Meet Ellee

We added to our family today! We'd like to introduce our newest princess, Miss Ellee! Ellee is a 7 week old yellow Labrador Retriever!

Marty and I had been discussing getting a dog for awhile, it's been something that we would talk about and then just drop. Lately, we'd been talking a lot about it. When I got back from Brazil yesterday, he hands me the Classifieds section of the paper and says, "Call about these."

I called this morning, they had 2 females left of 2 litters equaling 18 pups! The girls and I went over this afternoon to look at them ... I couldn't NOT get one after seeing them!

Both Ellee and her sister looked a lot alike. Ellee was a bit darker through the head and nose and her "angel's wings" are lighter and more distinguished. Both pups were playful and when asked which one wanted to go with us, both jumped and yelped! Rylee kept saying that they both wanted to go with us ... we only need 1 dog!

Since getting home with her, we've had no accidents (watch me jinx myself with that one), she's been playful and then has napped a lot, and she's done minimal chewing on MY flip flops! As I type this, she is in her kennel for the night - quiet. When I first put her in there, she whined a bit and I got that look from Marty, but she will stay in there tonight and until she is trained completely.

The girls are getting used to her - slowly, but surely. Macee is the most intimidated by her, I think because Ellee isn't too much smaller than Miss Macee! Plus, Ellee is a puppy so she is jumping and sniping - all of which is not cool with Macee! The girls will get used to her and will eventually accept her completely as their "sister!"

Ellee zonked out on the bottom part of my coffee table after doing all the exploring she did when we got her home!
I was helping Rylee pick stuff up in her room when Ellee got into the closet and saw Charlie, Rylee's battery operated dog. Ellee kept licking at her - I think she thought she was real! We brought Charlie out to play!
Ellee has Charlie pinned!

Our newest lil' princess, Ellee!

Birthday Tour Pt 1: Brazil

The girls and I went up to Brazil this past weekend. My parents were going to come down here and celebrate Rylee's birthday, but they can only come for a night because of Dad's work schedule and with everything that has been going on with Grandma Gimp, it was just easier for me to pack up the girls and go up there! Saturday evening we celebrated Rylee's birthday with Nina, Pepaw, Adam, Haylee, Hally and Aunt Cheryl! The theme for this party: Disney Princess!

Rylee with her cupcake tree! We light 5 candles this year!
Rylee and the Birthday Princess Barbie she got from Nina and Pepaw!

HANNAH MONTANA!

Hannah stopped by the party :)

Pepaw and Hannah Montana

I wish we had thought of it, but we could have had Dad wear the mullet wig and it would have been like old school Billy Ray stopped by! Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart!

Hal stole Rylee's cupcake...she's a mess!

It's a Justice Thing!

You've all seen the pictures of Macee and Rylee chowing down on some corn on the cob ... Hally loves it too!

KAY!!!

The girls and I headed up to Brazil this past weekend. While we were there, so was Kay! So, the girls and I went to big ol' Terre Haute with Kay for some catching up and shopping! We seriously had not seen each other in forever!

A Night with the Louisville Bats and the San Diego Chicken

The San Diego Chicken was at a Bats game a couple weekends ago! We made it a family night out and went to see his antics and the game! Absolutely hilarious!

San Diego Chicken and Barney's slimmed down cousin (not sure who that is suppose to be) having a dance off!

Standing on top of the dugout, causing trouble!

Macee with h!er puppet

We wanted to get the girls these funny San Diego Chicken hats, but they sold out of them! So, we got these puppets instead!

The girls and their puppets!

Rylee and Macee with their puppets and Marty with his bobble chicken that he got for his desk at work!

Disney Princess Meet and Greet at the Louisville Zoo

Last weekend, the zoo had a Princess Meet and Greet and I had told the girls that we would go. I wasn't exactly sure how the whole thing worked and was actually thinking we'd just see the princesses out throughout the zoo. So, the girls and I headed through the zoo as we usually do. Towards the end of our route, Rylee was starting to get upset that we hadn't seen any princesses and I was sweaty and hot from the heat and sunshine. I had apologized to Ry and promised her something else if we didn't see the princesses at all while at the zoo. Right as we were coming to the end - there it was - a building where meetings and such are held with a big sign on the front that said 'PRINCESSES!' YAY!!!

