Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Christmas Card 2013
Merry Christmas Eve! Here is our Christmas card for this year.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
Merry Christmas from our family to yours!
Friday, December 13, 2013
Christmas Shopping
It's almost done. Every year, I dread Christmas shopping. I always feel I never know what to get family, friends or even my own children. Thank goodness my brother and I are old enough to just ask what each other wants and get it. It makes things so much easier.
Andrew and I felt we went a little overboard last year with our own kids, so we decided to dial it down a notch. We don't want those bratty kids who think they are entitled to everything on their wish list. Although getting a wish list out of my kids is cumbersome since they change their minds every 5 minutes. Jackson is the only one who is getting a little better about it, but he's only 4. In the next few years, I'll probably wishing this was the case instead of them wanting every electronic gadget under the sun.
We have approached gift giving with the philosophy of something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. And of course, Santa will bring an extra gift or two. With the change in philosophy, it's almost done. Yea!
I just need to wrap (ugh!) and decide what to get Andrew (double ugh!).
In the Christmas spirit, we participated in the kids' preschool's Angel Tree again this year. We bought a gift for an underprivileged child and brought it to school. Trying to explain to my kids what we were doing was difficult. They're not quite old enough to understand the full meaning of the Christmas spirit, so I'm starting young. Jackson is old enough to start understanding it, but I feel like I'm jamming it down his throat. Gift giving is more important than receiving. You need to be grateful for what you have and not always expect or demand things.
I'm trying. It may be fruitless, but in another year or two, he'll start to grasp it. That's what I keep telling myself in the mean time. I'm planting the seeds to his understanding so he'll be a giving, selfless child/adult and not a little brat. It's my mantra, and I'm sticking to it.
Andrew and I felt we went a little overboard last year with our own kids, so we decided to dial it down a notch. We don't want those bratty kids who think they are entitled to everything on their wish list. Although getting a wish list out of my kids is cumbersome since they change their minds every 5 minutes. Jackson is the only one who is getting a little better about it, but he's only 4. In the next few years, I'll probably wishing this was the case instead of them wanting every electronic gadget under the sun.
We have approached gift giving with the philosophy of something you want, something you need, something to wear, and something to read. And of course, Santa will bring an extra gift or two. With the change in philosophy, it's almost done. Yea!
I just need to wrap (ugh!) and decide what to get Andrew (double ugh!).
In the Christmas spirit, we participated in the kids' preschool's Angel Tree again this year. We bought a gift for an underprivileged child and brought it to school. Trying to explain to my kids what we were doing was difficult. They're not quite old enough to understand the full meaning of the Christmas spirit, so I'm starting young. Jackson is old enough to start understanding it, but I feel like I'm jamming it down his throat. Gift giving is more important than receiving. You need to be grateful for what you have and not always expect or demand things.
I'm trying. It may be fruitless, but in another year or two, he'll start to grasp it. That's what I keep telling myself in the mean time. I'm planting the seeds to his understanding so he'll be a giving, selfless child/adult and not a little brat. It's my mantra, and I'm sticking to it.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
The Nail Polish Incident
It had been a relatively quiet Friday night. I should have known something was going to go wrong. The house was just too quiet. It seemed everyone was content or had fallen asleep early.
Until Cullen walked into the living room terribly upset yelling for Mommy, it took a downhill turn.
I glance over to see what could be wrong this time. Did his finger get pinched? Did he walk into a wall and hit his head? Did his brother take a toy away from him? He's three so everything is the end of the world.
All I see is red. Red all over his fingers, his cast, and a lot of it running down his pants. Add on the fact he is crying, and I am immediately start looking for the gash or cut all this blood is coming from. That is until I kneel down beside him to pick him up and smell the distinct whiff of nail polish. Any women knows that particular smell quite well. There is no mistaking that scent.
I immediately went from concerned for the well being of my child to pissed off Momma ready to smack down my the offender of the heinous incident. It's quite shocking this complete transition took about 0.3 seconds.
I yell for Andrew who was standing in the kitchen. He comes running over concerned about the amount of 'blood' all over our son until I stand up, pass his son off to him, and say, "It's nail polish."
Running to the only place this could have happened, I find my OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress red nail polish all over the floor and inside the cabinet of my bathroom. I'm running around grabbing cleaning supplies and paper towels to clean as much of this mess up as possibly before it starts to dry.
Andrew eventually wanders back into the bathroom to see how he can help with the little offender in tow. Andrew starts taking off Cullen's pants that are soaked from crotch to knee on both of his legs and trying to clean it up. I just look up and say, "The pants are ruined. That will never come out." And ladies, we all know how true that statement is.
Luckily, I was able to get the nail polish cleaned off the floor without any residue. Cullen on the other hand, now has nail polish permanently on his cast until it comes off, along with some of the crevices of his finger nails. I just couldn't get all of his off with my nail polish remover.
I have no idea what came over my boy to have him go back into our bathroom, into my cabinets, into my nail polish Rubbermaid box, get the red nail polish out, and open it. Was he trying to paint his nails? Was he just trying to paint? No clue. I'm just happy the entire bottle didn't spill and nothing besides his jeans were permanently ruined. At least I'll have this story to tell him when he gets older.
Until Cullen walked into the living room terribly upset yelling for Mommy, it took a downhill turn.
I glance over to see what could be wrong this time. Did his finger get pinched? Did he walk into a wall and hit his head? Did his brother take a toy away from him? He's three so everything is the end of the world.
All I see is red. Red all over his fingers, his cast, and a lot of it running down his pants. Add on the fact he is crying, and I am immediately start looking for the gash or cut all this blood is coming from. That is until I kneel down beside him to pick him up and smell the distinct whiff of nail polish. Any women knows that particular smell quite well. There is no mistaking that scent.
I immediately went from concerned for the well being of my child to pissed off Momma ready to smack down my the offender of the heinous incident. It's quite shocking this complete transition took about 0.3 seconds.
I yell for Andrew who was standing in the kitchen. He comes running over concerned about the amount of 'blood' all over our son until I stand up, pass his son off to him, and say, "It's nail polish."
Running to the only place this could have happened, I find my OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress red nail polish all over the floor and inside the cabinet of my bathroom. I'm running around grabbing cleaning supplies and paper towels to clean as much of this mess up as possibly before it starts to dry.
Andrew eventually wanders back into the bathroom to see how he can help with the little offender in tow. Andrew starts taking off Cullen's pants that are soaked from crotch to knee on both of his legs and trying to clean it up. I just look up and say, "The pants are ruined. That will never come out." And ladies, we all know how true that statement is.
Luckily, I was able to get the nail polish cleaned off the floor without any residue. Cullen on the other hand, now has nail polish permanently on his cast until it comes off, along with some of the crevices of his finger nails. I just couldn't get all of his off with my nail polish remover.
I have no idea what came over my boy to have him go back into our bathroom, into my cabinets, into my nail polish Rubbermaid box, get the red nail polish out, and open it. Was he trying to paint his nails? Was he just trying to paint? No clue. I'm just happy the entire bottle didn't spill and nothing besides his jeans were permanently ruined. At least I'll have this story to tell him when he gets older.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Homework
Jackson's Preschool assigns homework for the Pre-K students. Over Thanksgiving, he was given a packet of about 20 pages, front and back, to finish. Although the teachers said it wasn't mandatory, Andrew and I made it a point for Jackson to work on and finish it over the break. It's important to us to instill completing homework is important at an early age, so when he starts being assigned homework in elementary school, the foundation is already in place.
Jackson had a simple work assignment of cutting and pasting the numbers in the correct order on his Menorah. He was very excited to complete his assignment, and he did it all by himself. It is very important to me Jackson learns I will not being doing his homework for him. I'll watch and help where needed, but I will not be doing his work. My days of home work are over.
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
M&M Thief
I was in the kitchen when Cullen came up to me and said, "Sawyer's eating the M&Ms."
I was completely confused by this statement. One, the M&Ms are in a metal container that I would have surely heard. Two, they're in the pantry which is closed. And when I glanced over, I learned it was open. Three, Sawyer has never had M&Ms, so I don't know why he would be after them.
"What?" I asked for clarification.
"Sawyer is eating the M&Ms, Mom. Come see," Cullen is telling me while pulling me into the dining room.
I go through the doors and in a little alcove (little as in just a few inches long because it is piled with pictures we have yet to hang on the walls) Sawyer has emptied almost an entire bag of dark chocolate M&Ms in a corner and is gorging himself on them. Said M&Ms were not in the metal container. His face is a multi-colored smorgasbord of color. His hands are rainbow like, and he still has M&Ms clutched in one hand as the other hand is shoveling them into his mouth.
At first, I'm too astonished at the scene before me to even react. I quickly get with the program, move him, and start trying to pick up the candy. I grab the half empty container still in the pantry and start throwing M&Ms in it. I had to stop in order to remove Sawyer from the room and put him across the house because he was willing to do whatever it took to get back to those delicious little crack candies. Cullen was a great little helper and helped pick up all the M&Ms without trying to eat them. I gave him a couple as a little reward for being a good helper.
