So What If We Shirts For Skirts

Hi Bloggy Blogger World! So excited to for you to grace us with your presence once again!

I know I say this a lot but things have been a little crazy at the Burke house.

Cambri learned how to dress herself.

Yay for that.

And yay for me for taking all day to realize she had on a shirt underneath her dress. Around her waist.

I can't even tell you how many places we went to that day. Oh well. I'm 99% sure I didn't brush her hair so hopefully people were looking at that instead of her random shirt skirt.

And that's not even the weirdest thing we did this week.

We walked around the river barefoot. Why? I have no idea. But when Izzy asked why we had to wear shoes the only reason I could come up with is "because I said so."

And I try only to use that excuse when I tell the kids we are having snowcones for lunch. So we got in touch with our ancestors and walked 2.5 miles without shoes.

You won't believe the stares we got. I didn't think it would attract as much attention as it did.

So random but people were kind of rude.

I'm not posting this picture to condone unsafe seat belt practices. My two-year-old is a descendant of Houdini.

Chase and I took the girls on a drive and looked back to check on our little ladies.

Only to find them dressed as Pull-Up Ninjas.

Trust me when I say all the weirdness in the gene pool comes from Chase's side. I just know it.

Cambri really wants her ears pierced. So until we take that plunge (next week!) she was satisfied with clothes pins.

One last thing:

I have developed an addiction to planking.

Stay tuned for that.

Chuckie Love

First and foremost, this is my 300th post. Oh M Ba Gee Gee. I have too much time on my hands peeps, really.
Have all of you met Chuck? El es mi padre.

He is my concert companion. And has been since I was 8 years old at my first Reba concert.

Since that point, we have seen lots of shows together. Shania, Tim, Faith, Toby and I'm not joking the list goes WAY on. I never remember him telling me no when I wanted to see someone. Even if we had to drive a few hours.

And we always had kick A seats. One of the perks to a having a music loving father.

When I was in high school and our music tastes veered a tad, he was the dad that road tripped me and my friends to our concerts.

Many a time (at least 3) he checked us out of school and took us to either Boise or Salt Lake to see N'Sync.

And at least twice to see the Backstreet Boys.

We loved us some boy bands. And we loved leaving town for the weekend. Naturally. We would stay in a hotel room next to the one that he stayed in. Obviously he paid for both.

One time he took me and my friend Holly B. to a ska concert in Pocatello. It didn't even start until 11pm and it was a school night.

What the hello were our parents thinking?

Oh yeah. My dad was driving and her mom said "Have fun ladies." These are the things memories are made of peeps.

After I got married, Chasey kind of stepped in to concert companion. And we have had fun. But he knows I would leave him for Toby Keith.

Seriously.

Well not that serious, but I love Toby. I LOVE him. But being that we are both happily married, I guess it wasn't meant to be.

Anyway, this story does have a point. Chase has been hit or miss and my dad has never let me down.

Flashbulb memory time: In 2006, Chasey surprised me with Phil Vassar tickets. He was actually making a random stop in Blackfoot, Idaho of all places. I still remember exactly where I was (walking into the Venetian in Las Vegas) when Chase called me on my birthday to let me know that he bought me seats as a gift.

Two months later when the concert rolled around, his brother called him 4 hours before said concert and invited him to a Jazz game.

I'm sure you see where this is going.

Katie: What do you mean you are on your way out of town? I thought we had plans tonight. In fact I'm sure of it.

Chase: I know you understand. Shouldn't we both spend the evening doing something we really like?

Katie: Umm no. The difference is that you will have companionship at your event and I will be completely alone. Enjoying my birthday present.

Chase: Oh I'm driving over the Malad Pass. I think I might lose...

Trust me when I say that you don't lose coverage while driving to Malad. This wasn't the 90's.

Side note: Yes, I am a score keeper. It's a character flaw. I'm working on it peeps.

