Our Touchet Gang

Mean Lizard

2009-08-07T08:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the backyard with the girls when Kate discovered a little garden lizard. She was very interested in talking to the lizard and wanted to touch it. She poked it a few times and after my encouragement, picked it up.

It wiggled and then bit her.

(shrieks & hysterics)

She insisted on going inside after that and once she was calmed down (it scared her more than hurt her), we decided to name the lizard. And what was the name Kate & Emma came up with?

Sinbad Stupidhead

An obvious choice since the lizard was both bad and stupid. Right? Then Kate told me that she was going to go back outside and find that lizard so she could put poop on it. Lovely. We were relieved of that chore by our dog, Jelly, who had already eaten the lizard. Darn.

Now we know that Jelly is a good guard dog and was protecting her from the mean lizard.

Kate's Powers

2009-07-28T11:47:00.000-07:00

This morning I was chatting with a co-worker about kid stories. I mentioned how I took the kids the park yesterday after dinnner and when it was time to leave, one of them begged for a slurpee on the way home. When I said no, she cried and screamed the whole way home.

My coworker asked which child it was, and I said "Kate. Always Kate".

My coworker replied "Hmm, when she gets older, I hope she uses her powers for good".

Little Mermaids

2009-06-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

Every summer, Miss Kelly gives all the kids at school swim lessons. The first year is usually just about getting the kids comfortable in the water and dunking their heads and gradually works up from there.

Yesterday when I picked the girls up from school, Miss Kelly reported that they are officially swimming on their own. Now, I have to take her word for it, because we don't have a pool of our own, and when we go swimming at Grammy's pool, all they really want to do is crab walk around the edge of the pool. So we haven't actually witnessed any of this 'swimming on their own' first hand.

But we look forward to it!

Middle Names

2009-06-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Kate was asking me about middle names. She wanted to know her cousins' middle names. I wondered if she even knew her own middle name, so we talked about that for a while.

Katelyn Paige...

Emma Reese...

Then Kate says "I wish my middle name was Grandma Kathy".

What???

Kate goes on to explain to me that Grammy is her first name, and Grandma Kathy is her middle name. Don't you know that, Mommy? You need to talk to Daddy. He knows.

Apparently I just got schooled by a four year old. At least she thinks so.

(this all started because Eric read stories on Monday night and Tuesday is book sharing day at school. The girls brought the books that Daddy read, which were gifts from Grammy on their very first Christmas when they were only 10 days old. This was all before we started calling her Grammy, so her inscription on the books says that they are from Grandma Kathy.)

The Many Uses of Toilet Paper

2009-06-08T09:12:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the girls were fighting over a toy and Kate ended up in tears. I referreed and got it resolved, and just after that, Kate decided she needed to go potty. I helped her get a wad of toilet paper so that she could do pat-pat, which she did...and then she used the same wad of toilet paper to wipe her tears with.

So then I made her ask Daddy to give her a kiss on the cheek.

Just kidding!

I washed her face, I promise.

15 Midgets and Cinderella Beds

2009-05-28T07:52:00.000-07:00

At the park yesterday.....

Kris: Ok, you have 15 minutes left to play.
Emma: Let me check your watch.
(I show her my watch & she pretends like she can read a clock)
Emma: Yep, 15 midgets!

Then at bedtime, they requested that I read Mr & Mrs Noah, which led into a discussion about God, Jesus, and heaven...

Kate: Can I have my bed in heaven?
Kris: You can have any kind of bed you want.
Kate: I'm gonna tell Jesus I want a Cinderella Bed!

Wishing Wells

2009-05-26T08:43:00.000-07:00

Anytime we pass a wishing well, Kate & Emma will ask for a coin to throw in. We passed by one or two at Disneyland last week and another at the local mall this week. So we gave them pennies and told them to make a wish. We expected them to wish for toys or candy (especially at Disneyland), but they clutched the pennies to their chests with both hands squeezed together and said...

I wish I could go to Grammy's every day

and/or

I wish I could see Auntie Erin's new puppy and kitty every day.

Kris's 35th Birthday at Disneyland

2009-05-20T22:12:00.000-07:00

Daddy & Kate on Dumbo

The lady's chariot

Inside Mickey's House...