Unfortunately, no picture was taken. I was too worried about our dog, Thibie, discovering the mess and eating chocolate to contemplate taking a quick picture. Luckily, Thibie was taking a nap by the back door.
Note to self, Sawyer has discovered M&Ms and acts like a crack addict to get some more. And I need to put them significantly higher in the pantry to avoid another such situation. For, I have a now known little M&M thief.
I was completely confused by this statement. One, the M&Ms are in a metal container that I would have surely heard. Two, they're in the pantry which is closed. And when I glanced over, I learned it was open. Three, Sawyer has never had M&Ms, so I don't know why he would be after them.
"What?" I asked for clarification.
"Sawyer is eating the M&Ms, Mom. Come see," Cullen is telling me while pulling me into the dining room.
I go through the doors and in a little alcove (little as in just a few inches long because it is piled with pictures we have yet to hang on the walls) Sawyer has emptied almost an entire bag of dark chocolate M&Ms in a corner and is gorging himself on them. Said M&Ms were not in the metal container. His face is a multi-colored smorgasbord of color. His hands are rainbow like, and he still has M&Ms clutched in one hand as the other hand is shoveling them into his mouth.
At first, I'm too astonished at the scene before me to even react. I quickly get with the program, move him, and start trying to pick up the candy. I grab the half empty container still in the pantry and start throwing M&Ms in it. I had to stop in order to remove Sawyer from the room and put him across the house because he was willing to do whatever it took to get back to those delicious little crack candies. Cullen was a great little helper and helped pick up all the M&Ms without trying to eat them. I gave him a couple as a little reward for being a good helper.
Unfortunately, no picture was taken. I was too worried about our dog, Thibie, discovering the mess and eating chocolate to contemplate taking a quick picture. Luckily, Thibie was taking a nap by the back door.
Note to self, Sawyer has discovered M&Ms and acts like a crack addict to get some more. And I need to put them significantly higher in the pantry to avoid another such situation. For, I have a now known little M&M thief.
Monday, November 25, 2013
I am Thankful
It is the Monday before Thanksgiving. Where did this year go? Thanksgiving is Thursday, just three measly days away. I have a turkey defrosting in my refrigerator, and the rest of my refrigerator is stuffed with the ingredients for our Thanksgiving meal.
I'm not big into the name something you are thankful for everyday sensation taking over Facebook and social media. I don't know if I could come up with 20 something truly meaningful things. I would rather name a few that mean a great deal to me, so here I go.
1) I am thankful for the most fantastic husband I could ask for. Andrew is my rock and keeps me level headed when I feel as though the world is caving in around me. He is an awesome dad and always takes time out to play and be there for the kids. He indulges my reading habit and doesn't complain when I have my nose buried in a book because I just can't put it down! I am blessed he encourages me to stay home with the kids and doesn't complain when I call him up ready to kill a child on a bad day.
2) I am thankful for the health of my kids. It seems as thought this year has been the Year of the Surgery. All three boys had surgery at some point, but nothing was life threatening. It could have been so much worse. Instead of dwelling on the expense or worrying about them going under the knife, I thank God all three were able to be fixed and are healthy growing boys. I am especially thankful for the health of the little girl growing inside of me.
3) I am thankful for the roof over my head and the food in my house. So many people are not as lucky as my family has been. We were able to sell our old house and move into a larger one to accommodate our growing family. We are able to afford to put healthy food on the table and enough of it to feed the never ending 'Mom, I'm hungry' boys.
4) I am thankful for three little boys who always make my days interesting, fun, difficult, happy, and hard all in one. Although there are times my kids can act like assholes (yes, I just said that), my boys bring joy and happiness far more often. The good days outnumber the bad days. Getting to snuggle with a toddler, cuddle with a baby, or have one come up and give me a kiss on my boo boo to make me feel better, those moments will stay with me forever. As hard as it is to stay home with them at times, I wouldn't change anything.
Those are the four most important things I am thankful for.
Now, I get to cook a large family meal which my kids will devour because they are eating anything and everything in sight. And as of Friday, it will officially be the Christmas season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
I'm not big into the name something you are thankful for everyday sensation taking over Facebook and social media. I don't know if I could come up with 20 something truly meaningful things. I would rather name a few that mean a great deal to me, so here I go.
1) I am thankful for the most fantastic husband I could ask for. Andrew is my rock and keeps me level headed when I feel as though the world is caving in around me. He is an awesome dad and always takes time out to play and be there for the kids. He indulges my reading habit and doesn't complain when I have my nose buried in a book because I just can't put it down! I am blessed he encourages me to stay home with the kids and doesn't complain when I call him up ready to kill a child on a bad day.
2) I am thankful for the health of my kids. It seems as thought this year has been the Year of the Surgery. All three boys had surgery at some point, but nothing was life threatening. It could have been so much worse. Instead of dwelling on the expense or worrying about them going under the knife, I thank God all three were able to be fixed and are healthy growing boys. I am especially thankful for the health of the little girl growing inside of me.
3) I am thankful for the roof over my head and the food in my house. So many people are not as lucky as my family has been. We were able to sell our old house and move into a larger one to accommodate our growing family. We are able to afford to put healthy food on the table and enough of it to feed the never ending 'Mom, I'm hungry' boys.
4) I am thankful for three little boys who always make my days interesting, fun, difficult, happy, and hard all in one. Although there are times my kids can act like assholes (yes, I just said that), my boys bring joy and happiness far more often. The good days outnumber the bad days. Getting to snuggle with a toddler, cuddle with a baby, or have one come up and give me a kiss on my boo boo to make me feel better, those moments will stay with me forever. As hard as it is to stay home with them at times, I wouldn't change anything.
Those are the four most important things I am thankful for.
Now, I get to cook a large family meal which my kids will devour because they are eating anything and everything in sight. And as of Friday, it will officially be the Christmas season.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Girls are my unknown
Truth: I'm scared to death to have a girl.
I knew having children would change my life forever. I wasn't wrong. Nothing can prepare you for how much life changes when kids come along. Nothing.
Family and co-workers told me things would change. Life will never be the same. I took everything with a grain of salt. They had to be over exaggerating. My life will change but it won't be that drastic. Ha ha ha ha, the joke was on me.
And it's really funny to see someone else's life get turned upside down after they have kids as well.
My kids have brought much joy, frustration, confusion, and happiness all balled into three little boy packages. Now, God has decided to grace me with the presence of girl.
Honestly, it scares the hell out of me.
I am not what you call a girly girl. I never have been. I was that girl playing football alongside the boys in elementary and middle school during recess instead of sitting on the sidelines using their Starter jackets (oh yeah, I went there) to keep warm. I was the one who constantly got dirty, didn't mind playing fort or war games, and didn't wear a stitch of makeup until my mom forced me to when we moved to Texas. Even then, I was not fond of this new thing forcing me to get up even earlier for school.
I had a ridiculous amount of odd/ugly years as a preteen/teenager. I'm not sure I actually started looking like a female until around 18 when I went off to college. I finally had my braces off. I got rid of my glasses for contacts. And the awful perm my mother made me get finally grew out enough to cut the last of it off. My college girlfriends used to get onto me when I showed up in Puma shoes instead of girly flats. Definitely more comfortable in my opinion.
I hate shopping, as in actually loathe the idea of going to a store, trying clothes on, and finding something that fits. My husband forced me to go shopping for a new swimsuit a few years ago when he found out I hadn't bought a new one in about 10 years. He was appalled I was still wearing it. I was just impressed it still fit since I bought it in college. And it isn't the first time something like that has happened. I hang onto clothes until they are ridiculously threadbare or falling apart because I don't want to shop for something new. Skirts are not aplenty in my closet. I'm more comfortable in low rider jeans or cargo pants and a tank top. The thought of shopping for hours on end makes my skin crawl. Seriously, not a normal girl here.
After having three boys, girls are the unknown. The unknown is unnerving. I have known for a month, and I still have not mentally come to terms with having a girl. The pink, the dresses, and the frills just freak me out. I remember my mom trying to dress me in ruffles and frills when I was 3 and 4 years old. I vividly remember telling her I don't like them and refusing to wear them. I still don't wear them, and I'm supposed to be excited about putting them on my baby girl. I just cannot mentally comprehend it.
So when you ask me 'Are you excited about having a girl?!' with your enthusiastic and optimistic voice, do not expect a 'Hell yea!' from me. Instead, I usually give a little shoulder shrug and say something more along the lines of 'It will be different.' Imagine the amount of crazy stares I get from people after that answer.
Yes, I'm not prepared for a girl. I still haven't wrapped my mind around the concept. I'm sure I will love her just as much as my three boys. There's no doubt I will love her. The unknown is scary, and the unknown to me is having a little girl.
