The Little Gym

Back in June, we decided the girls need some recreational activity, so I signed them up at the Tulsa World of Gymnastics. They loved it. The teachers were great, the facility was great, but after watching a mother scold her three year old for not doing her forward roll correctly again, I started to think that maybe it was a little more hardcore than what we were looking for. Plus, the way the gym was set up, I couldn't see what the girls were doing for well over half of the class. I wasn't worried about them, but I'm selfish and I want to be able to see EVERYTHING. So, we decided to try something else.

I'd heard of The Little Gym several times and had even been there for a March of Dimes meeting, but I'd always thought of it as too expensive for us. Turns out, it's the same price as Tulsa World of Gymnastics, but a lot more our speed. I knew within 2 minutes of the girls' free trial class that it was the place for us. They do something different in their warm-up every week, from running around with scarves to doing tricks with swimming noodles. After warm-up, they move onto the equipment. The teacher shows them what to do, then the kids do it. Cadie and Maddie have learned so much since they started in July, but most importantly, they have so much fun.

January 15h was the end of the fall semester, so the kids put on a performance show for parents and relatives. We invited all of the girls' grandparents, aunts & uncles, and more. It was during the day, so not everyone got to come because of work, but the girls were thrilled with everyone who made it (Daddy, Nana, Poppy, Grandma, and Aunt Kimberly). They ran around giggling, I'm sure excited and hyper from their extra audience. They'd been practicing a routine for the performance class for a few weeks, so when class started they went in for one more review. Then, it was time for us to join them. They took turns doing their floor routines (forward rolls, "tabletops", "donkey kicks", "candle sticks", and "monkey jumps"), balance beam routines (including standing on their tippy toes and bending down to touch the beam), and bar routines (with pizza hangs, straight arms, and flips). Neither of them got performance shy until it came to the bar routine and Cadie refused to do anything but her pizza hang. She rocked that pizza hang, though!

After their routines, each of the kids got a medal for completing the semester. Both of the girls were so proud! They've already started the Winter/Spring semester, so I'm sure we have more "tricks" to look forward to.

Maddie doing her "candle stick"

Maddie doing her "donkey kick"

Cadie doing her "candle stick"

Cadie doing her "table top"

They always try to be at the front of the "train"

Cadie getting her medal

Maddie getting her medal.

Their class (yes boys are allowed at the Little Gym...)

We couldn't get them to take a nice picture,

but they were game for a funny face one.

Product Review: Crayola Hassle Free Water Colors

The girls LOVE to do crafts. I love them, too, but I don't love the clean-up so much. We've gone from crayons, to markers, to pens, and back again, but I've never found something that I really liked. For whatever reason, the girls peel the paper off the crayons, they get more marker on themselves than the paper, and don't even get me started on pen ink. So, when I walked past this new product from Crayola, I was skeptical, but willing to try anything with "Hassle Free" in the product name.

Here's a description from the Crayola site:

Crayola Hassle Free Watercolors are like regular watercolor paints – without the mess! There are no cups of water to tip over and no paints to spill. THe specially designed paint posts contain a bright, solid color that is only activated when you dip in the brush tip. You can even turn them upside-down – they won't spill or drip!

The girls were super excited to try them out, so we opened them up, and gave it a go. My first impression was the container was neat and easy to use. The lids of the paints aren't easy to snap off, so the girls can't get into them without help. They also have a little lip on the back to hold the lids open so they aren't constantly fighting with them. After the prep, the girls started using them without any trouble. The end result of the "paint" looks more like marker, but they don't care. They feel like they're painting, so they're happy. Even better, they really are HASSLE FREE. They've used them several times now and haven't even come close to being bored with them. If they do happen to get some color on themselves or somewhere else it shouldn't be, it comes off with just water; no soap necessary. I definitely recommend this product!

