For my Mom and Dad! :-)

Deep thoughts from a three year old

Emma; our very smart three year old, asked us these questions this week.

Here are the topics. Discuss!!!

1) Do butterflies have teeth?
2) Do birds poop? and is it white?
3) What are chemicals? Is it cricket poop? (Followed by a long list of things that she knows that go poop. She wasn't on the list!!!! Argh!!!!)

Are you smarter than a three year old? Let us know.

Maddie today played doctor with all of dolls. Apparently, there was a very contagious disease going around today. All of the dolls were sick and in the hospital with Maddie as their doctor. Thankfully, she did not lose one patient. However, on her way to bed she kept on asking Tam to feel her forehead because she was sick too. She obviously has not learned to the pull sick card Monday morning before school, not friday afternoon after school, and I am not going to be the one to tell her.

Emma Avoiding Dinner

Emma had decided that she did not want to eat her dinner, again. We fought her a lot to try and get her to eat her dinner. She spent a considerable amount time in time out, and then Tam and I decided that she should stay at the table until she finished her dinner. Our Emma is a very stubborn girl (she gets that from her mother). She was there for about 45 minutes to an hour. I decided to show her an increase in love went over to talk to her and this is what I found. I am not sure who "won" this battle of wills. She did stay at the table, but she ended up not having to finish her dinner because we put her to bed. Either way it was a very cute, memorable ending to a very rough dinner.

So... its been a while

I realize that it has been a while since Tam and I last updated the blog. So I thought I would fill everyone in on what has been happening in our lives.

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING EXCITING!!!!! WHICH TAM AND I ARE OK WITH!!!!

However, I'll let you know some of the cute things that our girls have done lately.

"Mommy help me"

Emma is definitely is a girl, and she is into lotion. Tam and I were in the kitchen when suddenly Emma cries out panicked saying "Mommy help me". When Tam and I came into the room Emma had squirted too much lotion on her legs. She had apparently been trying to desperately "rub" in the excess, but had realized it wasn't working...It was like she was a greased watermelon on the fourth of July. That is when Tam realized it was the tanning lotion that she smeared all over her legs. We tried to squeegee her off. Yes, she does have a great tan, at least on her legs.

Another Emma gem...One of Emma's favorite things to do at the dinner table, is ask each of us what our favorite part of the day was...literally something she does EVERY night! Tonight, she started the rounds..."Maddie, what was your favorite part of the day?", etc. After making the rounds, she turns to the Brita water pitcher and says, "Water, what was your favorite part of the day?" and then she grabbed the empty pitcher and moved the top hatch open and closed (like it was "talking") while she said (in a high pitched voice) "My favorite part was when Daddy came home." Then she laughed and laughed and laughed! It is so nice to watch the little sense of humor blooming!

Safety violation...This is for all of you who have little ones, and have spent a wee bit of your time enjoying the fabulous programming on Disney Channel. Ever seen that wonderful little time filler called "Safety Patrol"? Well, Maddie has apparently latched onto this great concept, and often wanders around the house with a magnifying glass seeking out "safety violations"! A while ago at a dinner of burritos, Maddie glances at Tam's plate, and cries out, "Do you see a safety violation?" She then proceeds to sing the theme music, before she announces the problem...tonight's violation..."Mom, you don't have any salsa on your plate." :-)

All cuteness aside...

Maddie started school this week. She likes going to school. Tam has also begun doing school at home for the girls. They both really love to have school at home with mom.

Tam is definitely nesting, and I fully support it. She is working on organizing the kitchen. We have become IKEAified. This past weekend we went to IKEA and bought a lot of stuff to help us organize.

I have been really busy with work, and well that work stinks. Only 12 more years till I can retire from the Navy, and then get a job as a walmart greeter.

SO...Guess what?

For those of you NOT aware, we are pregnant. (Thought I'd get that out there...just in case it catches anyone off-guard)

This Wednesday we went in for "THE" ultrasound. You know, the one where the primary purpose is listed on the insurance sheet "anatomy screen"...but really, for those who want to know, you can finally end weeks of debating, and guessing and KNOW the sex of the small one within. BOTH Miles and I are BIG advocates for "knowing"...and as it has been pointed out to us, it is still a "surprise" it just comes 20 weeks earlier! :-)

ANYWAY...am I killing you? We know.