I knew having children would change my life forever. I wasn't wrong. Nothing can prepare you for how much life changes when kids come along. Nothing.
Family and co-workers told me things would change. Life will never be the same. I took everything with a grain of salt. They had to be over exaggerating. My life will change but it won't be that drastic. Ha ha ha ha, the joke was on me.
And it's really funny to see someone else's life get turned upside down after they have kids as well.
My kids have brought much joy, frustration, confusion, and happiness all balled into three little boy packages. Now, God has decided to grace me with the presence of girl.
Honestly, it scares the hell out of me.
I am not what you call a girly girl. I never have been. I was that girl playing football alongside the boys in elementary and middle school during recess instead of sitting on the sidelines using their Starter jackets (oh yeah, I went there) to keep warm. I was the one who constantly got dirty, didn't mind playing fort or war games, and didn't wear a stitch of makeup until my mom forced me to when we moved to Texas. Even then, I was not fond of this new thing forcing me to get up even earlier for school.
I had a ridiculous amount of odd/ugly years as a preteen/teenager. I'm not sure I actually started looking like a female until around 18 when I went off to college. I finally had my braces off. I got rid of my glasses for contacts. And the awful perm my mother made me get finally grew out enough to cut the last of it off. My college girlfriends used to get onto me when I showed up in Puma shoes instead of girly flats. Definitely more comfortable in my opinion.
I hate shopping, as in actually loathe the idea of going to a store, trying clothes on, and finding something that fits. My husband forced me to go shopping for a new swimsuit a few years ago when he found out I hadn't bought a new one in about 10 years. He was appalled I was still wearing it. I was just impressed it still fit since I bought it in college. And it isn't the first time something like that has happened. I hang onto clothes until they are ridiculously threadbare or falling apart because I don't want to shop for something new. Skirts are not aplenty in my closet. I'm more comfortable in low rider jeans or cargo pants and a tank top. The thought of shopping for hours on end makes my skin crawl. Seriously, not a normal girl here.
After having three boys, girls are the unknown. The unknown is unnerving. I have known for a month, and I still have not mentally come to terms with having a girl. The pink, the dresses, and the frills just freak me out. I remember my mom trying to dress me in ruffles and frills when I was 3 and 4 years old. I vividly remember telling her I don't like them and refusing to wear them. I still don't wear them, and I'm supposed to be excited about putting them on my baby girl. I just cannot mentally comprehend it.
So when you ask me 'Are you excited about having a girl?!' with your enthusiastic and optimistic voice, do not expect a 'Hell yea!' from me. Instead, I usually give a little shoulder shrug and say something more along the lines of 'It will be different.' Imagine the amount of crazy stares I get from people after that answer.
Yes, I'm not prepared for a girl. I still haven't wrapped my mind around the concept. I'm sure I will love her just as much as my three boys. There's no doubt I will love her. The unknown is scary, and the unknown to me is having a little girl.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Touch a Truck
The weekend before the big move, we took the boys to Touch a Truck. It's an event held by the city where big trucks are brought into the park, and kids can climb into them, honk the horn, and just be kids. The boys loved climbing in the trucks and pretending to drive them!
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| Sawyer wanted to make sure he got in on the action too. |
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| All my boys enjoying the Fire Truck. |
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| Cullen is driving the PARD bus I used to drive when I worked there. Little irony :) |
Friday, November 8, 2013
Cullen's Birthday and Halloween Pictures
Andrew found the cord for my camera! It is probably unhealthy how excited I was, but hey, pictures!
A couple of pictures from Cullen's birthday.
Halloween pictures. We took the boys to Fall Fun Festival in the morning, then Andrew took them trick or treating in our neighborhood. It was definitely a long day, and everyone slept well that night.
A couple of pictures from Cullen's birthday.
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| Cullen was super excited about his Gotham City Jail and Batman from Uncle Matt. Of course, he wouldn't put it down so I could get his entire face, but he was definitely smiling. |
Halloween pictures. We took the boys to Fall Fun Festival in the morning, then Andrew took them trick or treating in our neighborhood. It was definitely a long day, and everyone slept well that night.
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| Ironman and Luke Skywalker |
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| Fall Fun Festival 2013 |
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| Right before trick or treating |
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Sawyer's 1st Birthday
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| This was right before he stuck his finger in the flame. |
It does not feel as though a year has passed since I was taking Jackson and Cullen to Touch a Truck and giving birth a few hours later. And what a year it has been!
Sawyer is growing up so quickly! He's not walking yet, but I'm sure he'll be walking and running before his little sister arrives.
I baked cupcakes for his birthday. Sawyer had his first cupcake and candle after dinner. Andrew was video recording while I was taking pictures. Sawyer decided to stick his finger in the candle flame while we were singing happy birthday. He full on stuck his finger in the flame with a look of 'Oooh, that looks cool. I'm going to touch it!' on his face (see above). Andrew was sitting right next to him and caught his finger right after he stuck it in the candle. Sawyer never flinched or anything. He tried to touch it one more time before Andrew just blew the candle out entirely as we were finishing our song. Of course, Andrew caught all of this on video for nostalgic reasons. And you can hear both of us in the background laughing after he did it.
Sawyer ate his entire cupcake! This is a huge deal to Andrew and I because he is the first and only child of ours to eat the cupcake on his first birthday. Jackson threw his on the ground in 3 seconds, and Cullen just smashed his cupcake. Sawyer devoured his cupcake. There was hardly a mess to clean up. It was awesome!
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Broken Arm Saga
Sunday, Cullen decided to jump off of the desk chair after Andrew specifically told him not to do it. But of course, he's 3 so he jumped.Queue the crying.
Cullen hurt his arm pretty badly from a bad landing. He didn't land on his feet. Instead, he landed on his elbow. I did not witness this particular jump since I was in the kitchen. I did heard the crying and screaming.
After looking him over, Andrew and I couldn't see anything too out of the ordinary. Cullen had somewhat calmed down but was obviously still not happy.
I knew something was definitely not right when Cullen refused to take a nap. He just couldn't calm himself down, so I went and looked at his arm again. After reviewing it further, I discovered his elbow was pretty swollen, hard as a rock, and he did not want it to be touched at all.
Off to a Urgent Care clinic, we went.
It was determined Cullen had a broken humerus. The doctor put him in a splint and sling and sent us home with a referral to see an orthopedic surgeon.
Tuesday morning, I took Cullen over to Texas Orthopedics for his appointment. After another round of X-rays, it was determined he has a supracondylar fracture of the humerus and another vertical fracture in his humerus.
What does this mean?
It means Cullen is having surgery Friday morning to have pins and possible wires put into his arm after an arthrogram is done to determine the amount of damage to his humerus. Because of his age, the Orthopedic Surgeon wants to make sure the bones are set correctly and not moving in order for his arm to heal correctly. The arthrogram is done because children's bones are not calcified, and he can't see the breaks exactly. As the Orthopedist told me, from his experience, pins will be necessary but he wants to be absolutely certain hence the arthrogram.
For now, Cullen is in a long arm cast. After surgery, he'll be in another long arm cast for 4-6 weeks at the minimum.
Prayers are needed that everything goes well. Thank you!
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Moving and Cullen's 3rd Birthday!
We are officially in our new house! As of Friday, October 25, we were renters at our old house. Andrew and I closed on our new house Monday, October 28, and the moving process began.
We hired a local company to move us out of the old and into the new on Tuesday, October 29. It was a long day, extreme emphasis on the long part. The movers, 4 big guys and one large truck, arrived about 9:30am. I had done most of the packing over the past two months. Yes, I did most of it. I have become extremely efficient at packing and moving over the years. Andrew was able to move the stuff we had put in storage into the garage, so the movers could move that as well. The guys finished moving all of our stuff and left about 7pm. Yes, long day. It ended up taking two trips, but I do have to say the guys were excellent, and I would highly recommend them to anyone local.
The entire day was exhausting. Being 21 weeks pregnant did not help with the fatigue, but I kept on going because things needed to be done. We moved on a day the boys didn't have preschool. I had three little kids who behaved beyond my expectations. Of course, they tried to help and we had little missteps, but their behavior was more than I could have asked for. We all collapsed into bed around 8:30 that night exhausted.
Cullen's 3rd birthday was on Tuesday, October 29 or moving day too. Andrew and I felt really bad, but there was no avoiding it. We were able to get some cupcakes and have a mini celebration after a late dinner. Essentially, we moved his birthday to the next day. We did presents and a whole hoopla at preschool. I can't believe my little man is 3 already! Time flies sometimes. I have a few cute pictures of him blowing out his candles, but they are stuck on my camera until I can find the cord to download it onto the computer. I'm sure it's in a box somewhere!
Cullen opened his presents Wednesday morning. He was super excited about his presents. Jackson was not as excited when he tried to take a toy and Cullen quickly told him, "No, these are my toys!" Ah, sibling love. Jackson tried to tattle on Cullen for not sharing. Andrew and I shared a look of 'oh, kid you are talking to the wrong people.' Jackson needs to learn sharing is not stealing his brother's toys when he wants to play with them and then get angry after Cullen takes them away again. The joy of having siblings!
