McGee Life

Mama Gwen

2012-01-22T14:22:00.000-08:00

We call our Gwenners, "Wild Woman". She is loud and funny and daring. That being said, she happens to also be the sweetest little mommy. If she's inside, she's playing with her babies. This morning before church she was brushing her doll's hair on my bed while waiting for her turn in the shower. She just looked so sweet and innocent. She was being so gentle with her baby and it was adorable. Gwen looked at me and said, "Mom, my baby had A LOT of snarls in her hair and she didn't even cry once. She's brave!" Too cute.

Turtle

2012-01-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

For years now, Elle has always made her way down our stairs via the bannister. I used to do the same thing in my house when I was a little girl. It's way more fun than walking. Whenever she gets to the bottom of the bannister I always beg her to do "turtle". It cracks me up every single time and NEVER gets old. She curls her legs and arms up and pretends like she's swimming under water like a turtle. It sounds so dumb but really, for some reason each time it makes me laugh -- which in turn makes her do it even more.

This morning I was packing her lunch for school and I heard her yell from the top of the stairs, "Mom, get ready for turtle!"

I grabbed my camera.

Teepee Time

2012-01-16T09:53:00.000-08:00

On Christmas morning after the girls had received all of their gifts and were playing with their dolls, Jon and I asked them to go get something in the garage for us.

We then heard their happy screams.

Santa had left them their very own teepee all set up and decked out in Christmas lights. It was pretty magical. I had envisioned it in the family room for when they came down the stairs on Christmas morning but as you can see I frequently forget how little that room is. The teepee takes the whole space up completely!

The girls were in heaven with it and this weekend they begged to bring it inside for a sleepover.

We set it all up for them and had the flap open towards the TV so they could fall asleep watching movies.

Since there is no school today that gave the girls a 3rd night in a row to sleep in it. I snuck downstairs this morning and took pictures.

Soo much fun.

Christmas Dinner

2012-01-15T09:33:00.000-08:00

I hosted Christmas Dinner. I cooked pretty much the whole day but it was fun. I tried to make it extra special and the girls LOVED eating with all of our fancy dishes. We even let Lily use a crystal glass (gulp). It was delicious (if I do say so myself) and I hope special for my family.

The Favorites

2012-01-15T09:08:00.000-08:00

Here the girls are with their Christmas favorites...

Elle getting soo excited about her very own bath gel, lotion and perfume

Gwen with the 3D glasses and 3D chalk and chalkboard

Lily with her baby doll

It was a very MERRY CHRISTMAS at the McGee Home

Santa Claus

2012-01-15T08:33:00.000-08:00

Santa really did come to our home. He ate the cookies and drank the milk. The reindeer even took the carrots the girls left. Here was the set-up before the girls came downstairs Christmas morning. All they really wanted were dollies this year. Elle was dying to have the American Girl Doll, Kit. Gwen and Lily just were begging for baby dolls and dolly accessories. Santa surprised them with a chalkboard and 3D chalk. The other big hit was that Elle and Gwen got lotion and perfume. Gwen's was Tinkerbell lotion and it had pixie dust in it. Pretty cute. Lily was surprised with a new baby stroller. Santa set everything up for each girl on their rocking chairs. It was so adorable watching them run down the stairs. Each of them knew exactly which dolly was theirs. We're at a magical age right now with all 3 girls. I want to bottle them up. They were so excited and cute.

Tracking Santa

2012-01-15T08:22:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we got home late from Grandma and Grandpa's house. The girls were pretty wired and Jon and I knew we had a LONG night ahead of us. We tracked santa using NORAD and we could see that his sleigh was REALLY close! We told them Santa couldn't stop unless they were asleep. It worked. The girls ran into their beds to make sure he wouldn't miss our home. So magical.

While Visions of Sugar Plums...

2012-01-15T08:05:00.001-08:00

Pretty much the whole month of December the girls slept downstairs by the Christmas tree. They had their bedroom decked out for Christmas so each night they would drag their Christmas sheets and pillows downstairs. It really was the sweetest thing ever. I have a feeling it's going to be a tradition.

McGee Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-22T09:14:00.000-08:00

My favorite thing in December is going to our mailbox and seeing cards and pictures of all of the people in our lives that we LOVE. Since our first Christmas as a married couple, Jon and I have sent out a photo Christmas card. I have all of the Christmas cards we have sent out over the years in a small book that we bring out each December. It is a great way to ensure that we have at least one family picture taken with all of us together each year. I love flipping through the book and seeing how our family has grown. The four people standing with me in this picture are the most treasured people in my life.

Christmas House

2011-12-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

Before we got any of our Christmas things out the girls kept begging us to "make our house a christmas house." I thought that was such a cute way to put it. I've tried my best to make it feel magical in here for them. My favorite Christmas decorations: The fresh garlands, wreaths, satin ribbons and of course these reindeer pillows.

( how cute is my sweet little lily peeking through the banister...)

White Christmas

2011-12-20T13:16:00.000-08:00

I had white linen stockings made for us this year. By next year I hope to have everyone's initials embroidered in them as well. I was worried the girls would miss their other stockings this year but the minute they saw these they were happy. I'm getting excited to see their faces on Christmas morning. There's nothing better than Christmas Morning with little kids. Nothing.

I spy with my little eye...

2011-12-14T16:02:00.000-08:00

Santa!

Look Who's 5!

2011-12-13T18:25:00.000-08:00

Today is my Gwennie's 5th Birthday. She had a Christmas performance at preschool which was fun and then when we were driving home I told her that the Birthday Fairy had visited our home. She could barely sit still she was so excited in the car. I put balloons, our birthday banner, a little pink stuffed elephant, and 2 coloring books out. It was so simple but she was BEYOND excited when she walked in the house. Her birthday crown from school today is my favorite part. Tonight for dinner she got to have a daddy-daughter date. We told her she could choose any place she wanted to go. She quickly said, "I want to go to the cake store that has stuffed animals". I was stumped. Jon figured it out...The Cheesecake Factory. She always admires those little teddy bears in the glass case in the front of the restaurant. Very Cute.

I have a feeling Jon may let her choose one tonight.

I love you my sweet, funny, smart and beautiful little girl.

Happy 5th Birthday, Gwen!!

Thanksgiving

2011-12-05T10:59:00.000-08:00

For Thanksgiving we met up with my sister Megan and her family. Where did we meet...? In Riverside of all places. My sister told me to "trust her" and I am so glad I did! We stayed at one of the most amazing hotels. It is called The Mission Inn and it is BEAUTIFUL. It's a converted monastery and around the holidays the decorations and lights they put up can not be beat.

There was a big lighting ceremony complete with fireworks, it "snowed" each night through the hallways, and there was santa and his sleigh. This added together with my girls getting to be with their cousins = heaven. I also got to be with my sister, Megan which was my favorite part. It was a very Happy Thanksgiving.

Good Girl

2011-11-20T16:37:00.000-08:00

She's such a GOOD girl.

Each day after school when my Ellers hops into our car I always ask her to tell me how her day at school was by her facial expression. She turns her head around and then back to me and the majority of days she flashes me the world's largest smile. It's pretty cute. If she's had a hard day she'll turn her head around with a half smile or some tears and then we can talk about it. My heart is happy that most days her smile is big and bright.

