Sippy cups for all ages.

The other night I was drinking from my "Mommy's Sippy Cup" wine glass and G asked, "Mommy what does that say?!"

So we sounded it out together and she starting laughing and says, "That is NOT a sippy cup!"

***

A couple nights later I asked her what she wanted to do when she got older and she said....

"Drink wine out of my own sippy cup"

HAHAHAHA So I guess my mommy's sippy cup is in fact a sippy :) and super cool :)

*And when I mean older I mean 55 years old* <3 

Mommy Language VS Daddy Language

As I listen to myself throughout the day I hear, 

"No Thank you"

"Please don't do that"

"No running"

"Inside voices, Keylee is sleeping"

And so many more it is ridiculous...

And the reaction I get is okay mama.

And then they are right back to the thing I just commented on..

BUT if Mitch is home and says No or don't do that both girls will listen the first time..

WHY?!

Am I not scary enough!? 

Is it that I am vertically challenged?!

Is it that they see me 24/7?!

Do they not understand mommy language but they do daddy language?!

I am lost.

I am confused.

I am white flagging it... For the moment. 

By tomorrow I will have a way they will listen the first time..

Blow horn...

Whistle....

Shock collar?! (KIDDING!)

I WILL FIGURE THIS OUT!

(by eliminating the blow horn, whistle and of course shock collar ideas... I think that is a good start..)

Tacky...

I know you think it's tacky;

Don't remind me....

I know you don't care;

so stop reading...

I know you think it's cliche;

stop keeping score...

I love my husband and I love everything about him.

I love spending nights in with him, 

I love taking our girls on a long walk to the park, 

I love sipping wine with him and having deep conversations,

I love that we are best friends,

I love looking over at him during one of our shows and smiling at the funny part and he smiles back,

I love watching him play with our girls,

I love playing tickle monster and almost peeing my pants and screaming ouch and he calls my bluff,

I love playing just dance and calling him a cheater,

I love just looking at him and smiling and him smiling back at me and we know what the other is thinking,

I love coming home to a spotless house and he acts like it's nothing,

I love snuggling at night with him,

I love how he calls me everyday at lunch when no other guy at his work does that,

I love waking up early and making his lunch,

I love giving him a pedicure,

I love working with him at church,

I love seeing his face when I surprise him with his favorite meal,

I love having my best friend by my side at all time.

I love my husband so much and you might think it's annoying, you might think it's a cliche, you might not care and I don't mind that. 

Sometimes a girl has to vent, and sometimes it isn't always bad;

So don't judge me for the good.

I love you Mitty and I thank you for always being my better half. :) 

I'm the luckiest woman in the world.

Eat your heart out ladies :)

You know you are lucky when...

Every time you think of your significant other you smile,

Thanks for always making me smile Mitty, I don't know where I would be without you.

I am one lucky lady...

Homemade air freshener....

Today after baking 50 cupcakes and 30 cake pops my house has a very distinct smell, that no candle, scentsy or incense can remake.
It is the smell of fresh baked goodies :)
The best part was the help I received from my ever so faithful little helpers :)
I wonder if they will help me sprinkle?!
Back to the baking grind :)
(Oh and don't forget staying super warm in front of the oven :) otherwise I feel like I would freeze! Happy Fall!!)

Sweet Brayden :)

So G got really upset because her pony purse broke and Brayden said,
"Don't worry G I will buy you a new one! I promise!"
"But I have to have a PINK one!"
"I will buy you a new one and paint it pink and give it a new back, I PROMISE G!"
"But I will never get to play with it again...."
"BUT G I will buy you a new one that is pink, I will paint it pink."
"I guess it just has to go in the garbage"
"NO G WAIT! It just needs a new zipper I will buy you a new zipper, I promise! G come on now, I will buy you a new one and fix it and paint it pink, I PROMISE!"
"But BrayBray... It's Broken and the broken pieces are in the bottom and I can't get it"
"Don't worry G I will put my head inside it and crawl in and find it, I promise G I will fix it and buy you a new one."

Seriously cutest conversation ever, Brayden is making sure his BFF Future Wife is happy and only has the best. What a good guy :)

Surprise!!!

