More from the Cabinet Cuties

The apartment got way too quiet for a few minutes yesterday afternoon while I was cleaning up the kitchen, so being the "smart" mom that I am, I knew something was up. They had to be up to something. And now that they're such a devious duo, I knew it could be dangerous. I bursted into our master bedroom bathroom, only to find the two of them peeking out from behind a cabinet door each with GIANT grins on their faces. It was the cutest thing I've ever seen. I, obviously, couldn't catch that moment on camera, but I got a few of the play that continued for long after my discovery of their "fort."

Yep, yep, the dress AGAIN.

Pizza, Pizza

Baseball games are SO much better for the Borchard crew when the grandparents are in town. Just look at the in-stands entertainment Ellie was provided with this past Sunday! And there's the proof...she's worn that darned dress to every one of Joe's games since!

"See, I Can Dress Up, Too!"

Our little king, donning his crown and Elmo backpack. He's picking up the dress-up habit from his sister. This could be dangerous.

Donut + Church = A-OK

Church doesn't seem to be a ton of fun for our kids yet. They're shushed and told to sit still for an hour straight by two parents way-too-freaked-out about what others think of their parenting skills=). It all changed this past Sunday, though, when Mimi insisted on a post-mass donut for Ellie. She picked it out herself...coconut, eeew!...and was in absolute heaven.

Oh, and check out the Snow White high heels with the church dress. Hey, at least I got her to match them to her outfit!

Introducing THE dress!!

Ellie's Mimi brought her a fabulous gift on the second day of their visit to Fresno last weekend...a real Disney Princess gown from Target...Sleeping Beauty! Ellie was in absolute awe upon pulling in out of the bag. Immediately, she donned the dress. Let's see, that occurred on Sunday of last week, and today is Thursday, so that means that she's been wearing the darn thing for FIVE days straight now! I cannot get it off of her! The kid even sleeps in it! She wears it to daycare at the gym every morning, she wears it when we run errands, she wears it to Joe's games, and she even wears it to bed. Ugh. It was cute at first, but now we're just over it. I did manage to snatch it from her one evening, so that I could run it through the wash to remove the soup from the front and the small poop smear from the back. Joe even asked me if I could help him get it off of her today before he agreed to take her on a trip to the Home Depot with him...he admitted that he might just be slightly embarrassed by the whole thing! Hah!

Scuba Steve's Twin

Trying out her cousin, Filippo's, snorkel gear. Blub, blub, blub. Yes, she's partial to princess gear (i.e. sparkles, pink, and high heels), but this girl is not opposed to dressing up in any other wild get-up that might come her way.

Hmmm, the first day of preschool is coming up...whatever will she wear?

Grizzlies Game with the Cousins

We had a super fun weekend last week when we had a whole bunch of family come into town for some baseball, swimming, and fun family time. My cousin, Brigid, came with her husband, Ed (a SUPER baseball/Joe fan), and their two kids, Tommy and Emily; we also had my cousin Michela, my Aunt Katie, my cousin, Margherita, with her two kids, Filippo and Ginevera, as well as Joe's parents. It was a full, fun house! Ellie and Charlie were in heaven at the games! They got to follow their bigger cousins all around, steal sips from ten different sodas, and wear a foam claw/hand for the first time. Both E and C also got their first tastes of cotton candy (neither was all that into it...phew!) and Slurpee (mmmm, yum!). Just look at Charlie in the photos above...King Sheba with his attendants, being fed Slurpee and cotton candy instead of grapes.

Joe played really well that weekend, too, and we swear the home run he hit was because of the enormous foam Grizzlies hat Brigi made Ed wear throughout the game.

More of the Same Ellie Madness

Yes, just another token picture of Miss Eleanor all dolled up in her finest accessories. The phrase, "What a nut!," is currently on repeat in our house. Whatever will she be like as a teenager??

Brunch with "The Big Girls"

Our dear friends here in Fresno, the Wood family, introduced me and the kids to the yummiest, most darling french bakery the other morning. The girlies gorged themselves on cinnamon rolls and quiche, while Charlie slept and the mommies chatted. Ellie adores the Wood girls, Franchesca, Daniella, and Gemma (you should hear her try to say each of their names!...ha!). She calls them "The Big Girls" and wants to do EVERYTHING that they do in just the same way that they do it. And you know what?, I couldn't have picked better role models for her myself. What beautiful, sweet, fun, thoughtful, and well-behaved little girls they are.