It was a long few days, but we trudged through. All that is left is unpacking which we can take our time doing.
We hired a local company to move us out of the old and into the new on Tuesday, October 29. It was a long day, extreme emphasis on the long part. The movers, 4 big guys and one large truck, arrived about 9:30am. I had done most of the packing over the past two months. Yes, I did most of it. I have become extremely efficient at packing and moving over the years. Andrew was able to move the stuff we had put in storage into the garage, so the movers could move that as well. The guys finished moving all of our stuff and left about 7pm. Yes, long day. It ended up taking two trips, but I do have to say the guys were excellent, and I would highly recommend them to anyone local.
The entire day was exhausting. Being 21 weeks pregnant did not help with the fatigue, but I kept on going because things needed to be done. We moved on a day the boys didn't have preschool. I had three little kids who behaved beyond my expectations. Of course, they tried to help and we had little missteps, but their behavior was more than I could have asked for. We all collapsed into bed around 8:30 that night exhausted.
Cullen's 3rd birthday was on Tuesday, October 29 or moving day too. Andrew and I felt really bad, but there was no avoiding it. We were able to get some cupcakes and have a mini celebration after a late dinner. Essentially, we moved his birthday to the next day. We did presents and a whole hoopla at preschool. I can't believe my little man is 3 already! Time flies sometimes. I have a few cute pictures of him blowing out his candles, but they are stuck on my camera until I can find the cord to download it onto the computer. I'm sure it's in a box somewhere!
Cullen opened his presents Wednesday morning. He was super excited about his presents. Jackson was not as excited when he tried to take a toy and Cullen quickly told him, "No, these are my toys!" Ah, sibling love. Jackson tried to tattle on Cullen for not sharing. Andrew and I shared a look of 'oh, kid you are talking to the wrong people.' Jackson needs to learn sharing is not stealing his brother's toys when he wants to play with them and then get angry after Cullen takes them away again. The joy of having siblings!
It was a long few days, but we trudged through. All that is left is unpacking which we can take our time doing.
Monday, November 4, 2013
Baby Girl's Name
It was surprisingly easy for Andrew and I to pick a name for our little girl arriving next year. Not only did we agree practically right away, but there was no agonizing over names. Nor did we feel any obligation to name her after any family members on either side. Sorry family but it was determined from the get go she would have my middle name.
What is the name, you ask? It is...
What is the name, you ask? It is...
Cassidy Marie
I have a lot of writing in draft right now. I've had a lot going on as of late, and I am trying to get everything written down. With the move, no computer, craziness of finding the computer, and all sorts of other stuff, I haven't had a chance to really write. It is coming, but please be patient.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
And Baby Ingalls is a...
Girl
Yesterday, Andrew and I found out we are having a girl. I will say it did come as a big shock to both of us. We were hoping for another boy to add to our family, but it looks like God has a sense of humor. He is giving us a little girl who will have three big brothers. I'll admit I actually cried when I saw the ultrasound. I really was in shock.
We have already discussed names, but I am not ready to announce anything yet. We want to sit on it for a little while. Make sure we don't want to change anything.
Prayers will be needed I can handle a girl since I am not the 'girly' type at all. Maybe she'll be a rough and tumble little girl since she'll be trying to keep up with her three brothers.
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| Her little feet |
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Halloween Coloring
Jackson had homework for his Pre-K class which had to be finished. It wasn't anything big, just some coloring and writing. Because Cullen does not like to be left out, I printed him some coloring pages. Sawyer did not like being left out either, so he stole a marker. The pictures were taken with my phone, so they are not the highest quality. Homework done!
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Launch Sequence Interupted
It rained much of this weekend which put all outdoor plans out the window. With the boys being antsy, we told them to go play on the back porch. They could get some fresh air and would be out of earshot for a little while.
While standing in the kitchen washing dishes, I notice them playing with some bungee cords. It looked a little suspicious, so I asked Andrew to go check out what they were doing.
Andrew walks out the back door, and Jackson immediately kneels down and throws his hands up in the air. It was one of those moves like 'I wasn't doing anything I wasn't supposed to be doing.' Meanwhile, they had one bungee cord hooked up to a pulley cord which raises and lowers our sunshade. The second bungee cord was hooked on the first. Both were stretched tight and about to launch some toy.
In as calm a voice as possible, Andrew informed the boys they were not supposed to be launching anything off the porch and helped them disassemble the launch.
"Where they doing what I think they were doing?" I asked.
"If you think they were trying to launch a toy off the back porch using bungee cords, then yes. They were," Andrew answered.
"I think the funniest part of the whole thing was Jackson throwing up his hands right when you walked outside," I said.
"It was," Andrew chuckled.
Launch sequence break down on the back porch.
While standing in the kitchen washing dishes, I notice them playing with some bungee cords. It looked a little suspicious, so I asked Andrew to go check out what they were doing.
Andrew walks out the back door, and Jackson immediately kneels down and throws his hands up in the air. It was one of those moves like 'I wasn't doing anything I wasn't supposed to be doing.' Meanwhile, they had one bungee cord hooked up to a pulley cord which raises and lowers our sunshade. The second bungee cord was hooked on the first. Both were stretched tight and about to launch some toy.
In as calm a voice as possible, Andrew informed the boys they were not supposed to be launching anything off the porch and helped them disassemble the launch.
"Where they doing what I think they were doing?" I asked.
"If you think they were trying to launch a toy off the back porch using bungee cords, then yes. They were," Andrew answered.
"I think the funniest part of the whole thing was Jackson throwing up his hands right when you walked outside," I said.
"It was," Andrew chuckled.
Launch sequence break down on the back porch.
Monday, October 14, 2013
Not me!
"Mom, look what Cullen did to the sofa," Jackson told me.
I glance over to see the sofa's slipcover is half off.
"Cullen did you do that?" I asked.
"Not me!" he replied while smiling.
"Yes, he did! I saw him do it!" Jackson said.
"Not me!" Cullen said while still smiling and continued coloring without a care in the world.
"Huh uh! Cullen did it!" Jackson proclaimed vehemently.
"Cullen did you do that?" I asked again.
"Nope!" he replied.
The back and forth between Jackson and Cullen continued while I went over to fix the slipcover. I saw a glimpse into my future of Cullen trying to get out of being in trouble with his devilish smile and char, while denying something I know he did. Luckily, I pulled the exact same card so I know better than to fall for it. Mine worked. His won't.
I glance over to see the sofa's slipcover is half off.
"Cullen did you do that?" I asked.
"Not me!" he replied while smiling.
"Yes, he did! I saw him do it!" Jackson said.
"Not me!" Cullen said while still smiling and continued coloring without a care in the world.
"Huh uh! Cullen did it!" Jackson proclaimed vehemently.
"Cullen did you do that?" I asked again.
"Nope!" he replied.
The back and forth between Jackson and Cullen continued while I went over to fix the slipcover. I saw a glimpse into my future of Cullen trying to get out of being in trouble with his devilish smile and char, while denying something I know he did. Luckily, I pulled the exact same card so I know better than to fall for it. Mine worked. His won't.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Hungry?
Sawyer seems to have enjoyed his dinner. This pictures doesn't really touch how covered he was in food. We had to give him a bath right after dinner time. He was filthy.
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
In the Backyard
A cold front came through our area Saturday afternoon. It cooled it from 90 degrees to a balmy 60 degrees is a few hours. It was so nice!
The boys were stoked about the cooler weather and wanted to play outside for most of Sunday morning. Being the awesome parents we are, Andrew and I obliged their request and kicked them into the backyard.
I was busy packing boxes in the kitchen, and Andrew was going through stuff upstairs. I heard the back door open and a child saying something. I couldn't quite make out what it was. I walked into the hallway where I have a clear shot of the back door.
I see Cullen walking into the house with his underwear and pants around his ankles. My first thought was 'when did Jackson learn how to pants his brother.' Because that's where my mind goes automatically. Instead, I finally catch on to what he is saying, "I went pee pee in the grass! I went potty in the grass!"
Cullen was so unbelievably proud of himself. He had the biggest smile on his face like he finally accomplished something big and earned his man card.
I walk up to him and immediately start to feel his underwear and pants. I wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally get any on himself before pulling his clothes back up. His aim was true.
I live with three little boys and one man. I still do not understand nor do I think I ever will understand the inner workings of their mind.
The boys were stoked about the cooler weather and wanted to play outside for most of Sunday morning. Being the awesome parents we are, Andrew and I obliged their request and kicked them into the backyard.
I was busy packing boxes in the kitchen, and Andrew was going through stuff upstairs. I heard the back door open and a child saying something. I couldn't quite make out what it was. I walked into the hallway where I have a clear shot of the back door.