I give this product: ***** (5/5 Stars)

Holy Matrimony

For several weeks now, Maddie has been talking about her "wedding". Who knows how it began? It doesn't take much for Maddie to catch on. There are even details; and specific ones at that. They change, occasionally, but for the most part they're pretty consistent.

First and foremost, Maddie will be having a "Princess" themed wedding. She's going to wear a beautiful gown. Sometimes it's a pink one she has that Nana got last year for Easter that didn't fit until this past Fall (the same one that Cadie has, but hers has an enormous chocolate stain on the rear from sitting in chocolate milk). Sometimes it's a new one I'm sure she has envisioned in her mind (and if her taste is anything like her mommy's, it will cost a fortune).

What does change is the "whom"; this is where it gets dicey. Some days she announces she is going to marry her Uncle Julius. That was the answer for many weeks. Then, she switched it up and answered that she would be marrying her Aunt Kimberly (Julius' wife). Lately, the popular answer has been that she will be marrying me. She's even got a deadline. For the longest time, she claimed that she would be getting married on her birthday, April 4th. I think she might be getting cold feet, though, because the last time she talked about it, the date had been pushed back to Christmas.

These details are all fine and good, and they make me laugh, but what makes my heart melt every time is when she says this: "Mommy, I really want all, with all of my heart, for my whole family and all of my friends, with all of my very heart...I really want them to be at my wedding because I love them with my whole heart, so very much."

Now, to that I say, "I do, too."

Yak it Up

The girls have always loved the “Hot Dog” song from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on Playhouse Disney. After yesterday, I will never look at a hot dog the same way again.

It all started that morning. Jeff got up for work as usual and, half awake/half asleep, I heard him rummaging around, preparing for his day. When I heard the unmistakable sound of him yakking in the bathroom, though, he got my full attention. Convinced he had relieved his stomach of whatever had disagreed with him, he headed off to work all the same.

Maddie was due for an eye appointment with Dr. Groves, so we rolled out of bed about an hour later and started our day. Just a bit into the appointment, I got a call from Jeff during which he mumbled, “I need you to come get me.” That’s a bad sign. Jeff has been sick about five days in his entire life (okay, I’m exaggerating, but that’s what it seems like. The man’s a workhorse.) We finished up our appointment with good news. Maddie’s eyes are doing great; she has equal focus in both, which means both eyes are healthy without any sign of problems from her previous ROP. Dr. Groves said Maddie has less than a 10% chance that her retina could detach in her right eye, then confessed his opinion that it was probably more around 2% or less, but he really shouldn’t say that.

On a high from the news of Maddie’s healthy eyes, the girls and I headed out to the job site to pick up an ailing Daddy. He greeted us with a quick puke in the street, then he climbed in without a peep. I’d warned the girls that he wasn’t feeling well and that they should be as quiet as possible. They were -- for the most part. Once we got home, Jeff crawled into bed, only leaving to be sick in the bathroom about every thirty minutes or so, bless his heart.

Not long after a lunch of hot dog and chips, Maddie started complaining of a tummy ache. Madeline has many wonderful traits, but unfortunately, she can also be a bit of a spotlight hog and a drama queen. I attributed her complaints to sympathizing with her Daddy’s current condition and immediately dismissed them. Wrong move. Not an hour after lunch, Maddie shot up from the couch and darted to the hallway toward the bathroom. She didn’t make it two steps before she projectile vomited hot dog all over the carpet. I snatched her up and tried to get her to the potty before round two, but didn’t quite make it. Now, Madeline is no stranger to throwing up. She spit up a lot as a baby and even went through a stage when she was younger during which she would get so upset about something she would end up throwing up. Why does that matter? Although she may a flair for the dramatics in every day life, Madeline is not a dramatic sick person. She didn’t cry and whine or moan about getting sick. She did the opposite; she spent the next thirty minutes or so apologizing for throwing up. Try as I might, I could not convince her that it was okay and it wasn’t her fault. Unfortunately, that incident wasn’t her last of the day. While I cleaned up the most disgusting throw up I’ve ever had the privilege of witnessing and/or cleaning in my life, she rested on the couch. About thirty minutes later, after having just started Cinderella III, she jumped up out the chair I was cuddling her in and darted for the bathroom. This time she made it. She was so proud of herself. The rest of the day was much the same. I learned after a cup of orange juice that she wasn’t going to keep anything down, so I just kept pumping her full of water, along with her ailing Daddy, still laid up in the bed. We watched movie after movie, until finally, the “sick” as we call it, stopped around 6 pm. I bathed the girls, got them into some clean jammies, then tucked them in for bed early. They didn’t argue.

