A conversation with Hannah

Hannah and I have many conversations on a daily basis however, my favorite ones are the ones that she gets excessively dramatic about. Let's face it, the kid certainly has a flair for the dramatics.. eh hem.. not sure who she takes after. She can tell stories like no other and there are times when I even have a hard time trying to figure out whether she has made the whole thing up or if she is telling the truth. Either way, they are hysterical and leave me laughing about them throughout my day.


A few days ago we were doing crafts and listening to Christmas music and she heard someone refer to Mrs. Claus in a song. She was completely thrown for a loop. She most often has an amazing memory of facts, people and places, but this afternoon, Mrs. Claus must have slipped her memory and she immediately stopped what she was doing and said, "Who on earth is Mrs. Claus?" I was shocked that she asked me this question and replied, "Han.. you dont remember who Mrs. Claus is?" She had no recollection. So me being the non dramatic person I am, (insert laugh here) started flailing my arms and explaining to her that she was the very reason Santa even existed. For without her, Santa would be skinny! That it was because of Mrs. Clause feeding him cookies and milk, that he stayed plump and round. Moreover, that she kept him well fed and up on the new "in" toys so that he could get to work creating them in his workshop. She looked at me with her head tilted and thought for a moment and then decided she would accept my story. I in return, realized once again, that parenthood is all about deceit. (Isn't that terrible?)


This morning during breakfast she still had Santa on the brain. Probably because I have had to make a few phone calls to him about Hannah's behavior. She asked me where Santa lived. "What Hannah? Are you still asleep? You know where Santa lives. Why the North Pole of course!" ..."Oh yeah.. I forgot Mommy. But what I meant was, where is his Vacation Home?" badum bum.. this is where the youth of America's minds are and sadly, we have created it as parents just trying to give our kids everything we can because we love them so. I mustered a simple "The South Pole" and she was a little leery because she felt as though his vacation home was at Santa's Village.


I hold these conversations with her so near and dear because I know that these will be the same memories I will hold onto when I am old and gray and longing for her companionship. What a miraculous child she really is. Lord knows she can pull my every string, but she certainly melts my heart most often.


Miss Layla is continuing to walk all about. She certainly is still my cuddle bug though and constantly wants Mommy to hold her! I still, am loving every minute of it.

The girls and I have been working on some great Christmas crafts for our family and friends. It has been a lot of hard work with much effort and time, but I have to say, I am truly impressed with the outcome. Hoping that my nieces will love their treats!


Lastly, I need to let you know of my recent purchase from itunes..(sorry Billy). I keep hearing a certain Christmas tune and havent been able to get it out of my head. Turns out, the entire album is spectacular! It is a must purchase! Called, "Holiday Spirit" by Straight No Chaser. This is truly a 5 star album!

The little love bug!
Doing some Christmas Shopping early and look what I got! LOL

Leo loves cuddling with her as well!


Auntie Leanne sent me this pic from the night of the pumpkins in the park and I just love it!

These feets were made for walking!

I have been so busy lately that I have hardly had time to post! The weekend was fantastic as I was able to catch up with some old friends. I had not seen Carla in close to 10 years! It was so wonderful to see her and meet her son. He was simply adorable and Hannah got along with him splendidly. They played for four hours on Saturday while Carla and I were able to catch up! Saturday night Billy and I actually had a date night and we went to a school auction with another couple. I have to say, what a great time we had! I truly do not get out enough and unfortunately it seems as though I am quite the lightweight as I spent most of Sunday paying for my good time. Yet, Sunday we were able to see Aimee and the twins and I believe it has been close to a year since our last visit with them! My, where does the time go?

Our household has hit full swing into the Christmas mode. I am not sure what is up with myself as I have been craving the Holiday and all that goes along with it! I am trying my very best to be organized and I have started shopping which is great for me! Usually, I am struggling at the very last minute to make my purchases and figure out how I am paying for them! I am determined this year to get it done early so that I can truly enjoy the month of December and revel in the pastimes of the month with the girls. I am so looking forward to it! Yes, I am one of those crazy people that have already tuned into all the Christmas music as well. Like I said, I am determined to get in the mood and enjoy this Holiday!

It looks as though this Christmas is going to be a Tinkerbell one for my Miss Hannah!

I had to take this picture this morning as they looked so darn cute cuddling together in bed. I have pretty much decided to stop fighting against them coming into my bed as my efforts are useless. In the grand scheme of things, is it really so bad that my girls like to cuddle with their Mommy? Time passes so quickly and in a few more years, Han will probably want nothing to do with me.. or my bed! LOL

My little angels



Hannah was killing me with this pose! Where did she learn this from?

Well it seems as though Miss Layla has finally found her walking legs. Yesterday was the breakthrough day! She started taking a step here and there about 3 weeks ago, but yesterday, she was really doing it! Up until now, she has preferred crawling, but it seems as though my little peanut is on the move! (Sigh.. another milestone..proving my little baby is growing up) She is just so darn cute I could eat her up! She is also right on schedule with her big sister as Hannah walked at 13 months as well!

Lastly, I would like to congratulate my dear friend Gina on the birth of her daughter, Samantha Rose! There is no denying that this child is Gina's as she looks identical to her Mommy! Congratulations Gina & Chip and big brother Shea! I hope you are all doing well and getting some much deserved rest!

Happy Halloween 2008

Well the weekend was a full one to say the least! Friday night the kids had a BLAST at our Halloween party. I am most definitely making it an annual event.. if only we could find a larger house one of these days to accommodate all these beautiful children! Every single person we invited came and even baby Reanna made a guest appearance. It was so nice to have Ben, Nate and Drew represent for the boys as the rest of the 12 children were all girls. The kids loved the story Auntie Leanne read and they loved making their little black spiders as well. (Great idea Auntie Melisa!)

The costumes were terrific and I loved seeing everyone truly enjoy themselves.. that is until Papa decided to scare the crap out of all the kids and run in the house wearing all black and a scary mask. Poor Makenzie was traumatized and Hannah even got a little spooked. When she ever realized it was Papa.. he was in big trouble! I am not sure if little Makenzie will ever visit our house again after that incident! Poor little doll.

The only other glitch in our evening was when Miss Layla got her hand into some peanut butter. Now my pediatrician had said it was okay to try when she turned a year old, however, I remember that with Hannah she had said to wait until she was 2. (Not sure why she told me 1 with Layla) My gut feeling told me to let it go a few more months and then give it a try since she seems to be so sensitive to things and has to have Soy milk instead of whole milk. If anyone was going to be allergic to it, I knew it would be Miss Layla. When I saw the peanut butter on her hand and realized she was chewing something, I really didn't get too nervous. Billy cleaned her hand and about our fun we went. About 15 minutes later I picked her up to change her diaper and all of a sudden her face was covered in hives and her lips were ballooning out. I swear she looked like a float in the Macy's day parade or something. Needless to say, I panicked. Yes, I lost it. Why I am not sure because of everything I use to deal with when Miss Hannah was sick, you might of thought I would have stayed calm. Nope.. I most certainly did not. After reaching the doctor we dosed her up with Baby Benadryl and thankfully the swelling started to go down. Needless to say we only made it to a few houses trick or treating and it looks as though we can safely say that the ravioli is allergic to peanut butter! OYE!

Saturday we had a bunch of errands to finish up and then we had my Memere's remembrance mass. The girls were great in church and Layla was actually quite comical yelling out "HI" in her deep raspy voice while the priest was speaking. We ventured out to eat afterwards while Layla slept in her car seat the whole time and then we headed to go visit baby Reanna so Billy could meet her.

Yesterday, was baby Addison's Christening and the day was just beautiful. The dress looked so adorable on her and she just has the most kissable face! Billy was so proud to stand up and be her God father. We went to eat afterwards and the food was just delicious. Hannah had a bit of a meltdown but after I nipped it in the bud, she was fine the rest of the day. Poor kid was pretty much completely exhausted and she fell asleep as soon as we got home.

I am looking forward to a not so crazy week.. I think??? As I believe I have come down with a nasty chest cold and I feel like I got hit by a truck!

It's a ............GIRL!!!

I am completely thrilled to announce the birth of my new baby niece. Reanna Victoria! Weighing in at 7lbs 15 oz. Born yesterday, October 28th. My sister Julie, brother in law Mikey and baby Reanna are all doing fantastic! We are blessed.. truly blessed as we are surrounded by all of our girls!!! There are just no words....

Pre-Halloween Fun!

Friday night's "Halloween in the Park" proved to be a very fun and exciting event for the girls. Hannah was thrilled to see the park lit up in orange lights and decorated with jack-o-lanterns! They had pizza and hot cocoa for the kids and the highlight of the evening was a little trained pulled around the softball field by a tractor. It was adorable as it weaved in and out of hay stacks lit up with jack-o-lanterns. All of the girls were on their best behavior and were so good while we waited in line. The two peanuts, Addison and Layla slept for most of the evening and we all had a fantastic time! Before we left for the event, I was able to get these adorable shots of my girls in their Halloween gear.





Layla was looking so serious!

Addison and Layla sleeping for most of the night.. How cozy they looked!


The two amigos waiting patiently for their turn on the train!

Finally their time arrived!


What a face!

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Saturday morning was Hannah's last soccer game. She gave me such a time trying to get her ready to go. She wanted no part of the shin guards and told me she was all set with soccer and wanted to do dance now. Reluctantly she went to her game. How quickly things changed when she received her soccer medal. She came running up to me saying how she couldn't wait to wear the "gold socks" next year and play soccer! Aye! A very pregnant Auntie Julie joined is for Han's last game, even after a night filled with contractions! Thanks Auntie Ju Ju!!!


Hannah was smitten with her medal.. for a moment at least... then she took a purple marker and colored all over the soccer ball.. AHHHHH!