Tarzan's Treehouse

We had a great time at Disneyland. The girls were super cooperative and didn't whine or complain, even after we had walked and walked for hours without a nap. Kate is normally very nervous on rides, but she was way more confident and happily agreed to go on everything, even the roller coasters! They requested Big Thunder Mountain four times! Space Mountain wasn't her favorite, but there was no drama over it. The only rides we didn't do on were the Matterhorn, the Haunted Mansion, and Indiana Jones. The girls were actually wanting to go on Indy, but they aren't tall enough yet.

We bought annual passes, and since I bought mine ON my actual birthday, it was discounted $69 which is the cost of one day's admission. We're definitely looking forward to going back several times throughout the year.

Soccer

2009-05-15T10:19:00.000-07:00

The girls are officially signed up for La Mesa AYSO starting in August. We're all looking forward to it. AYSO really pushes hard for the parents to volunteer, so we may end up being a lot more involved than originally intended. We'll keep you posted on that, team name/colors, and of course, photos.

Warning: "Hotel for Dogs" causes nightmares!

2009-05-08T08:07:00.001-07:00

We rented Hotel for Dogs for the kids to watch. Its about a brother and sister in foster care that take in all the stray dogs around town and care for them in an abandonded building. Sounds pretty harmless, right? Rated PG and all that.

Too bad both girls woke up in the middle of the night with nightmares about being abandonded. Repeatedly. I've been awake since 1:15 am.

That movie is so going back to Netflix today.

Note to self: If you want to get any sleep, you will not freak out your kids by renting "kid-friendly" movies where the kids are orphans.

Kate & Emma are oh-so-very posh

2009-05-06T15:31:00.000-07:00

I love that when Kate & Emma are playing any kind of person of authority in their make-believe scenarios, they speak with a British accent.

They are pretty much always pretending and playing make-believe. They pretend to be animals, princesses, dancers, etc. and they talk normally. But somehow, when they pretend to be, say...a teacher, the mommy, a doctor, a queen, or any other role that they view as an authority figure, they suddenly start speaking in a British accent.

Well...a four year old's version of a British accent, anyway. And it delights me.

Easter

2009-04-21T20:20:00.000-07:00

The Easter Bunny brought backpacks instead of baskets

Fancy Easter dresses
The backyard egg hunt after we made them wait all day for Grammy to arrive

I found all the eggs!

Philadelphia, Part 3: QVC Beauty Bash

2009-04-21T20:06:00.000-07:00

The box of free goodies that we got when we checked into the hotel. We haven't even gotten to the Beauty Bash, and already there's free stuff!

Inside the box...

Mom with Holly Mordini, the Smashbox rep

At the end of the day, after carrying about 60 pounds worth of free swag (not that we were complaining!)

And here's what we got!

Score!

Philadelphia, Part 2: Amish Country

2009-04-21T19:54:00.000-07:00

One of the many horse and buggy's that we passed on the road.

Horse & Buggy traffic sign

Lots of wide open country and farms

Just a cool old house we passed by

Off to Market

We toured an Amish home and farm, but weren't allowed to take pictures inside. We also learned how to identify the Amish homes as we passed - there are no power lines going to the homes, and they have dark green shades on the windows. To our surprise, many of the homes on the main roads that we drove were occupied by Amish families. We had assumed that they lived farther back on side streets, clustered together with other Amish families. Apparently we were wrong!

Philadelphia, Part 1: Historic Stuff

2009-04-21T19:36:00.000-07:00

Yo, Adrian!

Christ Church Burial Ground, where Ben Franklin is buried

Christ Church

3 Front doors of Elfreth's Alley

Elfreth's Alley - The oldest residential street in the U.S. People still live there! Only now they have plumbing, kitchens & bathrooms.
A tour guide taking a smoke break
The room where the Declaration of Independence was signed
Mennonites touring historical sites (Mennonites wear pastels & brighter colors, but Amish wear only dark colors)

Independence HallThe Liberty Bell with Independence Hall in the background

Single Ladies

2009-03-30T13:28:00.000-07:00

Does it make me a bad mom because I taught Emma to sing "Single Ladies" by Beyonce? I caught her saying the "Oh-o-oh-o" part and helped her learn the chorus. Now she can sing...