So Mitch comes home last night and is on the phone with someone saying "Yeah, I will come pick you up in a few!" (He is super excited... I am confused)
See we have been so busy lately that we made a deal that last night we were making no plans and now this.
I got PISSED! I was like REALLY?! I thought we weren't making plans...
(Mind you I was already in my sweats tackling laundry mountain while watching storage wars, in my mind a great Saturday night with no plans.)
So I look at my loving husband (who forgets deals) and ask him "who was that honey?!"
"Ayla, go get dressed we are going out to dinner"
"oh! (trying to wipe the pissed off look from my face but as a woman it is hard to do so quickly) Okay! I will go get ready."
So after putting "my face on" as we say, I get all dolled up and come down stairs, I gave my spur of the moment guy a big sloppy kiss and a very meaningful Thank you :)
Fast forwarding a bit to dinner...
We get a bottle of wine to share (way cheaper than each just getting a glass, if you can imagine) and by 8:30pm we were discussing what we were going to do after dinner and do you know what we both wanted to do?!
Go home and go to bed..
I believe NOW we can call ourselves an old married couple. :)
But you know what, we didn't have one dull moment of conversation, we laughed, smiled and had great conversation all night, now that is an old HAPPY married couple if you ask me...
Thank you to my sporadic husband with my surprise dinner last night (we went to the Old Spaghetti Factory.. I know your jealous...)

You know your toddler has grown up when...

So for snack today I decided to be a cool mom and let my sweet four year old get a little sweeter with a Minnie mouse halloween cookie from Grandma.
As she is eating it she is singing, nibbling, smiling and is a very giddy sugar highed little princess.
Then I walk in a couple minutes later and the only thing left are hundreds of crumbs scattered all over the table and do you know what my little girl did?!
She dusted the crumbs into her hand and threw them in the garbage.
Now to many this means nothing but to me it means so much!!
I have been trying to teach her how to clean up her crumbs by sweeping them into her hand not just onto the floor and well it worked! YAY!!
Our little girl is growing up!

Sleeping beauty

As we are watching sleeping beauty  the fairies come down to give aurora her gifts and G says "i like the blue circle one"
Lol I guess that is G's way of saying she is a little round. At least my sweet love has manners :) oh now she adds in she likes the triangle one too (the green fairy-tall and skinny) oh and the red one is the square,  lol maybe my sweet girl just loves her  shapes haha

Different Lives...

My favorite time does not include going out at night or drinking a fruity drink, but putting my fuzzy socks on and snuggling up with my family under our thick soft blankets while the rain falls on our windows with of course Berestain Bears on the TV, oh and don't forget daddy in the kitchen cooking his famous potato skillet (a night where mommy doesn't have to cook is a good night) :)
It's funny how my life is so different from others my age.
We all live good lives, just different ones.
I wouldn't trade my life for anything in this world.
I am so lucky to have my sweet girls and fabulous husband.
Welp, I better get back to my snuggle bugs, before the littlest one decides she is over it :)

Do you know what time it is?!

<p>As I look outside and see the clouds in the sky, the leaves falling to the ground and feel the brisk cold breeze, I think to myself, "do you know what time it is? It's fall time! Time to start baking!"
Time for pumpkin bread, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin seeds and pumpkin carving!
Can you tell I LOVE fall?!
The kids love it too, because to them it means pumpkin patch, pumpkin painting, and pumpkin treats :)
Welcome back fall, the Dehnert household sure is glad to see you.

Competition

As  I lay in bed I hear Keylee saying, "dada oh Dada, Dada oh Dada"
Well, right next to me Mitch is snoring the loudest he ever has...
This is what I am hearing.
"dada, oh Dada.." .... *snoring that should get a noise complaint from the neighbors..*
"Dada, oh dada" ... *and again the snoring*
I swear they are having a competition...
whose going to win?!
Well, I guess the cat is out of the bag, Keylee is going to be competitive just like her daddy...
Good  thing Mitty is passed out cold or he might cry, because...
His youngest totally beat him this time!
Keylee - 1 daddy - 0

The birds and the bees.... WAIT, WHAT, ALREADY?!

So I always thought kids didn't ask the "where do babies come from" question until they were like 8...

Well, while painting my daughters nails today she asked me those very 5 words and I was stumped..

I thought I had 4 more years to prepare a whole speech..

So what comes out of my mouth?!

What do I say in this awkward moment?!

"Um lets ask daddy when he gets home" haha

At least I bought myself a couple hours to figure out what we are going to tell her....

Let the contemplating begin...

PAUSE!