I had a sleepless night on the couch to look forward to, but was relieved when Jeff’s sickness stopped around 8 pm. There was no way I was going near that bed, though, even if he was doing better.

This morning, everyone woke up on the mend. Jeff went the entire night without being sick again. And, although Maddie had a slight lapse this morning, it was clear she was well on her way to getting back to her old self. When I listed off what the girls could have for lunch today, though, you can bet hot dog was NOT on the menu.

Let's Go to the Movies

Back at the end of September we took the girls to see their first movie at a theater. We're very much a move-watching household, and it seemed like the girls were old enough, so I thought it was high time we take them to the movies. We saw, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs", an animated film based on a beloved children's book that I have somehow not read. We treated the girls to popcorn and root beer, snatched up a couple of booster seats, and settled in for the show. I didn't worry about them being noisy or talkative; we've watched enough movies at home that they've learned to listen and pay attention. They didn't last long in their own seats, but I can't say that I minded Maddie snuggling on my lap. At one point, Maddie whispered to me, "Is Cadie kick-back and relaxin'?" as she glanced over at her sister with her feet propped up on the chair in front of her. I chuckled. When the credits began to roll, the girls had lost almost all interest (I blame it on the movie which was mediocre), but they made it all the way through. We've since seen another movie, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel", the girls' choice. I wanted to see "The Princess and the Frog", but apparently, the creepy voodoo guy from the previews is just too much for the girls. Oh well, we'll watch it at home in our own personal theater, stocked with blankies for covering eyes and that trusty pause button.

Snap To It

Madeline has recently learned to snap. Ever since they started school, they've both been dying to learn how. I know of at least one song they sing at school that requires them to use their "snapping fingers", so the girls have practiced and practiced. They would get so frustrated, whining and moaning, while I would patiently remind them that learning how to snap is really hard (it really is!), so they would just have to be patient and keep trying. Finally, a few days before Christmas, something clicked. Maddie was so proud of herself, and it wasn't long before Cadie was snapping away too. I have to admit, I was pretty proud of them every time I heard their little fingers snapping. At least for a while I was; now, I'm still proud, but I long for those "pre-snapping" days. Why do I long for those days? Because Madeline, with her newfound talent, has taken to snapping orders. I tried not to laugh the first time she looked at me and said, "Mommy, get me some tea!" then snapped those little fingers at me. I'm surprised my jaw didn't drop. In the past week or so, we've since nipped the "order snapping" in the bud, but I'm sure we have more to look forward to from Miss Bossy Pants.

Book Review: The White Queen

I've always loved reading. I can remember the first book I read that made me fall in love with books, Matilda by Roald Dahl. Thus began a long and happy love affair with literature. So, last June, when I was invited to join a book club, I said "yes" without hesitation. I know what you're thinking. Book Club? Yep. I'm in a book club, and proud of it! We're an intimate group of four, though our potential membership at the first meeting was seven (the other three girls just couldn't hang). We're complete and total nerds; we even have a motto. "It's like Book Club...but Cool."

Since our first meeting, we've read seven books: The Next Thing on My List, A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Water for Elephants, The Lovely Bones, The Magicians, and most recently The White Queen. Some of these, I highly recommend (Guernsey and Splendid Suns). Others, not so much (Magicians and Lovely Bones). Now, after we've read and met each month, I'm going to provide my own personal review of the book, as well as the overall rating given by our group of esteemed literary critics (wink, wink).

