Nudy time gone to #%&*

We usually let the girls run around for a while each night nude before their bath. We figure they have been in a diaper all day might as well let them air out. I also feel that it will help promote a healthy body image (plus its wicked cute to watch). Any way there have been on occasion the accidental pee pee on the floor. That's fine and very easy to clean.

Tonight, however, was a whole different ballgame. Isabelle has been taking and evening poop lately (sorry for too much info everyone but it is important to the story) but it comes usually after her bath. Well it was nudy time today and Mark took Izzy's clothes off and no sooner had he turned away from her she squatted down and took a huge dump on the kitchen floor. Then she continued to run into our room and fling poop on the bedroom floor. So after a laugh and a photo opt it was cleaned. Isabelle however was not done. I went to look for her in our room after the mess was cleaned and she had urinated all over our floor.

Needless to say she went straight into the bath.

Pictures from this weekend

Mark downloaded the pictures from this week end. Here are my favorites.

Sophie Rose being intellectual


Isabelle Grace being .................... Isabelle Grace



Playing in the ball pit.

Having fun at the beach...sort of

Well it was another wonderfully warm and sunny weekend here in Massachusetts. A sure sign that summer is on the way.

We had a lot going on this weekend. Mark and I attended Stang's Senior prom on Friday night at Bel Mer in Newport. We had a great time and the kids as always were very well behaved. There was a bit of drama with the songs selection (not on the student's part) but what do you expect from a Catholic school. The DJ was a former student of Mark and I's. He graduated last year and was one of those very immature kids that you never expected to grow up. Seeing him on Friday did my heart a world of good. He has matured into a very professional and kindhearted young man, in what seems like overnight. It was such a treat to see him and a lot of my other first year students.

Saturday was our BJ's day and the girls were of course on their best behavior.

Sunday marked our very first time to the beach with the girls. We did go once last year but it was so windy that we stayed for maybe 15 minutes. We took them to Horseneck and they were really excited on the walk down to the shore. When they first saw the ocean they were signing the sign for bath which I thought was very appropriate because the only time they see water now is for their bath. When we hit the sand is when the drama ensued. Sophie Rose was not happy on the sand. It was too unsteady for her and she got nervous when it got on her feet. I had bought them some water sandals for them a few months back and thank God we brought them for her. Isabelle was unsure as well but at least she was able to be by herself on the towel for a bit. Sophie ended up walking around on the concrete up near the snack bar but eventually got the courage to sit on the towel.

Today we went to a Memorial Day party at our co-workers home in Lakeville. They have a 12 month old so they had a lot of toys there. There were older kids there and Isabelle Grace preferred to play with them over the other toddlers. It was getting a bit rough with the big kids and I wanted to remove her from that area but she was having such a good time. So Mama kept a close watch on her but let her play where she was happy. Yeah Mom!!!!!!! I reached a milestone myself today and kept with my moto of not putting your own fears on your children.

I guess they are not the only ones growing up fast these days.

Weekend Update

We have had a great weekend here at the Chekares home. There has been great weather for the past few days and we have been outside a lot. Here is a picture from Saturday afternoon of the girls in their spring time outfits. They looked really cute and Dada dressed them.


After spending last weekend in the house Mark and I went to the 4 pm Red Sox game on Saturday afternoon. It was really great to get out of the house and of course we met some characters while there. There were a lot of Brewers fans out and about and we of course sat in front of the fat guy who took his shirt off 5 minutes into the game.



Today we headed to Buttonwood park Zoo after the girl's first nap. We had taken them before but they were too young to really get into it. They wanted to walk around on their own and thank God it was not that crowded there today. They loved the farm part of the zoo with the horses and cows. The roosters kept crowing and scared Isabelle when she was right in front of them. They have a train there that takes you around the zoo and that was the highlight of Sophie's day.

Here is Isabelle standing near a metal pig.


Daddy and Sophie on a bear. I did not get the bear in the picture because the train was coming.

Overall it was a productive and fun filled weekend. I finally finished all my finals and am glad to be done with it. The fence went up this weekend and looks great. It's nice now not to have to worry about the girls running for the street in the back yard. It also cozies up the yard a bit. It's nice to have our own private area for the girls to play without worrying about the whole of Fall River looking on.

The three day headache.

I am in the midst of breaking down from the amount of stuff piling up. Its May and the Seniors are in full chaotic mode at school. Everyone is wondering what, where, when, and how they will pull off their Senior prank this year. There is a heightened alert this year since last years class hit the assistant principle in the face with about three water balloons as their prank. What started as a harmless prank went down as the worst one ever. I will miss this Senior class though. Even though last years Seniors were my first class at Stang, this year's I am a lot closer to. I coached the girls in field hockey and taught most of then through their high school career. They have three more days with us and I have made it a point to spend as much time with them as I can. Most of the kids that I will miss are graduating so it makes the transition out of Stang easier.

Its almost finals time for the under class men and I have three revisions of finals to do. I don't know why but I am behind this year in all of my curriculum's. I am catching up but it is at a snails pace.

This getting into a nursing program thing is also part of the problem. So far I have signed up for a class that I may or may not have to retake and have gotten no where with finding a resource to guide me through. I have decided to just apply for the Spring semester and start then if I get accepted. I have to be CPR certified by the American Red Cross and take some type of academic aptitude test to even apply to the program.

On top of all this, the allergies this spring have been kicking me in the behind. I have never had them this bad. This is the physical part of my three day headache.