I see Cullen walking into the house with his underwear and pants around his ankles. My first thought was 'when did Jackson learn how to pants his brother.' Because that's where my mind goes automatically. Instead, I finally catch on to what he is saying, "I went pee pee in the grass! I went potty in the grass!"
Cullen was so unbelievably proud of himself. He had the biggest smile on his face like he finally accomplished something big and earned his man card.
I walk up to him and immediately start to feel his underwear and pants. I wanted to make sure he didn't accidentally get any on himself before pulling his clothes back up. His aim was true.
I live with three little boys and one man. I still do not understand nor do I think I ever will understand the inner workings of their mind.
Friday, October 4, 2013
More Sickness and Delays
As I am standing here typing, I hear Sawyer at the kitchen table thoroughly enjoying his lunch. This seems to be the first time in a couple of days he's eaten more than his formula and some Cherrios.
Sawyer, unfortunately, caught the croup bug from Cullen. He has not been feeling well this week. I had to take him to the doctor's yesterday when developed a cough. Luckily, nothing is in his chest. He's just very congested and was running a fever. He looks to be better today and is acting more like his normal self and not all 'I want mom to hold me every minute of the day because I don't feel well.'
I've been dealing with Sawyer being sick. Andrew picked up the nastiness as well as I did. For some reason whenever the kids get sick, Andrew gets sick. His voice is hoarse, he's congested, and I get to put up with all the snoring that comes with it. Aren't I a lucky wife?!
And let's not forget, I picked up the nasty little bug too. Unfortunately, I get no sick days from my job. I get to put up with cranky toddlers and babies while trudging through with my own coughing, sneezing, congestion, and lack of sleep. I swear I am the only one who doesn't sleep in this house when the kids gets sick.
Add on top of all this, the government shut down which is delaying all home buyers from getting their needed IRS tax forms. I realize I am not the only one effected by it. Damn it, it pisses me off! I will not go into my tirade, but get your shit together and open the government back up.
This week has been crazy and stressful and full of sickness. I will be very happy when my household is back to healthy status.
Sawyer, unfortunately, caught the croup bug from Cullen. He has not been feeling well this week. I had to take him to the doctor's yesterday when developed a cough. Luckily, nothing is in his chest. He's just very congested and was running a fever. He looks to be better today and is acting more like his normal self and not all 'I want mom to hold me every minute of the day because I don't feel well.'
I've been dealing with Sawyer being sick. Andrew picked up the nastiness as well as I did. For some reason whenever the kids get sick, Andrew gets sick. His voice is hoarse, he's congested, and I get to put up with all the snoring that comes with it. Aren't I a lucky wife?!
And let's not forget, I picked up the nasty little bug too. Unfortunately, I get no sick days from my job. I get to put up with cranky toddlers and babies while trudging through with my own coughing, sneezing, congestion, and lack of sleep. I swear I am the only one who doesn't sleep in this house when the kids gets sick.
Add on top of all this, the government shut down which is delaying all home buyers from getting their needed IRS tax forms. I realize I am not the only one effected by it. Damn it, it pisses me off! I will not go into my tirade, but get your shit together and open the government back up.
This week has been crazy and stressful and full of sickness. I will be very happy when my household is back to healthy status.
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Pack rat? Not so much
If anyone wants to pack up the house for me and go through all of my stuff, I would not stop you.
I'm in the process of slowly packing up the house. I figured if I started now and didn't wait until the last minute it would make the whole process better. I keep telling myself this lie in hopes of it coming true. The truth is going through all of our stuff is just as much a pain in the butt as it is any other time I do it.
Andrew and I went through a bunch when we put the house on the market the first time. The key difference is I'm going through all of our stuff by myself. Why is this making such a difference? I don't keep stuff just to keep stuff or because it was sentimental to my second cousin removed by marriage and it was passed down to me.
I'm not a pack rat. Andrew isn't a huge pack rat, but he feels bad getting rid of stuff given to him. He doesn't want to hurt people's feelings. I, on the other hand, don't really care. If it was a wedding gift and is still in the back of the closet, I will obviously not be needing it at my next house. I will not be packing and hauling it over in order for it to sit in another closet for years before it can be tossed. There are a few exceptions. Family heirlooms stick around.
As the packing continues, I have divided our things into three categories: keep, donate, and trash. The system seems to be working for me. I've packed up most of our upstairs. The entire guest room and bathroom is packed up. Most of our game room is packed. I'm going to tackle the dining room and boys' rooms next.
On another note, Cullen is almost fully recovered from croup. He still has a bit of a cough, but his voice came back. Andrew and I both have colds from his lovely sickness. Sawyer had a fever, but luckily hasn't developed a cough. Jackson seems to be the only one who was able to stay healthy. I'm just glad it wasn't any worse.
I'm in the process of slowly packing up the house. I figured if I started now and didn't wait until the last minute it would make the whole process better. I keep telling myself this lie in hopes of it coming true. The truth is going through all of our stuff is just as much a pain in the butt as it is any other time I do it.
Andrew and I went through a bunch when we put the house on the market the first time. The key difference is I'm going through all of our stuff by myself. Why is this making such a difference? I don't keep stuff just to keep stuff or because it was sentimental to my second cousin removed by marriage and it was passed down to me.
I'm not a pack rat. Andrew isn't a huge pack rat, but he feels bad getting rid of stuff given to him. He doesn't want to hurt people's feelings. I, on the other hand, don't really care. If it was a wedding gift and is still in the back of the closet, I will obviously not be needing it at my next house. I will not be packing and hauling it over in order for it to sit in another closet for years before it can be tossed. There are a few exceptions. Family heirlooms stick around.
As the packing continues, I have divided our things into three categories: keep, donate, and trash. The system seems to be working for me. I've packed up most of our upstairs. The entire guest room and bathroom is packed up. Most of our game room is packed. I'm going to tackle the dining room and boys' rooms next.
On another note, Cullen is almost fully recovered from croup. He still has a bit of a cough, but his voice came back. Andrew and I both have colds from his lovely sickness. Sawyer had a fever, but luckily hasn't developed a cough. Jackson seems to be the only one who was able to stay healthy. I'm just glad it wasn't any worse.
Friday, September 27, 2013
Sick Boy
Cullen is sick. He was diagnosed with croup.
Cullen started to get sick on Wednesday. He had a slight fever in the afternoon/evening and his voice slowly started to go. That night he woke up a couple of times burning up and coughing harshly. We spent all day at home Thursday. I tried to get him to rest, but that is like trying to tie down a cat. Nearly impossible. His fever broke Thursday afternoon, but it came back later that night.
Cullen's voice never came back. It slowly went from a harsh whisper to a barely audible whisper. He had a nasty cough which got pretty bad yesterday evening. Andrew and I decided the best thing would be to bring him into the doctor first thing Friday morning. Hence, he was diagnosed with croup and will not be going to preschool today.
On a personal note, my house had been so much quieter with one child not having a voice. I have gotten so used to the background noise of children constantly talking or whining or complaining or fighting. Not having one makes a huge difference.
I am hoping this won't spread like wild fire through the house. It's caused by a virus, so one never knows. I will be spending time disinfecting the house today. What a boring bon bon eating life I lead (insert sarcasm here).
Cullen started to get sick on Wednesday. He had a slight fever in the afternoon/evening and his voice slowly started to go. That night he woke up a couple of times burning up and coughing harshly. We spent all day at home Thursday. I tried to get him to rest, but that is like trying to tie down a cat. Nearly impossible. His fever broke Thursday afternoon, but it came back later that night.
Cullen's voice never came back. It slowly went from a harsh whisper to a barely audible whisper. He had a nasty cough which got pretty bad yesterday evening. Andrew and I decided the best thing would be to bring him into the doctor first thing Friday morning. Hence, he was diagnosed with croup and will not be going to preschool today.
On a personal note, my house had been so much quieter with one child not having a voice. I have gotten so used to the background noise of children constantly talking or whining or complaining or fighting. Not having one makes a huge difference.
I am hoping this won't spread like wild fire through the house. It's caused by a virus, so one never knows. I will be spending time disinfecting the house today. What a boring bon bon eating life I lead (insert sarcasm here).
Monday, September 23, 2013
The house hunt is over!
Our current house is now under contract and the option period has passed. Yea! We received an offer within the first week of our house being on the market. Luckily, everything worked out through negotiations and all.
So we started our new house hunt.
We looked probably at 10 houses before we put in our first offer. The house we put in our first offer on didn't end up working out. The guy selling it wasn't motivated to move and wanted top dollar for a house he let fall into a bit of disrepair. Andrew and I weren't about to fall for that, so we walked away. After much debating on where we wanted to live and what schools we were comfortable with, we put in an offer on a second house. After a little negotiating, we have a signed contract on our new house! The family in this house was definitely motivated to sell. They upgraded a lot of the house, so we won't have to do very much at all.
We will official move the family right before Halloween. I'm very excited and nervous. Moving is always a big stressor. Just thinking about packing up the house gives me the willies most days.