First, a little more about the book:

Philippa Gregory, "the queen of royal fiction," presents the first of a new series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses.


Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.


The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

This was my first foray into historical fiction, so I wasn't sure what to expect. Overall, I enjoyed the experience. I was never that interested in history as it was often presented in such a boring way; memorization of dates, names, and battles. I've found, though, if it can be presented in story format, it retains my attention for a far longer amount of time. Though I found certain explanations and areas of the story to be repetitive, the first person insight into this particular royal family was interesting. Through reading this novel, though, I realized my disdain for this period of time. I'm not a feminist per say, but I was disappointed and frustrated by the limitations and treatment of women during, which ultimately led to whatever major complaints I had about the novel. No writing complaints really; just gratefulness for not having lived during such an oppressive time for us girls. Thank goodness for progress!

Cheri's Rating:

Average Book Club Rating:

Baby It's Cold Outside

To say the girls found our recent snow fall exciting would be a serious understatement. We've only had a handful of decent snow accumulations since they were born, but the all out blizzard that started Christmas Eve and still has remnants lurking around town is easily the largest of the bunch. We were serious Grinches and opted to take the Christmas tree down after Christmas. It isn't that we don't enjoy the tree; I absolutely loved how beautiful it looked this year. There's just something exhilarating about putting everything away and looking toward the new year. Unfortunately, in the world of Cadence and Madeline, somewhere along the way Snow=Christmas. The second we started taking down the Christmas tree she shrieked in protest, claiming the tree couldn't come down until they had played in the snow. Under normal circumstances, the girls would have already played in the snow several times by this point, but with both of them having been sick and Cadie seeming to still be on the mend, we hadn't allowed them the chance yet. I reassured her that taking the tree down didn't mean they wouldn't get to play in the snow and she calmed down.


Fortunately, I was able to keep my word the next day. It was a surprisingly warm feeling day (though I'm sure the temperatures were still atrocious), but it somehow felt warmer. The girls had rested well and acted a hundred times better, so we bundled them up for some fun in the snow. Cadie LOVES snow. She's such an outdoor girl; there hasn't been a single day this winter that she hasn't asked me if she can go outside and play. I'm sure she thinks I'm a total liar when I tell her it's too cold. Maddie, though she was enthusiastic, lost a little of her "go get 'em" attitude once she came face to face with the white stuff. Although she loves a good adventure, she's a little more on the prissy side than Cadie. Cadie was content to spend the rest of the day outside, but Maddie was spent pretty quickly. After a few snow ball throws, a trek around the backyard, and some winter hide and seek with Daddy, it was time to return to the warmth of the living room. It wasn't two minutes later when Cadie was asking to go out again. That's my outdoor girl.

She was determined to pick up this giant

snowball she made.

Christmas: Take Three

Christmas morning, I think I was more excited than the girls were. I imagined them racing down the hall, barely able to contain their excitement. Instead, I got stumbling down the hall, and pitiful faces because they didn't feel well. Hrmph. Santa Claus was good to the girls this year, and I know they would have been just beside themselves had they felt well. Maddie showed a little more enthusiasm then Cadie, but she'd also had the crud a little bit longer, so I think she was nearing the tail end. We did manage to get a few squeals out of them over the kitchen and they were thrilled to see that Santa and the reindeer had enjoyed, down to the last nibble, their cookies, milk, and carrots.