All the single ladies, all the single ladies
Oh-o-oh-o
If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it
If you like it, the you shoulda put a ring on it

I'm a horrible mother, aren't I? But it is so stinking cute. It cracks me up every time.

That little girl just loves to sing. She even makes up her own songs and sings about her dolls, our family, the dog, etc. We went to the park on Saturday and we were playing in the sand while she sang fairly loud. She was singing about a sunny day, and I'm not sure if she was making it up as she went or not. Another little girl was digging in the sand with us and didn't want to be left out, so she sang "la-la-la-la" too.

Bedtime routine and the not-so-routine

2009-03-24T07:23:00.000-07:00

Putting two very talkative little girls to bed in the same room isn't always easy. They like to talk, giggle, play with toys, stall by going to the bathroom 100 times, or sneak into the living room. Some nights are easier than others. Last night we had a slight emergency (Emma) and slight hysterics (Kate).

About 5 minutes after we put them to bed, we could hear Emma whimpering and Kate calling us in the room. When I went in, Emma was coughing and sneezing (though it sounded fake to me). When I asked her what was wrong, she said she had a flower stuck up her nose. Again, I thought she was pretending to be allergic to flowers because of a kids show that we had just seen where one of the characters is allergic to wool. Turns out, she was serious. Eric had seen her playing with a teeny-tiny little flower shaped bead, and sure enough, it was stuck way up her nose. Eric tried to pull it out with some tweezers, but Emma kept sniffing it up. As soon as Kate saw the tweezers go in Emma's nose, she freaked out and started wailing hysterically. I don't know if she thought we were going to hurt Emma, or if she thought Emma was going to be hurt by the bead up her nose, or what. So Eric had to handle Emma and I had to handle Kate. Eventually, Eric got Emma to quit sniffing, and blow it out of her nose on her own. What a relief! Kate was still shook up and made us tell Emma over and over again not to put things up her nose. She gets so worried about Emma!

On a more heart-warming and less traumatic night, I overheard the girls talking at bedtime and was just about to go in and tell them to be quiet when I actually heard what they were saying...

Emma: What Katelyn? I can't hear you.
Kate: I love you, Emma.
Emma: I love you too, Kate.

Awwwww! My little sweeties!

Good Intentions

2009-03-16T10:38:00.000-07:00

I had really good intentions of posting some new photos of the girls this weekend. I really did. But I wasn't feeling well, then Eric went out of town, and then on Friday night the girls got sick. We spent the whole weekend couped up at home, watching cartoons and doing laundry. You'd think that since I was home the entire weekend, I could manage to download some photos, but...obviously I didn't.

The girls are still stuffed up and coughing and hacking, but hopefully their stomach issues are gone. Maybe don't count on me getting the photos up during the week, but maybe next weekend?

Muddy Puddles

2009-02-16T20:50:00.000-08:00

Today was really rainy and Eric was home with the kids. He bought them rubber galoshes and let them loose on a big puddle in our backyard. As you can see, they had a blast!

Dance Recital

2009-02-16T19:25:00.000-08:00

So I'm a little behind on posting these pictures. The recital was on Jan 30th and it didn't go as well as we had hoped. First off, we were late getting there and hadn't had a chance to take photos of the girls at home. By the time we got to the recital, there was such a huge crowd and chaos that the girls (Kate in particular) really freaked out. There was crying, clinging, and refusing to dance. It made picture taking difficult.

The performance itself was fairly anticlimactic...Kate & Emma stood on opposite ends of the stage and didn't move a muscle during the entire routine. Emma only moved enough to do a giant yawn right in the middle of the song, which was pretty funny.

Our ballerinas looked beautiful, but we're not sure they will be willing to perform at any more recitals in the near future. The next one is supposed to be at the Del Mar Fair. We switched them to a slightly older class, and so far the entire class seems to be paying more attention. We'll see whether they change their minds about performing come June.

Baby Memory Lane

2009-01-22T09:26:00.000-08:00

I love that blessing photo of Kate so much that I decided to post a few of my absolute favorite photos of the girls from when they were little babies. The girls also love it when we show them their pictures posted on the web, so they should get a kick out of this too. They love talking about "when I was a little baby..."

They ate so many carrotts and sweet potatoes that their noses turned orange. Just their noses.