Prayers that everything goes well through the end of next month would be greatly appreciated. Our new house will only be a few miles away from our current one. We will have a lot more room as well.
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| This will be our new house. |
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Life's Pause Button
I really need a pause button for life. It seems so many things are happening so quickly. Granted, good things are happening. They just happen to be numbers 1-5 on life's most stress events list.
Our house went on the market a week and a half ago. Last Thursday, we received an offer. Saturday, we negotiated a counter offer which was finally accepted. Score! Andrew and I were ridiculously happy. I actually did a happy dance in my garage when I received the phone call from our realtor.
On the flip side, we are now in crunch time to find a new house. Saturday afternoon, our wonderful neighbors agreed to watch the boys for a couple of hours so Andrew and I could look at houses. We toured houses Saturday and Monday. After being on the phone with our bank's mortgage department, I about had a melt down. Not for the fact that we can't get a loan, but because it is like pulling fingernails to get anything done sometimes. I think everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong in a matter of hours. Luckily, I'm a bit tenacious and ruthless when it comes to my money. I spoke with all the right people, even some higher up people, and I had everything worked out by the end of business day. You would think already having a mortgage with this bank it would be an easier process second time around, um no. All the new federal regulations because of the mortgage crisis because some idiot wanted to make a quick buck has made everything a long drawn out pain in my ass.
Andrew and I are finally at the picking a house, getting house comparisons, and trying to figure out what our first offer is going to be. Fun stuff, let me tell you (insert a healthy dose of sarcasm here.)
We still have to keep the house spotless because we are still having showings as well. I am really tired of having to keep everything so clean all the time. I want to leave the formula out on the counter. I want to stop having to move the highchair every time a showing is scheduled. And I really want to slap the realtors that schedule a showing and then never show up. Seriously people, that's just rude.
Stressful life situation, find a suitable house your family can grow into, is now in full swing.
I am still pregnant, not that I probably had to point that out. I am still having nausea issues and am praying it goes away quickly. The stress of doing all of this while pregnant is getting to me. I'm a wreck. I cry. I scream. I threw some child's toy across the room after stepping on it for the third time. I'm constantly tired. I feel as though a Mack truck has run me over again and again most days. It's getting to me and not in a good way.
I'm in need of a life pause button so I can just go to sleep for a week. Waking up rested and not having to check off twenty things I have to do that day would be awesome.
Our house went on the market a week and a half ago. Last Thursday, we received an offer. Saturday, we negotiated a counter offer which was finally accepted. Score! Andrew and I were ridiculously happy. I actually did a happy dance in my garage when I received the phone call from our realtor.
On the flip side, we are now in crunch time to find a new house. Saturday afternoon, our wonderful neighbors agreed to watch the boys for a couple of hours so Andrew and I could look at houses. We toured houses Saturday and Monday. After being on the phone with our bank's mortgage department, I about had a melt down. Not for the fact that we can't get a loan, but because it is like pulling fingernails to get anything done sometimes. I think everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong in a matter of hours. Luckily, I'm a bit tenacious and ruthless when it comes to my money. I spoke with all the right people, even some higher up people, and I had everything worked out by the end of business day. You would think already having a mortgage with this bank it would be an easier process second time around, um no. All the new federal regulations because of the mortgage crisis because some idiot wanted to make a quick buck has made everything a long drawn out pain in my ass.
Andrew and I are finally at the picking a house, getting house comparisons, and trying to figure out what our first offer is going to be. Fun stuff, let me tell you (insert a healthy dose of sarcasm here.)
We still have to keep the house spotless because we are still having showings as well. I am really tired of having to keep everything so clean all the time. I want to leave the formula out on the counter. I want to stop having to move the highchair every time a showing is scheduled. And I really want to slap the realtors that schedule a showing and then never show up. Seriously people, that's just rude.
Stressful life situation, find a suitable house your family can grow into, is now in full swing.
I am still pregnant, not that I probably had to point that out. I am still having nausea issues and am praying it goes away quickly. The stress of doing all of this while pregnant is getting to me. I'm a wreck. I cry. I scream. I threw some child's toy across the room after stepping on it for the third time. I'm constantly tired. I feel as though a Mack truck has run me over again and again most days. It's getting to me and not in a good way.
I'm in need of a life pause button so I can just go to sleep for a week. Waking up rested and not having to check off twenty things I have to do that day would be awesome.
Friday, September 13, 2013
Convo with a 2 year old
I had finished taking Cullen to the potty for the 5th time in two hours. (Yeah, I'm not joking. He somehow got me to refill his milk cup 3 times and drank and entire bottle of water without me noticing until the fifth potty time). Here is how my conversation went as we are fixing his clothing.
Cullen: I love you, Mommy.
Me: Ahh... I love you too.
Cullen: No! No love me! I love you Mommy!
Me: I love you too (trying to suppress a laugh).
Cullen: No!! I'm a boy! I love you!
Me (laughing our right now): I love you too.
Cullen: NO! No love me! Not funny!
Me just laughing because I this point I can't of anything to say without busting out in hysterics even more than I am while squatting on the bathroom floor.
Cullen: No laugh! Not funny! No laugh! Ugh!
Can't you feel the love radiating from my house?! It's almost palpable at this point.
Cullen: I love you, Mommy.
Me: Ahh... I love you too.
Cullen: No! No love me! I love you Mommy!
Me: I love you too (trying to suppress a laugh).
Cullen: No!! I'm a boy! I love you!
Me (laughing our right now): I love you too.
Cullen: NO! No love me! Not funny!
Me just laughing because I this point I can't of anything to say without busting out in hysterics even more than I am while squatting on the bathroom floor.
Cullen: No laugh! Not funny! No laugh! Ugh!
Can't you feel the love radiating from my house?! It's almost palpable at this point.
Monday, September 9, 2013
House for Sale... again
Our house is back on the market as of last Friday. It started to feel a little cramped after we had Sawyer. With the addition of #4 baby on the way, we have just out grown our house. Back on the market it goes.
If you know of anyone who is looking for a house in the Round Rock area, tell them about us please. We're hoping this will be a quick process, but one never knows. We had 6 showings this weekend. Andrew and I are taking that as a positive sign.
Here is a link to our house on the market. Check it out! And if you're not interested in buying and just want to see where Andrew and I have lived for the last 7 1/2 years, go ahead and check it out too.
If you know of anyone who is looking for a house in the Round Rock area, tell them about us please. We're hoping this will be a quick process, but one never knows. We had 6 showings this weekend. Andrew and I are taking that as a positive sign.
Here is a link to our house on the market. Check it out! And if you're not interested in buying and just want to see where Andrew and I have lived for the last 7 1/2 years, go ahead and check it out too.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Old Pictures
When I took the kids pictures on Wednesday for their first day of school, I realized I hadn't downloaded the pictures off of my camera in over a month. (don't judge me, a lot happened in that month)
The first is Jackson saluting the American Flag during the National Anthem while watching the opening ceremonies of a baseball game. I believe this was the All Star game back in July. Andrew was out of town, and Jackson saw all the soldiers saluting the flag so he did it too. It was too cute not to get a picture.
Sawyer apparently decided he was tired and was resting. He kept laying his head down on the ottoman for a minute. He'd pick his head up, look around to see if anything changed, then laid his head back down. It's really funny to watch.
The first is Jackson saluting the American Flag during the National Anthem while watching the opening ceremonies of a baseball game. I believe this was the All Star game back in July. Andrew was out of town, and Jackson saw all the soldiers saluting the flag so he did it too. It was too cute not to get a picture.
Sawyer apparently decided he was tired and was resting. He kept laying his head down on the ottoman for a minute. He'd pick his head up, look around to see if anything changed, then laid his head back down. It's really funny to watch.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
First Day of Preschool and Pre-K
Jackson and Cullen had their first day of preschool and Pre-K today. I'm quite positive I was the happiest person out of the four of us that morning when I dropped them off.After shoving Jackson in the right direction for his classroom, I walked Cullen back to his new classroom, the older 2 year old class. Cullen walked right in about 4 feet, turned around, looked up at me, and got this look on his face. You know the look when your child is really happy and then all of the sudden reality dawns upon them. You see their face transform into the 'you're leaving me here and I'm not sure how I feel about that' look. It was very plainly written all over Cullen's face. I did what I do best. I said, "Look at all the toys!" shoved him over, signed him in, threw his snack in the bin, said hello to his teacher, and left. All of that took about 30 seconds. Go me! I think Cullen was distracted by the other little boy in the room who was busy crying out for his mom.
I walked over to the Pre-K classroom and signed in Jackson. I don't think he even saw me. His snack was in the snack bin and his backpack was put away. I think he was busy talking to another kid or coloring. I didn't even bother with a goodbye. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Sawyer and I have had a nice quiet morning alone. How I missed my sanity breaks! Yea for preschool and Pre-K!
