Getting settled

Felt like I ought to do a quick update (which I'm sure will end up being a pretty long update) since we've been here in Camarillo for 2 weeks now. It still doesn't feel real that we actually live here though- just like we're visiting. Finding a doctor, going to a doctor's appointment, hanging out with friends, and finally finding Madi a preschool (her first day is tomorrow!) has helped, but I truthfully think it's gonna take getting our stuff out of storage and moving into a new place for the move to feel final.

We do love living in Camarillo though. People have been so great and helpful- more so than I've experienced in any other place I've lived. Like the guy at Costco who ran through all the check out aisles and to the front counter to grab a coupon book for me cause I mentioned when I got there how I hadn't received mine in the mail yet. Or the produce guy at Vons who sliced me up an apple to try just cause it was a new shipment that had just arrived (and very delicious)! And then the librarian who didn't just brush off Madi's request for a book about doctors, but searched high and low through the children's section to find Madi and Elle a handful of the best children's books about doctors (I know that it is the librarian's job to do that, but she was especially helpful about it all- which I appreciated).

We also love the weather. Every day is perfection - a little chilly fog in the mornings (great running weather!), burning off to sunshine in afternoons, highs in the high 60's to mid 70's, and then the fog rolls back in from the ocean at sunset, making for a cool but not too cold evening! We've also been loving the unlimited supply of oranges, lemons, and apples from the trees in Spencer's parents backyard. Not to mention the red onions, peppers, tomatoes, carrots, and herbs growing in the garden. The girls love helping make freshly squeezed orange juice in the mornings. Our first Sunday dinner here Spencer was so excited that the majority of our meal was grown and picked right from his parent's backyard! And all the houses we've looked at so far had fruit trees in their backyards! Gotta love Camarillo!

Other things to love: bonfires in the backyard! We did this Sunday night - Madi couldn't contain her excitement for staying up late and eating roasted marshmallows by the fire! The girls had a blast, but of course I suffered the next day- dealing with an overly tired Madi who had stayed up past bedtime.

Having a dog around has also been a treat. Madi loves having a friend outside to play with. I looked out the window one afternoon and watched Truly lay down for a nap. Then I watched Madi lay down right next to her. Too cute- I had to snap a picture.

Elle on the other hand is petrified and for some crazy reason thinks Truly is gonna "get her". It's taken much coaxing to get Elle comfortable with having Truly around. Elle's fine with Truly laying on her pillow, but when Truly's walking around outside Elle doesn't want to be around her. It's a bummer cause Elle won't play outside like Madi does.

As much as we love Camarillo, it definitely hasn't all been prefect just cause we're here now and finally back together as a family. Madi's still going through some type of funk. She was a little better the first week we were here, but now she's back at pulling all sorts of shenanigans. Her favorite is to get Elle to do things she's not supposed to. Madi will open the front door, get Elle to run down the sidewalk with her and then when I yell at them to "get back here" Madi will yell, "RUN ELLE RUN!" Talk about gettin a mother fired up! I've been so frustrated with Madi's disobedience lately. I feel like I've tried everything and nothing seems to work with this kid (a child who used to be my perfectly obedient one). Yesterday after dropping Madi's preschool paperwork off at the elementary school I took the girls over to the library. Instead of sitting down to look at books the girls immediately got slap happy and took off running through the aisles of books, Elle slipping on a book in the process, sending Madi into hysterical laughter. A librarian had to shush them. I was furious! I picked Elle up in one arm with my diaper bag around my back and basket of books to renew in the other arm, and marched out of the library with Madi running after us. I stormed right out to the car, put the girls in, and drove home in silence. You think Madi would have picked up on the idea that I was a little ticked off. But instead, while I was getting stuff out of the car, Madi unlocked the back door, let Truly in- which immediately set Elle off (as she knew it would). Then Madi slammed the front door and locked it. Luckily I still had the keys so I quickly unlocked it, put Truly back outside, and then marched Madi straight up to her room for a time-out. After reading Elle a story and laying her down for a nap, I continued to take my sweet time before going in to get Madi. As far as I was concerned, she could have stayed in her room the rest of the day. She finally came out though, wondering why I was taking so long. So we sat down for a nice long chat. Madi proceeded to inform me that her crazy behavior was because I hadn't given her "that ring" yet (talking about a CTR ring). Oh, so a reminder is all she needed huh! Well, what a better way to remember something than to sit and write sentences. So that's what Madi spent the next 20-30 minutes doing- writing the sentence, "I will choose the right" over and over. Followed by a strict warning that this would be what happens every time she needs a reminder for good behavior.

Aside from the disobedience, it's just so hard for me to hear my girls fight with each other. I remember my parents getting so mad when Tisha and I would fight and I never understood what the big deal was. Now I do. My girls have very few behavior issues when we're one on one, but put them together and they tease, push, argue, rile each other up, and are very competitive. It's exhausting and I'm constantly playing referee. Luckily, for as much as they fight, they really are best friends and play just as great together. It's these moments that make it all better.

Playing "doctor"

I'm so glad I brought our doctor kit with us. The girls play doctor every single day. And Madi gives birth to a baby every single day. It's hilarious and I love how excited Madi and Elle both are about their new baby brother growing in Mama's tummy!

Helping make dinner.

They truly are girls through and through. Elle still insists on wearing a dress every single day (and of course, if Elle's wearing a dress, Madi feels like she should be wearing a dress too). I am so ready for this stage to be over. We had a couple of chilly days this week- ones where a short sleeve dress just won't do (and of course Elle won't let me put a sweater or jacket over her "beautiful dress"), so this Christmas dress (one of her only long sleeve dresses) was the only thing she'd agree to wear.