Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all you readers and bloggers! I hope this day is filled with all of the love and joy that the holiday can bring. Sitting here at nearly 8 o'clock in the morning still haveing not heard a peep from my lovely children I am baffled. Who knew they would sleep in on Christmas when they had stockings to open? I of course woke up with a full bladder and empty stomach at 7 o'clock so I am all up and ready to watch the joy spread across their sweet little faces and start bouncing around the room. Kids happiness tend to overlap onto anything remotely close to it so I am looking forward to this being a very happy and fun holiday. I certainly hope that all of you out there are waking up to similar happiness and excitment on this blessed day. For now I am going to sit and enjoy the last few minutes of sweet silence before the day blasts into full swing. Much love and happiness to you all.

Seperation and more

Well, it happened. I had to give up my studio room. We moved Zoe into her very own "big girl room" and for the time being Sydney has her own too. Syd will be sharing her room with the new baby eventually. We are hoping that this will help Zoe to fill more grown up and extra special so she will act like a 'big girl" instead of like her little sister. We are also hoping that it helps Sydney feel more comfortable in the big sister role that she is about to take on. First night was rough - both kids didn't want to be apart and ended up in our room about 5 times each. The last two nights have been better, and I for one believe that once they get use to the idea the arrangments will lead to better sleep for everyone.

By the end of the week our holiday guest (Nanny) will be in residence, and we anticipate seeing much more of Auntie Shar as Christmas grows nearer. For now we are working hard at finishing our shopping and wrapping and other preparations. The kids are on Santa countdown. The weather finally turned cold (20's or so) and we have had a bit of ice and snow, but so far nothing like previous years. Here's hoping for a white but not too icey Christmas!

First Appointment

Yesterday was my first OB appointment for this time around. I'm happy to report I got a prescription for anti-nausea meds! Hooray! Other than that it was the usual go rounds of drawing blood (which took forever thanks to my tiny insignificant veins) and general physical exams. No actual weight gain as of yet, although my tummy already sticks out a bit due to lack of muscle tone and two previous pregnancies. We listened for the heartbeat twice but since my uterus is tilted backwards (it has always been that way - no cause for concern) it made it impossible. So we are going back for another listen in two weeks (yep, Christmas Eve). I think hearing the babies little ticker would make for an excellent Christmas present. Other than that there is little to report. The kids and I are making Christmas candy (and rapidly eting it) and looking forward to the festivities to come.

Tree Time

Last weekend, we went to the tree farm to pick out our Christmas tree... (you'll be happy to know I made it there and back without vomiting once- a real achievement these days).

Here Rob and Zoe consider a tree (a noble fir from Oregon - just like every year) and this is the one we ended up with.

Here Sydney and Auntie cheese it up for a picture before we head inside to pay and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.
Later we decorated the tree. It looked pretty good. The kids keep trying to rearrange it now though so who knows what it will look like by Christmas day!

No climbing on the chairs!

A couple of days ago my sweet children were playing on barstools that they are not suppose to be on and Sydney pulled one down on top of herself. Ouch, right. More than that. It landed on her big toe and gave her a huge bloodblister. I called the pediatricians office and they said there was nothing anyone can do and that she will probably lose the toenail. Bummer. So now she is limping around and can't wear shoes at all. Poor little thing. And yet she still tries to climb on that same barstool that has given her all that pain. Go figure.

Caution: Graphic images follow...

Thanksgiving

Hope Everyone had a great turkey day! We had fun. Just us and Auntie Shar and way too much food. Troy came over later and we watched football and then played rockband. Goodtimes. These are pictures of us making candy/cookie turkeys with the kiddos.

Strangers at the door?

Last night after dinner I put the kids in their pjs and decided that we could all sit down and watc h a video together. Not 15 minutes into the movie there was a ring at the bell. I never answer the door if I am not expecting someone especially after dark because I am paranoid (or well brought up - never answer the door to strangers, blah blah blah). So I didn't get up, but the kids started running around screaming so whomever was out there knoew we were inside. Then another ring and another the kids were frantic so I got up and causiously opened the door. It was Rob. Home early. The kids were beside themselves and couldn't figure out what to do first. It was very nice to have him home even if he did have to get up early this morning to go to work again. With any luck he will be home at a decent hour tonight and we have a four day weekend together. Something to be thankful for.

Stolen husband....