This morning I wake up to an annoying pain in my throat...
My lymph nodes are swollen like crazy and my throat is killing me..
I feel as though I have been hit by a semi truck...
You know the worst part about getting a cold or being sick, when you have kids?!
They don't slow down or stop for a second you still have to take care of them, play with them, clean up after them, feed them, change their diapers, bathe them, etc...
It is funny though because right now I don't feel like I can make myself anything to eat, or wash my hair or clean up ANYTHING.
BUT when my girls get up you better know somehow (I really have never known how) I will be making breakfast, wiping tooshies, wiping noses, playing games and cleaning the house..
When I was a child I was such a baby if I had a cold the world STOPPED! Now that's my girls' job and mine is to always make sure they are cared for, loved and not bored, oh yeah and fed :)
It's funny how life changes.
It's funny how two tiny little cute girls can keep a mommy so motivated and happy, even when I have been hit by a semi truck.

My motivation :) 

Old dogs CAN learn new tricks.

Last night after dinner, I looked at Mitty and said, "Honey I think I am going to go take a bath."

his response "Okay babe, enjoy yourself."

So off I go to have 30 minutes of peace and quiet...

I am reading my book when all of a sudden here comes my husband with a glass of wine for me.

"AWW! Thanks babe!"

It was as though he read my mind....

THEN he comes back in with candles lit and puts them on the edge of the tub just right so I can still read my book when he turns the lights off. 

(Who is this man and what has he done with my husband?!)

Never in our relationship has he ever done anything so sweet and romantic.

I am the luckiest girl in the world. 

And now when he says he is a horrible romantic I know the truth, he is one of the most romantic, sweet husbands around. 

Thank you to my amazing husband!

(Do you think I could get use to this treatment?! Because I am liking it so far :)) 

Hiking?! I think so!

Do you ever get the craving to do something you have never really done before?
I got that just now.
I want to go hiking.
And when I get to the top of wherever I am going I want to pull out my book and read.
And then when I am good and ready I will hike back to wherever it is I started.
Just thinking about the silent forest and something that doesn't have a specific schedule attached to it sounds sublime.
I will be going hiking.
Where... I don't know.
When... I couldn't tell you.
BUT, I am going to do it and I am going to do it when it's good for me and where I want to :)
Man I feel selfish!
But for now, back to laundry mountain ( I guess I am a hiker :)) and the dry erase crayon pictures we are making on the easel :)

Tick, tock, tick, tock...

I can hear...

The ticking and tocking of my..

CLOCK!

That's right people Keylee is down for a nap,

G is at school and it is actually SO quiet that I can hear the ticking and the tocking of my KITCHEN Clock, and not only that but I am sitting in the living room ( A WHOLE ROOM AWAY!)

Now to most they won't understand how the ticking and tocking of a clock can be so marvelous..

BUT moms do!

My house is always so loud I can barely hear my own thoughts 

(now don't get me wrong this noise I talk about is my lullaby or team song as you will)

I LOVE that noise.

BUT!

When My house is so quiet that I can hear my thoughts and the ticking of the clock I don't even want to type, thinking it might ruin the peacefulness. 

Now to get back to my pumpkin spice latte and hmm maybe I will read a book

(as I look around I see chores that need to be done... But I say they can wait! I have a peaceful, silent house and to be honest the next time this happens will probably be when I am retired and the kiddos are out of the house... The housework can WAIT!)

Off I go to enjoy a book with my pumpkin spice :) ahh I love quiet fall days in the Dehnert house!

(don't you dare try to ruin this by telling me it is not fall :) ) 

To break or not to break?!

So today Mitch's mom took the girls to visit their great grandparents at the coast. Ghianna was so excited she could hardly sleep last night! I was so excited for a break of work, kids and the husband I could barely sleep! (It was like we were both going to Disneyland, but G was going to Grandma-land and I was going to quiet-alone time- land!)
So this morning, Mitty and I loaded the girls up and met his mom. While pulling out without the car seats and the girls my heart sank... I missed them already, but I had to suck it up. The girls were going to have a blast and I really did need a break and most of all Grandma needed a princess fix.
So, I planned a marvelous day for myself, I drove to the beach (where my mom lives) and we went to lunch, where of course I had a mimosa (remember no kids) then we went down tot he beach sat our chairs in the sand and just read... Well, pretty soon the tide started to come in, but ya know what.... We didn't move. We sat there, in silence (okay there were lots of giggles) lifting our feet and letting the waves roll right under our chairs. It was amazing. Listening to the waves crash on top of one another and smelling the salty sea air was refreshing.
We then went and got some ice cream and then went back to the beach (You can't go to the beach and not get ice cream, it's a law. I swear they will throw you in jail [well, at least that is what we think anyway])
My mom and I got some good visit time in, which was much needed. And I got some time to relax (I forgot how to do it at first). I wasn't having to chase Keylove around making sure she didn't crawl up the stairs or suck on any wires. I wasn't having to keep an eye on Gbabe or have to tell her no, not even once.
But... To be 110% honest.... It was weird, nice but weird.
Also, all day all the things that came out of my mouth were about the girls....
It is like you want a break so badly, a break from everything so you can just relax and not have to worry about anyone else but yourself. But when you get that break, and the kids wave bye-bye and the husbands kisses you and leaves for work and you are left all by yourself; you don't know what to do. You feel empty, you have been taking care of everyone else for so long, you don't know how to just take care of yourself for a change.
Why is it that we wish for a break and then when we get it we don't know what to do with ourselves?