Partners in Crime

I caught these two making a MESS of the kitchen together the other day. All of a sudden, I'm starting to feel that it's really 2 against 1 around here most of the time...them in cahoots against me! Even though they're naughty, I'm so glad that they're such good pals.

A Bike (Not Quite) Built for Two

This little motorcycle was Charlie's big gift for his 1st birthday from his Mimi and Pop-Pop. Ellie can't stand that it was a gift for him and not her. They usually just duke it out over this beloved toy, but today, we had a breakthrough! Ellie just decided to ride WITH him, instead of knocking him off. Woah...now that's worth taking a picture of.

Our Traumatic Afternoon

Yesterday afternoon was a ROTTEN, TRAUMATIC, AWFUL experience for me; the kids thought they'd died and gone to heaven. I can only laugh at it all now, but I can promise you I was not laughing at the time...hysterically frantic and panicked is more like it.

We got home from a terrible trip to Barnes and Noble: I'd promised them they could play with the Thomas the Train set (which, by the way, they have at every B and N I've ever been to), and when we got there, there was not a train table in sight (yes, a fit ensued), and then I dropped an entire grande iced latte all over the store carpet...humiliating. We survived, made it home, and got all settled in, so I decided to throw in a load of laundry. Our laundry machines are just outside our back door here in our Fresno apartment in a small entryway to the garage. The button on the back door knob must have been pushed, because when I closed the door to keep the nasty flies out of the house, I ended up locking myself out and locking my kids in...all ALONE! My babies are 1 and 2 and a half...they're babies. I stayed calm at first, but that feeling only lasted for about a minute. My first thought was to run to the apartment complex's front office, where I knew they'd have an extra key. I began my sprint (about a 1/3 of a mile) on the black asphalt in 106 degree heat, only to get to the door to figure out that it was after 5pm and they were gone for the day. I began the sprint back on blistered and burned feet; all I could think about was whether or not they were OK...were they scared?...were they putting themselves in danger?...ugh, my thoughts went to very, very dark places. I would've called 911 at this point, but my cell phone was also locked in the apartment. Halfway back to the apartment, I flagged down a random man in a truck and asked him to help me break into my apartment to get to my babies. I swear, I found an angel. He followed me back, happened to have every tool imaginable, and worked his tail off to get me in...he ended up having to use a power saw to remove the knob entirely...took about 20 minutes....an eternity it seemed. I also couldn't see either kid the entire time, as neither one ever came to the door in answer to my screams. At one point, I heard some giggles come from the inside of the apartment, and I held onto that for some relief/hope.

Now for the funny part. I bursted into the door, told my angel that I'd be right back, and sprinted straight for the back of the apartment (I'd last left Ellie back there working on going potty in the toilet). She came into view right away...popped her head out of the toilet, threw her sopping wet hair back (a la Ariel in "Little Mermaid"), and proceeded to tell me: "I just swimming, Mommy!" Are you kidding me?! This kid never even noticed that I'd "stepped out" for the last 30 minutes...she'd died and gone to heaven. Amazing to see how far a toddler will go without a parent around to give a gentle "no, don't do that" here and there throughout the day. The entire floor of the bathroom was sopping wet, flooded with toilet water!

Relieved that she was OK, I then began to scream for Charlie and search for him...I couldn't find him at first (panic!)...I eventually found him happy as a lark back in my bathroom eating toilet paper. Ahhhh, sweet relief for that baby boy...he's been working at getting to that toilet paper for weeks now! I swear, the whole experience was hell for me and Disneyland for them.

While I was chatting with my new friend (thank you, Russ Pittman!...if you ever need an electrician in Fresno, he's your man) after the whole hubbub, Ellie sneakily disappeared without me knowing. She'd gone back to her potty spot again to splash and soak her hair in the pot. I guess the toilet lid came down on her face during her swim, because I heard a loud scream, then ran back there to find her bleeding with a split lip. The little cut on her lip bled quite a bit, but the blood also mixed with the water, so it looked like she was bleeding everywhere! Thank goodness that didn't happen while I was gone; had I come in to find her like that, I think my heart would've beat its last beat right then and there. See photos above. What you can't see is that Ellie's top is sopping wet...and she is bare-bottomed. What a sight! What a mother Russ Pittman must think I am!