But guess who saved the day? Chuck.

I didn't bring up that story to hate on the hubby. I only use it as a reference to the point that every girl needs her dad.

Chuck went with me and never complained. In fact we had a great time.

So bringing this story back to current day.

Chuck bought me tickets to see Diamond Rio last weekend. I was so excited. And I had my concert companion in tow.

Halfway through the set, he started looking tired and wanted to go. What can I say? My concert companion is 55 and getting freakin' old.

But I had the best time! It was so nice of him. And extremely thoughtful.

The very best part was when he paid the babysitter (my brother) in exchange for his evening services.

I have learned to value every moment that I have with my dad becuase you never really know. Two years ago on my birthday, my life was fine and normal. And now its different.

On the way home from the concert, Chuck and I had a very real conversation about maybe both of us letting go a little in order to move on. Not love less or forget but just let go of a life that we assumed we would always have.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Life As of Late

Ok so you are all probably dying to know what life at the Burke house is like.

I just know it.

Actually you probably don't care but that's ok. I'm hoping you will join us for this little adventure anyway.

Where to begin?

Well, we just got done with swim lessons. Which meant a trip off the diving board and a little note from the teacher saying Izzy isn't quite "focused" enough and another try at Eel would probably be best.

We went bowling and Izzy randomly became a "Woohoo" girl. Even a gutter ball was reason to throw her arms in the air and shout "Wooooohoooooo."

Izzy and Cambri started sharing a bed. A twin wasn't really made for two but they are little. It's actually been startling for me to have a baby with access to the house at all hours. Her preferred way of waking me up at 2 a.m.? A quick slap to the face.

And we have throw A LOT of fits. We are super good at it.

One of the BESTEST things we have done this summer is gone fishing with a puppy.

Just in case you are wondering, basset hounds are the cutest puppies EVER. I was so thankful Chase didn't meet her because we probably would have our own by now if he did. They are that cute.

Besides the puppy we have already withstands a large amount of abuse. Like having his nose blown by a concerned two year old. 

And we made sand angels with good friends. Not in a crazy thirty year old housewife on a crowded beach kind of way. Just a normal we are bored in a small town kind of way.

And we took the girls to the circus. Chase had never been before. And he's almost 30.

When he took the girls on an elephant ride, the elephant snotted all over him.

So disgusting! The little girls went on a pony ride. You'll notice the responsible parent (me!) was holding on to Mia's arm with a death grip. She was my responsibility and I didn't want her to get hurt.

You'll also notice that the irresponsible parent isn't even in the picture below with his two-year-old responsibility. In fact he wasn't even with reaching distance of my baby. And the Carnie (that word seems to have a negative connotation but it shouldn't, its a J-O-B) had to yell at him! Those poor animals were hustling it around that ring.

So that is really our summer so far. It's been low key but relaxing.

Oh yeah, we also found our cowgirl hats. They have only been missing for like a year.

So life is good at the Burke house.

Two Two Cute

My baby turned two. Two days ago. I still pretend she's one to make myself feel better. Naturally.

But we held a party anyway. Even though I was in denial. We had so much fun!

There was a pinata.

So that means a LOT of candy. The birthday girl picked out a Skittle/Starburst combo. So the selection wasn't huge. But hey, candy is candy, right? There was some controversy about some kids getting more than others. In these situations, I let the kids work it out. I mean it's a good life lesson and I was hoping my kids ended up with the short end of this stick so I didn't have to deal with sugar highs.

There was presents.

My dad gave Cambri the exact same doll he gave her for Christmas. And he didn't even realize it.

It's moves like this that required me to spend an entire week moving TRUCK LOADS of toys to the thrift store.

But the highlight of the event was the cake.

I felt completely ghetto ordering a Spongebob cake for a two-year-olds birthday but hey Cambri LOVED it. It was completely worth my pride.

It was a little sad to cut into this beauty. But it tasted great!