The Air Force has yet again stolen my husband. We had planned on having nine consecutive days together over the Thanksgiving holiday. However, not only did he have to work on Saturday buit he had to leave on Sunday at the crack of dawn to go stay on base for some something or other (canceling the leave he was planning on taking) and I will be lucky to have him back midday on Thanksgiving. How rude. Needless to say I am a bit irritated about the whole thing. I guess it comes with the territory though. Luckily Shar was up for the weekend so the girls and I weren't totally lonely. I suppose that in the spirit of the holiday I will try to see the positive side of things and be thankful for the time I do get to spend with him and that he isn't deployed.

More than you probably need to know...

I have just entered morning sickness hell. Those of you who have been there know what I mean. I just keep trying to remind myself that it was worth it for each of my other kids and this one will be worth it too. Thank God that postnatal hormones make us forget all of the endless torture we survive throughout pregnancy or no one would have more than one. My first prenantal appointment isn't until December 11 so for now all I can update anyone on is myself as far as the pregnancy is concerned. Due date should be early July( 7th or 8th by my calculations), yep, another July baby.....I am swearing off October sex until after menopause! Im sure that was too much information...sorry...but we weren't even going to start trying to conceive until November, yet the lack of prevention proved to be all this couple needed - no actual trying required. Oh well.

As for the rest of the troops: Rob has finished all of his degree requirements and is waiting on paperwork to be officially graduated. Zoe and Sydney are growing and changing every day. Their new favorite thing it seems is singing along with me at bed time (You are my sunshine, and the goodnight song from Lawerence Welk - don't ask). Sydney is learning her alphabet and can count to about 13. Zoe is learning to write all of her letters in preschool and is getting pretty good at drawing. She is very concerned about coloring inside of the lines all of a sudden and let's Sydney know that she's not doing it "right". Of course we have to explain that there is no right in art. Now that Halloween is over they keep asking about Christmas - Thanksgiving somehow just doesn't count in their minds. Over the weekend we all went to see Madagascar 2. It was Sydneys first movie in the theater and they both had a blast and did great which was a relief to me.

Gotta go, I am needed...more to come soon

Guess what....

I'm pregnant!

Autumn

New work:

Quelf.....

After the kiddos went to bed on Halloween the grown ups settled in for game night. During a game of Quelf (by the makers of Cranium) I drew a card that instructed me to grab a camera and take pictures of the other players while saying things like "give me love, your a tiger, show me sexy..." and here are the results of that...... Rob digging for gold

Troy (Sharlene's Boyfriend) striking a pose

And Sharlene cheesin'.

Halloween

My little pumpkin witch and Cinderella getting ready for trick-or-treating! After a bit of apprehension about going up to strangers in unfarmiliar houses they really warmed up once they started to accumulate candy. Sydney was a trooper and scurried along on those little legs from house to house....Zoe was nervous at each house but after recieving candy she would say thank you and run back as fast as possible to tell me she got even more candy (as if this was unexpected). My favorite halloween moment was hearing them say "Happy trick or treat!"

Pumpkins, cupcakes and stories...oh my!

We finally got around to carving our pumpkins that we got from the pumpkin patch, plus a jumbo one that Rob couldn't live without. Unlike many - my kids totally dig the goo and seeds. Sydney even tried to gnaw on the uncarved pumpkin.

We went to a "storybook forest" where you walk through a wooded path and there are stations with strorybook characters seet up and the kids get to pick a treat out at each one. There were gamews and a hayride and campfires and story readers. It was really fun. Here are the girls as we entered the forest.

Nanny sent the things to make halloween cupcakes...so we were happy to make them and lick the bowl!

Marking the calendar today! Zoe actually let me wash, blow dry, and fix her hair up with a clip! Then she smiled for a picture or two! (so you know she hates all of those things) Made my day a little brighter.

Water water everywhere!

Sydney pulled the stopper in the bathroom sink today, and flooded the entire bathroom. When I found her and asked what happened all she had to say for herself was, "Wet, Mommy!"

moment captured

The other day the kids were playing in their pjs. Zoe decided to share hers and started dressing Sydney in her pajama top. I grabbed the camera just in time for her to turn around and give her a big hug. I think this may be one of the only recent pictures I have of both of them looking at the camera, smiling, and getting along!