"Cinderella's Truck"

To cap off that most perfect day, the last day of our visit, we came home from dinner at La Fiesta only to find the ice cream truck chiming its way down my parents' street. It was just too perfect of an ending for an already awesome day. Ellie was just STUNNED...right away, she deemed it "Cinderella's Truck." Grampy bought her a candy necklace, which she insisted was given to her by the "princess" driving the truck. We drove back to Fresno that evening; unfortunately, I had to listen to crazy loud chomping of said candy necklace all the way to the bottom of the Grapevine! Ugh.

The Three Charlies

We spent my birthday (and my cousin, Margherita's) dinner at our go-to Mexican dive in Pasadena, La Fiesta. We had a crew of about 30 Bannans there...and my mom and sister watched the kids the ENTIRE time, while I sat and relaxed down at the opposite end of the table. Ahhhhh. This really was a fantastic weekend! Apparently, the kids were absolutely perfectly behaved the entire time...I still don't believe it!=)

Above is a photo of the three Charlie's at the dinner...my cousin, Charlie Moore, our pal/the bartender at La Fiesta, Charley, and my Charlie.

Our Norman Rockwell-esque Lawn Day

On our last day home in Pasadena for my birthday (30th...yikes!) weekend, Annie and I got home from a long walk and a coffee stop and decided to just keep on hanging out outside with the kids. My mom's house is just WAY too nice to hang out in for any length of time with Cyclone Charlie and fit-prone Eleanor. We ended up having the whole crew out there (Noni, Grampy, Mahgie, and the kids), plus my Aunt Barbara and cousin Haley, as well as my parents' sweet neighbor and dear family friend, Maureen. Charlie practiced walking with his shopping cart up and down the sidewalk, while Ellie stripped naked and danced in the hose. Certainly nothing super special to report about this day...and still, it's one I'll remember forever, I think. Heaven. The only thing missing was Joe (can't wait for some family time with him this off season).

Pretty Potty Girl

Poll: Is this beautiful photo of Ellie worth blowing up and hanging on a wall at home (we're in the process of looking for such a photo), or is it just WAY too obvious that she's posing on the toilet? Why is it that the only time I can get a pic like this is when she's on the pot?!

What Happens When You Refuse to Nap:

I swear I don't torture my kids with sleep deprivation! I left Ellie in her bed for an hour and a half this afternoon, and she REFUSED to nap! She passed out on our way home from running errands, though, and I absolutely could not wake her up. I lugged her into the apartment, dropped her on the couch, and covered her with a blankie. She slept for another hour at least, while Charlie screamed all through his dinner, I talked on the phone, and we had bath time without her. Poor thing was a wreck after a HUGE, FABULOUS weekend down in Pasadena with both sets of grandparents, Auntie Noni, and cousins, cousins, cousins.

Note: As I write this, Miss Ellie is STILL awake in bed! I put her in bed for the night at 7:30 pm (per her request, mind you), and it's now 9:15. What the heck?! Guess we'll have a repeat of the above picture tomorrow afternoon.

It Never Gets Old

The dressing up NEVER gets old for Ellie; obviously, taking pictures of the get-ups never gets old for her mommy either. Enjoy the latest ensemble above. Yes, those are fairy wings peeking out from behind her back. And yes, I let her wear this to Target. OK, so I made her remove the wings, but only because I couldn't figure out how to buckle her into her car seat with them on.

Romantic Getaway

Joe just had his All-Star Break early last week, and what a wonderful break it was! The two of us had a family friend stay with Ellie and Charlie, while we escaped for a one-night romantic getaway to Shaver Lake (45 minutes north of Fresno in the Sierra Mountains). We were gone for all of 26 hours, but it felt like three days! We loved every minute of the time together, the incredible sights to see, as well as the break from parenthood (though we talked about the babies the ENTIRE time). We took TONS of stunning pictures from our drives (Joe seriously took me 4-wheeling in my dad's tiny non-4WD Dakota...SCARY!), our visit to Mono Hot Springs, and our hike to the most beautiful waterfall. I will spare you having to view my amateur attempts at photography here, though. Above is a photo of us enjoying the view (and that awesome waterfall sound) at Rancheria Falls.