So, the girls and I go in line...a long line with lots of little girls eager to see the princesses themselves. As we got closer to the building, the princesses took a break - of course! It was all worth it though! Both Rylee and Macee were super excited to see all the princesses and to have their picture taken with them!

As we were walking out of the zoo, I told the girls to never say I didn't love them! I had just not only endured the zoo, but also a very long line for 2 minutes with princesses! All the while sweating my booty off AND dragging each of the girls thru the zoo in the wagon! I love my girls and I will do this kind of stuff for them no matter how hot and how drenched in sweat I get!

PS: Supposedly, we were on one of the news channels here in Louisville! There was a camera man there and he focused in on Macee for quite awhile (probably because she was wearing an Ariel shirt and has the red hair to match) and then I get got me on tape also! I've been looking for the video clip on websites, if I ever find it I'll for sure post it!

Macee and Rylee with Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, Snow White, Cinderella, and Belle!
Rylee hugged them all! She was so excited! We NEED to do Disney!

Macee hugged Cinderella and that was all! She just stood there with Cinderella the entire time Rylee was meeting the rest! It was too cute!

Ry with Sleeping Beauty, Jasmine, and Snow White!

Cinderella was asking Macee who was on her shirt, Macee just kept looking at her like she should know!

Catchin' Some Rays

We went swimming with our friends, Steffani and Maddie, to Maddie's Meem and Peeps' house (her grandparents) last week! Trying to get in some last minute summer fun before we get back into the routine of school and such...and the temps. start to get cooler!

I was extremely impressed with Rylee - she was jumping in with nothing but her arm floaties on and the was just hanging out in the middle of the pool! She's definately come a long way in the past couple summers when it comes to the water! As for Macee...yeah, she's right where Rylee was...timid! We're going to hopefully get that fixed for next summer though with some swim lessons this fall and winter!

The girls are always hilarious together, but they wear us moms out! Maddie and Rylee get along about as well as Rylee and Macee do - best friends one minute, fighing over the littlest things the next! They did agree upon one thing - it's nice to be a diva and chill on a raft on a hot summer's day!

Rylee chillin' on her raft!
Rylee with Maddie, chatchin' some sunshine!

The World is Our Canvas...Or Something Like That!

The other night, the girls were coloring before bedtime. When it was time to head to their rooms, we asked them to put the crayons and coloring books where they belong. Of course, Macee being a 2 year old decided to do what she wanted. So, she took the crayons and a coloring book with her to her bedroom. I checked on her, she was coloring in the book...ripping up pages from the book, but at least she was coloring in the book! I came back into her room a couple minutes later and she, with a very happy face, started jabbering and pointing to her bed.

OMG! I wanted to scream! She had colored on her bed sheet! She had colored on her bed sheet and she was happy and excited about it! She was so proud of herself!

Thank goodness for washable Crayolas!

A little black, yellow, and green goes well with the pastel, girly colors of her bed sheets!
The kid seriously colors on EVERYTHING! We caught her coloring on her carseat in the car, she's colored on laundry baskets and tables, she's even added color to our white trim throughout the house! Like I said, good thing the crayons are washable!

Macee with her beautiful art work!

Little stink...

Pizza King Station

There is a Pizza King in New Albany not far from church or preschool. It's crossed my mind to stop there a couple times, but if we get pizza we usually do Bearno's or order the Hut or Papa John's. I've been told that there were trains at this Pizza King, which I thought was cool, but not too big of a deal! Boy, was I WRONG!

Marty came home from work early today and wanted to do something fun. We talked about different places to eat, but he wanted to stay on this side of the river and not have to deal with traffic going across the bridge...understandable, he crosses the bridge to and from work each day! He tossed Pizza King out as an option and I mentioned that it had trains. Rylee picked up on that and got really excited and so we went.