Weekend update

So we took the kids to the Orr Family Farm's pumpkin patch to get this years pumpkins for Halloween. The kids had a blast. We went on a hayride out to the patch and they got to hunt around for the perfect pumpkin. We rode the train around the property, went to the petting zoo area and scared the poo out of some bunnies, played on the playground with one of Zoe's friends who was also their and went on a pony ride and on the merry-go-round. Whew! As if that wasn't enough.... the following day we attended a birthday party at Chuck E. Cheese. Yes. I know. And I am exhausted. Other than a couple of smallish tantrums though, everything was fun. Unfortunately Sydney had some trouble sleeping last night and therefore so did I. Today we took Rob to the airport for another week long TDY. So I am hoping beyond hope that at some point this week I am able to rest, because next weekend will be jampacked too. I guess its just our way of jumping into the holiday season of ultra busy-ness. For now I suppose i better charge the camera battery so I can download the pictures that I got before it died and get them posted. More to come.

Tah-Dah

So here it is complete. Now gracing the wall space above the tv in my living room. Still feel like I'm faking it. But you will be happy (I hope) to know that other than my ongoing search for artistic authenticity, things are good. Nothing much in the way of actual news, but general good feelings abound. Fall is slooooooowly creeping into my neck of the woods (highs in the low 80s just can't quite figure out that its October). Maybe it will be jacket weather by Christmas. Speaking of which I am trying to get a jump start on my holiday shopping, however jumping is about as far as I got. Maybe this weekend....

Something new

I have decided to take a new direction in my artwork. Trying to get my art to reflect who I am as a person - sometimes that feels imposible. I still haven't found my niche yet but I am forever searching and trying new things. My husband seems to believe that my newest piece is much more on target than most of my past work which I guess means that I am on the right track. He went as far as to say that it's much more hippie than my older work - so now I'm a hippie. Well, lets face it, I guess thats not so far off mark. Anyway, I thought I would give any readers out there a preview of the new piece (intended for my living room). Any thoughts would be appreciated - even constructive criticism is welcome.

This picture is about a week old and some changes/ additions have been made. I will post again when it is finished or at least closer to finished.

Melancholy moment...

Rob is TDY for a week. Kids are in bed early because they were being cranky. I am lonely and bored. Also anxiously awaiting news and pictures of mini-miller. I am feeling nostalgic and missing all of my friends from back home. I wish I could be there and see all of your beautiful babies. I suppose these feelings will only get worse if/when Rob goes on a 6 month deployment (which he is very likely to do after the first of the year). I guess at that point I will really be earning my stripes as a military spouse, since I have been so lucky as to not have had to endure anything longer than a couple of weeks seperation since our wedding. I have to say though that reading your blogs has been wonderful. It is so nice to know what is going on in the busy lives of people I once was close to and still consider very good friends. It's funny how we all grow up and move on, some stay in touch and others fall away. I feel like I fell away, but I never really wanted to and now long for connections that I may never be able to recover. I guess thats just the melancholy talking. I think its time for some ice cream and a comedy.

kids say cutest things

OK, so Rob played the saxophone in highschool and since then it has been living in its case under our bed. Yesterday, the kids were playing with their recorders (thanks a lot Auntie Shar) and he decides to get it out and show them. So he puts it together and plays a few notes, lets the kids try to blow on it (funny in its own right) and then tries to play Mary had a Little Lamb. Zoe calls out the name of the tune then laughs and says, "That's a groovy instrument, Dad!"

Whats been going on

Took the kids to the state fair on Tuesday. They had a blast. Zoe rode all the rides that she was tall enough to get on. Thankfully the only fit that we had was because she got "frusterated"-her word- that she couldn't ride on one of the other rides. In other news I had ear "surgery" today. Had another tube placed in my right ear, so now I can hear. Yay for hearing! Now my children seem even louder than they did before, hmm now I think I need earplugs for at least part of the time in order to keep my sanity...but that could just be the left over drugs talking. Speaking of drugs, the anethstesia provided me with a much needed nap - I'm thinking about getting surgery weekly. Hm. I'm starving.........

So much for Voodoo

Rejected by the art show. Feeling even more depressed. So much for putting myself out there. I think for now I would rather lock myself in here.

Back on the horse (so to speak)

After a few grueling days of hard core feeling sorry for myself and fighting the uncessant urge to just give up, I have put myself and my artwork back out there. Today I mailed off my artist packet to 3 more galleries in the area. I am still waiting to hear back from an arts/crafts show that I applied for months ago (word should be coming this week). Again with the fingers crossed, prayer, voodoo whatnot. I really just feel like I need some positive response from the art world. A change to show and sell my art would be a step in the right direction. As for those of you who have expressed your support - Thank you. I needed every bit of it. Its so depressing to put a piece of yourself out there to be judged by a very harsh and demanding public. So I guess mild depression goes with the territory. At least I still have both of my ears, however poorly the right one still hears.