We had Cambri's party a little early because Chase was in town the week before the actual date. So on her birthday, we took her to the spray park in Rexburg.

Seriously so fun! And free. My bumblebee had so much fun. 

I hope Cambri had a good birthday and has a stellar year. She has such a sweet spirit. Love that girl!

Cambri Still Likes Food

Do you remember when I wrote about my little food thief? It was kind of a traumatic incident for me. But let me tell you it's becoming more and more serious.

I have a food addict on my hands.

Last Sunday, Cam Cam bolted to nursery at church. I mean literally pushing people out of her way.

What makes this weird is that in the past, Cambri has always been a staller. Like the type to follow her sister to her class and pretend to be shocked when her sad, pathetic mother pulls her out.

She has never cried or thrown a huge fit so I wouldn't say it was a job to drop her off. Just a small, annoying chore.

So when she literally started running to class, I was suprised.

If only I had noticed the drool running out of the corner of her mouth.

By the time I caught up with her, she was rooting through the nursery worker's purse. I was shocked as I pulled her off.

I mentioned to the volunteer that Cambri was super excited to come today. And then she mentioned to me that "Cambri is a delight blah blah, loves to read, blah blah." Then she happened to mention that she had noticed the standard goldfish crackers had started to get a little stale and so she had started supplementing the supply with treats from her home.

It all clicked.

Let me break this down for you peeps. People typically volunteer for a month at a time. It was this particular lady's third Sunday. Cambri noticed that lately the snacks had been better than average hence the sprint method of arrival instead of the stall.

I was so embarrassed.

I don't think that the volunteer made the connection.

But she doesn't know the history that I know.

I may be on my way to a two hundred pound two-year-old. Luckily she's is very cute and has a fun personality.

When the TV crew for the TLC special arrives, we'll be ready.

28 Happy's to You!

1. The hit TLC show Sister Wives doesn't make polygamy appealing to Chase. WTH? Seriously. I don't think he watches closely enough.

2. Random Interlude: Ok it's kind of annoying when in the opening credits, patriarch Cody says "Love should be multiplied, not divided." So is he saying that those of us who honor marriage with only one partner divide our love? I'm confused.

3. Chase has only seen Sister Wives once, when I made him watch. He didn't get it.

4. He also hates 16 & Pregnant! I KNOW! Yes, the show gives me anxiety attacks and makes me not even want to be 27 & Pregnant so obviously it's good OLE FASHIONED FUN! And he hates it!
In retrospect, it shouldn't be entertainment because 9 out of 10 episodes turn out bad. If you think it glorifies teen pregnancy, you probably have never watched it. On with the list...

5. Chasey no longer has blood running through his veins. It's all Rockstar baby! A habit that comes at the cost of THOUSANDS of dollars a year and could possibly be doing irreparable damage to his heart.

6. The saying "Like a kid in a candy store" was actually coined after the creator spent a day with Chase. I sent him to the pet store to pick up a plecostomus for the tank and he came home with a loach, two upside down catfish and three kissing fish. No pleco. They didn't rank high enough on the coolness list.

7. This past year Chasey sent a Facebook friend request to an ex-girlfriend. And it was denied! I laughed for two weeks over his butthurtedness. But he has such a sweet spirit that she is missing out.

8. I'm not exactly sure what my husband does for a living. I mean, I understand the title but I really  have no idea what the job encompasses. Whenever people ask me and Chase is around, he stares at me like I'm an idiot when I try to explain. He must be good at it because he got a smokin' raise this year.

9. He thinks our kids walk on water. Yes, thank you for asking! He does spend three weeks a month on the road so he IS misinformed.

10. Chase is the good cop parent. I am the bad cop parent. This is the dynamic that is set up. Izzy and Camster think their dad walks on water. He comes home and everything is fun. He leaves and they spend three weeks waiting for him to come home.

