March Madness has begun and I assume that since productivity levels at work have plummeted, I might as well throw a blog into the mix. Last night I was thinking of a brilliant post and of course today has brought me back to a blank slate. I can't think straight, I'm sleep deprived and worn down! Miss C has decided that teething should be taken to a whole new level and our household is all paying the price. Except maybe the cat - which brings me to my original thoughts from last night. Random much? I have a list of things that I need to do in my house that simply cannot get finished for all of the reasons mentioned above. The baby papasan that is hardly used has now become a cat's bed on our bedroom floor. It's gross, and if I don't wash it soon and put it away, I'm going to be able to make a blanket out of the hair collecting on it. The problem is that he is always sleeping in it, and I have a problem disturbing sleeping things, people, babies, etc. I have paint sitting in our entryway - which has been painted, but my next project - which I have decided is painting the den - remains untouched. My closet is a hellhole of unorganized shoes, scarves, and purses that I've been saying I'll "clean up" for weeks. I have pictures that need organizing and put into frames. My house isn't a hovel of filth - it's actually pretty clean all things considered - but the things that haven't been done really need doing. I used to be a night owl, doing my most productive work after everyone had gone to bed. Now I'm lucky if I make it to the 10:00 Golden Girls on Hallmark.

The kids are growing wildly fast. I don't even know where to begin. I started thinking about Jack being a little boy now instead of a toddler and I just wanted to wrap him up in my arms like he was a baby again. I miss the days of doing "rockie" in the chair before bedtime and watching him learn to walk. His huge open-mouthed smiles and pulling everything out of the cabinets. Now he's using words like "interested" and "mystery" and organizing his blocks by color. When did he get so grown up? He only wants to wear sweats and insists on taking "bp" in the house. Charlotte is doing so many things like her big brother did - squealing and wriggling all over like a little worm. I think we have a little pistol on our hands...she is desperate to sit up, eat big girl food, and crawl. Her eyes have an ornery twinkle and she can cry and cry in some one's arms, then when I take her, she laughs at them. Laughs! She is ticklish and loves kisses and is starting to belly laugh...one of my favorite sounds in the whole world. So much like her brother, yet so completely different. I constantly pinch myself because I am amazed that I got two of the coolest kids around.

Tonight and this weekend, I will attempt to sandwich some projects in between basketball games some much needed hops, and some nice long runs. Let's hear it for the Jayhawks, my hubby, and my kiddos...love you!

Yesterday we bid farewell to one of the happiest, silliest, amazing hearted women ever...sweet G'ma Margaret. A lady who truly lived, laughed, and loved...and we will miss her dearly. Some of my favorite memories of G'ma include: Her big, dangly earrings - she loved her costume jewelry (maybe where I got my adoration for it) and as a kid I was always amazed at her earrings. She loved to play pitch and was a cheat! As my cousin fondly remembered, she only needed the "ace/deuce" to win a hand, which she usually did. The lady hated to lose and was fiercely competitive. We played a lot of dominoes in the last few years and I remember she'd sneak pieces out of her stash into the "bone pile" to go out faster. She loved ice cream (something I may have inherited as well, darn it!) and I think might have eaten it for every meal if she was allowed. She was such a doll with her scratchy voice and easy laugh. I was touched at all of the memories shared at her funeral. Memories I shared with my cousins and some from before I was born, yet I was delighted just the same. Such a doll...I will miss her to bits. One of the things I hate about funerals is seeing grown men weep...and my tough guy cousins were all brought to tears and it was heart wrenching, but clearly the woman was cherished by all. And leave it to my Jack Jack to bring a smile to my face...after I read a scripture and was leaving the podium, he says for all to hear, "Good job, mama," then reaches for a big hug. Wow, I love that kid. He kept telling us he missed Grandma Margaret and that we needed to be quiet not to wake her. Such a sweetie. He never misses a beat. Someone said to me today, "It's easy to be lighthearted around children." And it's true - they make the toughest situations easier to swallow...xoxo G'ma Marg.

I keep thinking of things lately that I need to mention. Things about Jack that I am afraid I will forget...like at the sitter's when he and B get married and do their wedding dance while I watch. Or how they played brother and sister and "slept" on the floor for a slumber party. Today he smooched her cheek while she giggled helplessly. Or how he walks past and says, "I can't talk now, I have to go to baseball practice," or "Mom, I'm going to football practice, I'm on the Chiefs." The way he jumps around the room shooting an imaginary gun because I won't let him play with a real one or using the vacuum cleaner attachments as baseball bats. Always asking me who I want to be - will it be Princess Leia, Alicia from Diego, Ariel, or any of the other female counterparts to his male heroes. We are always pretending. He often pretends he's his cousin, Cade - Charlotte is Riley and hubby and I are my sister and her husband. Our house is a fantasy land of characters and the hilarity of it never gets old. What are my favorite colors? Do I like purple, orange, or red (I think we all know the answer to that one). The way he says, "Mommy, come sit by me, I love you," or "I missed you while you were gone today." These words have become so frequent lately and I hope he never loses that soft-hearted little personality I adore. I love you, Bubby!

Jack has come up with some real beauties lately. I'm trying to decide where he gets his wicked sense of humor and wit and I realize I have to look no further than the mirror. Ha. Seriously - after two years, his favorite song remains "Low" by Flo Rida. Not a particularly child (or woman) friendly song, but hilarious all the same to watch him sing it 1. To his sister while naked 2. While using his great-grandmother's cane as a microphone ("Ladies and gentlemen," he says), or 3. In the car and telling me that not only am I not allowed to dance to it, but if I sing to it, I will spit up. Spit up = throw up in Jack's book. Our babysitter is endlessly delighted by his charming ways. The other day while she took him on some errands, he told her - rather loudly - as they passed the beer cooler, that "My dad LOOOOVES beer. I mean, looooves it." So, I'm sure that not only does she think we are alcoholics, but that we also love misogynistic music. All class, all the time. Today he threw up at the sitters...which on a normal day would have been fine, but came on the heels of a three day stint in the hospital for Miss Charlotte (thank you, pneumonia - mother of the year here). The hits just keep on coming!

So Charlotte is a zillion times better. Her hoarse little cries and horrible cough were so sad. I was truly scared for the little gal. I drug her all the way to Texas to meet her great grandma and she was such a trooper. After three days in the hospital and wrapping every nurse around her chubby little finger, we headed home for several more days of isolation. It's one thing to be home, but another one completely to know that you really. can't. leave. Wow. I know for a fact that I ate an entire box of Thin Mints in less than 24 hours. Those damn Girl Scouts probably give you way fewer cookies than they used to. And they're so delicious coming out of the freezer. Charlotte learned how to roll from her belly to her back, so she's officially on the move now, rolling, rolling all over the floor. I think she might be even busier than her brother. She does not want to miss a minute. A photo of her practicing:
She is a wild woman for sure. I'm thinking she will keep dear old dad on his toes so it might be convenient that dad is handy when it comes to hunting.

A few other photos of the kiddos: