Who's the Boss?

This has been a re-occuring conversation around these parts lately. My girls sincerely love each other I believe, but there are times when I feel weary of being the referee. Leah claims that I was bossy when we were children. I have no recollection of this. However if all she claims is true, then I know my girls have come by it honestly.

Frequently my response to the bickering which usually stems from "bossing" is to ask, "Who's the Boss?" My girls have quickly caught on the the whole pushing someone's buttons idea. They are quite skilled at doing this to each other. Reminding them who the boss is seems to chill the victim (which changes from moment to moment) out and give them some sense of freedom.

Steve and I have also had to remind our children that we are in charge. I have recently come to the realization that I no longer have babies but I have "big girls." They like to bathe themselves, dress themselves, and are more determined that ever to do for themselves in general than ever before. This is hard. It's nice at times. It takes some of the burden off of me but other times I just want them to stay sweet and little and innocent...like babies.

Another topic or idea of interest lately, is that of the girls being twins. It's funny...other children their age seem to recognize that they are twins, while they themselves are oblivious to this fact. They are often asked in public if they are twins. Or people will loudly comment that they are twins, only to have my children glare at them as if they are speaking a foreign language. I have tried unsuccessfully to address this subject and try to help them understand. No comprehende.

On a different note: I am frequently asked why I dress the girls alike. I realize this may seem a bit stereotypical. Back to the whole bickering thing - I feel like fighting over who wears what is one battle I am not ready to have. They never complain about it. In fact one day last week, Steve tried to pull the whole dress them differently stunt (Why? I am not really sure) and it failed miserably. Zoe promptly became very upset that they were dressed differently. I often wonder when that luxury will cease but for now it remains intact. For that, I am grateful.

Watch for new posts with pictures coming soon. We had a busy last weekend and have lots to share!

Until then...

Mawaige

So hopefully you have seen Princess Bride otherwise you might think I am horrible at spelling.

Remember these two?

My friend Kristina.

The Nutty Greg.

After a two month engagement, they are tying the knot this weekend. I am Kristina's Matron of Honor and Maddie and Zoe are flower girls. The past two months have been a whirlwind of wedding planning. It has been so much fun though. I am so excited for their big day! Stay tuned...next week lots of wedding posts and pictures I am sure!

Road Trip

Two weekends ago we decided to take a much needed trip back to the old home front (mine, at least) and see some dear friends. Katrina has been one of my dearest friends since the end of high school and I am so thankful for her. It seems as though with children tossed in the mix our visits get fewer and far between. So, enough was enough! We loaded up the car around lunch time on Friday afternoon and headed south to the big city of Leesburg. (As a side note: It was bike week in Leesburg...this is the second time I have unknowingly chosen to go "home" during this festive time. No further comment.)

We spent Friday evening letting the kids play outside. The girls definitely enjoyed playing with little boy things for a change. Of course, others' toys are always better than your own anyway. We had a delicious dinner (we were fed well all weekend) and then hit the hay.

The next morning we got up and made the hour trip to Downtown Disney. We have yet to "do"  Disney. We figure if we are going to spend that much money, we want to make sure the girls are old enough so they will, remember it. They don't know any better anyway...I think,. they think, they were at Disney World. We had lunch at T-Rex which was a bit scary for them but I thought it was cool. The girls got real cranky, real quick. No nap (yes, we are still napping most everyday and yes, I will milk that for all it's worth) and first day of the "real" Florida summer heat made for a short trip. But it was fun!

We had a wonderful weekend with some wonderful friends and it was so good to catch up. Thanks Katrina, Trey, and Ian! We love you guys!

Check out our fun!

Zoe diggin' for dinosaur bones at T-Rex.

Taking a water Diet Pepsi break.

A girl after her mother's heart. Look at that little red face.

Maddie and Ian chillin' with Buzz!

Ian

Maddie

Zoe and her "cheesy" smile.

Gangsta! Where did she learn this?

Buzz  Zoe

Phil Kareetoe

So I am not really sure if the title is spelled correctly, but you will understand here in a minute why. One of the biggest reasons I chose to start this blog was as a memory keeper of sorts. Secondly, or course, to shed some light (for those who care) on what's been taking place at The Liedy Home.

Earlier this week we had one of those funny moments only a four year old can provide. I will set the scene...

It was evening time and Maddie and Zoe are running around the house like a bunch of banshees, while Steve and I attempt to finish eating our supper. They are playing some made up game requiring that Maddie relentlessly chase Zoe around the house yelling at her. They are both laughing and having a blast so Steve and I allow trade quiet for some peace while we shove down the rest of our food. Life is full of compromises, right?

After taking a closer listen for a minute, I discover that Maddie is yelling the same thing over and over and over again. I also discover that it is no decipherable phrase...or whatever. Maddie is all about making words up these days. On the contrary, she has the attention span of a gold fish, so she rarely repeats said made up words more than once. This engages me. So I call her over and ask her what she is saying. To which she replies, "Phil Kareetoe."

Hmmm....okay?

I say, "Where did you hear that from?"

Her reply, "I don't know."

Of course I grow infinitely more coureous so I say, " Think Maddie. Where did you hear that at?"

She says, " The monkey says it."

That's helpful.

"Maddie, what monkey?" 

"The one on Madagascar."

Of course. Why didn't I think of that? They had watched this movie several hours earlier. However, I recall no such character with that name in the movie. A little while later, I ask her if she can show me where in the movie the monkey says that. I want to figure out what this child is trying to say. She takes me right to the scene where the penguins are on the ship in the crates and they are trying to figure out where they are being sent to. They ask a nearby monkey if he can read. His response, "No. Phil can read though."

Ah ha! At last mystery solved. I laughed so hard I cried. Then I wonder, of all the lines from Madagascar she could have remembered why this one? Silly girl!