Did I mention her yet?

This is my younger sister with her adorable family.
She's an amazing sister.
Amazing.
She's as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside. And she's smart. And after she graduated from a college just three hours away, my dad encouraged her to apply to Texas Tech to do her graduate work. She applied. She got in. She moved to Texas. It was good for her, but it was supposed to be temporary.

Then somebody else, my now brother-in-law, named Stephen encouraged her to fall in love with him. He asked her to marry him. She said yes. She stayed in Texas. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Stephen. He's a great guy. Really, he is. He is hilarious. He makes her happy. He's partially responsible for that adorable, blue-eyed nephew of mine. But he works in Texas and well...I really, really miss her.

Did I mention that she's amazing? Did I mention that when Luke was an itty-bitty baby and she was experiencing motherhood for the first time, she still picked up the phone almost every time her sister with severe PPD called her? Every time (and it was a lot of times a day). Did I mention that even when I couldn't stop the tears from falling, she could still make me laugh. Did I mention that she lived with us one summer when she was in college and we both drove Todd crazy but had the time of our lives? Did I mention that we trained for our first half marathon together (long distance), met for the race, pushed each other at the right times and crossed the finish line together? Did I mention that we text and talk on the phone a lot? Did I mention that she is the first one I want to call when anything exciting, scary, funny, etc happens? Did I mention that she calls me so often in the mornings on her way to work, that the kids yell "Aunt Sarah Ellen" every time the phone rings between 8-9:00am? Did I mention that my mother still likes to separate us sometimes at family gatherings because we get to laughing disruptively and can't stop? Did I mention that we were pregnant with our sweet baby boys at the same time? Did I mention that she stole borrowed the name Luke? (Okay, technically I told her she could use it because we didn't know if we were having a boy and hers was born first...but still...) Did I mention that she can make me laugh? Like really laugh? Like pee in your pants, fall on the floor laughing? Did I mention that this weekend when I was sick with a nasty sinus infection, she played scrabble with me on the i-phone to help pass the time? Did I mention that she's just awesome?

Did I mention that I miss her?
I really, really miss her.

The skinny on Owen

Dear Random Mom in public,
("public" being Target...obviously)

While I realize that part of being a mother is chatting with complete strangers about the ages and varying cuteness of babies, I really feel that you and I got off on the wrong foot yesterday. Comparing names and ages was going very well until you realized my son was 4 whole months older than your son. That's where things rapidly declined. You see, unbeknownst to you, I actually did already know that Owen is a wee bit on the smaller side. Yes, your 9 month old was adorably chunky and a good bit bigger than my Owen, and yes I may be a bit sensitive to this topic right now, but I did not appreciate you excessively pointing out the difference in size both to myself and your baby's adoring grandmother.

I mean let's face it, while your baby was definitely cute in all his chunkiness,
he was not as cute as my (to quote you) "tiny little guy" who has learned the art of climbing this week.

Sincerely,
Another Random Mom in public

He's not too small to climb in toy chests and love on his Daddy, and I wouldn't have him any other way.

Chuck-E-Cheese

We got invited to a birthday bash today at Chuck-E-Cheese. The kids had never been. I think it is safe to say that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

How many kids can you fit on this one "ride"?

Everybody takes the stage. (Sorry I chopped your head off, Chuck...but the kids were much cuter than you.)

Isaac and Joshua (one of the birthday boys) in action.

Good times, good times.

My Bald Eagle

Dear Me Person Who Cuts Isaac's Hair,

I have taken the liberty of writing down a few tips to help our next hair cutting experience go a bit smoother. Please read carefully if you would like to continue doing business with our family.

Tip 1: It is probably not the best idea to strip him down, have him stand in the shower (for easy clean-up) and then take an important phone call. He may get very antsy while you are on the phone for over 10 minutes and he's standing there, cold and naked, still with a full head of hair.

Tip 2: Please make sure you change the guard. While 1/8" looks okay on my husband, it makes Isaac look completely bald. Isaac and his father have very different hair types; please do not assume you can cut their hair the same way. That would just be silly.

Tip 3. When cutting Isaac's hair, you may want to start at the bottom of the neck instead of directly in top center. That way, if you did forget to change the guard, you can quickly rectify the situation before it is too late or noticeable.

Tip 4: Do not forget to cut right around his ears. He becomes a bit frightened when you ask him (after showering and getting dressed) to take off his shirt so you can keep cutting. He was seemingly worried you might take another phone call and leave him there naked and cold again.

Tip 4: You should always remember to check the length of the guard. Please remember that 1/8" is WAY too short and shows every bump in his rather large head. (I don't mean to sound redundant or treat you like you're an idiot, but this is the second time we've had this problem at this facility.)