Monday, September 2, 2013
#4 is on the way
Minus the craziness that is my normal every day life, there is a very good reason I have not been writing a lot lately. I'm 12 weeks pregnant with #4.
After many long discussions between Andrew and I, we decided to add one more to our already growing Ingalls Clan. Not only have I been busy with our three boys, I was battling the perils of my first trimester. No energy and very bad morning sickness has been dragging me down.
Add on top of the sickness and no energy, losing my dog Mea and the stress of Sawyer's eye surgery, I've not had a very easy first trimester. It's been extremely difficult on me this go around. I'm hoping things take a turn for the better soon, but I have a feeling it will be a few more weeks before I get back to feeling within the norm.
Ingalls #4, or Peanut as Andrew likes to call it, is due March 18, 2014.
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
I've been a slacker
I know. I know. I've been a complete and total slacker in writing lately. I do have multiple excuses which are all very valid. Life's been a little crazy around here.
1. Sawyer is recovering from eye surgery as well as teething. He's had two top teeth cut and has two more top teeth getting ready to cut as well. He's not a happy trooper about his teeth.
2. On a good note, Sawyer is noticeable happier after his eye surgery. Andrew and I can definitely tell a difference with his mood. He's happier since he can see. It's pretty amazing.
3. Jackson and Cullen are entering the 'let's bother the hell out of each other' stage. It's been a lot of whining and complaining with a good dose of me saying, "Stop bothering each other!" It not only happens in the house but in the car. Since the boys are all the way in the back in the Explorer, I can't reach them.
4. Jackson and Cullen have been out of preschool for three weeks and have two more weeks before school starts. I will be ridiculously happy to have two out of the house for a little while. Not only does my sanity need it, I need to go the grocery store with 1 child instead of toting 3. I have to admit they have been extremely good with grocery shopping. We've gotten our routine down to a science. Cullen and Sawyer in the cart, and Jackson walking around with me. Surprisingly, this works for us. It's nice to have Jackson at the age where he knows when I'm serious about staying within my eye sight.
5. I'm still in the process of mourning Mea, my 11 year old dog. Trust me, I don't bust out in tears anymore, so it's a lot better. The hardest part is the kids asking where she is. I've patiently explained several times Mea had to leave us and go home to heaven, and she is not coming back. Unfortunately, my kids are just to young to completely comprehend what it means. Cullen still thinks Mea is at the vet or hiding. Just this morning, I was putting Thibie in her crate as we were leaving the house, and Cullen starts calling out for Mea to put her in her crate. I get daily reminders she passed away which is just drawing out the process for me.
I will try to do better with writing, but I ask you give me a slight break. This has been a stressful month. I'm looking forward to putting it behind very, very soon.
1. Sawyer is recovering from eye surgery as well as teething. He's had two top teeth cut and has two more top teeth getting ready to cut as well. He's not a happy trooper about his teeth.
2. On a good note, Sawyer is noticeable happier after his eye surgery. Andrew and I can definitely tell a difference with his mood. He's happier since he can see. It's pretty amazing.
3. Jackson and Cullen are entering the 'let's bother the hell out of each other' stage. It's been a lot of whining and complaining with a good dose of me saying, "Stop bothering each other!" It not only happens in the house but in the car. Since the boys are all the way in the back in the Explorer, I can't reach them.
4. Jackson and Cullen have been out of preschool for three weeks and have two more weeks before school starts. I will be ridiculously happy to have two out of the house for a little while. Not only does my sanity need it, I need to go the grocery store with 1 child instead of toting 3. I have to admit they have been extremely good with grocery shopping. We've gotten our routine down to a science. Cullen and Sawyer in the cart, and Jackson walking around with me. Surprisingly, this works for us. It's nice to have Jackson at the age where he knows when I'm serious about staying within my eye sight.
5. I'm still in the process of mourning Mea, my 11 year old dog. Trust me, I don't bust out in tears anymore, so it's a lot better. The hardest part is the kids asking where she is. I've patiently explained several times Mea had to leave us and go home to heaven, and she is not coming back. Unfortunately, my kids are just to young to completely comprehend what it means. Cullen still thinks Mea is at the vet or hiding. Just this morning, I was putting Thibie in her crate as we were leaving the house, and Cullen starts calling out for Mea to put her in her crate. I get daily reminders she passed away which is just drawing out the process for me.
I will try to do better with writing, but I ask you give me a slight break. This has been a stressful month. I'm looking forward to putting it behind very, very soon.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Busted Concert and Pit Lane
My friend Jessica was kind enough to get me concert tickets to the Keith Urban/Little Big Town/Dustin Lynch concert last night for my birthday. We headed out super excited because it wasn't 107 degrees outside.
And we should have just turned around at the first sign something did not want us to have a girls night out.
First off, we had one parking attendant tell us to park in lot F. Only to be told once we got into to lot F, we need to go park in lot A. We turned around and headed to lot A.
We caught the tram to the Amphitheater and were in the entrance line. As soon as we get up to the scanner people, I hear, "Stop scanning! Stop scanning! The system went down." Seriously! The scanning system went down right when we were the next people to get scanned. Jess and I should have just taken this as a sign and gotten the hell out of there. Instead, we waited about 5 minutes for the system to get up and running.
We made it into the venue and found our seats. We listened to Dustin Lynch open and were enjoying the music and venue. I kept looking to the sky and seeing ominous clouds and was praying the rain stayed away. It was a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms. I pulled out my phone and checked the radar. There was a light green patch headed for us.
As Little Big Town started their set, a light drizzle started. Of course, I had no rain jacket, no umbrella or blanket and neither did Jessica. We were still enjoying the music getting a little wet when the rain started to pick up to a steady, light rain. Nothing we got soaked in, but enough to splash in your eyes and get annoyed by. The wind also picked up, so we were a little chilly.
At 8:30, Little Big Town finished their set and an announce was placed on the jumbo screens. It stated a severe lightning storm was headed our way, and we needed to evacuate the amphitheater to the storm shelters. Wonderful.
After asking an usher were to go, we headed to their 'storm shelter.' Let me tell you about this storm shelter. The Austin 360 Amphitheater is located as part as the Circuit of the Americas. We walked across the Circuit of the Americas race track, into a building, which turned out to be Garage 7 in Pit Lane. They herded everyone to the pit garages. We ended up sitting and waiting on the concrete floors for 2 hours before we were told we could leave and go back.
During our time in the garage, I was stepped upon and kicked countless times by rude people. But the event staff made sure the guys selling 'Ice Cold Beer' for $9 were still available. I also was able to use a clean, nice, indoor bathroom which was relatively new because the inside of the building was still under construction. This beats a Port a Potty any day!
Jess and I finally made it back to the Amphitheater after it rained on us again walking. We found our seats and 10 minutes later the head of the place says the concert is cancelled. With the amount of rain and electronic equipment, they just couldn't do it. By the way, this was at 11pm.
We decide to hoof it back to the car since the tram is beyond full. As we are walking, we have to trudge through gravel, mud, slop, and ground that has been completely soaked.
The concert was a bust, but Jess and I have another eventful memory to add to our repertoire. No concert, but not many people can say they have walked across the race track of the Circuit of the Americas and sat in a garage in pit lane. Trying to look at the positives!
And we should have just turned around at the first sign something did not want us to have a girls night out.
First off, we had one parking attendant tell us to park in lot F. Only to be told once we got into to lot F, we need to go park in lot A. We turned around and headed to lot A.
We caught the tram to the Amphitheater and were in the entrance line. As soon as we get up to the scanner people, I hear, "Stop scanning! Stop scanning! The system went down." Seriously! The scanning system went down right when we were the next people to get scanned. Jess and I should have just taken this as a sign and gotten the hell out of there. Instead, we waited about 5 minutes for the system to get up and running.
We made it into the venue and found our seats. We listened to Dustin Lynch open and were enjoying the music and venue. I kept looking to the sky and seeing ominous clouds and was praying the rain stayed away. It was a 30% chance of scattered thunderstorms. I pulled out my phone and checked the radar. There was a light green patch headed for us.
As Little Big Town started their set, a light drizzle started. Of course, I had no rain jacket, no umbrella or blanket and neither did Jessica. We were still enjoying the music getting a little wet when the rain started to pick up to a steady, light rain. Nothing we got soaked in, but enough to splash in your eyes and get annoyed by. The wind also picked up, so we were a little chilly.
At 8:30, Little Big Town finished their set and an announce was placed on the jumbo screens. It stated a severe lightning storm was headed our way, and we needed to evacuate the amphitheater to the storm shelters. Wonderful.
After asking an usher were to go, we headed to their 'storm shelter.' Let me tell you about this storm shelter. The Austin 360 Amphitheater is located as part as the Circuit of the Americas. We walked across the Circuit of the Americas race track, into a building, which turned out to be Garage 7 in Pit Lane. They herded everyone to the pit garages. We ended up sitting and waiting on the concrete floors for 2 hours before we were told we could leave and go back.
