Mom's Visit, Malia's Cellulite, Riley's Oversized Band-aid, And Ben's Oversized Tree!!!

You don't want to mess with this fierce Spiderman! She's got that wild look in her eyes.My Mom came to visit for Thanksgiving. I LOVE it when she comes to visit. As you can see in the background, she brought her cat. She doesn't think she will do that again because the cat (Lighting) was pretty ticked the whole way down. I guess six hours in the car makes him nervous. We also found out over the weekend that Riley is allergic to cats, but only if he pets them and then rubs his eyes. Ben is the same way. They are both okay as long as they don't touch their faces. Malia and my Mom had some more bonding time this trip, or as my mom sais "I'm imprinting." It was funny how much Malia would stare at my mom, like she was studying her every feature. I think it's so neat that they are EXACTLY 50 years apart. I KNOW, my mom doesn't look 50, does she!

I think it's time to buy bigger diapers for this girl. My mom had put this one on and later while I was changing Malia's outfit I discovered that Malia didn't have full coverage! But seriously, check out this baby supermodel! She even know hos to pose and accentuate all her womanly curves.

My mom sais my thighs were very large too when I was a baby (hmm, never went away.) and she told me that she would walk around with me on her hip and sometimes she would squeeze my fat thighs just for fun, but a couple times she got carried away and she squeezed a little too vigorously and I would cry. I know exactly how she feels though...sometimes it's all I can do to stay gentle when I squeeze Malia's cheeks/thighs/belly :)
My mom took Malia and I to TGIF's, and unfortunately for Malia our food came with a lime wedge. This is one of the MANY faces she pulled. Poor thing! I am such a mean mommy. But this is one of the reason's I had kids, to see what funny faces they can make!
Malia with her little tongue out! And notice my shirt (It's one of my faves) it sais "It's only funny until someone gets hurt...then it's hilarious!!!" So true.

Riley had a hangnail. Apparently it hurt "so, so bad." In fact he originally put two bandaid's on it, one over the other, because it hurt so so bad. The next day those bandaid's got replaced with this bandaid. This is the bandage I would use for a 4 cm laceration or a major knee scrape, or I guess a hangnail if I was four :)

Meet big Bertha. She was originally very unwelcome in the home by the Mrs (me). The Mr. (Ben) saw big Bertha on the mountain and immediately fell in love, despite the fact that his wife would be overwhelmed by a 12 foot tall, 7 foot wide presence in her living room. He went ahead and chopped big Bertha down and loaded her in his truck. After all, he now has a truck so his new motto is "Go big, or go home!" The Mrs. (who hates pine needles on the carpet) had very high blood pressure when she first saw the tree and while the tree was being rammed through the front door. But once the lights and decorations were on, courtesy of Ben and his mother in law Cindy, she decided it was a beautiful tree. Welcome, big Bertha.
Amazing but true facts about big Bertha:

1. There is a nest deep inside big Bertha's branches. Some poor bird families Christmas has been ruined.

2. A tree went missing inside big Bertha. Ben had cut down three small trees for some kids, and one of them when missing. Guess where we found it? Inside big Bertha.

3. Big Bertha had to be secured with much wire, including a piece secured to a 2 x 4 in our wall. As much as I hate the fact that the stability of the tree involved damaging our wall, I am relieved that none of my family is in danger from big Bertha.

4. I believe Ben is making up for three years without a real tree. So he has doubled the height and quadrupled the width of a normal tree. This is Ben's fantasy tree! Gotta love him!