Rejection sucks

Got rejected by 50 Penn Place Gallery. Sad.

Back to school

"Oh, back to school, back to school....." Zoe's first day as a "Sunbeam" (K-4, Preschool). After a timid meeting with her teachers yesterday I was a bit worried that their would be crying and prying from the legs on todays menu (even that would beat hallucinating about giant penguins, I suppose). I was pleasantly surprised when she ran right in and said good morning to her teachers and gave one of them a hug! Social butterfly spreads her wings. Sydney still gets one more year of mommy-time before she gets to go to preschool (3yrs old variety).

Anxiety Attack

Ok, well, not exactly an anxiety attack, but something akin to panic. You see, today I took three pieces of my current collection (check it out on my website: www.abstractinfusion.com - it takes forever to load so be patient) to a gallery here in oklahoma city called 50 Penn Place Gallery. Here is the scoop. It is run by 13 artists who vote on what artists will be accepted as guest artists at a monthly meeting. I sent in my artist packet with my resume and "artist statement" and a cd of photos of my work. Got a call back asking me to bring some work to a meeting. So now its there. The meeting isn't until September 3rd, but I'm already aquiver with nerves - like a small anxious dog only I won't pee on the floor. So cross your fingers, knock on wood, say a prayer, send out good vibrations, hoodoo some voodoo, gimme whatever you got in the support department because I need it. I have 27 pieces of art in this collection that I would love to clear out of my space in exchange for $$$$$. Hahaha. nervous laughter. anyone interested in owning an original Lacey Christiansen, feel free to contact me! Hahahahhahaha, more nervous laughter. Yipes. Must stop typing and try to remain calm.

Giggles

My lovely children all dressed up, running in circles on a blanket. They derive more pleasure from this than I can even begin to describe. Kids - go figure.

Doll House Blues

For my pregnant friends and thise of you with newborns, I give you this advice: If you have any desire of building a doll house for your precious little one, Start NOW! I am building a dollhouse for Zoe (4) that my MIL bought for her birthday and it has become the bain of my existance. The box says "fast, easy assembly" and I beg to differ. The box should say tenuous, tedious, and virtually never ending assembly. Now I consider myself pretty crafty and thought that this should be no problem at all. I was over confident it seems because, while I have made progress, the more I get done, the farther off the finished project seems. The worst part is that it was an involuntary project and maybe that is why it seems soooooo, well, irritating. So be forewarned. If you should plan ahead and do just a bit at a time from conception through about age 4-5 you should be well finished and your child can enjoy tearing your hard work to shreads in a more timely fashion. So here I am avoiding the dreaded doll house. Now that I am stuck ranting about it I keep thinking how I would be making more progress to go work on it than to sit here droning on about how I hate working on it. So I suppose in the next little while I will have to pick myself up by the proverbial bootstraps (since I, of course, am not wearing any shoes) and get to work. In the words of Julie Andrews/ Mary Poppins "well begun is half done." So off I go. Wish me luck.

What day is it?

Is it really Friday? Somehow I have lost a day this week. How does this happen? Did I just sleepwalk through an entire day? All day yesterday I thought it was Wednesday and today I thought it was Thursday. And yet here it is Friday. The odd thing is that I usually clean and do laundry on Thursdays (more intensely than I do every other day of the week), and when Rob came home, fully aware I am assuming that it was indeed Thursday and that I clean on Thursdays, he didn't say anything. That maybe wouldn't be odd for some men, but it's definately out of character for this man - he notices everything and generally when something is out of the norm he mentions it. But no, when he got home to a less than spotless house which he should have been expecting- not a word. So I went on believing that it was wednesday. So Today I spent all day cleaning and doing laundry, etc. When I finally realized it was Friday I couldn't believe it, I checked the computer and my phone and with the neighbor - yep, I even asked the neighbor. So I should be happy right? Who doesn't love Friday? But I am so stuck on wondering what happened that I could have missed a day that I can't get to the happy yet. It's like when you are driving somewhere farmiliar and zone out then suddenly awake from your daze already arrived at your destination and wonder how you got there, if you ran any red lights on the way, and the like. Only I managed to zone out an entire day! Okay, Okay, get over it already. This is not the end of the world. But, I wonder what else I forgot this week?