Smashing :)

Ladies and Gentlemen come one come all and see I, Katie Dehnert have a hobby!

Surprising and out of this world all at the same time!

If you know me you know, my hobbies consist of my darling little girls and my amazing husband.

I used to read... Don't have the time anymore...

I used to cheer.... But I am not 16 anymore....

I used to make mud pies... But I started to get dirty looks...

So NOW I am Smashing :)

Smashing all my memories and ideas into a little homemade book.

(Scrap-bookers, I have tried to be as patient and creative as you but I failed, this is my kind of scrapbook, put it together [or buy a notebook] and then start smashing all your memories into it, it doesn't have to be perfect, you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on stickers or scrap booking supplies)

Hello cheap. Hello easy. Hello new hobby :)

Thank you to my dear mother for the lovely idea :) 

Dehnert Girl Kick Asparagus Chicken Casserole

So I know I am always asking for new recipes from all my friends, They call me the "Recipe Phantom" *Insert evil laugh here*

So tonight for dinner I had noodles and chicken staring me right in the face saying, "EAT ME!"

So I put them on the counter and kept thinking...

hmmm okay one can of cream of mushroom soup...

I will make a casserole! 

As I cook the noodles and chicken I think to myself... It is so bland looking.

(My mom used to tell us stories about her home ec teacher in high school and she said if your meal didn't have color you failed. Well, I would have failed will a capital F! 

JUST THEN, I looked in my veggie cubby in my fridge and saw..... ASPARAGUS! 

*Mouth starts salivating*

So I mixed it right on in and added the most important ingredient CHEESE!

(With my handy dandy helper.. GHIANNA!)

And now filling up my house is the sweet smell of the ...

Dehnert Girl Kick Asparagus Chicken Casserole :)

It was easy peasy and all you need is...

3 chicken breasts (or more depends on how many fine folks you are willing to feed)

One can of cream of mushroom soup (or more.... You are the chef right now, not me, but I did one :) )

Fresh, Absolutely Amazing Asparagus to taste ( If you know me, or not you should still know from this posting I used a massive amount of Absolutely Amazing Asparagus!)

NOODLES, NOODLES, NOODLES! (Again depending on how many you are willing to feed :) )

Yes, I did season the chicken, with some Chicken me up Chicken seasoning :) 

I cooked the noodles, Cooked the chicken and at the very end of the chicken I tossed in the Absolutely Amazing Asparagus for maybe 2 minutes (vital step right.. Two WHOLE minutes :) ) then I combined it ALL into a casserole dish cheesed the thing up mixed in the soup and then... WATCH OUT BETTY! 

It is currently in the oven warming up and I will broil the top of it to make some crunchy crunch cheese..

And this Dehnert Girl Kick Asparagus Chicken Casserole will make me famous... 

In my own cookbook :) 

And to top it off Mitch will be one HAPPY man when he gets home at ooo 2:20 AM :)

But now the cheese is done browning and my handy dandy helper and greatest taste tester in the world is ready to TASTE!

bone appetit :)

Lunch time enlightenment...

As we sit down to have a popsicle after lunch G says, 

"Hey mommy do you know what a Chihuahua is?"

"Yes, it is a puppy dog."

"Not just ANY puppy dog, it is the SMALLEST puppy dog in the WORLD!"

"Wow pumpkin you are smart!!"

"I know right!"

She amazes me more and more everyday! 

CCG (Crazy Cat Girl)

So tonight before bed Gbabe and I were doing puzzels (That were pretty stinkin' hard but she put them together faster than I could even follow)

We finished puzzels and it was teeth time, G stops sees Sally Buttons our kitty and says "WAIT STOP EVERYTHING! I gotta pet kitty"

"Mommy look! Sally is giving herself a bath... hmmm how interesting, she gives herself a bath by licking her fur.... hmmm very Interesting.."

While saying this she is tapping her chin with her pointer finger like a mad scientist.