When we got back from soccer, Layla went down for a nap and Hannah and I got a chance to carve our Jack-o-lantern! She designed the face herself and made sure that I stuck to her template... but then of course, wanted no part of scooping the guts and cleaning the gooey pumpkin seeds so we could bake them! I think he came out pretty cute!

Before!

After!



So very proud of her work!

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This was the scene yesterday as we were watching our Patriots win!

My girls this morning in their matching dresses from Auntie Jill. I love these dresses and I finally remembered to buy them tights!!

Hannah looks so grown up and beautiful to me in this picture!

Little Miss Manners

Billy and I attended Hannah's Parent/Teacher conference last night. I think we were both a bit nervous as to what they were going to say about our little lady. As we waited outside the classroom for our turn, we made some conversation but I know that he was just as worried as I was. When it was our turn and we entered and sat down at the eensy teensy tiny kids table. It was quite hysterical to see Billy try to fit.

They began with, "Hannah is such a joy to have in class. She is a very polite, well mannered child and never misbehaves in class. She is actually quite reserved and shy and will only participate in class if called upon. She usually just sits there and gleams at us but if she is called upon she will always answer us accordingly. You can tell that she is a bright child and that she likes to sit back and take it all in."

To which we replied, "Oh you must be mistaken, we are the parents of Hannah Murphy." HA!

It was the most surreal experience of my life! Please dont get me wrong. Hannah is a delightful child who is extremely intelligent and an absolute joy to us, however, she can be quite the handful and very strong willed, independent and a bit mouthy lately. So as you can see we were quite surprised to learn that she is very well behaved in the school setting. Her teachers were actually shocked that we were shocked. When we told them about her bountiful energy and the affects of sugar on her, the amount of time she spends in the naughty corner, they couldnt get over it. They never see this in her at all.

I have to say, as a parent I was relieved and a bit proud if I may add. Billy and I try to be good parents but it is not until you hear reports like this do you feel like you have actually accomplished something. Most days you feel as though you are banging your head against a brick wall when it comes to parenting. Yet, it was great to hear that our efforts have had an affect on Hannah.

I was also pleased to hear that Hannah doesnt seem to fall into the "Clique Girl" group either. The teacher notified us that some of the girls have already begun this little social scheme and that Hannah doesnt seem to want a part in it. (YOU GO HANNAH!) Without speaking names, I knew exactly who her teachers were talking about as these girls have already started their shenanigans with Han. She has come home upset that they told her they didnt want to be her friend anymore and that her sneakers were dirty. Note: Her sneakers werent dirty, they were gray. End Note. Billy has had to Windex her sneakers on a nightly basis because she does not want these girls to say something to her about them. Shame on them. Shame on their parents. Where do kids at the age of 4 pick up such behavior??? I must now find a way to teach Hannah to be strong enough not to let their behavior get to her.

All in all we were so pleased with her report and therefore treated her to 4 new books from the book fair. She was very excited when she woke up to her new surprises this morning.

This is how we found Layla when we came home last night.. So stinkin cute!

Comfy Cozy

We had and amazingly comfy cozy evening last night. Since it was such a chilly evening we decided to eat dinner early and give Hannah her much acclaimed movie night. By 6:00, we were all in our cozy clothes, (the girls in their pj's) and we popped in The Polar Express.. my favorite! By 6:30, Billy, Layla and I were out cold! Ha! I woke up at 7:20 and Hannah was completely disgusted with me for falling asleep. "This was supposed to be a family movie night and you all fell asleep on me," she said. Poor kid. If I could only have one drop of all the energy she has!



Thankfully, they seem to be feeling better and we are excited to embark on another fun filled Fall weekend. We most certainly need to get our pumpkin carved and we need to go tag our Christmas tree. This will be a first. Usually we are wandering around aimlessly looking for the perfect tree in early December, only to have the best ones already taken. Not this year. Nope! The Murphy's are preparing ahead of time! Tomorrow night there is also a pumpkin event in town we are hoping to attend.


Tonight is our parent teacher conference at Hannah's school. Should I be worried? I hope not. I know that she can tend to be a little fresh with us lately, however, I am hoping her behavior at school does not reflect this. For the most part, she really is so good with other children and she most definitely takes a leadership role with most activities. So I am not too worried-I think.....to be continued...

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When is this baby coming??? My Jules this morning!

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This is the bug that greeted me the other day when I went to get the mail. I kid you not that it was at least 6 inches long. It looks to be a Praying Mantis.. not that I am a bug guru or anything. But from research http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/bugs/praying-mantis.html it looks like it is most definitely a Praying Mantis. Interestingly enough, the female tends to eat its mate after or during mating.. HMMMMMMMM Needless to say, it just pretty much scared the crap out of me and Hannah was not going within 2 feet of it. I ended up catching it for a few hours in Hannah's bug catcher just so I could show Billy how huge it was! The simplest of things amaze me and yes, I did let him go soon thereafter!

This is a good shot of how huge it really was!

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The girls this morning in the office.