I went to Elle's 2nd grade parent-teacher conference this past Friday morning. The teacher went through all of her academic progress which is right on track. She's a smart girl and works hard so I was happy to see that her class work reflected that. Her teacher then looked me in the eyes and told me what a good, GOOD, sweet girl Elle is. I'm sure she tells most of the parents this but it took me quite by surprise. I know she's kind and sweet but you never know what happens when they leave you. My emotions really caught me by surprise. The more she talked about my Elle's sweet personality the more my eyes started to well up with tears. I kept thinking, "oh no, don't do this amy...this is embarrassing!!!" but it was to no avail. The tears came. She went on and on about how Elle treats the other children in the class and how kind and caring and helpful she is. To me this is SO much more of importance than any of the other things on that report card.

As a mom I work so much with my girls and sometimes I just feel like it's going in one ear and out the other with them. And somedays I feel like I'm a completely lousy mom. There are so many ups and downs on this "mom roller coaster". I think that was what made me cry - all of the TIME and TALKS I have with them are paying off even just a little bit. You do your best with them and then you push them out into the world and hope for the best. It's scary and rewarding and somedays heartbreaking all at the same time.

Each day as Elle is walking down the driveway and hopping into Jon's car to go to school I give her a hug and say, "Work Hard AND...."

She then has to finish the quote.

She always, smiles and says

"...BE NICE".

I love my sweet Elle. I'm glad she's mine.

Love

2011-11-19T08:52:00.000-08:00

I love this picture - grainy and all.

It was a candid moment from my iPhone. We were trying to take a picture of all of us...(lily included) and then Gwennie said something funny and we all lost it. Lily ducked out of the picture but she was right there with us.

I love my girls so much.

Mirror Makeover

2011-11-10T13:28:00.000-08:00

I got a new mirror for our family room. I still really liked our last mirror but wanted a change. I was driving with Jon and the girls to get ice cream and spotted this mirror in the window of a consignment shop. I begged Jonnie to stop and he obliged. The mirror was an ugly gold color. I really do love gold but this was just not a pretty gold. I knew it could be painted so that didn't deter me. When I got home and measured, I was thrilled to find it would be the perfect size. The pictures don't show the scale very well but it's huge...just over 5 feet tall. Our ceilings are vaulted so it works. The next day my friend came over and we spray painted it in my backyard. It still needs another coat of paint --I want it to be a flat white without shine. Jonnie bought a sprayer and I bought the paint so that's on our "not so important to-do list" which is really getting pretty long. I also have the prettiest chairs just sitting in our garage that I got at an antique store for almost nothing that also need to be reupholstered and painted. One of them will eventually go in the corner where our girls' little computer table is right now. Luckily I have a husband that puts up with all of this frivolous stuff.

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween. I must say though that this has been one crazy week. We are on day 8 of at least one person in our family having the flu. It's been non stop for me in the laundry department and I'm tired. I was so sick on Monday that I begged and bribed Gwen to not go to preschool. I may have even shed a tear. She however was too excited about her party and I don't blame her. I got her all dressed-up and also drove her there with my head literally on the steering wheel. It was a sight but she made it and had so much fun. Jonnie took the girls trick-or-treating last night in our neighborhood. Lily loved cruising in the wagon and Elle and Gwen ran from house to house. Our neighborhood is a fun one on Halloween night. Lots and lots of kids and parents running through the streets. It's adorable. The girls have already started talking about what they want to be next year. I love their ages right now. Every holiday is just magical for them. I know that will change someday so I am enjoying it so, so much right now. Now I need to figure out what to do with all of this candy in the house. I always forget how delicious kit-kats are. Seriously, so good. Here's to another fun Halloween and hoping that Jon (the last stand-out in our family) does not get sick. My fingers are crossed.

Happy Halloween!

(you can see this picture was taken after the 1st trip around the neighborhood trick-or-treating...how funny is gwen's wig!?)

Strawberry Shortcake Gwen

2011-11-01T15:32:00.000-07:00

The Wig. I mean c'mon it doesn't get any cuter.

Elle the 50's Pink Lady

2011-11-01T15:31:00.000-07:00

The Glasses. They "made" her outfit and she LOVED wearing them. So cute!

Piggy Lily

2011-11-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

The Black Satin Bow. That's what sold me on this costume. Adorable.

Where's Waldo?

2011-11-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Jon said that if there ever comes a time when I question his love for me all I need to do is look at this picture. So true. I told him Waldo never looked so good. Also very true.

Love him.

Halloween

2011-10-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

On October 1st, Gwen and Elle started begging that we get our Halloween decorations out. It's such a big deal to them that it makes it worth it for me. Yep, pretty much the same as last year. The girls think it's so fun to get all the decorations out and put them in the "correct spots". Lily is loving the Halloween Tree. The ornaments are taken off and on 100 x's a day. It's on our kitchen table and that doesn't stop her. She's a climber. The bird pillows are new. I got them at Z Gallerie of all places. Not usually a store I love but I happened to spot these and they're linen. They were bright which I didn't like but I knew if I washed them enough I could fade them. It worked. I brought them home and washed the covers 4x's in a row (without drying) and they were faded to my liking.

As for Halloween...we are super excited. Our theme is "pink" this year and I can't wait to dress my girls up...

( a very random FYI... check out the "villa mirror" at Z Gallerie. it is really great in person. If I had somewhere to put it, it would be in our home)

Hint

2011-10-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

You get just one guess what Lily is going to be for Halloween....

The Great Bike Swap...

2011-10-24T22:06:00.000-07:00

Gwen moved up to Elle's bike (she is VERY excited) which meant Elle got a new bike (she too is VERY excited). On Saturday morning the girls woke up at 6:30 am and begged to go outside and ride bikes. I begged and bargained to have them stay inside to no avail. They were just too excited. Guess who heard all the commotion and woke up and felt left out? Lily. So by 6:45 am we were outside riding bikes. That's just wrong. I looked awesome in my pj's and uncombed hair cruising our neighborhood chasing after Lily and her run-away bike. The camera eventually came out and captured the whole thing. I'm just too tired to look through all of my pictures tonight but I did see this cute one of Gwennie lookin' good on her new ride. More to come...

Sweet Lily

2011-10-23T15:51:00.000-07:00

They don't get any sweeter than this little girl. I'm sure of it.

Ellers

2011-10-07T11:01:00.000-07:00

Although this looks incredibly posed, it was not. Jon takes Elle to school each morning and I went out to kiss her good-bye and she was riding her scooter while she waited for her daddy. That little face she is making is such an "elle face". I love it.

Last night was Back-to-School Night at the Elementary School. Jon and I were able to go and meet Elle's teacher and sit at her desk. It's now official. I want to be in 2nd Grade. She has the nicest teacher. I just sat there listening to all that they'll be learning this year and I kept thinking how grateful I am that she was put in this particular class. She's with her teacher about the same amount of time she is with me during the day. That's a a big deal. I can now see why she hops in the car each day with a big smile on her face. The best part of the night however was sneaking a note into her pencil box for her to discover today at school. I always LOVED finding those notes at my desk from my mom and dad.

Lily

2011-09-29T14:22:00.000-07:00

While your sisters are at school -

I'm loving my time alone with you, Lily.

I wish you could stay this little forever.

Baby Doll

2011-09-29T13:48:00.000-07:00

My lily is REALLY into baby dolls right now. She loves being the mama. I took these pictures of her this morning as we were heading out to take Gwen to preschool. Lily-pie is always carrying a dolly around these days and of course loves all of the accessories. All of my girls have used this little bag to carry around dollies in. It happens to not really be a bag but it is my Easter Basket from when I was a little girl. My mom had cloth Easter baskets made for each of us when we were little. Mine was pink, of course. I love that it still has lots of little chocolate stains in it from years of milk chocolate foil wrapped eggs being in it on Easter morning. All 3 of my girls have loved this little "basket". It fits around them like a purse and dollies and bottles fit perfectly inside. Lily takes it with her everywhere we go. Adorable.