Tip 5: Last but not least, please know that calling him "Baldy" the rest of the day may make him ask if you have "turned him into a bald eagle?"

Just a few things that may make his next trip to the barber shop his mother's bathroom more enjoyable for him and you.

Sincerely,
Rachel Fischer

Dearly Beloved,

As parents you think of this day often. You picture her, your little girl, in a white gown, arms linked with her daddy as she heads down the aisle towards the man of her dreams. Or you picture him, in a suit, standing at the front gazing up...waiting for his bride-to-be to walk towards him, waiting to start a life together.

Your emotions are mixed. Obviously, you are happy for him. Happy for her. Happy they have found the happiness that you yourself found so many years ago. On the other hand, you are sad. Did they really grow up so fast? Are they really taking that final leap towards independence. Now it's every other holiday; now instead of reminiscing the loss of their toddler years, you look forward to changing your grandkids' diapers.

Yes, as parents, we picture this day often.
Never in a million years did I picture not being invited to the blessed event.

I missed it this morning.
I walked in just as the ceremony was ending.
I was crushed.
How could they leave me out of such a momentous occasion?
How could they get married while their father was out of the country?

But then, once again, I put their happiness first and became the much requested photographer. I didn't get to take too many pictures though because the best man was poopy and screaming, the dog kept getting in the way, and well, wedding or no wedding, we still had to get to preschool on time.

From the bottom of my heart,
I wish you both a lifetime of happiness.

As an aside:
I realize this momentous occasion raises some moral questions. Please rest assured that, even though I did not express my concerns, Emma Grace said, "I know I can't marry either of my brothers. We're just practicing." She also said that Noah (her friend) has told her many times she is not allowed to marry her brothers or anyone else in her family. Sounds to me like Noah is trying to get his foot in the door for the real deal.

Remember when

Isaac used to make this face?

That's it.
No deep thoughts.
I just found this picture and laughed.
How could I forget he used to do that?
That face always made me smile.

Apparently, it still does.

Showers, bacon, and sleepy boys

What a week this has been.

First of all, this little girl is growing up way too fast. Way way too fast. In fact, if it weren't raining right now and Owen was healthy, I would be heading to the elementary school and registering her for kindergarten today. Sigh. Deep breaths.

She's also now liking showers and, like her mother, will stay in there as long as possibly allowed, enjoying the hot water. Of course, unlike her mother, she gets to enjoy showers in peace without three bodies sitting outside the shower door making requests. But, I'm not bitter. Promise.

This little boy is obsessed, and I do mean OBSESSED with everything Star Wars. Has he seen it? No. Does he want to see it? He thinks he does. However; since he recently got scared at the movie "Elmo in Grouchland," we're just not sure if he's ready.

He is also giving up naps (because I'm making him). He's doing pretty well with it so far. But now, instead of staying up into the wee hours of the night after napping that afternoon, he may occasionally get so tired that he falls asleep while performing mundane tasks, like taking of his shoes.

The youngest one has had a rough week. Laryngomalacia has once again reared its ugly head and no, I was not prepared for it. Even though the surgeons warned us last year that if and when he gets sick, he would still struggle, I was still not prepared for it. Listening to your baby gasp for breath is never fun, but after a steroid, he is doing much much better with that.

He has also been put on my dream diet. What does he get to eat? FAT. Lots of FAT. Bacon, cheese, french fries, everything cooked in butter and cream, etc. FAT. Why? Because he needs to gain more weight than he is gaining, or technically, not gaining.

Seriously, would that not be your dream appointment. Can't you just imagine it? "Mrs. Fischer, I regret to tell you that you are too thin. When you leave here today I want you to stop by DQ and eat a burger, fries, and a large blizzard. Repeat process until you gain weight. Oh, and here's a Starbucks card that will get you an unlimited amount of peppermint mochas with whole milk and extra whip-cream on top. Your insurance will fully cover the costs." A girl can dream, right?

But back to Owen: here he is enjoying some bacon.

Please fatten up soon little boy - obviously for your own health, and also, if Mommy keeps eating your leftovers, she's going to have some seriously clogged arteries.

Winter Wonderland

Wow - a decent picture of the 3 kids. Finally.

Isaac trekking through the snow. He loved it.

The diva wearing all things pink and playing with the boys.

The guy who made all the sledding and snow fights possible while I stayed inside with Owen.

The snow has been fun, but we're all a little ready to get out of the house. Okay actually everybody else seems fine, but I am a lot ready to get out of the house.