Hailee, Why Is Your Hair Still Wet?

I gave the kids a bath early this afternoon because I was watching some friends' kids. We played and ate dinner and the kids left. At about 7:00 I looked at Hailee's hair and it still looked wet (3 hours after her bath). I asked her why her hair was wet.

Me: "Hailee, why is your hair wet?"
Hailee: "It's not. Molly and I were playing make over with our Barbies and we gave each other hair make overs."
Me: "Did you put something in it?"
Hailee: "Yea, it's the stuff you use in your hair sometimes."

She grabs the bottle they used thinking it was Pomade. NOT Pomade.....Vicks Vap-O-Rub.

She got back in the shower and I washed her hair twice. It still looks wet and smells like a cough drop. Oh well!


I am reminded of a similar experience my sister and I had. We were about 12 and 9 and heard somewhere that Mayonnaise was good for your hair (because most 12 & 9 year old's suffer from extremely dry hair). So we saturated our whole head with a jar of mayo.

I think that took about a week to come out. And I think I'd rather smell like Vap-O-Rub than salad dressing.

Cavs Vs. Jazz

One of our "things to do while we live in Cleveland" was going to a Cavaliers game at "The Q". We jumped on the chance when we found out they were playing the Jazz. The kids had so much fun. Dane stayed true to his team (he wins the prize for the most loyal fan). But the kids wanted to cheer for the Cavs.
Apparently it is some cruel form of torture to make Bennett hold still for a picture.They wanted to show their team spirit by getting tattoos. Of course Hailee's was right on her face which didn't come off for about 3 days.

Braden was smart and stuck with the hand.
Bennett declined the tattoo.My favorite part of the night was right at the beginning. They started throwing balls out and one fell right in Braden's seat. His face was priceless. He was so shocked and excited. He carried it with a death grip the whole night. All of them ended up with one before the game was over.
We had the best cheering section around. All 3 of these kids are screamers and any chance that they can scream and get away with it, they are all over!
Unfortunately Hailee's attempts at getting on the big screen were foiled yet again by her brothers not dancing enough. It wasn't her fault...she was laying it all out there.

The Cavs won so the kids were very happy about that. It was tons of fun and we might just have to go back. The games are a little more action packed than the baseball games we are used to going to.

Braden's School Picture

Maybe Hailee's school should switch photographers. Braden's turned out great! What a cute little boy.

Cedar Point

We have tried to create some fun memories and visit cool places while we live out here. We have really tried to take advantage of our time here in the East and see as much as we can because I don't know if we will be back. One of the places we had on our "list" was Cedar Point. It has been named the best amusement park (I don't know by who but it was really cool). We went for the Halloweekends during September and October. I don't think I have ever been to an amusement park with winter gear on but we still had tons of fun. I didn't get too many pictures because I forgot the batteries for the camera but here are a few.

Hailee and Braden were so much fun! They were just jumping up and down all day - partially because they were cold but mostly because they couldn't contain their excitement.

Bennett's favorite ride was the Merry-Go-Round. His favorite ride was NOT the airplane ride his mean parents made him go on.

Before...not too sure about this, mom.

After...Get me the heck off this stupid ride!


We have been playing "Cedar Point" at our house for a week now. Hailee and Braden have made a measuring stick to make sure people are tall enough to ride the rides. The rides consist of getting in a sleeping back and sliding down the stairs.

Dear School Picture Taking Company,

I would like to tell you that I think it's very sad that one cannot order just a class picture. Instead, you use extortion to make us order a whole packet with useless things like locker magnets and trading cards for 7 year olds. I also think it's horrible to have the cheapest package on the list that includes the stupid class picture be $30. I am also wondering where I can turn in an application - I am going to send my 4 year old and 1 year old to apply because I'm pretty sure they could take a better picture than the one you took of my 2nd grader. Although my daughter is beautiful no matter how she is photographed, there are ways to capture a REAL smile. There are also ways of positioning her so she doesn't look malnourished in every picture you take of her. Maybe next year I can just order the dang class picture and take my hard earned money to a REAL photographer. Want to see the proof?

The Dreaded Flu Shots!!

We had the most dreaded day of all the year........flu shots for all 3 kids! My plan of ambushing them didn't go over so well when Hailee randomly asked me yesterday if she was going to get a flu shot this year. Like a total dummy, I told her, "yea, you're getting one tomorrow." Big mistake!! She hasn't had a shot for a few years because we chose to do the nasal spray (which is a live virus) last year and they both got sick for 24 hours. I wasn't in the mood to deal with 3 barfing children so I opted for the shot.

This is how our afternoon proceeded:

"Mom, does it feel like hair being pulled off your arm?"

"Just one hair or like all of them at the same time?"

"Maybe does it feel like ripping a bandaid off because that really hurts and I don't want to do it if it feels like that."

"How long is the needle in there for? Does it suck out your blood? Will I have blood all over my arm?"

"If it is only in there for 2 seconds, are they quick seconds or long seconds?"

"I just poked my finger nail into my arm as hard as I could. Do you think it hurts worse or the same as that? I think if it hurts the same, that will be okay."


After an exhausting afternoon of questions and worry, she had a restless night which resulted in her coming in my bed at 4 AM crying. Then she was too sick about it to eat her breakfast. We went to the Dr. and they both got a physical. They had to take her blood pressure several times because she was so nervous and it was effecting the reading.

The moment of truth came...to her surprise (and mine), she actually had to get 2 shots because she was missing a booster. She about went through the roof! She was bawling and jumping, she was so upset. The nurse had to get very firm with her and tell her it would be okay and she needed the shots so she could be healthy. She held still for them but did a little freak out flail thing afterward and then calmed down.

Bennett got his and cried but didn't hold a candle next to Hailee's episode.

Then it was Braden's turn. I saved his for last because I thought he might be the most upset. The poor guy had to get SIX shots!!! Hailee (of course completely recovered) asked him if he was going to cry. He said, "no, I'm not going to cry." My tough little man watched the nurse give him 6 shots and didn't even flinch. He didn't wince or move or cry. He looked at me after and said, "Mom, see? I am very brave." You sure are, Braden. Even the nurse was blown away. She gave him about 10 stickers. Hailee got 2.

They are both very healthy and ironically they grew the same amount and gained exactly the same amount of weight.

Braden's stats:
42 1/4 inches tall (up 2 3/4 inches)
40.4 pounds (up 6.1 pounds)

Hailee's stats:
50 inches tall (up 2 3/4 inches)
53 pounds (up 6.1 pounds)



Gotta love my little drama queen and tough guy.

Election Day Stories

I just had to write a little something about the election and how funny Hailee has been with it. Braden has absolutely no idea what is going on - he really doesn't care. But Hailee has been a bit obsessed with the whole political process. It was kind of fun and a little challenging to answer her questions and keep it on a kid level.

She asked me weeks ago who I would be voting for. I told her I would probably vote for McCain because he believes in a lot of the same things I believe in. Here are some of my favorites:

Hailee: "All of the kids with brown skin at my school are voting for Obama because he has brown skin. Are you voting for McCain because he has peach skin like you?"

Hailee explaining something to her friend in the back of the car: "McCain is better because he lets you choose what you do with your money. Obama is going to take all your money away and give it to the poor people. It's better if you can choose which poor people you give it to."

Hailee after hearing a political commercial: "I am tired of all this McCain, Obama, McCain, Obama. They always say that McCain lies and it's not true. I am just sick of it!"

Hailee trying to explain her view to a friend: "Obama is not a bad person. He is a really nice guy. He just doesn't have good ideas."



There you go. Political insight from a 7-year-old.