Crazies

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This weekend was crazy crazy around here- kinda the way we like it! I got a bee in my bonnet to make my own photobooth to have for fun and parties at Bumble and after a few Amazon clicks and online tutorials - voila! It even had an iPad on the floor for photoboothers to see the shot live right after they took it... here are some funny ones form our flagship practice session when Emmy came over for a date night (ahh- Heff and I and a trip to Ikea for work stuff followed by sushi- thanks em!) and sleepover Saturday night! and PS how about Maisie "rolling her eyes" in the first pic?!

2am Friday night trying to get it to work (on remote sensor for the shutter- pretty proud of my non-techy self can't you tell :)

oh and forgot until I looked at these Maisie was up "helping me" until midnight. in Janie's dress she proudly put on herself 12 hours prior.

and the next morning working on the flash (thanks to Andrea and my neighbor Bill for the tips!)

I don't know which face makes me laugh more

Maisie. In JJ's 12-24 month Bee costume and her sisters 6X saggy princess underwear. I had to convince her I needed a "tool" to help take her costume off while I ran and hit the shutter button- hence the blank stare and unhappiness :)

testing 1-2-3 testing

I did a little dress up chest shopping for the parties - Ariel wig was a huge hit OBVIS. (Francie's face might have been the most excited-shocked-in-love I have EVER seen)

Notice the "mermaid feet-tail"

and this was Maisie "swimming like Flounder"

Throwing Emmers in the mix!!!

and that's all folks

Walmart New PJ Day

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We declared today a rainy PJ kind of day. And I'd promised the girls they could pick out a new pair of "soft PJs" so we all packed up with Emmy at 10:30 this morning and went to wal-mart of course. It was an experience in itself as usual! The girls found some real gems- Elmo for Maisie, Princesses for Francie (the Ariel night gown was a 24 month which she did talk her way into but hasn't tried to put it on yet :) and Monkey sleepers for JJ. I have to admit I love snuggling the flame retardant, made in china, polyester goodness!

Days Go By

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Days are going by and by around here :) We are getting our first taste of fall weather and trying to slow down a bit (fat chance huh!) but having fun even in the craziness. Emmy has been a rockstar with the girls in the mornings and I have to pull myself away from hanging out with them to check on Bumble! But they usually go to the park then walk down for lunch and we all hang out then go home for naps. Francie loves school but claims now that she has been to 8 days of preschool she is ready for 1st grade. Maisie is talking up a storm and really has a funny sense of humor. Janie is on the move but will sometimes sit and play with toys for a bit - she eats like a teenage boy and loves her bottles.

Dr Cisco had all three for a check up and shots today!

Hilarious Janie - imitates Dad blowing bubbles back in her face

Francie: ready to get checked out after her first time big girl eyesight, hearing and BP tests
She is 44 pounds, 97th height and 95th weight

Maisie: watching her sister who volunteered to go first very closely
She is 29 pounds, 75th height and 50th weight

Janie: looking good at 7.5 months old!
She is 16 pounds, 97th height and 25th weight

fun days at the park - we were the only ones there today in the rain but the creek is back to running water (it never dried up at our house!) and it was a good day for stomping in the puddles

Red Rover, Red Rover…

send Janie right over!

thankful for my girls!!!

some of my favorite Emmy pictures this month





CRAZY MAISIE

Weekend Travelers

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This weekend Brian took all three girls up to Red Bluff for a weekend away… while I stayed home to work! We were all hoping to go up for the weekend but Bumble is still so crazy I need to be there to make sure everything goes ok- especially on the weekends since we are busiest on Saturday and Sunday for brunch. Heff wanted to go out on Uncle Donald's ranch for a deer hunting excursion so OMA saved the day and offered to watch all 3 girls (with the amazing Aunt Kat!) for the weekend!

The girls LOVED their Red Bluff time with cousins and all the fun things to do on Oma and Opa's ranch. Kat took care of SEVEN cousins (with the help of cousin Ellie) Saturday night while Oma was at the high school auction too. They reported that the girls played hard, ate a ton and slept all night- and didn't want to leave when Sunday night rolled around!!