Gwennie

2011-09-28T08:43:00.000-07:00

I've been calling my Gwen, Gwennie lately. She's named after my grandma, Gwen. We called her Grammy Gwen. Grammy's nickname growing up was Gwennie and she always told me she hated it. I personally think it's incredibly cute. Jon on the other hand has always called her Gigi. I called Gwen that the other day and she looked me square in the eyes and said, "Mom. ONLY DAD can call me Gigi." Alrighty then... I got it. My mistake.

Here's another picture from my phone. Elle's swim team practice is just steps from the ocean. This summer I would park and then Gwen, Lily and I would walk down to the beach. That's why we were there this day. It was unreal how pretty the sunset was this night. My little Gwennie looked so pretty in her sundress. 4 1/2 never looked so cute.

Secret Hide-out

2011-09-28T08:18:00.000-07:00

Here's my sweet Elle. I love her so much. If I know she's sad and I can't find her this is the first place I look. She nuzzles in between the wall and the side of my bed. It's "her secret hide-out". She was upset the morning I took this picture because Gwen was being mean to her. I remember my secret hiding spot when I was little. It was in my closet. I had a really large closet so half of it was also used for storage. I would use the boxes to climb my way up and then I would sit on the top shelf. I wish I had a picture of me sitting up there sulking. It would be pretty funny now. With 5 kids in our family you didn't have much privacy so that is where I would go. This is Elle's spot and even though she's sad here, I still think she looks pretty cute. I love you, sweet Elle.

Mama Bird

2011-09-27T08:48:00.000-07:00

My camera is broken. That is the reason for me not taking many photos this summer. It's killing me too. I see things as photographs in my mind and not being able to capture them is the worst. My camera is being sent out today to figure out what the problem is. I am sooo anxious to have it back. I have had my camera on my iphone which is what I have had to rely on. That first image of the bird is not mine. I wish I knew who captured that picture. Isn't it the cutest thing ever? It melts me. That's exactly the stage of life I feel I am in. My little "birds" still under my wings. I know this season of life will change but I'm not in any hurry. When I saw that picture of the mama bird it reminded me of my little girls hanging on my legs. The picture above is of my lily-pie hanging on me. She's the sweetest little girl around. It's for real. I want to just bottle her up. I'll post some of my pictures from my phone from this summer. I don't want them to get lost on my computer. My little birdies are growing up too fast.

Gwen's First Day of Preschool (again)

2011-09-07T22:28:00.000-07:00

Gwen was super excited about going to preschool today. It's her second year (she's a December birthday and missed the kindergarten cut-off) so she was not nervous a bit this morning. She was VERY excited about her backpack and also that her hair is long enough now to wear in a pony tail. After I took these pictures Gwen asked if she could just walk across the street and back so that everyone could see how "bootiful" she looked. I couldn't stop smiling. Classic.

First Day of 2nd Grade!

2011-09-07T22:19:00.000-07:00

Today was Elle's first day of 2nd Grade. She was sooo excited. She picked out her dress and of course her school bag. No backpack for her this year, she wanted a shoulder bag. The class lists came out last Friday telling her who was in her class and what teacher she was going to get. She hit the jackpot. An amazing teacher and a class packed full of her friends. We made it a family affair this morning walking her to her new class. She had the whole family at her send-off. I was just so happy to see how happy and excited she was as we waved good-bye to her from her classroom door. It's going to be a good year...I can feel it.

Biker Chicks

2011-08-31T22:55:00.000-07:00

We took Gwen's training wheels off again. I say "again" because she actually learned how to ride without them quite some time ago but Jon put them back on her bike to "slow her down". She's our daredevil and it was flat out dangerous. The training wheels are off now for good and she couldn't be happier. She really has no fear. It's scary and amusing all at the same time. Elle was her voice of reason and took her around the paths in our neighborhood this afternoon as they were waiting for lily to wake up from her nap and for me to load up the car. Every morning they put their bathing suits on in hopes that I will take them to the beach or the pool. We hit the pool this afternoon. Their outfits are crazy and I'm also just now noticing their little baggies of animal crackers they have with them- so darn cute.

He Did It (again)

2011-08-23T23:51:00.000-07:00

My Jonnie raced the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race this year.

Remember last year?

Well, this year his time was an impressive 8 hours 11 minutes.

He received the much acclaimed "under 9 hours belt buckle".

I'm soo proud of him.

Better late than never...

2011-08-08T20:18:00.000-07:00

Jon took this picture of us this morning with my phone when the girls hopped in bed with us to snuggle. I LOVE this about summer mornings. No rushing to get everyone up and dressed. It's the BEST!

I am now on instagram (the free iphone app) and I must say I am loving getting pictures of my friends throughout my day on my phone. It's really so fun. As it is with all trends, I am usually the last to know. This one is no exception. Thanks to my friend Stacey, I am now on and my username is amymcgee

Join me! (megan, briar, josie and jake...do it)

My Gwen

2011-08-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

This little girl has a BIG personality. She makes me laugh each and every day. I love this picture of her with her bike helmet on and in her very favorite doggy shirt. This will always be my image of her as a little girl - a big smile and her bike helmet.

She was upset with me the other day and said, " Mom, someday I'm going to get in my pink car and drive away from you!" She was very serious but I couldn't help but smile because I loved that she added that her car would be pink. See, she's funny and I adore her.

Lily's Party

2011-08-04T22:49:00.000-07:00

Lily's party details included just the five of us in our backyard with chocolate chip cookies. It was perfect and the best part was seeing how much she loved getting ALL of the attention for a change. She was beaming when we sang happy birthday to her. Adorable. The princess dress was a big hit - look how proud she is as her daddy helped her put it on. Around her neck is a portable princess CD player. I can barely get it off of her for her naps and bedtime. It's been around her neck (and the music it plays has been in my ears) for the past 4 days straight.

It's good to be 2.

Look Who's 2!

2011-08-01T10:42:00.000-07:00

My Lily-pie turned 2 yesterday. It's hard to believe. I can't even express how much I love her. She is the sweetest little girl ever. If she ever hears music she'll walk straight over to me and put her hands up. She loves for me to hold her and dance. Lily's just starting to talk and usually I am the only one who can understand her. My favorite thing is when I ask her something and her answer is yes, she looks me straight in the eye and just does one single large nod with her head. It's so cute. She's my little side-kick all day and I wouldn't have it any other way. She is a happy little girl through and through. I can't believe I get to call her mine.

I love you, Lily. Forever.

My Lily

2011-08-01T10:17:00.000-07:00

Catch-up

2011-07-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

I am quite behind with my pictures as of late. With school out and everyone home all day everyday I seem to not get much done. We've had lots of beach and pool days, Elle had her birthday and Jon and I just returned from an amazing weekend in Vail, Colorado with friends. We were there for Jon to train for his upcoming mountain bike race next month. I had never been to vail and I must say I now can't wait to go back. It was unbelievably beautiful. And for the record, how cute is Jon?

A total keeper.

White

2011-07-17T21:39:00.000-07:00

I decided to paint our front room bright white. I did love the grey color but my walls had been grey for almost 7 years now and I wanted a change. I finally saved enough and ordered the white belgian linen draperies from restoration hardware. I ordered one panel each month and then the next few months I ordered the drapery rods one at a time. Well, it paid off and finally I had everything I needed to give our front room a new look. As soon as the primer started going onto the walls I got nervous but I'm so glad I went for it. It is really pretty.