Back when they were small enough to bathe in the sink

At super chub stage

Neener, neener, neener!

So smiley! And you can see the blankets in this one. Funny, Kate's hair looks lighter and Emma's hair looks darker. They were both born with coffee brown hair, but Kate's is now medium/light golden brown and Emma's is honey blonde. They sure do change, don't they?

We've been tagged

2009-01-20T19:32:00.000-08:00

Both Madison and Nikol tagged us on their blogs for a picture post. Here are the rules:

1. Go to your sixth picture file.
2. Go to the sixth picture in that file.
3. Post it and blog about it.
4. Tag 6 friends

Here's the photo that came up:

This is one of Kate's blessing photos, circa April 2005 at 4 months old. She's killing me with that pouty lip! This series of photos are some of my favorite EVER of the girls. Eric's mom made the dresses and bonnets and my mom made the blankets....although you can't see the blanket in this shot, can you? Oh well, they're gorgeous too.

I'm gonna tag Kelly Dodson, Joy Boaz, Janet Downey, Paul & Amy Touchet, Jessica Yergensen, & Tricia Varvel.

Coming Soon....Dance Recital!

2009-01-20T07:45:00.000-08:00

We just got our costumes for the girls' dance recital, and they are so stinking cute. I still have no idea what dance they are doing, because they haven't really been practicing a choreographed routine. They're still at the stage where they just follow the random instructions of the teacher, so perhaps that is what they will do onstage. Who knows? We're looking forward to seeing it, no matter what.

All are welcome to attend and there is no cost (as far as I know), so if you're in the area and want to check it out, come on over! It will be Friday, January 30th in the La Mesa Community Center at 5:30pm.

Let's get ready to....RUMBLE!

2009-01-09T10:37:00.000-08:00

There has been a battle going on in our household lately. Actually, its been building for quite a while....pretty much since the girls learned the word "no". We have a strong battle of wills brewing between me and Kate.

Kate is very intelligent, inquisitive, sensitive, energetic, well spoken, and has a great memory. She absolutely knows what she wants/likes/dislikes, doesn't mind sharing her opinion, and has her share of moxie. These are all wonderful things that I love about her. They make Kate, Kate. What parent wouldn't be proud of an adorable little smarty-pants daughter who speaks her mind? I admire those qualities. However, all these endearing traits work against me when I am locked in a battle of wills with that same 4-years-old-going-on-40 daughter. I mean, really? Where does she get this stubbornness from? Certainly not from me, right?

This is the part where my parents laugh hysterically and remind themselves that indeed, what goes around, comes around. I suppose you could say I was a willful child. Stubborn. Opinionated. I distinctly remember a heated argument with my Mom over my outfit and hairstyle for my kindergarten school photos. A long, heated argument. At age 5. Over hair and fashion. Much to Mom's credit, she did not let me win that argument, and I wore the Dorothy Hamill hairdo with the burgundy corduroy jumper and white eyelet blouse that she sewed herself. I was less than pleased. However, the picture turned out adorable, if I do say so myself. Now that I am in a similar situation, I have a whole new appreciation of my parents and the importance of not caving and letting her get her way. Its exhausting already, and I have 9 years before she becomes a teenager.

School Pictures

2008-12-30T11:20:00.001-08:00

Ok, I know I'm way behind on my blogging, but I'm working on it. Still to come, 4th birthday, Disneyland, and Christmas. But for now, here are the photos that were taken on picture day at the girls' preschool.

Katie Pie

2008-12-08T15:01:00.000-08:00

This weekend we were talking to the girls about going to Disneyland and getting Mickey Ears hats with our names written on them. We asked Kate/Katelyn which name she would rather have written on her hat. She seemed a little unsure before settling on Katelyn, so we started joking about other names that we could put on her hat.

I suggested: cutie patootie, Princess Kate, Queen Kate, cutie pie Kate, etc.

So when Kate suggested Katie Pie Poo-shay, instead of Touchet, I laughed so hard I cried.

Christmas Lights are up!

2008-12-07T18:15:00.000-08:00

We went to see Christmas lights this weekend with the Dodson family and Michelle McFarlane and her nephews. We made several stops, including Bob's Christmas Wonderland in La Mesa, which we found out doesn't open until Dec. 13th. We managed to get photos of Starlight Circle in Santee though. Here we are!