11. Chasey is a walking infomercial for the iPhone. In a weird way. If someone even mentions it (i.e. a waiter who lives off tips) he whips it out and gives them a 30 minute overview. When he starts scrolling through family photos, I am FORCED to brutally cut him off.

12. Swamp People and Hogs Gone Wild entertain him. Yup. Enough said.

13. Chase invented a new game. Izzy's favorite game. He puts her in an old kiddie pool and runs it around the house as fast as he can. And I thought his homemade trashbag kite was redneck.

14. This year he hit Bambi's mom with a rental car. The was the first time he ever tried to go up against wild game in a car. And I was more sad than he was. But then the $3,800 bill rolled in and his tears started rolling.

15. Remember when I said that I wasn't going to share the pic that showed things "better" between Chase and Nicole? I changed my mind.

16. And I'm going to follow it up with one. You can't see it, but Chase picked Nicole up over his head and carried her for 20 feet before he dropped her here. Weird right?

17. Chase has questioned authority since day one. I have witnesses to prove it. But here is a picture for you all to see it. If Chasey gets arrested for this, I'm sorry babe, really.

18. These days his question of all things appearing to be rules USUALLY manifests itself in healthy, legal ways (above picture excluded). Like last week when we skipped lunch and had ice cream for dinner.

19. Chasey got an iPad for Christmas. It was stolen but randomly returned via a ding dong ditch. Unfortunately it happened the first time he ever left it home with me. But he quickly forgave me because he truly has a servants heart. I love that.

20. We rolled into Vegas TWICE this year. The first time, he took me and my bestie Paula. We sat through a time share presentation to get free Criss Angel tickets. Everyone, I mean everyone, thought we were polygamists. Especially when they found out where we were from. They kept asking how Paula factored in to our relationship. Naturally once we realized what they thought, Paula and I entertained ourselves by both resting our hands on Chase's knees. So funny! Very entertaining during an otherwise forgettable experience.

21. Chase really, really wanted to buy above mentioned time share. I had to snap him out of it. And back to reality. Can you imagine us regularly vacationing on the Strip with OUR TWO YOUNG CHILDREN?

22. Also while in Vegas, we saw Holly Madison in a casino. Chase wanted to have his picture taken with her but completely chickened out. So I had to step in and ask a gorgeous woman to take a picture with my husband. He still owes me.

23. Chase paid income tax in 8 states last year and a total of $13 to the state of Idaho, our primary residence. This is why it took our accountant an entire ream of paper to do our taxes.

24. Last week, I woke up at 4 in the morning and caught my husband not sleeping but watching 19 Kids and Counting. Yes, I am outing him here.

25. As we speak, Chase is working two miles underground in a 36 inch hole. I'm not sure exactly what he's doing, as mentioned before, but doesn't that sound a little scary?

26. He thinks that downing Super Pump is the key to his muscles. Never mind the warning on the label telling people not to use if they are in the position to be screened for performance enhancement drugs. Does this sound like a steroid to anyone else? Tell him so next time you see him. Just because they sell it at GNC doesn't make it healthy.  

27. For Chasey's golden birthday (28 on the 28th), I am getting him tickets to the Boise State football opener in Atlanta. Surprise lovey.

28. Chase is my very best friend and someone I don't deserve. He is literally the POP to my TART. I love him with all that I have and can't wait for the next 50 years. I saw this line in church:

and naturally thought of Chase first. I have so much already. I love him more everyday and am so thankful that he picked me. I hope he has a wonderful birthday and a great time being 28. If he can even enjoy things anymore at his age. I'm not sure.

To Share Or Not To Share

Yes this is my little busy Izzy. But this story really isn't about her. It's about Cambri.

And I have to say, I am hesitant to share. Because I am slightly disturbed. For realsies.

And I don't want you to judge me. So I really debated but then I thought, what the heck? If I can't tell my bloggy friends, who can I tell?