After perusing the Santa gifts – including a brand new big girl kitchen, Tinkerbell necklaces with their initials, a new princess table, and their very own princess beauty shop kits – we moved on to the gifts from Mommy and Daddy. They got a ton, and I mean a TON, of new play food to go with their kitchen. I just love the Melissa and Doug food; it's creative and interactive, and most importantly, durable. They also got some new books, a couple of puzzles, and several new ornaments. And, this was the first year they bought one another a gift. We let them each pick something out during a pre-Christmas trip to Wal-Mart. Not surprisingly, they each picked out the pink and purple versions of the same Barbie. I'm a little surprised that they're already interested in Barbie, but it seems that Barbie girls they are!

After gifts and some cinnamon rolls, it was time to get cleaned up and brave the snow covered streets for our final official Christmas celebration of the season at Nana's house. I lost count of how many cars we saw run off the road or stuck in the ditch. Luckily, our 4-wheel drive held true and we didn't have a single problem. It was nice to see, though, several Good Samaritans helping fellow drivers get "un-stuck". We made it to Nana's, unloaded, and settled in for a relaxing day. The girls were anxious to open gifts, but managed to get through a yummy turkey lunch/dinner first. Our bellies newly stuffed, we headed upstairs to let the girls open some more presents from Santa that he'd left especially at Nana's house. I was a little disappointed when their enthusiasm level was much the same as it had been at home, but reminded myself they weren't feeling well and there wasn't much that could be done about it. Despite not feeling well, though, the girls were thrilled (albeit a downplayed version of thrilled) to get fancy new Disney princess dresses and magic wands. Cadie was excited to find her very own Snow White dress, while Maddie squealed over her Sleeping Beauty one. They also got their very first piggy banks (in the shape of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse), a Hannah Montana microphone and doll, a Cinderella and Jasmine doll, and more. We finished opening presents downstairs, then Cadie quickly fell asleep in my lap, long before bedtime. We'd planned to stay for the evening, but it was clear the girls were done in. So, we loaded back up, headed home, and tucked the girls in early, one more Christmas behind us.

Maddie decorated cookies with Ben.  It was his first time, so

Maddie had to show him the ropes!

Christmas: Take Two

We had so many Christmas celebrations in the past couple of weeks, we're still recovering! On Christmas Eve, we headed over to my dad's sometime in the afternoon for our traditional Wolfe Family Christmas. The weather forecasters were predicting so much as our very own Oklahoma blizzard, so we kept our eyes open for our first White Christmas since I can remember.

There are two things we do every year at Grana and Poppy's. 1.) We always watch "White Christmas" with Bing Crosby. I LOVE Bing Crosby and we LOVE that movie. 2.) We always expect a special visit from Santa Claus. For whatever reason, ever since the girls were born, Santa has made it a point to make a special visit to the Wolfe house just before heading out to deliver toys to the children of the world. Cadie and Maddie are very special. This year was no different; we observed both traditions, though to mixed results.

We started the evening with the traditional meal of fried chicken (YUM), creamed potatoes and gravy, veggies, and biscuits. We are all very realistic about how many turkey dinners we have ahead of us, so why not enjoy something different on Christmas Eve. The girls certainly don't complain.

Next, we go straight to the presents. No beating around the bush or filling time with small talk. This year, the girls didn't need any help. They knew exactly what they were doing and even helped pass the presents out. Cadie received what I think was her favorite gift of the entire season from Grana and Poppy: her very own kid tough MP3 player shaped like a music box. She toted that thing around the rest of the evening, jamming to the preloaded tunes. What made her gift even better? Her eyes lighted up when I told her we could load some of her very own favorites to the player. Favorites like "Mamma Mia", the "Walking on Sunshine/Halo" mash-up from Glee, and her new seasonal favorite, "Feliz Navidad". She heard that tune for the first time at Jeff's business partner, Drew's, family Christmas party earlier in the month and has been smitten with the song since. Maddie's equivalent to Cadie's music machine was her very own kid tough digital camera. We've already seen some of her handiwork, and she wasn't wasting any time breaking her new "toy" in. They also got a sandwich making play food kit from Keke and Lolo, along with an "Old MacDonald's" cashterator (seriously, that's what they both called it...holds a close resemblance to another word that should not come out of a three-year-old's mouth). In reality, it's a McDonald's themed cash register. Among other things, they each also got a new miniature tea set, lip gloss and fingernail sets, some videos, and a new puzzle. When Cadie opened the "Wiggles" DVD she turned to me and said with great surprise, "Mommy! It's really the Wiggles!" I guess she's already figured out that Grana is no stranger to generic and imitation DVD's!