The whole gang

Michelle McFarlane, Kelly Dodson, me (Kris), and Emma "I'm an airplane!" Touchet

The Dodson, McFarlane, & Touchet kids

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-01T19:35:00.001-08:00

Emma singing the 50 states in alpha order

2008-11-18T11:18:00.000-08:00

The girls learned this song at school, but Emma is the only one who will sing it on command, especially with a camera pointed at her.

It's more like 54 or 55 states, because there are a couple of repeats in there. We thought it was cute anyway. We've been trying to post it for days, but the file was too big. Thankfully, we were able to load it on YouTube and then link it to our blog.

Bates Nut Farm

2008-10-27T20:41:00.000-07:00

Since Oma's didn't have any pony rides, we just had to make the drive up to Bates.

Carnival & Oma's Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-27T20:32:00.000-07:00

We went to the Konnor Dodson's school carnival on Friday night and then went to Oma's Pumpkin Patch on Saturday with the cousins. We had a good time but got really dirty!

Lashes & Freckles

2008-10-25T19:38:00.000-07:00

I just love Kate's lashes and Emma's freckles!

Announcing Noah Touchet!

2008-10-21T07:14:00.001-07:00

Edited for photo & new info....he's HUGE!
We have a new nephew, Noah Lucas Touchet! He was born last night weighing 9lbs 7oz. and 22.5 inches long! We hear that mom and baby are healthy, but we imagine mom is probably a bit tired. Congratulations Paul & Amy! We can't wait to see some pictures and meet the little guy!

Spookley the Square Pumpkin

2008-10-16T08:39:00.000-07:00

Spookley is huge in our house every year at this time. We watch it just about every day. Over. And over. And over. It is definitely not my favorite cartoon to watch, but the girls just adore it. It has a couple of cute songs that they sing along with and dance to, so as mommy, of course I think that's adorable. So at least Spookley has that going for it. Unfortunately, it probably won't be until mid-December when I can finally convince the kids to put this DVD away until next year.

I gotta say though, when it comes to kid-friendly Halloween shows, Spookley still beats any Peanuts Gang show. Have you watched those lately? I remember them being so great as a kid, but watching them as an adult now? It's actually shocking how bad they are. We've come a long way with kids shows since the 70s!

Parents, if you have any good recommendations for good kid's holiday shows, whether they be Halloween, Christmas, or whatever, I'd love to hear them!

Cruise Photos

2008-10-14T21:49:00.001-07:00

We're back

2008-10-07T09:37:00.001-07:00

Eric & I are back from our weekend Al B. Sure DreamTrip cruise to Ensenada. We'll have photos to share shortly. Al B and his family are all really friendly. His son, 'Lil B. Sure sang back-up at the concert on Friday night. On Saturday we got to hang out with the whole B. Sure family in the karaoke bar where they all took turns performing a few more songs!

The ship itself was really wobbly. We didn't get sick, but I still feel like I'm rocking back and forth, even sitting in a chair.

It didn't feel like a long enough vacation until we started thinking too much about missing the girls. They were as excited to see us as we were to see them. We spent yesterday playing with them so much that we actually wore them out before wearing us out! That was a first.

So Proud

2008-10-01T07:29:00.000-07:00

I promised the girls that I would put their most current art project up on their bedroom door (the fridge is full). So I did it while they were outside eating a popsicle. When they came back inside and saw their door, Kate said "Mommy, you did it! I'm so proud of you!"

My Grammy is really cute

2008-09-30T10:41:00.000-07:00

Sunday evening I had this conversation with the girls.

Emma: "My Grammy is really cute."
Kris: "Yes, she is, isn't she?"
Emma: "And, smart and brave and strong too." (taps head with pointer finger & flexes arm muscle)
Kate: "Yeah, she's really cute!" (grins)
Kris: "You both love your Grammy, don't you?"
Kate & Emma: "Yeah, we really do. Soooo much!"

They are very excited to have Grammy over for a sleepover for the whole weekend while Mommy & Daddy take a little trip. Mommy & Daddy are excited too! We know the girls will be in great hands! Thanks Mom!

