Goodbye, First Tooth!

Syd's first loose tooth has been grossing me out for weeks, but thankfully her disgustingly loose tooth is now out of her mouth! My Mamaw taught first grade and kindergarten for half a century and learned a thing or two about pulling teeth. I think most citizens in White Deer have had at least one tooth pulled by Mary K. Diggs, so I was so happy that she could carry on the tradition with Sydni! Mamaw snatched the tooth out of her mouth before she even knew what was coming, and thankfully, my sister Layci had her camera to capture the moment.

She's still in shock, but happy the tooth is gone!

Check out Snaggle Tooth!

One lovely tooth to put under her pillow tonight!

Posing with Mamaw and her precious tooth.

Putting her tooth in her "Baby's First Tooth" keepsake box to put under her pillow. This made Mommy extremely sad because I remembered opening those keepsake boxes during Sydni's baby shower. I also remember the sleepless nights that resulted from that little tooth trying to poke through her gums! Syd-o is growing up too fast!

SYDNI'S SCARY STUFF!

You've heard of "mother's intuition" right? Well, I'm a firm believer in the concept after this week's events with Syd-o. Donnie might call my "mother's intuition" as being "lenzi-freaks-out-about-everything", because I'm no stranger to being overly cautious....maybe too cautious. Either I've read too many books or watched too many Dateline specials, I don't know, but I do obsess over every possible horrific scenario that could befall my children. I've even been known to stand in the middle of the street and yell at "those darn teenagers" that drive by my house too fast. YES...I'm one of THOSE mothers!


My girls are priority numero uno, so when Sydni didn't bounce back from having the flu in November, I fretted, worried and obsessively Googled her symptoms much too often. (NEVER Google symptoms, by the way - not a great way to bring peace of mind, my friends!) Sydni's symptoms included things like constant fatigue, random fevers, paleness, and just not being the Sydni I know and love. I KNEW SHE WASN'T WELL, but we didn't have anything concrete to share with our pediatrician. On the days she would be tired and moody, the next day she would be buoyant and energetic. When I would notice her having a low-grade fever, the next day she would be fever-free...it was maddening! Finally, I told Donnie that I wanted to have her blood drawn and to take her to the doctor for a full examination. He was worried about Sydni's constant fatigue and over all puny-ness, too, so he actually agreed to the full examination and blood work without giving me the "you're being overprotective" speech.


After going to the pediatrician, initial tests discovered that Sydni has mononucleosis, or MONO, and has probably had it since November. Even after discovering her mono, our doctor wanted to run her blood through the gamut of tests to "be sure there isn't anything more serious going on". Of course this nondescript statement translated to my over protective ears as "we want to make sure your adorable baby girl doesn't have leukemia or another scary illness." The 24 hours we had to wait on the rest of the tests were the longest of my life. I had to shutdown my brain and instruct myself to not think the worst, but it is so hard to not even consider the worst possible outcomes. I kid you not when I say that I saw seven St. Jude's Network commercials during that span of time; which let me just say that I have the utmost respect for parents of children who are fighting illnesses. I donate to St. Jude's every time they send me a donation letter, and will continue doing so for the rest of my life. Thank the Lord, her tests came back perfectly healthy (excluding the Mono)! We will need to monitor her closely for the next couple of weeks to make sure she is resting and eating well and not becoming run-down. I will take Mono any day over the other diagnosis I was tossing around in my head! Thank you for your prayers and for lifting Sydni up during our horrific, 24 hour purgatory. We may have a tired 5 year old on our hands for a few more weeks, but at least we know that she is NOT CONTAGIOUS and will kick this illness. We will spend our Spring Break relaxing and building up our baby's strength for the rest of the school year.

The Gift of an Ordinary Day...

I think I learned after the illness and passing of my Nana, that "ordinary days" are heaven on earth. The ordinary days entail the moments when there isn't a crisis, special event, chaotic celebration, or depressing drama. Ordinary days are the hours I missed terribly during the year Donnie and I were apart...simply preparing supper while Sports Center blared in the background was an event I craved and missed terribly! I've learned the hard way to cherish my family and the little moments that I used to take for granted. I thank God everyday for my husband, my daughters and the life that we have together. The ordinary days are what I love the most, and on this rainy Sunday, I took the time to enjoy a lazy afternoon with my husband and girls. We baked a cake and cupcakes for no reason at all, watched a NASCAR race, attempted a game of Candy Land, and had a tickle war until we were giggling uncontrollably! I didn't need anyone to remind me that the ordinary days are a gift and a blessing, but my friend (thanks, for making me cry Erin!) sent me a link to this youtube video that should remind all of us that the life we are living RIGHT NOW will not be constant. "They grow up too fast" may sound cliche, but Mommies and Daddies know the glaring truth behind that phrase, and Katrina Kenison reminds all of us to love the life we have in her book The Gift of an Ordinary Day. Watch her video below, and grab a few tissues, Mommies!

Yep, it's in the afternoon and we are STILL in our jammies. We skipped church due to the rain...we are weenies when it comes to bad weather!

I love my silly girlies!

Can you say "SUGAR HIGH"?