After gifts, as the snow flakes fell and the wind gusts picked up, it seemed only appropriate that Santa pay a visit. Poppy disappeared to the bathroom with a pesky stomach bug, while Jeff and I distracted the girls in the kids' room. We searched for sleigh lights and listened for jingle bells, until suddenly there was the beeping alarm of an outside door opening, and our ears were greeted with a familiar "Ho, ho, ho!" With the amount of enthusiasm and excitement the girls have shown for Santa this year, I just knew they would be beside themselves. Instead, Maddie clung to me like I was attempting to hurl her over a cliff, and Cadie's bottom lip trembled like never before. I was shocked; I had actually been concerned that they would too clever for their own good and realize they were being tricked. Turns out, that was the least of my worries. There were tears, shrieks of complaint when I got too close, and all and out drama. Cadie finally built up enough courage to spend some time on Santa's lap, spouting off item after item that she would like for him to bring her. Unfortunately, Maddie wasn't budging. The closest I could get her to sitting on Santa's lap involved me as a buffer. Oh well. There's always next year, and we'll always remember this year's visit. We took advantage of a few more photo ops before Santa had to take off. He had a night's worth of present delivering ahead of him after all. Jeff, the girls, and I ran to the front door expecting to see Santa take off, but before we made it, he'd already escaped up the chimney and magically gone on his way. Keke saw him go up the chimney, though, and he said it was amazing.

Lo & Santa

Cadie & Santa

Maddie's reaction to being asked to sit

on Santa's lap.

The Jolly Man himself

Maddie, "sitting on Santa's lap"

Cadie, Lo, Santa, Me, and Maddie

The excitement of Santa behind us, it was time for one more family tradition, a family picture. With the assistance of a tripod, we've attempted a few Christmastime pictures in the past. They're always interesting to say the list. This year produced a gem of an image, though. It pretty much speaks for itself. It was the last of the pictures we would take. Just seconds before the shutter clicked, Poppy started to sit down in the rocker, but caught the pocket of his pajama pants on the arm of the chair, followed by an enormous rip. We were supposed to be making funny faces, but instead, all began cracking up hysterically. The following picture is the result.

Wolfe Family Portrait - 2009

After the picture debacle, it seemed all to clear that it was time to wind down and watch the movie. We all cuddled up on the floor and started the flick. Who knows how many times we've seen this film, but it's been enough that some of us (Dad, Lo, and I) oftentimes find ourselves quoting lines if not entire scenes. Normally, that drives me nuts, but with this movie, I just can't help myself. A mere thirty minutes in it was obvious that the girls were exhausted and that the weather wasn't getting any better. Maddie had woken up feeling a little crummy, so Jeff and I made the decision to head home prematurely. Thankfully, we opted for 4-wheel drive when we bought our Tahoe, even though the odds of needing it in Tulsa, Oklahoma weren't high, so we had no problem getting home. The girls were asleep in mere seconds, so we just took our time. It wasn't long before they were both curled up safe and warm in bed, the cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and his reindeer placed safely on the hearth by Mom and Dad. I'm not sure if visions of sugar plums were dancing in their heads, but I know the excitement and anticipation of Christmas morning were floating through mine.

Blood Related

Madeline has been rocking quite the accent lately. Both Cadence and Madeline have always had a bit of one, their soft voices drawling out with a hint of twang. Recently, though, Madeline's has gotten thick. Many of you may not know this, but my step-mom, Lydia, the girls' Grana, was the source of almost all six of their combined blood transfusions while they were in the hospital. So, even though they aren't genetically linked, in a sense, they are blood related. So, since she's from East Texas and has an unmistakable accent of her own (one that we love, might I add), I'm blaming Madeline's newfound accent on her, ya'll!

