The Bella Story

This is a picture of Madyson and our 4th Grandchild "Bella", oh yeah, the little bear is "Pearl". Let me tell you a little about Bella. Bella is a doll that I got for Madyson for Easter this year. Wasn't an expensive baby doll but she was pink and if you ask Madyson what she wants she says "Pink". Pink anything. She was looking at a toy catalogue for Christmas and everything she picked out was "Pink". Anyway, back to Bella...After Haylee and Lauren saw Bella they wanted the same doll. I got one for Haylee and Becky got one for Lauren. However, neither one of them latched onto the doll like Madyson. Bella goes everywhere with Madyson. We are talking church, naps, breakfast, lunch, dinner, potty, baths, vacations, rides in the car seat, in the family pictures, sits in the cart during our Wal-Mart shopping excursions, you get the picture. Bella was also instrumental in the potty training of Madyson. Not that Mimi totally agreed with the way Michael & Daisha did it, they would take Bella away from her the whole day if she had an accident in her big girl panties. I told them "She's 2 years old, I thought the rule was suppose to be 2 minutes or at the most 2 hours", but what do I know, I'm just the Mimi.

A few weeks ago Daisha and Michael were talking about how dirty Bella was looking, I believe the word "disgusting" was used. I mean, there have been times I had to wash Bella's outfit before I would even take her out in public. So a new one was purchased and Daisha said she was going to put "old" Bella up as a keepsake. I thought that was a great idea. Well, yesterday "New" Bella was finally removed from the box and presented to Madyson. We wondered how she'd react to the new doll because she's so attached to Bella. She acted excited and seemed to treat her like she loved her but we knew right off the bat it wasn't quite the same. She calls both of them Bella, but that's about as far as it goes. Tonight the New Bella was invited to go to Papa Buck's for our Christmas with them but Madyson said "No, she staying here and going to bed". I guess there will be no replacement for Bella. Sorry Daisha. I know how bad you two wanted the switch to work. One more note on Bella: This is the only thing we don't make Madyson share. She seems to love this baby doll like we love our own children. You have to see Madyson with her. She talks to her, loves on her, kisses her and treats her so tender and loving like we hope she does her new baby sister when she arrives next April.

Let's go "see" Santa

Every year about this time most Mommy's want to take their little ones to "see" Santa Clause on the pretense (and usually unknown to the child) to have their picture taken with this Jolly ole Man. I must say the Mommy's aren't the only ones that want one of those pictures, the Mimi's, Nana's or Nanny's want the same picture of their grandchild.

Last week after church Amy took Haylee and Jamison to the Mall to get the girls picture with Santa. They're all dressed up in their beautiful little Christmas dresses, bows in their hair and looking like they're little models out of a catalogue. Haylee is six and at this point in her life she's always ready to say cheese in front of our cameras. However, Jamison, our innocent little one year old will only let one man hold her, her daddy, and usually can't sit still long enough for you to focus your camera.

Just two weeks prior to this Daisha and I are at the Mall shopping. We're on the second level of the Mall and down below we see Santa. "Look Madyson, there's Santa, he's waving at you." She waves back, we turn away and go into JC Penney's. I asked her, "Do you want to get your picture with Santa Clause" and she quickly replies "No" and then "Hold me Mommy". Through the rest of our shopping we have to take turns holding her and she never stops telling us how she doesn't want to have her picture taken with Santa. She tears up a few times and we finally tell her Santa's gone, he went to lunch. We finally had to leave the mall. Over the next few days we kept talking to her about getting the picture and she would say, "tomorrow we can". Well today at church my nephew Justin played Santa for the kids. Once she knew who he was she sat on his lap and took a picture, she was even smiling.

Smiling or crying the "Pictures with Santa" are always good memories.

Ouch!

Talked to Richie via email on Monday. He said he had a "little" accident. Apparently he got his thumb closed/smashed in a door of his Helicopter and the back part of his nail popped out. Yeah, that's right, I said the back part of his nail popped out. I can't even think about this without cringing. Now, anyone who knows me knows how low my pain tolerance is so as I'm reading his discription of his thumb, his nail bed and the pain I got sick to my stomach. One of the medics that was on his flight told him to go to the TMC, get the nail removed and it'll heal faster. My immediate email back to him was "Well, duh, and also you won't be snagging it on WHATEVER. I said, "Get the nail removed and let me know how your doing." His response, "I'm not coming off the flight schedule for this, I'll just suck it up awhile, take my advil and tylenol." Tuesday night he was able to Skype me and proceeded to put his thumb up to the Webcam to show it to me. No, I didn't look and yes, he laughed at me. Men... I do miss him!!!