THANK YOU OMA AND KAT and all the Red Bluff relatives for taking such good care of my girls for the weekend. I missed out on the fun but I'm coming next time!

Kat took this picture of the big kids piled on the couch to watch Tangled - looks like fun!

Oma sent me this video of Janie cracking up at a balloon

and thanks to Oma for the cute Moose PJS she sent down after the big Alaska trip - Heff loves them of course! Their faces crack me up- Francie acting like a big sister but chewing on her hair, Maisie being CRAZY with milk on her face and Janie looking like what the heck is going on here?!

MaryJane Gets Baptized

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September 18 we baptized Janie at St. Nicholas church- our new parish just down the street! It was one of the nicest Masses we have ever been a part of (besides our wedding of course :) Father Larry did such a nice job making it special and we were lucky to have lots of family there to help welcome Janie as a catholic (especially considering it was 9:15am mass the morning after Beth's wedding!) Thanks to everyone for making the effort to come celebrate with us.

Casey Heffernan (Janie's godfather and Heff's cousin) flew up for the weekend with his girlfriend Jenna (the photographer for the event, thanks Jenna!)

Maureen helping me get her gown on

she wore Ann- her godmother's- dress from when she was baptized

Aww my sweet baby girl ready for her special day

Getting instructions before Mass

Opa, Oma and Aunt Maureen all here from Red Bluff

Ready for Mass

With the god-parents

they started Mass with us processing down the aisle while Father Larry introduced our family and Baby MaryJane

Blessings from the start

Father asked the girls to give her a blessing too- Maisie went in for the hug

The whole Mass Father used Janie's name and reminded us to welcome her into the church- it was a really special Mass for MaryJane!

after the homily we went up for the rite of baptism

She was eating up all the attention and smiling, cooing and looking around at everyone - Father stopped in his tracks here and said "I wish you all could see her BIG BRIGHT blue eyes looking up at me!"

Sweet girl

I wanted to let Casey and Ann hold her for the pouring of th eholy water part but she was so happy we didn't want to ruin a good thing-

"You see that ABA? I hardy even cried!"

Casey put the little baptismal garnet around her neck and everyone welcomed her as a catholic :)

I Look Pitty?

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This week has been nuts! I haven't been a very good blogger but we've been cranking at Bumble trying to get it all figured out. I thought the restaurant business was supposed to be easy? (JOKING!!) My very supportive husband has been awesome with the girls and loves to come hang out for a couple of Moose Drool Montana beers and dinner.

Tuesday night he took the ladies home at 9 for bed and I stayed putting together a few new Ikea purchases until 11:30. When I got home the house was dark but I heard a little voice jabbering. I found Maisie sitting in our bed next to a passed out sleeping dad, she had q-tips sticking out of both ears and surrounding her on the bed and mascara all over her eyes. She was talking to Heff going "I look pitty Daddy? You tink I look pitty? I clean my ears Daddy. You want me clean your ears?" I stopped her from shoving a q-tip in his ear and she knew she had been caught. She kept talking to a still sleeping Heff going "Mommy home Daddy!" I asked her what she had been doing and how long she'd been awake. She showed me the line up of make up she had laid out and I think it answered my question...

at least she wasn't stinky- she was putting on deodorant too

You are CRAZY MAISIE!

Extra Extra Tough

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Francie was delaying bedtime last night by singing some songs she made up.

"I'm not only beautiful,
I'm extra, extra tough.
I'm a mermaid named Ariel
I love mermaids-aids-aids
My name is Francie
I love Mermaids
When it comes to pushing (not sure what this line is about?!)
Mermaids can do that
I'm a little Mermaid- I love THAT
I'm extra extra tough
When someone- whennnnnnn someone-
When MAISIE hit me with her magna-tiles
I did not cry at all
because when trouble comes I'm extra extra tough
I'm not only beautiful- I'm extra extra tough."

and followed up with a little Maisie- singing a combo of twinkle-twinkle-ABC

Sunday with the Girlies

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It's only 3:30 and we've had a busy day! (*SIDE NOTE - I must be seriously sleep deprived if I thought Saturday was Sunday! This was all on Saturday- just called Sunday since I can't think straight!)