Cats & Dogs

When the girls got home from school today, they immediately transformed into their "kitten" selves, a role play game they've been playing for a couple of weeks now. Usually, one of them plays the mommy cat and the other is the baby. Today, I was wrangled into the game in the role of "mommy". I guess I have a little experience...

This evening, the game resumed with a new character. Jeff took on the role of "Daddy dog". Maddie's not a big fan of real animals she tells me. She likes her stuffed ones just fine, especially her cat Nana bought her at Disney World. She's scared of real animals, though, namely dogs; so the minute Jeff started barking, she was frantically dragging me by the hair (seriously, she was pulling on my hair like she would pull on a shirt), to help me escape from the dog. We sought refuge in Cadie's closet, clearly the safest place in the house to hide from dogs. I concealed myself behind one of the girls fluffy dresses, while Cadie found safety behind Maddie's Sleeping Beauty gown. Maddie's hiding place of choice? Behind their princess suitcase. I assured them that we would be safe from the dog, and even if he did make it into the closet, he wouldn't be able to see us in our clever hidey holes.

The next few minutes were mass chaos. It started with Jeff poking his hand under the door and the girls screaming shrilly. Then, the door flung open and again more screaming (and barking) ensued. After the door slammed shut, we made an escape plan. Maddie clung to my back and I scooped Cadie up in my arms. I opened the door, then barreled out, my little kittens in tow. We made it to the safety of the bed, but Daddy dog wasn't far behind. It all ended with each one of us erupting into laughter and giggling as the dog ate Cadie, then finished Maddie off for dessert.

Man, that was fun!

2009: A Year in Review

And what a year it has been. I know for many, 2009 was a tough year. The economy was in a recession, health scares abounded, and futures were up in the air. Though we had our own trials and tribulations, I will always look back on 2009 as a year of abundant blessings. So, just for fun, I've compiled a 'Best of' list for '09. Enjoy!

Best Financial Blessing

Our financial lives definitely turned for the better when Jeff teamed up with his business partner Drew nearly two years ago. This past Spring, Jeff and Drew were presented with a job opportunity that lasted six months and translated to the best year of business Jeff has had since the inception of his original company back in 1996.

Runner Up: Although my business, Cadeline Photography, had shown steady growth since I started the business in July '07, I never expected the onslaught of new clientele that I received late summer, early fall of this past year. I found myself facing weekends of three to four sessions a day.

Best Medical News

In the process of trying to change health insurance, Jeff and I were forced to face one of our silent fears: the question of whether or not Cadie's hydrocephalus could/would return. After receiving a letter from Dr. Benner, Cadie's neurologist, our fears were alleviated with the news that Cadie's hydrocephalus had been "transient" and would not be returning.

Runner Up: At the most recent appointment with Dr. Groves, Maddie was once again given a clean bill of health in both of her eyes. There are no signs of problems as a result of ROP or the laser eye surgery she underwent at three months old.

Best New Activity

Other than school, I wanted the girls to have an outlet for fun and making news friends, so I signed them up for gymnastics at Tulsa World of Gymnastics. Although their program ended up not being what we were looking for, it ultimately led us to The Little Gym. Now, the girls enjoy a fun-filled hour of flipping, jumping, and games every Friday and they love it.

Runner Up: Who can resist jumping on Mommy and Daddy's bed? Although we won't allow them to jump on their beds, our bed is free game, and boy do the girls take advantage of it!