The windows in this room are hard to work with - the one behind the green chest was tricky because it is not centered on that wall. I wondered how to deal with it but decided on just ignoring the window and putting draperies along the whole wall to disguise the fact that it's off centered. It worked and it is so much more visually appealing to me now.

Jon's a good sport when i do all of these things to our home. I made him hang the curtain rods at 11:30 at night. He looked at me and said, "right now? are you serious?" I shook my head yes. He's a very good husband. I asked him how he liked it once it was all done and he said, "if you're happy, i'm happy."

Well, Jonnie - I'm very happy.

Elle

2011-07-08T13:40:00.000-07:00

This is Elle's Birthday month. She's turning 7 and I can hardly believe it.

4th of July

2011-07-07T13:56:00.000-07:00

and to prove I really was with my family ...

We had a very happy 4th of July. Swimming and BBQ with cousins during the day and a fun firework show that night. We danced with the live band, the kids went on carnival rides and the firework show did not disappoint. Such a fun day.

Patio

2011-07-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

Our back patio had a facelift this weekend. The girls love to eat their meals in the backyard and so I decided to fix it up a bit for the Summer. The biggest difference happens to be our new table and chairs but I somehow didn't get a picture of that. I found them at an antique shop. It's a weathered white round table that I LOVE. I also found this perfectly weathered bistro chair. Isn't it great? I loved the color of it and wasn't quite sure what I would do with it once I got it home but I knew we "needed" it. Later in the day Elle went with me to get flowers for our new table and we came home with flowers and also this old whiskey barrel. I love how it looks from our back door. I also love Lily in the background pushing her baby around in a stroller.

~ happy summer ~

Ballet

2011-06-25T17:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure which Gwen loves more - ballet or her ballet teacher, Miss Theresa.

I think however that this picture says it all.

Father's Day

2011-06-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

A Happy Father's Day

The 2 most important men in my life...

My Jonnie and my dad.

I love you both sooo much.

Elle made a card for Jon all by herself and was so excited to present it to her daddy.

She listed her favorite things about him.

Here is Elle's list in her own words:

Daddy - Here are the things I love about you!

1. you are nice to me

2. you smell good

3. you dress good

4. you are a good sport to me

5. you take really good care of me

6. you have good parents

7. you help me when I am sad

8. you give me fun stuff

9. you give good hugs

10. you give me good kisses

Pretty cute, huh? To see it in her 6 year old printing makes it even more adorable. We're saving it forever, for sure. Gwen and Lily gave their daddy his favorite candy, licorice and hot tamales. We presented all of his presents to him with breakfast in bed of course. I can't get over how excited they get about everything. So sweet.

We had a very happy father's day.

Tap

2011-06-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

As you can imagine, Gwen was over the moon with excitement the day her tap dancing costume arrived. It's so cute on her. All she keeps telling me is "mom, you want to see my maxie ford?" I die.

I think I learned the maxie ford step when I was her same age.

She had a dress rehearsal in her class on Friday. Her eyes were glued on me during the entire dance making sure I caught every move. It was so cute. I love that part of being a mom. They're soo excited to show you everything. I made sure I made a big deal about the whole dance and of course how cute she looked. And what did I tell her I loved the best out of the whole routine...? The maxie ford steps of course.

Sisters

2011-06-11T08:16:00.000-07:00

This morning I was upstairs trying to get everything ready to head out for swimming lessons and came downstairs to Elle in her jammies dancing with Lily. Elle said, "mama, Lily was sad and so I got her a baba (our word for sippy cup) and put music on to dance with her." I walked into the front room to this sight of Elle holding Lily tightly and dancing. Oh how I love them. I love that they love one another. What Elle was doing with Lily was exactly what I have done with her and also what she sees me doing with her sisters. It was so sweet to see Elle comforting her sister the way she has been comforted. Ellers, I love you.

Crunch!

2011-06-10T12:18:00.000-07:00

Gwen and Lily set up camp on our trampoline this morning. Gwen took out quilts, stuffed animals, snacks and of course their pillow-pets. I found them just like this munching on apples all snuggled up next to each other. Lily is quickly leaving her baby stage behind (which makes me sad) and is now just one of the girls. Gwen is LOVING the company.

All Mine

2011-06-06T08:52:00.000-07:00

I have said this many times but living with little kids is like having your very own cartoon characters running around your home. It's the best and I never tire of it.

School Carnival

2011-06-05T12:47:00.000-07:00

Elle's elementary school had their annual carnival. The excitement level about this event was pretty high. On the day of the carnival the rides were being set up before school let out. Blow-up bounce houses covered the school yard and I can only imagine what a big deal that was for the kids to see while at recess. As I was driving Gwen and her friends around that day, every time we passed the school the preschoolers in the back of my car would start yelling and pointing. Jon came home from work early and we went as a family. Gwen won the cake walk which was a HUGE deal to her. She was able to go to a large table with her winning ticket and choose any cake she wanted. She chose the one with mounds of frosting in rainbow colors and on top balanced a big plastic crab. She was beaming and very proud. Elle spent the majority of her time waiting in line for the trampoline jump. They were hooked up with harnesses and were able to jump (in elle's words) super-duper high. Yes it was crowded and the lines were long but really, as a parent there is nothing better than watching your little ones be so excited and happy. Totally worth it.

Memorial Day

2011-06-01T04:24:00.000-07:00

We spent memorial day at the beach. It was pure heaven for me and made me so excited for summertime. Jon was able to surf with his brother, Syd and the girls had fun trying to spot which black spots out in the ocean were uncle syddles and their daddy. Lily never tired of the sand toys and Elle and Gwen spent most of their time on their boogie boards. I came home with splotchy burned legs which is completely typical of my first time out each summer. Can't wait for more days just like this.

New Week

2011-05-23T10:51:00.000-07:00

I'm happy this marks the start of a new week. Last week was a rough one for me health wise. Being a mom of 3 little ones and also being sick is rough. I'm feeling better today and am so grateful. I think my family is too!

The sunlight in our home this morning was so pretty.

The flowers on our kitchen counter made me instantly feel better and then there's my Lily. How cute is she? Gosh, I love her. Her name suits her so well, doesn't it? I have countless photos of her on our front porch but truthfully that is her favorite place to be. She would stand there all day if I let her. I think it gives her a sense of freedom. Oh, and have I mentioned her very favorite thing to say? It's, "mama". She sounds like a broken record all day but I still love it.

Lily, you're adorable.

Home

2011-05-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

Palos Verdes will always be "home" for me. Growing up there, I took its beauty for granted. I never realized what a unique and amazing place it was to live until I left for college. Since we don't live too far from there now, it is always so fun for me to take Jon and my girls with me and to show them all of my favorite spots. Elle was so cute and as she was looking out over the cliffs she said, "Mama, I love it here because this is where you were a little girl." I couldn't have said it better myself.

She's a Keeper

2011-05-04T03:38:00.000-07:00

I went in to the backyard to find Gwen just like this. She was very serious. I asked her what she was doing. I had to ask her 3 times before she heard me or even realized I was standing in front of her. She looked at me and said, "mom. i am watching barbie mermaid. shhh."

I have movies on my phone and her #1 favorite is the Barbie one. Why the swim cap and goggles on dry land, you ask? I asked too.

Inquiring minds want to know.

Her reply, "mom. how else can I see underwater?"

Apparently she was not watching Mermaid Barbie. She WAS Mermaid Barbie.

