting 11 Confessions for 2011 Here are mine.
Don't judge! ;)




1. I've become addicted to romantic comedies and watched 4 in one day... yesterday.

2. When the kids are fussy I turn on the radio and dance and sing around the house. You should see my running man. Its a crowd pleaser.

3. I have a system that tells me when I need to clean the floors.. When the kids look like they've begun to look like puppies because there's so much dog hair or hair or lint on their clothes from rolling around.

4. I look for all kinds of excuses to run errands alone. So I can sing really loud and off key without getting looks from Ken and AJ .. annnd Addison. She's at that age now where she knows bad singing.

5. Its impossible to feel sexy or attractive when your wearing a nursing bra.

6. I dislike vegetables most of the time and I only eat them because I make the kids eat them. And even then, I usually only have a spoonful of veggies on my plate.

7. Sometimes when a telemarketer calls, I talk to them just for a little adult conversation. It almost always has nothing to do with what they are trying to sell me and they usually hang up on me. I actually learned that from Ken. Its great entertainment!

8. I wish we lived in Jackson and still owned the restaurant for the sole reason that I would never have to cook.

9. I feel like the washing machines and the hampers have a plot against me and somehow something is ALWAYS in one of them.

10. My house is a mess

11. I've been avoiding cleaning it by making this list.

Sunday Tea? Yes Please!

So yesterday, the girls were invited to a birthday party. It was a joint birthday party for two cute little girls. The theme was Tea and Top Hats and oh my goodness it was ADORABLE! The place was decorated so cute and they had 2 "Southern Belles" there to do make up and "doll up" the guests. The food was yummy and the girls had a ball swirling and twirling around. Here are some of the pics.

Anna and I twirled too..

This is Erin. She works with Ken and is the mommy of the birthday girls.
Great Job on the party Erin! We had a blast! Thanks for having us!!

Food

Let me start off by saying Addison is a picky eater. I dont know if its the toddler stage or what. But its like torture getting that girl to eat something of sustenance! Her favorite foods at the moment: White rice and Frosted flakes Cereal. How's that for being true to the blog title!? :) Its not quite meatloaf but I think its close enough.

I tend to cook a mixture of American and Chinese food when I cook. From stir frys, to casseroles and almost everything in between. And throughout all of the dishes i've served Addison the constant seems to be cereal and rice. So I've decided to expand my repertoire and I wanted to ask for your feedback. What was a fave dish of yours as a kid? Or if you have kids what do they like to eat? And any tips for sneaking in veggies?

Night time ramblings of a crazy Asian

omg i'm old. wanna know how i know? Because I drank a coke tonight. a large coke from mcdonalds. AND I'm Wiiiiide awake. STILL! 3 hours after the fact. What the heck?! I used to be able to drink 2 large caffeinated drinks and go straight to bed. I'd be out by the time my head hit the pillow. Oh well. The kitchen is clean and the playroom is semi picked up so I guess it wasnt all for naught. (like that? I've been rereading the Scarlet Letter so my mind drifts in and out of that old world language.) Dost thou judge me? hahah. I know, I know, I'm a weirdo. but hey Mrs. Clark would be so proud. hm, now that I think about it. I'm not sure Mrs. Clark was the one who made us read that book... Maybe it was Mrs. Norville in middle school English. Oh well, I digress.
Since Ken got me a Kindle for Christmas, I've decided to reread all the classics. "Why?" You may ask. Well, 1. because most of them are free and 2. because I never really took the time to read and appreciate them when I read them in school. And I'm curious to see if I "get" them now. :) So next on the list is Emma by Jane Austen. Actually, I've never read that one but it seemed interesting and I remember having the hardest time getting into Pride and Prejudice back in school. So we'll see how that goes. :)

Wow, didnt mean to go so in depth about my reading schedule. haha. Oh Caffeine. I'm going to pay for being up this late tomorrow morning.

So lets see what else is new of interest in the old England abode?... Anna finally got her two bottom teeth. She's working on crawling but still not getting it.. Addison is working on Potty training and is doing REALLY good. We've been at it for a week now and she's getting it slowly but surely. And A.J., she's A.J. - going stir crazy and wanting to do gymnastics, piano, etc. etc. etc. Chinese school starts up again on Saturday so hopefully that'll occupy her a little but I've got to find something for her to do to expell some of that pent up energy. Speaking of pent up energy, I need to go and finish a couple of crafts while I'm on this sugar/ caffeine high. I'm recovering a highchair pad, finishing up some pendants/ rings, making some hair bows, and doing a little mending! Oh and that reminds me, I've got a photo coaster tutorial that is SUPER Easy and CHEAPO that I'll post here soon. I made a set for my in laws for Christmas and they turned out really cute. So start picking out some pics and get ready to start making some cute Valentines presents for parents, grandparents, etc.

night yall!