It was super fun! We sat in a booth that was like one that you would find on a passenger train and at each booth was a TV with gaming system (or you could just watch TV) and a window! Through the window was a train track with a toy train that, get this, brings your drinks to you!

Rylee and Macee, excited about being at Pizza King!
Watching for a train to come by!

Rylee was so excited and being so loud that we had to tell her, a few times, to be quiet!

I love when we do something fun with the girls and they get so excited!

The train stopping at our window with our drinks!

Waiting for the train to come by again!

Rylee and Daddy at Pizza King!

Macee and Mommy!

Stuck Monkey

Macee likes to get snacks for herself. Macee also likes candy and thinks she NEEDS it each time she gets into the pantry. The candy bowl was moved to the second shelf for a reason...

Macee and Rylee had gotten into the pantry for a snack, Rylee comes running into the living room saying Macee was stuck, we then hear Macee grunting and wimpering.
The little monkey had went from the step stool onto a case of beer and then up onto the first shelf of the pantry trying to get to the candy bowl! I know, cruel that we didn't just help her get down...but I NEEDED a picture! Was it a lesson learned for Macee? NOPE! The next day she was about to attempt the same feat when I caught her!

Needless to say, the pantry is due for a cleaning and purging...the candy bowl is going to move, yet again!

Laritz's and the Louisville Bats

Marty and I took the girls to their very first baseball game last weekend! We took them to see the Louisville Bats play the Toledo Mud Hens here at Slugger Field. The Louisville Bats are the AAA team affiliated with the Cincinnati Reds and the Toledo Mud Hens are the AAA team affiliated with the Detroit Tigers!

Rylee and Macee on the carosel at Slugger Field!
Checking out the crowd...or asking to go on the carosel again...or asking for something to eat!
The kids wanted cotton candy, then ice cream, then a sno cone...all of which they did NOT eat and Marty and I ended up eating or tossing! Oh well, they had fun and that's what matters!

A perfect evening for some baseball!

Slugger Field with the sun setting.

We sat on right field...bad place to sit. It was close to the carosel and playground, but way too far from the ball game!

Although, there were a few left handed batters that sent some balls into the stands!

Macee watching the game!

Daddy and Rylee hanging out!

Everyone should have a giant baseball mit chair!

Sweet Friends

The girls finish up dance each Wednesday, they come running out of the dance studio and Macee gets so excited! It's been an hour and a half that she's had to sit with mommy while Rylee is in dance with her friends. Our little dancers change their shoes and take off running, each week, towards the stairs! Each week, Macee holds Miss Avery's hand and Rylee and Maddie hold hands as they venture down the stairs and out the door!

It's moments like these, that remind me of how innocent childhood is. They love each other, they want to be with each other, they want to help each other. They are such good friends!

Macee Goes to Dance

We found this cute outfit at the Disney Store, I think it's actually suppose to be a swimsuit. Anyways, we found it and the only size they had was a 5. I got one for Rylee thinking she could wear it to dance...it didn't fit Rylee...it fits Macee perfectly though and she LOVES it! We were getting Rylee ready for dance one afternoon and I had to get Macee dressed (as she was running around in just a diaper...which she does most days)...this is what she wanted to wear!

Of course we heard it from the dance instructors! "You HAVE to put her in dance! She is too cute!"

She's a Mess...ALWAYS!

Make-up...lip gloss, eye shadow...it's the new favorite thing for the Laritz princesses. We have loads of lip gloss...everywhere. There is lip gloss put up and away in the linen closet, there is some in Rylee's purse, there is some in the van, in the carseat, in my purse...it's everywhere! I've tried to monitor the lip gloss when it's in Macee's vicinity...I failed one evening! I came into the living room and Macee had gotten ahold of Rylee's purse (of which has, at least, 5 lip glosses in it)...she was a MESS!

It's lip gloss, but Macee likes to use it as lip gloss, blush, eye shadow, mascara...
Yeah...
that's all I've got to say!

Getting mad at me taking pictures and not letting her continue her mess making!