Per Makenzi's request, we decided to make the icing purple. A purple cake and purple cupcakes to celebrate our rainy day at home!

My Yard Hands at Work!

It's probably a stretch to say that I have a green thumb, but every year (with the exception of one), I've had flowerbeds to fawn over and obsess. Last year's beds were my best to date, and I'm going for gold this season! I think I might try to "go green" this year and use only organic means of maintaining my beds...so no Miracle Grow or weed chemicals in 2010. I've been reading up on some tips, and I'm ready for the warmer weather and a chance to try out what I'm learning. Growing things looks easier than it actually is, and my two small beds take quite a bit of attention, but I enjoy maintaining them and so do the girls. (And for Donnie....not so much. He is not a fan of the great outdoors, so yardwork is not a "couples thing" for us!) They each have gardening gloves (that they never wear because it hinders their ability to squish mud between their fingers) and small gardening tools to "help" me when I'm weeding. They love to water the flowers and have actually become quite good at watering not only the plants, but each other. Most of our summer evenings ended with one or both of the girls soaking wet! By the end of the season last year, Sydni could identify a weed and pull it out without breaking the root. I'm so ready for warmer weather to arrive so we can get started on our flowerbed project!

Even though planting for the summer season is months away, the girls and I cleaned out the beds this weekend. It was too gorgeous of weather not to be outdoors! Syd and Mak made a mud pies and found a few worm friends, but we were able to clean out both beds and trim the hedges. I also managed to trim the rose bush without cutting the power cord to the electric trimmer! Yep, I did that last year...stupid green extension cord blended in with the bush and I whacked it in two before realizing that it wasn't a part of the bush. I remember thinking (before realizing what I had done, "Why is this bush sparking?". I told you it was extreme exaggeration to call me a green thumb...I bet most gardeners avoid electrocuting themselves when trimming. Here's to hoping I make it through the gardening season of 2010 without frying myself!

The flowerbeds of 2009...my competition for this year's challenge!

I've figured out that this combination of flowers works best in our beds. Almost anything else dies as soon as the temps get past 95 degrees.

See Sydni's worm on her hand? There was also a nice pile of snails they found and played with while I worked! These girls are no strangers to mud. They play like little boys most of the time! More worms...she knows NOT to kill them! They are good for the flowerbeds!

Cowgirl Day!

Today, Syd's kindergarten class is celebrating Texas and the wild West by dressing up like cowboys and girls. For lunch they will chow on Frito pie and sing Texas tunes, and I think Sydni mentioned something about lassoing something...who knows! As for the Texas tunes, I need to record her singing "The Eyes of Texas" because her version rocks! Notice her "Party in the USA" tee shirt. This is her favorite song right now, so when we found it at Target we had to incorporate it into our Western get-up! She's more of a contemporary cowgirl!

Happy Cowgirl...

Make my day, punk....Don't mess with this cowgirl!

Stick em' up!
I'll make ya famous...
Law don't go around here. Savvy?!

Sydni's New Do'!

Granny took Syd and Mak to get a trim today, and our little Diva decided she wanted a new look. We might go for the stacked bob next time, but Deb was afraid to let her take too much off this go around.

Does it look like yours, Momma? She would totally get it highlighted, too, if I let her. Uh, NO!

Side view. It's a little messy from rolling in the grass with Fudge and Lady.

Pretty darn cute!

Doodle wanted hers cut shorter, but Mommy isn't too keen on having two heads of hair to blow dry and style each morning!

Makki has such silky hair, it's hard for me to let her cut it!

Work it, girlfriend!

Not shy...at all!

She Can READ!

Sydni is now reading without much assistance in her .5 and 1.5 AR books. She is doing such a great job and is sounding out words and remembering all of her sight words. I'm hoping she will continue to love reading like I do. Wouldn't that stink for a Reading teacher to have a kid who absolutely hates it? She does have my penchant for buying books, so we shall see if it carries over in to her teen years! Either way, I'm proud that she's beginning to accomplish the goal she wanted to conquer on the very first day of school - READING! YEA, SYDNI!

Chalupa Night!

We found something that Makenzi will eat! CHALUPAS! We made the lovely "flat tacos" (as Syd calls them) tonight, and the girls thought they were DELICIOSO! Here they are enjoying their chalupa creations...

Sydni likes hers with a pound of lettuce on top...
Makenzi likes hers super-messy!

EXCITING NEWS at the Hart House!

We had some big stuff going on yesterday! Events were set in to motion earlier this week that we were not anticipating AT ALL, but isn't that how blessings usually work? They come when you are least expecting (or wishing) for their arrival! A previous manager of Donnie's now works for a medical device company and recommended Donnie for a device sales position that opened up in Lubbock. He was given a phone interview last week, aced it, and was flown to Dallas yesterday for the final interview. If you are not in the world of medical sales, you might not know how nerve-racking an interview with a device company can be...device sales are like the "BIG LEAGUES" of medical sales. Needless to say, Donnie was NERVOUS and we were keeping our mouths shut about it, so that's why no one really knew he was interviewing yesterday! Neither of us wanted to get too excited about the possibility of him being able to take such a giant leap in his career, and we didn't want to jinx anything!