Best Trip/Vacation

Disney World has always held a special place in my heart. I can remember going there twice when I was younger, then Jeff and I spent our honeymoon there. So you can bet I was ready to take the girls as soon as we thought they could handle it. The trip was everything I'd hoped it would be. The girls were in awe of the castles, characters, and rides. They waited patiently in line, never complaining despite long waits, heat, and obnoxious children. Almost a year later, they still talk about that trip. Now, we're planning and hoping for another visit in December '10.

Runner Up: We love our Texas family, so we're happy every chance we get to visit. The girls love their cousins (especially the big girls). We were able to visit a couple of times this year and loved every visit.

Best Book

For anyone who knows me, you know how much I love books. Back in the Spring, I joined a book club, so I've been exposed to some new books that I might never have read. My personal favorite book of the year (I read 35) was "Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins. It was simply fantastic. For the girls, their favorite book of the year was easily their Bible they received for their 3rd birthday from their BFF, Grace. They take turns reading it and I've often found Cadie holed up in the closet, reading it to herself. Of course, in her version, some of the characters names are "Josepha" and "Damuel".

Runner Up: For me, it's too difficult to choose just one. I read so many fantastic books this year. Some of my favorites were "The Mortal Instruments Trilogy" by Cassandra Clare, the "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" series by Rick Riordan, "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society" by Mary Ann Shaffer, "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins which is the follow-up to "Hunger Games", and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini. For the girls, Cadie really attached herself to "The Cat in the Hat" by Dr. Seuss and a book called "We're Going on a Bear Hunt". Maddie loves them all, but has a particular fondness for "Where's Waldo".

Best Movie

We're a movie loving household, so this category is tough. For me, as a dedicated Twihard, I must say my favorite movie was "New Moon". For the girls, their favorite new movie would have to be the latest Disney/Pixar movie, ”Up". If you haven't seen it yet, do. It's fantastic. I still love it even though I can't count how many times I've watched it since the girls got it for Christmas a mere two weeks ago.

Runner Up: I can't even remember all the movies I saw this year. A few that come to mind are "The Proposal", "The Blind Side", and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince". For the girls, although they aren't necessarily new movies, I can't count how many times we watched "The Incredibles", "Toy Story 1 & 2", "High School Musical 1-3", and "Finding Nemo".

Best TV Show

Again, we're entertainment people, so there is much TV watched in our humble abode. For me, the best TV show of the year was "Glee" on Fox. I'm not a big fan of Fox, but they got me on this one. It is as if the people who created it sat down and said, "Let's create a TV show that is perfect for Cheri Patton", then they did. For Cadie and Maddie, it's tough to say, but I imagine it would be "Phineas and Ferb" on the Disney Channel. They love that show, and Jeff and I love it, too!

Runner Up: I think it was a great year for veteran shows like "Monk", "Psych", and "In Plain Sight" on the USA network; "The Office" on NBC, "Grey's Anatomy" and "Lost" on ABC; and "Big Bang Theory", "How I Met Your Mother", and "The Mentalist" on CBS. All personal favorites in our household. On Cadie and Maddie's watchlist you'll find "Dora the Explorer", "Imagination Movers", "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse", "Little Einsteins", and still the occasional "Doodlebops".

Best Social Event

We're also a family that loves to party. We had so many fun events this year, but the event that stands out the most was the 4th of July shindig. Complete with fireworks, ribs, and a robust round of badminton, I remember everyone having so much fun.

Runner Up: Amidst all of the fun times, two other events come to the forefront: the Halloween Party and our own version of the March of Dimes Gourmet Gala. For each there was good food, fun attire, and best of all, good company.

Now, who knows what 2010 has in store. I know, though, that our family is happy, healthy, and strong. I hope many things for the coming year. I hope that the girls continue to be healthy, growing more and more every day (but not TOO fast). I hope that Jeff's business continues to run like a well-oiled machine, allowing us the opportunity to purchase the acreage we dream of. I hope for good health and prosperity for our family and dear friends. And, I hope we continue to be surrounded by those who love, support, and honor us as we do them. Here's to the New Year!