Milk-Drunk Mister

These two pictures were taken on two seperate days. Do you think we wear this guy out or what?! You'd think we're torturing him with sleep deprivation or something. After going to the gym's day care each morning, I bring them home for a bite to eat, and lately, Charlie has taken to passing out in his high chair while slugging down his milk. He must play HARD with all of the other kiddos. Doesn't he look just like a drunken little bum? Be prepared for more pictures of this; I just can't get enough of this...too cute.

Learning from Daddy

Joe's passing his handy-man knowledge down to his son already! I always wondered how and when men ever learned to fix things, change a tire, put stuff together, etc. Joe has always talked about how he learned all of that just by hanging out with and watching his dad. And just a few days ago, I saw it starting to happen in the next Borchard generation. Charlie wanted nothing more than to just be by his daddy putting together his barbeque that day. I must say, though, that he did NO helping at all, of course...boy oh boy, though, is he ever an expert banger (wrench on metal is LOUD!).

Sweet Summer

These kids are LOVING the pool! Post-swim lessons, Ellie is just a little fish. She thinks she is Michael Phelps, I swear. And the kid CAN'T swim yet! She can kick, kick, kick!...but she swims like a torpedo...dead, limp arms glued to her sides at all times. I'm just loving watching her learn, though I wish she had just a tiny bit of fear.

And just take a look at those handsome boys of mine! Am I luck, or what?!

Baseball Babies

The Borchard babies are NOT on baseball schedule. Most baseball families get their kids on a schedule that matches their daddies': they stay up super late so that they can go to games at night, and they sleep in extra late in the mornings. I guess I've just been too lazy to force the yucky adjustment period on all of us...plus, I don't want to have to do it all over again once we get back to Charlotte in late August for the start of preschool for Ellie.

Still, they have to see their daddy play at least once in a while. So, I just bring them in their jammies to a couple of early innings, then bring them home to plop them directly into bed. They usually do really well but begin to melt about three innings into our stay. I've discovered that Charlie lasts longer if he can be a "Big Boy" sitting in his very own seat...he's VERY squiggly, though, and if I'm not super careful, an ER visit could be in our near future. And of course, Miss Personality enjoys her baseball experience a heck of a lot more when she can attend dressed in her finest tulle, sparkles, and pink.

Can't Forget the Crown

Just as they did for Ellie's 1st birthday, some baseball friends, Ron and Linda Schueller, supplied the party outfit and crown for Charlie's big day. He looked absolutely darling. However, I forgot to put his crown on his head for all of his pictures with the cake on the day of his party. So, we just recreated the moment over lunch the next day, and above is the result. What a king!

Charlie's 1st Birthday Party

Charlie's 1st Birthday party was a huge success. We had both sets of grandparents there, as well as some dear local friends, Sissy Wood and her three sweet girls. We had a tough time deciding what to feed everybody for lunch, as my mom insisted that it had to be something that Charlie would choose. We came up with El Pollo Loco, as the kid LOVES pinto beans. All were satisfied. He loved opening presents with the help of all of the little girls; best of all was eating the paper and playing with the ribbons, though. Ellie, of course, thought that all of the presents were for her, and you should see those two still duking it out all day long over who gets to play with the toys. She pushes him around, and he's such a pest, always wanting whatever toy she's playing with. Let the sibling rivalry begin!!

Charlie didn't really dive into the cake enough to get a good messy photo. I guess the frozen frosting on the 31 Flavors ice cream cake didn't permit the extreme messiness we're used to. Oh well, I selfishly loved that the clean-up was a breeze.

Happy Birthday, Charwa!

P.S. He got some push toys, so hopefully he'll be walking soon. That 25+ pound sack of potatoes is getting really, really tough to carry around on my hip all day long now.

4th of July Fun with the Grandparents

What a holiday weekend we had! Both sets of grandparents were up to celebrate both the holiday and Charlie's 1st birthday on the 5th. Where did this last year go?! I swear that baby boy was born just a couple of months ago.

Above are two photos from our time at Joe's baseball game on the 4th. For the first time all year, the kids and I made it to the very end of a game...had to stay for the fireworks show. I unnecessarily worried the entire day that my kids would hate and be frightened by the fireworks. Instead, Ellie was fascinated and Charlie slept (out cold) through the entire thing.

Is Ellie a "Mini-Molly" or what?!