Before we get into the outcome of his gut-wrenching ordeal, let's talk a bit about Sydni's big news. At the same moment Donnie was being grilled in an interview room in Dallas, Sydni was being named "Student of the Month" at her Kindergarten six weeks awards ceremony. (Donnie was ticked he missed it, and so was I. I was at a literacy workshop, but Granny Deb acted as our liaison and was there to cheer Syd-o on as she received her award!) Sydni received a certificate, a voucher for a FREE MEAL AT THE COTTON PATCH, and a free pass to Skate Night at the Sports Plex. She was over-the-moon when we picked her up from school! Donnie arrived back in Lubbock around 2:30, but didn't know the outcome of his interview yet. He felt confident in his answers and had a good feeling about his performance. We decided to take Syd and Mak for ice cream immediately after school to celebrate her award while we waited for the "verdict" from the excecutives in Dallas. They still had one more interview to excecute after Donnie and told him they would let him know something before five o'clock! While we were finishing up our cones, Donnie received a call and disappeared in the ice cream store bathroom for awhile, and I think my heart did flips and lodged in my throat during those excruciating minutes he was gone! He came out grinning from ear to ear! They had offered him the job! To say he was excited is a gross understatement...Donnie was PUMPED!

So we had multiple accomplishments to celebrate last night! Cotton Patch Cafe was rockin' (with blue hairs and geriatric patients) but the Hart Family livened up the joint for the hour or so that we were there! Sydni made sure every waitress knew about her "Student of the Month" free meal, and I think that plate of macaroni was the "best food" she's ever had...according to her. I am so proud of my Syd-o and my Don! Donnie will start on March 8th, and will have a hard year of work ahead of him, but I know he can do it! He is too smart not to succeed in this industry. He will be the device rep for foot and ankle products at Wright Medical. Click on one of the "how to" videos to see what Donnie will have to know how to instruct his doctors to do! I'm glad he doesn't have a queasy stomach! Aye Ca rumba! He wouldn't take a "thumbs up" picture for me to post, so here's a few pics of Sydni and Daddy's "Congrats" balloon!

She wanted a picture of her jumping off of the coffee table, but I don't have a great camera for those kids of shots. So here's a blurry picture of Sydni jumping. Ha!

No, it's not warm enough for sleeveless yet, but Granny Deb bought her this outfit the other day with the intention of Sydni waiting for warmer weather to wear it. Guess who's been driving me NUTS to wear it when it's 34 degrees outside? Sheesh.

Posing with the "Congrats" balloon I bought Daddy when I ran in to United to pick up a few groceries after he found out he got the job. WE are SO PROUD of him!

She's such a cheese ball! But a cheese ball that is STUDENT OF THE MONTH! lol!

The iPhone Foot Bandit!

Whose foot is this?
There's twenty more pictures of this little foot...

I'm not kidding...

SOMEBODY has a serious problem.

I WONDER who it could be?

Makenzi and Her Granny Glasses

Makenzi is going through a weird phase that involves (what she calls), GRANNY GLASSES. Her Granny Deb wears reading glasses, and Makenzi has always admired them - sometimes too much! I found a pair of fashion glasses at Dusty's accessory store the other day that didn't have any magnification to them so I figured they would be the perfect gift for Makki! She has worn them nearly every day since, and I'm not sure how long she will continue to "need her glasses". Here are a few pics capturing Makenzi and her new obsession.

Makki and her glasses, playing "office" at Granny's house!
Passed out in her Granny Glasses...

Modeling her Granny Glasses with Granny and Sydni (wearing my glasses)!

A Few Random Pics!

I'm usually annoying with my constant posting, but MAN, this semester has been brutal on my time to do anything other than work and write! I'm doing my best to compensate for lack of documentation this month, and since I'm forgoing Facebook for forty days, I've decided to focus energy on the girls' blog! Here are a few pictures I took today and a few days ago.

The girls watching Aunt McCaleb's basketball game. Mak is enjoying some popcorn. She can't do anything without a snack and Syd can't go anywhere without the proper accessories.

Mak and Belle Bennett playing at our neighborhood park. Belle dressed herself that day! Isn't she cute in her Halloween leggings and skirt, Valentine shirt, and diva boots? Do you see why Belle gets along so well with my girls? She likes to play in the dirt AND look great at the same time!

Our neighborhood has a great park with a track for me to run on while the girls play. I'm not kidding when I say this place is FULL OF KIDDOS! Every day that we go (weather permitting), there are at least ten other kids playing. The girls love it, and here they are with a few of our neighborhood friends! Notice how Mak's feet are not touching the ground. Impressive!

The Diva, posing at the park.

Granny Deb bought the girls ADORABLE "Tigers" hoodies.
Pretty cute, huh?!

The Doodle before heading to Amarillo for Alee and Alyx's birthday party. She had to have those "spark-le-leeeee" shoes she saw at Target the other day. She's starting to care about fashion, but I don't think anyone could be as DEMANDING about what they wear as her DIVA big sister!