Easter Morning

2011-04-30T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny came to our home. Before bed the girls put their new matching easter jammies on and tore the last chains off of their "countdown to Easter" paper chains in their room. I still can't get over how excited they get about every single holiday. Easter morning is one of my favorites. The girls were thrilled with the little gifts and chocolates left in their baskets. Elle could not put her new book down. Gwen blew bubbles in her new silly straw cup and lily went nuts for her new little stuffed bunny.

Easter Sunday

2011-04-26T09:50:00.000-07:00

Our very own Easter Lily was not interested in being in the picture with us - but we still love her

On our way out the door for church. I managed to wipe all of the chocolate off of their faces for this picture. They had just finished a healthy breakfast of sees candy, peeps and pez.

Real Home no.6

2011-04-25T10:28:00.000-07:00

Our home is featured today on

stephmodo

I am a big fan (and follower) of Stephanie's beautiful blog and to say I am flattered would be an understatement.

Thanks to my good friend, Elizabeth

who came up with the idea of submitting pictures of my house and also for taking the time out of her busy life to take them

Easter's On Its Way

2011-04-20T12:06:00.000-07:00

4 more "sleeps" until Easter. The countdown has been going on for weeks in our home. Elle and Gwen made paper chains that hang in their bedroom so they can be SURE to know how many more days until "THE BIG DAY". Elle made this Bunny hat at school and this morning I came downstairs to find Gwen watching cartoons with it on. Oh, how I love this 4 year old.

Love

2011-04-16T12:24:00.000-07:00

~ my lily and my jon ~

Sea World

2011-04-08T10:30:00.000-07:00

Gwen's preschool class had a field trip to Sea World. Elle was at school but Lily and I joined her. So fun. We saw Shamu do a flip and went to the shark tank. Gwen's favorite however was the starfish pool. Lily's favorite was the bag of popcorn she walked around with.

On The Inside

2011-04-04T10:13:00.000-07:00

In my mind, Elle is still my baby. I can't get over how grown up she is looking lately. At times I'll look at her and get a glimpse as to how she'll look when she's older. I love babies but I must say Elle getting older is really fun too. She is constantly told how much she looks like her daddy. And it's true. She is a McGee through and through. A dead ringer for Jon when he was little and Jon looks just like his dad. The other night laying in bed she said, "mama, I know I look like daddy but I think I'm just like you on the inside." How cute is that? It's true too. She is is a lot like me.

As she was drifting off to sleep I told her she was perfect and not to change a thing. She whispered back, "mama, what if I get a new freckle while I sleep - is that ok?"

I assured her that a new freckle would be fine. She would still be perfect.

Besties

2011-04-02T18:19:00.000-07:00

My best friend Allyson was in town this past week on vacation with her family. It was so much fun to see her. We met when we were just 5 years old on my driveway and were inseparable ever since. Hard to believe we've been friends for 31 years. I wish I had a scanner because I have some pretty hilarious photos documenting those years... grade school t0 college roommates to marriage, babies and everything in between. The best part however is that no matter how long it's been since we've seen each other we don't miss a beat the minute we're together again. Our brilliant plan in 5th grade to marry brothers and live on the same cul-de-sac didn't quite work out as we had planned. We've had to settle with meeting up on stolen weekends here and there... but we'll take what we can get.

Love you, Ally - here's to 31 ( + ) more years.

Silhouette

2011-03-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

The silhouette of the little girl on our nightstand is me when I was 8 years old. I had it done at Disneyland and can still remember trying to sit so still for the artist. I was so excited when I found it the other day that I had to put it out. I have plans for this one and also for silhouettes of my 3 girls but until then this little one makes me smile.

Switched

2011-03-30T08:56:00.000-07:00

I switched my lamps around last week. And to make it clear I do not have time for trivial things like this. I know this blog is quiet but my life is not. I do not putter around a quiet house with music playing switching things here and there. It's crazy around here all the time. When the idea hit me to move things around Elle and Gwen both had friends over plus we had 3 neighbor kids over, I was holding Lily and starting to make dinner. Did I wait until a more convenient time? Of course not. I had Elle crawl under the table and unplug the lamp, I had Gwen's friend hold the lamp shade and two more kids upstairs doing the same thing. They were all good sports and quickly ran back out on to our trampoline. Elle did tell me she thought it looked really pretty before she ran off. Thank you for humoring me, Elle.

Do you see what it's like living with me? Embarrassing - I just can't help it.

Gwen the Pirate

2011-03-29T16:48:00.000-07:00

Gwen was invited to a Pirate Birthday Party last Friday. I remembered 5 minutes before she left that she needed to go in costume. We made it work and she thought she looked like a real pirate which was all that mattered. She was amazed at my skills. The costume in reality was a lame attempt on my part. I'll be sad when my girls start realizing that I'm not really as great as they think I am. I know that day is fast approaching. Until then - I'm soaking it up.

The Climber

2011-03-23T10:39:00.000-07:00

This morning as I was rushing to make Elle's school lunch and get breakfast for everyone I saw Lily climbing up on to the kitchen bench. I hurried and told Elle to move the table. This is now what we have to do because Lily is a climber. She can get on to the bench all by herself and then she climbs on to the kitchen table. Then from the kitchen table she gets on to the pass-through wall. She has had 2 black eyes from falling from there. She will cannon-ball on to the sofa on the other side of that wall and sometimes she misses. Not good. I like the first picture. She's so proud of herself and is all smiles for the camera. Then this picture below is when she realized the table was moved. Her plan was foiled!

We're on to you, Lily.

Pretty

2011-03-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

At a little antique shop that I like to go to I found these potted succulents. They were in old scraped up pots which I loved. The pots didn't have bases on them and since I knew I was putting them indoors I had to do something. I searched around and found some mis-matched things that I thought would work. When I saw this turquoise one and put it with the largest white pot it was perfect. On the other two pots I went home with I put vintage blue and white china plates ( 2 for $1) under them. Pretty.

Pure Love

2011-03-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

I went in to wake Lily from her nap and found her just like this. She had opened the shutters and thrown all of her blankets out of the crib. Adorable. I love her so, so much.

My sweet, sweet Lily. I love being your mom.

Dear Leprechauns...

2011-03-17T13:59:00.000-07:00

Here was Elle's attempt this morning before school at what she called "a leprechaun jump kick". She was jumping and trying to click her heels together. Apparently Leprechauns do that. Who knew?

Before bed last night Elle started writing a note that she said she was going to leave for the Leprechauns. She had a lot of unanswered questions. She asked me for an idea of something to ask them and I said to ask them how old they are. She looked at me with a confused look on her face and said, " moommm, everyone knows all leprechauns are the same age and they are all 105." I had no idea! I then offered the idea to ask them if they go on vacations and if so where do they like to go. She again said, " moommm, they stay at their rainbow and St. Patricks day IS THEIR VACATION and the place they go is to all kids houses all over the world." Ok, then. She then sat at the table and carefully thought up her own questions.

This morning, the first place she ran to was her note. And yes, the leprechauns did respond to her....in teeny, tiny writing since leprechauns ARE teeny tiny. Here were her questions and the leprechauns answers. ( I can not even describe the pure joy that came over her when she looked at the paper and saw that the leprechauns had answered all of her questions.)

Are you a boy or a girl? a boy

When do you take a bath? at night before I go to bed

What is your favorite song? It's Not Easy Being Green by Kermit the Frog

Do you know how to swim? no

How many houses do you visit on March 17th? 63,000,000,071 houses in one night. I'm tired

He then wrote to all three girls and told them to have a lucky day, not to forget to wear green to school and signed his name, Leo the Leprechaun.