I also just found out that I can be reimbursed for the education classes that I took while at Stang. The lady who is in charge of all this gave me a hard time today because I took the classes in 2004, 05, and 06. She said that she can only reimburse me for classes taken in 2007. Seriously, I have a family of four at home give me the 80% please.

So that's it. I am trying to tie up loose ends for the end of the school year and trying to make new ones for the future. This is the main source of my headache.

Mom's day update

Alas it is 5 pm and the girls are asleep for the night. I knew it was going to be this way. They did not have dinner or baths. Isabelle threw a fit in her chair at dinner and my mother kindly offered to change her for the night. That in and of itself was my mother's mothers day gift to me.



Below is a picture from my first mothers day with the girls.

Here is Sophie Rose from a few weeks ago. I can't get over how much she looks like a little girl in this picture.

And my Baby Belle looking very thoughtful

My how time has flown. Enjoy your mothers day Moms.

Happy Mother's Day

There are several people today that are celebrating their first Mother's Day. So to Rachel, Abby, and Erin I'd like to say happy mom's day. It will always be one of the most stressful and chaotic days of the year.

It is 11 am and so far we have been to church, breakfast, and my mother in law's house. We went to church in Westport today to meet all of Yaya's church friends. The girls were being normal 16 month olds and not standing to be unable to walk around for one minute. We went to Ellie's restaurant for breakfast and had to wait 10 minutes for a reserved table only to find out that the two highchairs that they had were being used ( one by a boy that had to be four. I mean come on get a booster seat). But we made it through and the girls sat and ate their breakfast without complain. They got milk in special cups with straws and that was a big hit. So finally we are home and heading to my grandmother's after a nap. They have been taking two naps this week so we may be heading for disaster today with just one.

Songs

I have added a song list to our blog. These songs are special to us and we love them.

Both Beach Boys songs I use to sing to Sophie as I rocked her before bed.

The Rob Thomas song Small Wonders is a great addition and it fits us perfectly.

Real Love was Mark's pick and is fitting as well.

Mellow Mood by Bod Marley is something that I aspire for each day.

Take A Bow from Madonna is one of my favorite songs of all time. I remember listening to it with Michael on our April vacation from school the year before he got sick. It was a really warm week and we played baseball outside almost everyday.

I recently rediscovered 311. Amber is a wonderfully fun song and is for Isabelle Grace and Love Song is for my husband.

Girls just wanna have fun well that is the theme in our house and it was the first song that played on the radio after I found out that the babies were both girls.

By Your Side by Sade is a great love song. It sums up how I feel for Mark and I hope and pray that my girls will find this type of love one day.

Till Here Was You was our wedding song.

I hope that you enjoy these songs. They are very special to me.

Back to two naps

So after 4 months of one nap at 11, the girls are back on two naps. They are sleeping at 9 am and then again at 1pm. Its funny because this was the schedule that I was trying to get them on when they were taking two naps. Whatever I guess.

Things have been going okay (though I don't even want to say anything for fear of regression). Isabelle's swollen glands are better and I learned that reactions to the MMR vaccine can last up to three weeks after the initial shot. She also was probably having joint pain from the shot which goes hand in hand with the inflamed lymph gland, so that must have been fun for her.

For those of you who don't know I have decided not to return to Stang next year. I am going to try to get into the nursing program at BCC which is down the street from us. The main reason for the move is because of the girls. I figured that I have always wanted children so why not be with them while they are young. I can't believe that they have been around for 16 months already. Time has flown by. So as I start on these new adventures I ask for your prayers and support. It will be a long two years and I have no idea what will come our way.

Well it has been quite a few weeks over in the Chekares household. Two weeks ago was April vacation for Mark and I. It started out well with a lazy Saturday and church and breakfast with Pra Dziadziu on Sunday. Mark and I went to the Marathon Monday Red Sox game on Monday so by Tuesday we were a bit tired. Mark went to get NahNah Linda at the airport on Tuesday night and that's when it started. Isabelle threw a fit when we brought her home for the play ground on Tuesday afternoon and she has not stopped since. Wednesday was their 15 month appointment with Dr.Tartel in which they received their MMR (Mumps Measles and Rubella) vaccine. Originally I wanted to delay the girls getting this shot because it is the one that has been linked to autism and it is just really hard for them to get over. You would have thought that I was the worst mother in the world when I told this to our doctor. She went on and on about measles outbreaks and how in every town there are clusters of parents not vaccinating their children. Did I say that I did not want them vaccinated? NO!!!!!! I just wanted them delayed. So after making me feel about two inches tall we vaccinated the girls.

Over the next few days they were cranky and rightfully so. The fits continued for Miss. Belle and Sophie Rose was equally crabby. Things were getting better until last Friday when I received a call from Mark saying the Isabelle had spiked a temp of 102.7,which is not high but for a girl that never once spiked a temp at all with all the ear infections that have come her way it was cause for concern. I knew that it was from the vaccine and her brought her into the doctors that afternoon. Her lymph nodes on the back of her neck were very inflamed and for anyone who knows my history with Michael I was freaking out. The doctor said that it was a reaction from the MMR and that if they did not go down within 48-72 hours we needed to bring her back. Needless to say I was fuming mad.

So after a looooong two weeks and many sleepless nights the girls are on the mend and are trying all sorts of new things out every day. Unfortunately Miss. Belle's fits have seemed to have lingered which means that she is getting older and wants more control of things. Unfortunately for her she does not know her Mommy that well yet to realize that throwing fits are not an option in my house.

For those of you who celebrated Cinco de Mayo yesterday, here are some pictures of the girls in their very festive Mexican outfits compliments of Papouli