Cousin Grant stayed over last night and we had a party at Bumble with Aunt Tere, Uncle Bill, Jannie, Grampa, Cousin Kate and Cousin Grant and some friends.

Then we were all up early (despite my best efforts to sleep in) for some Bumble coffee and a busy day...

it was the Los Altos 64th Annual Pet Parade downtown (Heff had to work hard to convince Francie Ollie did not need a bath and a new leash to participate)

Then a BUSY morning at Bumble- we made heart shaped hard boiled egg halves for the Bee Bites menu :)

and sliders three ways for lunch

then we all blew off some steam at Stanford - the girls got to play around on the gymnastics equipment while Dad went for a run.

HAPPY NAPPERS!

Mornings with Emmy

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I love these Emmy! And I really love that when I am busy at work in the morning my girls are with the next best person- their awesome cousin EMMY :) Em is 9 years younger than me (only 9 months younger than my sister Ann) and we grew up about as close as sisters. Our moms were sisters and I was really close to Emmy's mom- my godmother Kaky. I am so thankful for all the time I get to spend with Em and for how much she loves my girls. She is SO GOOD with kids and babies just like her mom was... it's not easy to get three little girls up, fed, dressed and out the door to the park for a picnic or to the library for story time- she manages it with more ease than I do certainly! And she really loves it - just check out her facebook newsfeed where the highlights of her day are little girls being silly and the new triple stroller we added to the collection :) Francie, Maisie and Janie ADORE her and practically jump out of my arms for Emmy's. Heff and I are so lucky to have you in our lives and especially our girls lives Em- we love you!!

Don't you wish you were having this much fun with Emmy and the girls this morning? I DO!

Wait, What Just Happened?

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These last 3 days have been a little CRAZY. Ok maybe a lot crazy. The picture above is a good summary! (the 7 Carter-Simo siblings at Beth's wedding in the photobooth- we all carpooled/teased/grew up as neighbors and shared Sunday Night Dinners for a lot of years! Not sure how we managed to get all of us in that photobooth at once but I love this picture!)

I have way too much to blog but here is a mini re-cap. Since Friday in our little world we…

*Welcomed Heff and Uncle Donald home (thankfully. and this pic was from the send off ;) from a 12 day hunting adventure in the Alaskan Wilderness. Yes he left the day after Bumble opened but trip had been planned for 2.5 years!

(my husband is THIS insane and I am weird enough that I love it :)

*Had a big (hilarious) night out for Beth and Greg's Rehearsal dinner that anded up with this picture on my iPhone after tearing up Downtown Palo Alto

*Hosted a Bridesmaid Luncheon at Bistro Vida for Bethy and these 9 lovely ladies (sorry this pic was from a pre-wedding drink at the bar the next day but I forgot my camera at Bridesmaid luncheon!)

*Had a blast at Bethy's wedding Saturday night!

*Had fun cousin fest sleepovers at our house with 10 Heffernan house guests for the hunters return/birthday/baptism (and Oma was here all week- thanks OMA!)

*Baptized MaryJane on her 7 month birthday

*Which was also this big girl's 4th birthday (we went for mother-daughter birthday pedicures and I let Francie pick my toe color/flowers/sparkle - I will be wearing shoes for awhile ;)

*Threw an Ariel/Little Mermaid theme party for Francie's big 4th birthday (it was a combined family baptism party for anyone who thinks it's weird they didn't get invited!)

*Worked long days at Bumble - check out our new cool Lego walls in the kids outdoor area

*and had ABA and Pat home for the weekend for the wedding and baptism/birthday celebrations!

So why am I up at 2am instead of sleeping? GOOD QUESTION! We are going to be happy to get back to our little family routines this week. Good night :) more blog posts later.