I love my Ellers. She is the cutest, happiest little 6 year old. So imaginative and wide eyed about life. Did I mention that I really love her? I do. A lot.

Lily Pie: 20 months

2011-03-15T11:49:00.000-07:00

She's growing up and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it either. It's fun to see my girls develop and change but at the same time I want to keep them as my babies forever. I love the first photo. That's my view of her all day. Lily - standing at my feet with her arms straight up wanting me to hold her. If she wants something she'll come and poke me with her finger until I follow her to see what she needs help with. If I'm on the computer she comes and puts her head on my lap while she's standing or if I'm doing dishes she'll come over and wrap her hands around my legs and stand on my feet. If I'm sitting on the ground helping one of her sisters she'll squeeze right in and plop right into the middle of my lap. It's cute. These pictures present a very mellow Lily but that is not the case. She is CRAZY BUSY and into EVERYTHING. She only knows one speed and that is - Fast. All of my girls have been 'busy' but I'm going to have to say Lily has set a new standard. She's a climber and I find her on top of our kitchen table frequently. It's scary. The only comment I get when I take her anywhere is, "you've got your hands full." Yes I do. My hands are full, no doubt about that and I'm exhausted by the end of each day but what is there to complain about when what they're full with are chubby cheeks, blue eyes and a bald head. Could be worse and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Family Room

2011-03-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

I had to add this picture with my crazy gwenners in it. She was watching Beverly Hills Chihuahua when I was taking pictures...

I always hated our sofa in the family room. The day it arrived, years ago, I hated it. It came the wrong color and and with the cushions sewn in. I tried to return it for weeks but since it was "custom" they said no - they were allowed a 20% dye-lot gradient. It was more like a 100% gradient mix up but the answer was still, No. Nice. It was really ugly. I put up with it for too many years and then I came up with a plan. We didn't "need" a new sofa and so I felt frivolous getting another one. I then proposed to Jon if I sold the one we had and made the rest of the money myself I could then get a new one. One that I REALLY liked. My old sofa sold in one day on Craigslist. The rest of the money I came up with by selling other random things on Craigslist. Jon even threw in a few surfboards he didn't use anymore to add to my "frivolous couch fund". Just before Christmas and timed perfectly with Restoration Hardware's big sale I had enough money to buy my new sofa. To say that I love it would be an understatement. It's slipcovered in linen and slouchy and the depth is unreal. It is everything I wanted.

The room is definitely not finished. The chair on the side is waiting for a linen slipcover. The pictures are still at the height of our old sofa so they are a little high and need to be moved to the left as well. I would like a round table for the chandelier lamp...something more rustic but this table was in our garage from Jon's old office and will fill the void until I can come up with more funds. The lamp I found at a little boutique in Redondo Beach and fell in love. It's super old and I couldn't get it out of my head. A little much? Perhaps - but I love it.

Awesome

2011-03-02T14:42:00.000-08:00

This morning I heard "this is awesome!!" coming from the shower. I went in to find Gwen in her swim goggles shampooing her hair. She HATES getting shampoo in her eyes and figured this little trick out on her own. Hilarious. I don't know what was cuter - how she looked or her pure joy and excitement. It made my day.

Loving these...

2011-02-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

Getting Crafty

2011-02-26T13:00:00.000-08:00

I was with my friend Sara one day and was admiring some pretty bottles in a store. I wanted them for my mantel but the price was crazy expensive. Sara then said, "you know - I know how to make those." That was all I needed. I said, "sign me up!" All I had to do was find some pretty sea fans or shells that I liked and the vintage bottles. The sea fans are easy to find in the local shops around here and the bottles I just kept an eye out for when I was in antique stores. Over the next few weeks I did my homework and then told her I was ready. Sara came over and we had them made in about 15 minutes tops. It was that easy! Here we are in action. Don't be fooled by the photos. In reality, Sara did most of the work. I have a third smaller bottle but we ran out of time and had to run to the school to pick our kids up but we'll finish it up next week. I put the bottles up on my mantel and they look so pretty. Thank you, Sara. I love them.

Ballet Girl

2011-02-18T11:33:00.000-08:00

I started Gwen back up with ballet lessons. She was begging me daily to start again. I was just not wanting to add another place for me to be during the week. She would put her leotard and tights on almost daily and ask if we were going to ballet. I couldn't take it anymore, it made me feel pretty bad. About a month ago as I was tucking her into bed I told her that in the morning she would be going to her ballet class. She squealed with excitement. The next morning she had her leotard and tights on at 6am ready to go. It is totally worth the extra effort on my part. I mean, come on...look at that sweet, happy face. Love her.

Love

2011-02-15T10:45:00.000-08:00

photo by Sue H

I love this photograph. Not totally sure why but I can't get enough of it. I am wanting to print it and have it hang in our kitchen. The colors, composition, well - just everything about it appeals to me. My sister Briar sent me this random website where people post photos of things organized neatly. It's strangely intriguing. That's where I ran across this image and fell in love.

Bunny in Thailand

2011-02-12T13:26:00.000-08:00

Beam and Bunny

Remember Elle's Bunny? Well she made it all the way to Thailand and into the arms of this sweet little girl named, Beam.

When Allyson sent us the pictures last night, Elle and I both started crying.

It is something Elle will remember forever.

The details are on Ally's Blog...click HERE

Lily's Room

2011-02-10T09:56:00.000-08:00

I moved Lily's furniture around in her room the other day. I couldn't take it any longer. It's a tiny room and it has function not only as her room but it's also where I keep Gwen's clothing and the closet doubles as our linen closet as well. Crazy. I knew I could rearrange the furniture to make things easier and I was right. I put Gwen and Lily into the crib and I moved everything with them laughing hysterically. They thought me moving the crib with them in it was the best thing ever. I even moved that big armoire by myself. When I get my mind set on something I just have to do it right then. I removed Lily's closet doors...the track and all and decided on hanging pretty draperies over it instead. I think it will look better and will be easier for me to navigate. I found some I love on etsy and am starting to save up so I can buy them. They're perfect. The best part though is how much Lily loves the little windows above her crib. She wakes up, pops the shutters open and is completely entertained. The lens I had on my camera made it impossible for me to get the whole room in one shot but I still thought the view from the hallway looking into her room was pretty. It makes me happy now just to turn the corner in the hall towards her bedroom.

French Toast

2011-02-09T10:34:00.000-08:00

Yesterday Gwen was grumpy. I mean, really grumpy. I was trying to get her to preschool and she was just not cooperating. Everything was going wrong in her opinion and she was completely irrational. She hated her outfit, her shoes were itchy, the lunch I packed was gross, she thought Lily was being mean, it was just one of those days. I put her into the car and she was still crying. I finally pulled the car over, turned around and said, "gwenners. what's going on today. you can tell me." She crossed her arms, rolled her eyes and said, "you really want to know? are you sure? cause i'll tell you." I reassured her that yes, I REALLY wanted to know. She looked at me, started crying even harder and said,

"you NEVER, EVER make me french toast!"

What?

I couldn't help but smile (which didn't help things) because I had NO IDEA where that thought was coming from. She has never in her life asked for french toast. I would make it for her but it's just never come up. It was so random. So I said, "oh that IS pretty sad. OK, I'll make you a deal, if you calm down and bring the happy Gwen back I'll make you french toast tomorrow for breakfast." It worked. She was then totally fine. Her 4 year old mind was relieved.

And guess what my Gwenners got for breakfast this morning...French Toast.