Getting Ready for Christmas

Christmas this year... Well, Sunday I was really wishing for a miracle, more like praying for a miracle. I was hoping Richie would surprise me and come home for Christmas but I know "It ain't gonna happen". Had me a little pitty party Sunday, (don't worry, it was a short one), but I'm better today. One thing I do to put my attitude back into check is get busy doing "anything". I've been painting the inside of our home. I started with the entry hall, took Daisha & Amy's advise and went wild (for Barbie) on a color called "Earth Green". I had a lot of help from Daisha and a little from Madyson. I like it. After that project I started down the hallway to the living room and now into the kitchen. I still need a second coat on a small area in the kitchen and need to finish painting the rest of the trim and the main part of the house will be done. I wanted at least this much done before Christmas. Yeah!!! Please, any company needs to stay out of the army room. That's my "work" area and if by chance you do see it, please don't let Richie know what it looks like. I promise I'll have it cleaned up before he's home.

I also keep busy getting Christmas gifts bought and wrapped for the girls. I did most of my shopping on line. Now I didn't do it online because I'm lazy, I did it because I didn't want to fight the crowd. It works for me and I still have my Christmas smile. I have a few more things to do before I'm finished but for the most part I am done.

I decorated my tree in Red & White with lots of Candy Cane's. Haylee came in and saw the presents and said, "Mimi, can we open them". I told her we still have 20 days till Christmas. She put the sad face on but only a few seconds and asked to watch a Christmas movie.

I also keep busy spending time with my little Princessess. I can't tell you how much they mean to me. Life is smiles with these little beauties..

About Me

I have been married to Richie for almost 27 years. Can't imagine my life without him. He's a great husband, dad and papa. I know, I know, this is suppose to be about me. But I am all about my family.

Me, I am #2 of six kids. I have an older sister Becky, a younger sister Susie and 3 brothers between me and Susie ... Billy, Robert & Jimmy. I have 7 nephews and 6 nieces, 1 great nephew and 5 great nieces. Let me just say this about these numbers, they change every few months. There is always someone in this family that's having a baby or going to pretty soon. I have the greatest parents any one could ask for. I love being from a big family. Getting together for events and holidays is something else. :) :) :)

Now, here's the best part of me. My two kids and their families:

Daughter: Daisha, her husband Michael and their daughter Madyson. They have one on the way, another little girl. (remember, I told you those numbers change often in this family)

Son: Richie Von, his wife Amy (her father-in-law calls her Amos), and their daughters Haylee and Jamison.

I am known as Mimi to our grandbabies. I love taking care of the girls. Sometimes I have slumber parties for Haylee and Madyson and hopefully Jamison will join us soon. We color - we watch Disney movies - we build tents in the living room, turn off all the lights and get out flashlights for under the tents or lightflashes as Madyson calls them, we play with the little pet shops and read books. Haylee is the one that controls most of our events. Madyson goes along for the ride for the most part but I bet as she gets older that will change. We are learning to "share".

Haylee is our first little princess. She loves horses, Disney movies and her baby sister. She has almost every line and song in every Disney movie memorized. She has a beautiful singing voice with perfect pitch. She is our drama girl and has a heart the size of Texas. She lights up a room when she enters and demands the attention to be on her. She has to be the boss even over Mimi. She is growing up way too fast for Mimi.

Madyson is our second little princess. She loves the Doodlebops, her baby doll Bella and staying at Mimi's house. Bella goes everywhere with her, (bed, bath, store, potty, everywhere) She is so quick to learn anything. She talks better than any two year old I have been around. I think she has the photographic memory like her Uncle Schu. She will steal your heart. She is very loving and tender hearted. She loves her Papa and when she plays on the phone that's who she's talking to. If we are talking to Papa on the computer she is the one that controls the keyboard.

Jamison is our third little princess. She loves any kind of ball she can get her hands on and her momma is #1. The only man she will go to is her daddy but on occasion she lets Uncle Michael and Uncle Brian hold her. She has the most beautiful smile with dimples that will melt your heart. She talks up a storm but we can only understand about every 20 words. When the computer is on she is telling her Papa hi and bye because that is the only way she can talk to him right now. She is the best little thing, however, she is getting a little bit of that girly attitude. (If you have girls you know what I'm talking about) I can't wait for her to come to our slumber parties.

Sadie will be born in April 2009. We are very excited to have us another princess.

What do they say about little girls... "Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice, that's what little girls are made of". Well, guess what...it's true.