Grandpa Tom & Grandma Susan visit

2008-09-28T17:21:00.000-07:00

Grandpa Tom & Grandma Susan were in town from Texas this weekend for Susan's niece's wedding. We got to visit with them for a couple of days and really enjoyed it. Since we don't get to see them very often, we have to make the most of our time together. Kate & Emma loved the extra attention. We're all looking forward to another visit at Christmas.

Dance Class

2008-09-28T17:10:00.000-07:00

It's been 3 weeks since dance class started, and the girls love it! They are in a 2-3 year old class of tap and ballet. Kate & Emma appear to be the biggest and oldest girls in the group. Before class started on their first day, their classmate, Zoey, introduced herself and exchanged hugs and kisses with each girls. Zoey has beautiful red hair, which the girls say makes her look like Ariel. Zoey & Emma frequently sit next to each other and hold hands throughout class. Their teacher, Miss Kristen, is great and makes learning a lot of fun. She taught the girls how to scuff their tap shoes on the ground so they wouldn't be so slippery on the dance floor. We can't wait to see what Miss Kristen has planned for the recital in January!

Knott's Berry Farm

2008-09-08T10:36:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Knott's on Saturday. It was hot but we had a great time. Emma laughs and giggles on all the rides, no matter how fast, but Kate was white knuckling most of them, even the Camp Snoopy rides. However, she pleaded to go on the Log Ride, twice! Here are a few photos of the day.Under the waterfall at Camp Snoopy entrance

Driving a big rig

School? I thought we were going on rides!?

Racing down the Red Baron

Putting on a "show"

2008-09-08T10:29:00.000-07:00

We had the Dodson family over for dinner and the kids put on a "show" for us! Kira Dodson (age 11) organized & choreographed it, and Konnor Dodson, Katelyn & Emma (all age 3) starred in it. What a crack up!

August Photos

2008-09-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Emma picked flowers at Auntie Erin's

I love my sister

Living Room Fort

Mamma Mia Mania!

2008-08-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

"Mamma Mia, here I go again. My, my, how can I resist you?"

I have seen Mamma Mia a total of three times now, and I love it a little more each time. Three times! Ladies, if you haven't seen it yet, you need to go. You'll love it! If you need a friend to go with you, give me a call and I'll see it again! Its fun, adorable, campy, and covered in glitter. I laugh, I cry, I sing the songs all day long. A friend gave me a copy of the cd this morning and I've had it on continuous loop all day. I will be buying my DVD copy as soon as it comes out, which I hope won't be too much of a wait. I don't think its possible for me to get sick of this movie.

Go Team USA!

2008-08-13T11:41:00.000-07:00

The Olympics are very popular in our house. In fact, instead of being a World Ventures Widow, I am now an Olympics Widow. I made the terrible mistake of turning off the tv while we were getting the kids ready to leave the house, thus depriving Eric of precious seconds worth of viewing time. Thankfully, I was rescued by my favorite invention, the DVR. Each night, the Olympics air from 8pm-midnight, so eventually I shuffle off to bed by myself and hear Eric's muffled cheers as Michael Phelps wins another gold medal, knowing that he'll fill me in on the USA's wins and losses the next day. So, go Team USA! You're only here every 2 years and I can have my husband back when you're over.

2008-08-12T16:00:00.000-07:00

Kris & I are talking about scheduling another cruise - with none other than Al B. Sure! We're gonna rock out 80's style! He's part of the same business that I work with called World Ventures. It's part business, part travel Club. If you don't know what it is check this website out. www.DreamTrips4You.WorldVenturesDreamTrips.com

So on another note...Kris signed the girls up for a dance class starting next month with a recital in January. We just got their little leotards & tights and still have shoes to buy. Emma is super excited, but Kate isn't quite so sure yet. However, they are already creating their own little "crazy dances" as they call them, which is them shaking their booty's, pointing their fingers, and laughing. We can't wait to post some dancing pictures for all to see.

Our Family Blog!

2008-08-05T16:34:00.000-07:00

I love checking in on the blogs of friends and family, so maybe you'll feel the same way about mine. Anyway, I'm new to this and bound to make several faux pas, so bear with me while I figure this out. Feel free to leave me comments too, cause I can't wait to read them and hear from you!