Perks

2011-02-02T10:54:00.000-08:00

There in one perk to having a sick baby. Just one, but it's a good one. When they're sick, they're extra cuddly. Lily is a sweet baby but she's also busy, busy, busy. She's been sick this week (and last) and ALL she wants to do is snuggle. It's super hard when I'm trying to get dinner going or like this morning when I was getting Elle out the door and making her lunch- - Lily just literally sat on my feet and cried. I couldn't hold her and it was so sad. I did get Elle off to school and came right back home - got Lily out of her carseat and back in my arms, hooked a happy Gwen up with all of her "baby stuff" (she's really into baby dolls right now) and headed upstairs to my job - AKA keeping this house organized. It's never ending but at least I have my sidekick.

Pretty Things

2011-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

I'm a sucker for all things pretty. On the way to drop Elle off for swim team last week, I drove past the flower stand. These pussy willows were out and I knew I had to go back. I dropped her off and swung the car back around. I knew just where I could put them. Having fresh flowers in our home is something I have always done. I go about every other week and it makes such a difference. I don't spend much either. A lot of times the "filler" is prettier to me than the flowers. I'll just see what they have and then load up on bear grass, branches or just plain greens. It's really inexpensive and makes a HUGE difference for me in our home.

The pussy willows made it home and I love how pretty they look in our front room.

Our home is small and so I have to make every room multi-task. Yes, I had to put a computer in my front room/entry way (not ideal) but I've tried to make it as pretty as possible. The best thing for me is that I have noticed my girls starting to be aware of the pretty things around them. I got the glittery bird ornaments out this weekend and Gwen was fascinated by them. She loved how when the sun came in the window they got "sparkly". Elle asked me to cut off one of the branches of the pussy willows so she could carry it around. I did, and she loved feeling the fuzzy buds on it. I want them to grow up and appreciate the little thing around them that are pretty. I think that's important and it's so cute to watch.

Throw-up and other important topics...

2011-01-30T11:30:00.000-08:00

The flu has hit our home. I have escaped but all 3 of our girls have had their turn with it. I have had some awesome experiences with throw-up and carseats and cribs and couches but I'll spare you the details. I didn't spare my sisters the details. I took pictures on my cell phone and texted them to my sisters - lucky them. That's what sisters are for. Anyway, it was unreal. After one episode I was power washing lily's carseat and clothing on our driveway because I couldn't even take it inside to the laundry room for fear of the mess just getting there. A lady I had never met before stopped her car in front of our house and said, "Oh sweetie-- I've been there. How are you holding up?" It was so nice of her. Really nice. I wanted to start crying but just then Lily came cruising down the driveway with crusted throw-up all over her and in just a diaper. All I could do was start laughing and I said,

"they don't pay me enough."

What else can you do but laugh? And for the record--threading, washing and re-threading a carseat 3 times in one week should earn you an advanced degree or at the very least an award of some sort (I'm going to look into that.)

I think we're on the mend but it's been one of those weeks for me.

Gwen and Jon were the only ones that made it to church this morning. Gwen was actually quite excited about that fact. She kept saying, "just meeee and dadda?!" She had Jon all to herself. I was rushing to get her into the car with no intentions of a photo in mind and she said,

"I'm cute! You can take a picture of me if you want to mama."

Jon was in a hurry and already in the car but I told him she REALLY NEEDED her picture taken. So this one's for my Gwenners - heading out the door on her way to church. She packed her church bag all by herself. I think it weighed more than she did. The bag was full of stuff to keep her reverent - books, paper, crayons. That bag always keeps her busy but we're working on the reverent part. You see, Gwen does not understand what the word, 'whisper' means. She does however understand what the word, 'cute' means. And yes Gwen, this morning you looked VERY CUTE.

Lily Grace

2011-01-26T10:04:00.000-08:00

My Lily

I took these pictures of her this morning and the cutest thing to me about them are her little shoulders. Who knew shoulders could be so cute? I love my Lily-pie. I love that I'm her favorite. I love that when I'm working on the computer she will walk up to me and put her head on my lap. She does that all the time and it melts me. I love that when I'm holding her all I have to say is, "laaay down" and she will nuzzle her head on my neck and shoulder. When I put her down for her nap or at bedtime, she holds her sippy cup to her lips with one hand and the other hand she holds in the air and waves good-bye to me...every time. I often whisper in my girls ears, "out of all the babies in heaven, how did I get so lucky to get you?" I've started whispering that to Lily and she smiles. And I love her even though I found her in the bathroom this morning playing with my cell phone in the toilet. It's true love.

Circus Girl

2011-01-21T20:34:00.000-08:00

Gwen has been on a little bit of a naughty streak lately. She does things she is not allowed to do and then charms her way out of them. Yesterday she was in the shower and she knows that it is a BIG no-no to waste shampoo. Jon and I have both had numerous conversations with her about dumping shampoo down the drain. I went to get her out of my shower and noticed the plastic bowl we have in there that they play with was extra, extra bubbly. I then noticed my shampoo bottle (not the cheap kids shampoo) was laying on the shower floor. I picked it up and sure enough it was empty. I told her she was getting dried off and heading to time out when she replied, "mom, I am trying to learn to be a good cooker! I was NOT being naughty I was just making soup." A good cooker? Where does she come up with this stuff? She still had to go to time-out but she did get a laugh out of me.

Today she got me again. I let the girls ride their scooters and plasma cars in the house. They love to play "freeway" around the kitchen island. It doesn't bother me and they have fun. I do draw the line however with bikes. Bikes are not allowed. This afternoon I looked down into our family room from upstairs and saw Gwen riding like a crazy lady all over the family room on the rug. She was doing dangerous handstands on the bike (it has training wheels) and other stunts. I came down the stairs and told her to get her bike into the garage asap. She then looked at me and said, "Mom, I am practicing to be a circus girl. Circus girls HAVE TO practice and I am NOT being naughty." I kid you not those were her exact words to me. I died. I also grabbed my camera. I then had her explain to me what she was planning on doing for the show. That last picture is of her explaining in detail the dangerous stunt she was practicing. She was dead serious. She then said she couldn't continue talking and taking pictures because she needed to exercise like dad and propped the back training wheels on to the 1 inch thick black granite fireplace hearth. It was enough to get the back wheel so that it didn't touch the ground. Voila...she had a stationary bike. She was peddling crazy fast and was staying in place. Hilarious.

Career Day

2011-01-20T17:05:00.000-08:00

Elle's school had Career Day. She has always said she wants to be a teacher like I was. She went as a teacher last year too for Career Day but came home sad because "no one knew what she was". I told her I could figure something out to make it more obvious this year. The apron was full of pencils, post-it notes, a ruler and chalk. She carried a clipboard around and I pinned a name tag on her. The black rimmed glasses were her favorite part. She said her teacher wears clogs so those were an easy choice. I thought she looked adorable. She did too until it was time to get out of the car. She kept saying she was nervous and would NOT open the door. I told her it was no big deal because if she didn't want to be in costume, all she had to do was put the apron and clipboard in her backpack and she was in a perfectly cute and normal outfit. She agreed and hopped out of the car. Watching her walk through all of the kids was painful for me. I thought for sure when I picked her up from school that there would be NO sign of her costume. I was happily surprised to pull up after school to find her still in full costume. She said she had a really fun day. I don't know if she'll continue to want to be a teacher when she grows up but I do know she would sure make a cute one.

Elle's Bunny

2011-01-14T14:15:00.000-08:00

Here's My Sweet Ellers and her cherished Bunny before school this morning...