I couldn't help but bust out laughing, she looked at me from the corner of her eye and started busting up laughing with me :) Such a stinker!

I love my little CCG!

Fun for the whole family.

So G is sick, she has been throwing up all day and since it is Friday and we can sleep in tomorrow I was trying to find some fun online for us that entertained while being stationary, besides TV and well I go to Google and didn't have to go any further. 

Thank you google for hours of entertainment :)

http://goo.gl/doodle/7JLF7

Dr. Gbabe to the rescue!

"Punkin mama doesn't feel good.. Do I have a fever?"

"HMMM lets see here... (fells my cheeks and forehead with her hand) OO mommy you have a high fever, you are sick... We need to get you some energy!"

"How do we get me energy?"

"Oh you silly, well I just rub your tummy like this. (she rubs my tummy) Okay now you have energy, I want a jelly sandwich, lets walk together and you do that."

(We walk to the kitchen and I begin making her a very delicious jelly sandwich before bed)

My daughter is super smart, she says she is going to be a doctor when she grows up, I don't doubt this one bit :) (She also says she is going to be a mommy, wife, astronaut and cow haha I am thinking she will also be a comedian on the weekends :) )

Pictures :)

So I thought I would post some updated pictures of our latest adventures :) We took the girls on a great walk down to the park in our little town and stopped for hot chocolate on the way home to warm up! It was an amazing day and we all slept awesome that night! A 4 mile walk did us good :) Having Mitty home is truly a dream come true. Us girls are on cloud nine!

daddy pulling G in the wagon!

Me and my girls

holding her bottle all by herself :)

She was pooped! She had to lay down on the way home

my girls :)

My three loves

Our little family!

my girls!

kisses! xoxo

Slumber Party...

So tonight is G and Shea's first slumber party together! The girls and I are driving from Shea Shea's house and Miley Cyrus is on, the girls are yelling "TURN IT UP UP UP!!!" So I turn it up and the girls are rocking out clapping and there are little lights going crazy in the back from their awesome light up shoes! 
Then for 5 minutes straight is was "ARE WE THERE?! ARE WE THERE YET!?" And if you can believe this, two three year olds in UNISON! haha
Now, a lot of people say I am a kid at heart, if you know me you know this. Well, I have decided I love being a kid at heart because you best believe I was rocking out right along with those two cuties! Now on to some dress up, games, maybe some manicures (if they decide to sit still long enough) and then popcorn and a movie before bed time! 

The mini Seahawk gals!

Sick babies...

The only bad thing about having a baby is when they are sick. You don't know what is wrong with them, what hurts or how to make them feel better. You know how to take their temperature, give them the right amount of Tylenol, if needed, cuddle with them, love on them, turn their humidifier on at night, suction their nose, give them lots of fluids, etc. But don't you wish they had neon signs on their tummies that told you exactly what hurt, exactly what was wrong with them...
I hate when my girls are sick... At least now that G is older she can tell us what hurts, what's wrong.. But Keylee is still just a tiny baby that can't and it breaks my heart. I would rather be sick every day of my life than my sweet angles feeling any pain or being uncomfortable.
I know many can relate...

Love.

I step out of the shower (and if you are a mom you know once you have kids privacy does not exist unless your better half grants you that luxury, and sometimes your kiddos sneak in and your relaxing shower turns into your kids playing in your makeup or your lotion) and there is G babe staring at me saying, "Mommy, I text you back, you are the best mommy ever. I love you." (then she grabbed my face and gave me a big smooch!) This is what motherhood is all about.
There are times when your sweet angels become their evil twins and raise hell all around the house, the store, the playground, etc. But the moment I just shared about makes all the bad, stressful moments disappear into thin air. 
Becoming a mom was the best thing to ever happen to me. Having lazy sundays with my girls and Mitty, just cuddling in bed, watching kid movies and laughing all together are the days I look forward to most. 
Having my daughters look up at me and smile is priceless and fills my heart with joy.
Granted when you are a mom you have no privacy, you gain some weight, add some stretch marks on your not so perfect body and loose the majority of your social life; you gain so much, so much that the few things I listed don't matter. 
Being a mom is not a walk in the park all the time, and if anyone tells you it is easy just remember it isn't always easy. But the rewards are priceless and you gain the best memories, like the one I gained this morning. G babe, thank you for always knowing how to push my buttons, the good ones and the bad ones. You are mommy's world! 
My journey through motherhood has just begun and I look forward to all the obstacles, achievements and memories I will gain over the remaining years of my life.