The rest of the week was CRAZY! Miles continues to fight the good fight at work. I am getting a but tired of constantly writing..."work is brutal for Miles"...but it seriously has not seemed to let up FOREVER. Could this be "adulthood"? If so, we'd like a refund! Needless to say, he is working hard...is constantly exhausted, and gets to come home and take care of his "horror-mone" driven wife. Poor man...:-(

As for the girls and I, we kept ourselves busy with playdates, and rehearsals. Our ward had its annual Talent Show Friday night, and our little princesses participated! In a MASSIVE effort, one amazing sister managed to throw together a delightful little dance number...that involved 8-10 little girls (ages 3-6?) dressed up in their finest princess gowns! It literally stole the show...to this unbiased observer! I have to let you know that Maddie turned in quite the stellar performance...including LOTS of extra spins, singing, and hand waving at Dad. Emma did a wonderful job...followed the directions beautifully, and even remembered her part...which was jumping into a laundry basket and being pushed around the stage. It was awesome. We got some video, and once I work it over a bit...we'll post it! Well worth the watch!

In other news, Maddie is supposed to start school this week...despite the fact that I have heard nothing from her teacher, or from the bus companies with pick up times and places. She will be attending the ECI class again (a sort of "special education" preschool program). I think she is pretty conflicted with the whole approaching school thing...there is ALOT she likes about school...but she isn't real fond of the "work" part of school. So, I get alot of excitement, and a little bit of apprehension. Pretty normal.

Emma is excited, because Mommy has decided that Emma is LONG overdue for some "schooling" herself. Since my little 3-yr old is trying VERY hard to read...pointing out every word she sees between our house and wherever we may be headed...not to mention what she sees in the house. (You never realize how prevalent words are in our society, until you have a 3-yr old constantly asking "What does that say, Mom?") Anyway, I figure Maddie could benefit from some light academic reinforcement...so we are going to start school in the mornings! (Because I didn't have enough going on in my life!) :-)

Overall, I am doing quite well. I have GREAT days where I get TONS accomplished...nesting from sun-up to sun-down. Then, I have other days. However, everything seems to be great...the baby is doing well, all her anatomy checked out, and she is estimated to already weigh a whooping 9 ounces!

We have a TON of pics and videos to post...maybe I'll get to that this week :-) We love and miss you all!

The Maschgers - Miles, Tamara, Madelynn, Emma, and...?

Pirate Princess's

I wish the camera's batteries didn't die, because I thought that it was funny. Our girls were invited to one of their friends birthday party's. The theme was a pirate party, and everyone was to come dressed up as a pirate. We did try to get them to dress up as something pirate themed. However, my girls weren't interested at all at being pirates. So instead they went as princesses, because they wear their princess dresses more than they wear their own clothes. So we said they were the damsels in distress. It was pretty cute to see the damsels in distress at a pirate party.

Other news! Tam's pregnancy is going well. The only real craving she has had is for Mexican food. We think that she is going to give birth to a little Mexican kid. I have been really busy at work, and trying to keep out of trouble.

What I am black!!! and other amusing stories

Just thought that I would share some funny stories that happened today. This afternoon I was changing Emma's pull-up and she was "playing" the Wii with Papa and Aunt Kristie, when she saw a Mii that was black, and she suddenly exclaimed "What I am black!!??" Sometimes it is great to quote your kids.

Since Maddie is big girl she doesn't need any help going to potty. However, today after being a big girl she came out in all of her glory with a strip of toliet paper hanging like a tail from her derriere. Why didn't we have a camera... that would be the perfect picture to show her future fiance, which currently is Jamal.

Then tonight we were walking around the mall and just came out of the Disney store, when Emma in all of her excitement wanted to show Mommy her pretty "Belle" panties. Dropped her shorts right in the middle of the mall. The last time I did that I was arrested. Its an injustice.

Other than that Tam and I are enjoying have Nana, Papa, and Aunt Kristie here with us. They will be leaving tomorrow, so Tam and I will have to take care of ourselves again. Sometimes it stinks to be an adult.