I received an email a bit ago from my best friend Allyson who is currently with her husband and 6 children in Thailand. On what seemed like almost a whim, they bought 8 airline tickets to Thailand and took their kids to help in orphanages over there. You can read about their decision, HERE. They are an amazing family. They are currently still there and I have been showing my girls pictures of their day to day trips to the orphanages. Elle was looking at the photos and she said, "mama, I could maybe mail them a shirt of mine that I don't wear anymore." I told her that was a great idea and that we could talk about it in the morning. About a half an hour later I heard crying coming from her bedroom. I walked into her dark room and asked her what was wrong. Elle sat up in her bed and at this point she was bawling. I still had no idea what the problem was. She then buried her head down into her chest held her bunny up in the air towards me and said, "mama, please take bunny. send him to the kids in the orphanage." To know Elle is to know that this little bunny is HER BUNNY. She has slept with him every night since she was a baby. If we are on vacation, Bunny comes with us. Sometimes in the middle of the night she will come in my room and tell me she can't find her Bunny. I'll go into her room and usually he has just fallen between her bed and the wall. The point here is that this little Bunny is the most priceless possession she has. I tried to give her bunny back to her in between her sobs and she just kept saying, "please mama, just mail him. it's ok. they need him more." At this point I was crying with her. In the dark of her room she had realized that offering a t-shirt she didn't wear anymore was not enough. She wanted to offer up the one thing most precious to her for those little kids in Thailand. I thought it wasn't possible to love her anymore, but sitting on the bed with her last night my heart melted. I have emailed my friend Ally and she said that if we look at the pictures, Elle can choose which little girl she wants to send her bunny to and Ally will make sure to get her name and address. So we're going to do it. Bunny is heading to Thailand. I took these pictures of her this morning so we could add a picture of her with the bunny in our package. I know those little kids need a lot more than one stuffed bunny so we've also decided to sell cookies door to door in our neighborhood to make some extra money to send with our Bunny as well. I think more than anything this will be something my Elle will remember forever and I hope will be a way for her and all of us to do a little more for others.

Lily 18 months

2011-01-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

I put Lily and Gwen in the shower with me this morning. Our shower is pretty much the family shower. The girls have their own but it is rarely (never) used. Our master shower is stocked with plastic ducks and turtles and of course kiddie shampoo (family fave...suave's kids orange mango. the best!) The kids smell soo good after their showers I want to just eat them right up. I wrapped Lily up and set her on my bed and then went back to get a shivering Gwen her towel. Gwenners ran off after her shower to choose her own outfit for preschool (always interesting) but Lily was content just like this on my bed. I can't get enough of her! Add her smelling like orange mango and I was a goner. To die for cute.

Boogie Shoes

2011-01-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

Ever since Elle was a baby I have put on music in the morning during breakfast. I used to hold her and spin and dance. The same song every morning. Boogie Shoes. Totally random, I know. I don't even know how that song became the McGee Family's official "morning song" but it is. Now that she's in school, we still put on Boogie Shoes during the morning routine. Getting her out the door by 7:45 is a little crazy. There's always homework, papers that need to be signed, trying to remember what day her library book is due, getting her dressed and her hair done, shoes and socks (my nightmare...lots of fights in this department), packing her lunch and getting her breakfast all while I have two other very needy little girls. Putting this song on lightens the mood greatly. I can be completely losing it with the grumpy kids but as soon as I put the music on they are all happy. If there's still a frowny face, I just pick that morning's grump up and start spinning them, it's like magic. Impossible for them to keep the frown. The door was open so she could see when jon pulled up to get her. He leaves super early in the morning but since he works so close, when he can, he'll swing back home to take Elle to school. That's their time. I am usually way too all over the place to take a picture but I did catch this one of Elle this morning when she didn't know I was looking. A little blurry but what could I expect when one arm had a pack of turkey and bottle of mustard in it and Lily standing on my feet with her hands up in the air (her way of saying, 'hold me"). I know I could do a lot of this the night before but I'm just not that organized. There, I said it. So if I can make my crazy mornings at least, fun, I think we're good. I know inevitably this tradition will end some day but for this stage in our lives it works and is super fun. I feel like if I can get them to leave the house happy, that will set the tone for their whole day. How can your day not be great if it starts with a dance party? If nothing else, when they're older and they hear the song Boogie Shoes they'll laugh.

The McGees 2010

2011-01-10T12:13:00.000-08:00

photo by ashlee raubach

McGee Christmas Card 2010

2011-01-10T10:06:00.000-08:00

Since the year Jon and I were married I have made sure that we've sent out photo Christmas cards. I have been keeping them in a separate book. The main reason I started was to make sure that we have at least one good family photo each year. The deadline of sending out the cards keeps me on track. The book is so much fun for the girls to look through. Jon and I sent out a picture from our wedding day our first Christmas together. The very next year's card I am holding baby Elle in my arms (we didn't mess around). We have one where I am pregnant and puffy faced...I delivered Gwen 2 days after that photo was taken and the cards document it all. The book is and will always be one of my most treasured items. There's lots of empty pages in it still and I look forward to filling them up in the years to come.

All Smiles

2011-01-08T09:48:00.000-08:00

Gwen has ladybug rain boots. She loves them but was really, really excited about getting the ladybug umbrella. Well, it arrived and she was all smiles. She said she did NOT want to wear the boots because the rain made her feet feel "tickely". And for the record, her smile under that umbrella was just as big as the one on top.

A Happy New Year

2011-01-04T12:35:00.002-08:00

My sister Megan and her family came into town for a visit. We met them at the Terranea Resort for a few days. It was heavenly. A much needed break for all of us. Both of our husbands had to work so Megan and I had 7 kids between us to entertain. Our rooms were overlooking the ocean and the resort made everything easy. The kids had a blast at the pool complete with a waterslide (elle's favorite), sandpark (lily's fave) and kids jacuzzi (gwen's favorite). Megan and I sat with jackets and scarves on while the kids swam. The pools were heated but it was COLD outside. They rode their bikes on all of the trails and just had fun together. I loved hanging out with my sister and that my kids were with their cousins. It was a perfect way to start the new year. Here's to 2011!

Santa Toys

2010-12-29T12:24:00.000-08:00

I haven't had time to go through my Christmas photos yet but did spot these 3. Lily with her toy phone, Elle with her doggy pillow pet and Gwen in-charge at the microphone. My highlight was watching them peer down the stairs on Christmas morning and hearing them yell...

" He came! Santa came to our house!" That was the only present I needed.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T10:55:00.000-08:00

On Christmas Eve we tracked Santa on Jon's laptop. We went to the site and a news anchor gave live coverage of santa's sleigh and its whereabouts . When we were tucking our girls into bed he was flying north from Mexico. We told them he was almost to California and that they better hurry and get to sleep so he didn't have to pass our house (he can only stop if they're asleep.) I wish I could use this tactic every night. They were in bed and fast asleep in minutes.

My Christmas Angel

2010-12-24T09:15:00.000-08:00

This little one has brought me nothing but happiness this past year. She now says "mama" and if you say, "lily, kisses" she will walk straight up to your lips and plant one on you. If that's not cute I don't know what is.

Santa Sheets

2010-12-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas Room

2010-12-23T12:26:00.000-08:00

Elle and Gwen call their room the "Christmas Room". I got them flannel Christmas Sheets with santas and snowmen on them. You would have thought I bought them the moon. They were beyond excited. When I was washing them Gwen moved her little step stool into the laundry room to make sure she was there the minute they were done. The buffalo check duvet covers were an easy switch and I think made it so cute. In January we'll go back to lavender but this has been fun for them for Christmas. Here they are playing, "pass the grinch". The lamp only fell over once and it didn't break. A christmas miracle.