Today I got to babysit both of my beautiful nieces. And seriously, I have been begging and pleading for this assignment for awhile. And literally stalking out a perfect situation where I would be the only option and then reminding everyone a couple hundred times that I was available and there was no one else. What can I say? I'm methodical.

It took me years to prove my worth, so needless to say, I took this assignment very seriously. 

And by this point in my story, my sister-in-law is probably freaking out. Considering the last time Jade came over for a visit, x-rays were required a day later. And I'm not even joking here peeps. I felt horrible. She tripped and skinned her knee under my charge. After she was not willing to put any pressure on it for over 24 hours, they had to make sure nothing was chipped or broken. Luckily nothing was hurt but I thought my babysitting dream was down the toilet.

Everyone take a deep breath, like I said before, this story is really about Cambri.

My brother-in-law dropped off the girls around 8 in the morning. And he graciously brought breakfast. Yay for that! 9 pancakes for 4 little girls seems like easy math, right?

Definitely enough for everyone, but they were packaged in groups of three. I thought it made the most sense to split one plate between Cambri and Mia being that they are the youngest.  Cambri didn't like the fact that she had to share plus use a regular plate as well. Because eating off Styrofoam is so much cooler.

But she calmed down relatively quickly so I thought everything was good.

Here comes the  point of this whole story.

The embarrassing part.

Cambri was sitting at the end of the table with Jade to her right. And every time Jade turned her head, she would reach her chubby, grubby fingers over to Jade's plate and steal a couple of pieces of food.

I am not even joking.

And I sat there dumbfounded as she expertly dropped the food on her plate and pretended like nothing was happening as she munched away.

Like it was normal for a one-year-old to be so consumed by food that she has to stockpile her plate.

I didn't even know what to say or do, so I did nothing. Don't judge me.  

And yet, even with all of the extras, guess who was the only one who cleaned her plate?

 

We don't call her the garbage disposal for nothing.

Heaven help us.

Dead Mom Equals New Hamster

Izzy and  I went to the pet store.

She wanted a hamster.

I told her they scheev me out and I could never consciously bring a rodent into my house.

She said, "When I turn 16 and you die, I am coming back and buying me this hamster."

Katie: That's a little brutal, can we brainstorm a way for you to get a hamster without me dying?

Izzy: Can I get a hamster when you are still alive?

Katie: Hmmmm no.

Izzy: Off with your head.

I am cutting her off from Disney movies.

We Make Weird Kids



Cambri is a sweet spirit. Weird, but sweet. I love her because she is a candy loving, diaper using, juice drinking lovey that makes me smile.

So what if she loves slides but can't use them right. I don't judge her.

Like Chase would say, "She a butter knife in a world that is used to the steak variety."

Just kidding, he wouldn't say that. Actually I have heard him say that but not about Cambri. Other people that I won't mention. And don't worry, it wasn't you either.

But the real reason of this post is to let the world know that the terrible twos have set in.

And they are, well, terrible...

She wants to communicate with us but the verbal skills aren't quite there.

Paula spent countless hours trying to teach her sign language. And she picked up one thing.

More.

Darn sign language.

MORE MORE MORE

She abused the more thing. She is very cute while doing it, but abusing it none the less.

And when demon baby sets in, Cam Cam can clear a room. And I don't know what to do with her.

She threw a fit in the middle of a parking lot yesterday. And it was bad. Kicking and screaming on the ground.

Over what?

I have no idea.

So I just sit there watch her debating on what to do.

I was thinking it seemed like a traffic hazard to just walk away.

And when the cars started lining up behind her, honking, I was sure it was.

Poor Paula ran into a similar situation when she took away a glue stick that Cambri was using as lipstick.

And in a public library nonetheless. A woman from my church witnessed the whole thing and was aghast that Paula would just walk away.

So she tried to help and was quickly shut down. That will teach her to be a good Samaritan when it comes to Demon Baby.

She only looks sweet and innocent.