During our time in the garage, I was stepped upon and kicked countless times by rude people. But the event staff made sure the guys selling 'Ice Cold Beer' for $9 were still available. I also was able to use a clean, nice, indoor bathroom which was relatively new because the inside of the building was still under construction. This beats a Port a Potty any day!
Jess and I finally made it back to the Amphitheater after it rained on us again walking. We found our seats and 10 minutes later the head of the place says the concert is cancelled. With the amount of rain and electronic equipment, they just couldn't do it. By the way, this was at 11pm.
We decide to hoof it back to the car since the tram is beyond full. As we are walking, we have to trudge through gravel, mud, slop, and ground that has been completely soaked.
The concert was a bust, but Jess and I have another eventful memory to add to our repertoire. No concert, but not many people can say they have walked across the race track of the Circuit of the Americas and sat in a garage in pit lane. Trying to look at the positives!
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Sawyer's Eye Surgery
Sawyer finally had his eye surgery on Tuesday. We were at Dell Children's Hospital Outpatient Surgery Center at 9am Tuesday morning. Sawyer wasn't his usual bundle of joy because he was hungry and had not been allowed to eat his breakfast. Denying my kids food never leads to good results.
After getting checked in and called back by a nurse, Sawyer was ready to crawl around. Since I know their floor was definitely cleaner than mine, I let him crawl all around our little patient waiting area which came equipped with its own baby crib prison. We walk in and they have a medical crib about 3 feet off the floor, and it looked like a baby prison cell. I had to laugh.
Sawyer got his vitals checked. I was asked the same questions by 5 different people in regards to his medical history. During that time, Sawyer started to get more and more fussy. Eventually, he just cried and cried and cried. He was hungry, and he was pissed off he was not eating. He screamed and cried for 30 minutes which felt like 3 hours for me. I was grateful all the doctors and nurses were really nice about it. They knew he was hungry. Finally, it was time for them to take him back for surgery.
The surgery took about an hour. Sawyer was finally brought to post-op about an hour and half later. His hunger had not died down. I fed him, and he gobbled it down. Unfortunately, Sawyer had screamed and cried so much and had a tube stuck down his throat, his voice was quite horse.
From there, we left the outpatient center an hour later and headed home. That was it.
Sawyer had his follow-up appointment today. His eyes are perfectly aligned. He has redness on the inside of his eyes, but it should go away in the next few weeks. The surgery was a success, and he is doing great. The doctor is very pleased with the results, and Sawyer taking to the surgery. Now, we just have to wait and make sure the surgery takes fully. The doctor will monitor his eyes and vision from here on out.
Sweet Success!
 |
| Sawyer after surgery and finally being fed. He recovered nicely. |
Friday, August 9, 2013
To my beloved Mea
My heart is heavy today. Yesterday, I had to do one of the hardest things in my life. I had to let go of my beloved 11 year old cocker spaniel, Mea.
Over the past two weeks, she had become very sick. I won't go into the details, but towards the end, I knew she wouldn't make it. At the very end, I found out she had a rapid developing case of lymphoma. I couldn't let her suffer any more.
I had Mea since she was a puppy. Ironically, I received her as a gift just a few days before my 21st birthday. Exactly 11 years later, she has left my life.
Mea was the sweetest cocker spaniel. She was a big ball of tan and white fur as a puppy. Tan all over her body with a shock of white fur on her paws and nose. She was adorable. She loved to cuddle and play fetch. She was easiest dog to potty train; she was done in a week.
She and I have been through a lot together. We finished up my undergraduate degree in Texas. We moved to Baton Rouge to start graduate school together. I met my husband with her. Mea was even there when he proposed to me. She moved with me back to Texas and was there when Andrew and I started our married life. Mea put up with us getting another puppy, Thibie, which she tolerated. She has been here through the birth of my three kids which I'm pretty sure she was not thrilled about at all. Although, she did love all the treats they would give her or she would steal.
I have great memories of Mea. She decided to be brave and bark at a horse. This lasted until the horse turned around, then she turned tail real quickly and ran back to Andrew and I. She loved going for walks around the LSU lakes until she got too hot. Then she would run from shaded spot to shaded spot and lay down until we reached the car. It was pretty amusing. Mea was not thrilled to give up her side of the bed when Andrew and I got married. There was a lot of growling and trying to push Andrew out of the bed for a few weeks before she realized he wasn't going anywhere. Mea loved popcorn and would watch the microwave with excitement as it popped, and then would hover around giving me her pitiful eyes until I shared. She found a bunny den in my parent's backyard once time and would not leave the bunnies alone. The few times she played in ice and snow, she was in heaven. My parents always said she reminded them of stuffed animal. She captured Andrew's heart the moment he saw her, and I loved her unconditionally.
Mea was my first child, and I will miss her more than words can express. I was there when she left this world because I wanted her know she was loved. I wanted her to know how much I was going to miss her. The love and companionship of a dog is something you can only experience and never understand until you've done it.
Thank you for being a part of my life, Mea. You gave me awesome memories, and I will miss you more than you can imagine. I love you.
Over the past two weeks, she had become very sick. I won't go into the details, but towards the end, I knew she wouldn't make it. At the very end, I found out she had a rapid developing case of lymphoma. I couldn't let her suffer any more.
I had Mea since she was a puppy. Ironically, I received her as a gift just a few days before my 21st birthday. Exactly 11 years later, she has left my life.
Mea was the sweetest cocker spaniel. She was a big ball of tan and white fur as a puppy. Tan all over her body with a shock of white fur on her paws and nose. She was adorable. She loved to cuddle and play fetch. She was easiest dog to potty train; she was done in a week.
She and I have been through a lot together. We finished up my undergraduate degree in Texas. We moved to Baton Rouge to start graduate school together. I met my husband with her. Mea was even there when he proposed to me. She moved with me back to Texas and was there when Andrew and I started our married life. Mea put up with us getting another puppy, Thibie, which she tolerated. She has been here through the birth of my three kids which I'm pretty sure she was not thrilled about at all. Although, she did love all the treats they would give her or she would steal.
I have great memories of Mea. She decided to be brave and bark at a horse. This lasted until the horse turned around, then she turned tail real quickly and ran back to Andrew and I. She loved going for walks around the LSU lakes until she got too hot. Then she would run from shaded spot to shaded spot and lay down until we reached the car. It was pretty amusing. Mea was not thrilled to give up her side of the bed when Andrew and I got married. There was a lot of growling and trying to push Andrew out of the bed for a few weeks before she realized he wasn't going anywhere. Mea loved popcorn and would watch the microwave with excitement as it popped, and then would hover around giving me her pitiful eyes until I shared. She found a bunny den in my parent's backyard once time and would not leave the bunnies alone. The few times she played in ice and snow, she was in heaven. My parents always said she reminded them of stuffed animal. She captured Andrew's heart the moment he saw her, and I loved her unconditionally.
Mea was my first child, and I will miss her more than words can express. I was there when she left this world because I wanted her know she was loved. I wanted her to know how much I was going to miss her. The love and companionship of a dog is something you can only experience and never understand until you've done it.
Thank you for being a part of my life, Mea. You gave me awesome memories, and I will miss you more than you can imagine. I love you.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Don't Flush!
My boys have a bad habit of forgetting to flush the toilet. Even after I remind them. Maybe they are too excited to run off and continue playing or maybe they just know how much it bothers me, so they do it to torture me.
Either way, it's gross.
Sunday morning, Andrew and I lost Sawyer. It's not as bad as it sounds. We just couldn't find him because he decided to crawl off and explore.
I have no idea how long he was out of sight. After awhile, I ask Andrew where Sawyer was. I was back in my bedroom. Hence, it was not my responsibility to watch the kids.
I go looking for Sawyer. I found Sawyer. In the bathroom. Playing in the toilet. With one of his rings. And splashing. And my kids hadn't flushed the toilet! Gross!
I grabbed Sawyer, brought him into the kitchen, and started disinfecting his hands. I tell Andrew to go take care of the toilet.
All the while, Jackson had followed me into the bathroom. He stayed in there after I grabbed Sawyer and proceeded to say he was going to flush the toilet. Andrew gives the go ahead for this.
"No! Don't flush it! Andrew the toy is still in the toilet!" I scream. I'm having visions of an excess plumber's bill to come fix the toilet after a toy gets flushed down it.
Andrew immediately realizes his error and bolts towards the bathroom yelling, "No Jackson! Don't flush it! Don't flush it!"
Luckily, everything turned out okay. The toy was fished out of the toilet before it was flushed, and we narrowly avoided an outrageous bill to fix a broken toilet. Crisis averted.
Either way, it's gross.
Sunday morning, Andrew and I lost Sawyer. It's not as bad as it sounds. We just couldn't find him because he decided to crawl off and explore.
I have no idea how long he was out of sight. After awhile, I ask Andrew where Sawyer was. I was back in my bedroom. Hence, it was not my responsibility to watch the kids.
I go looking for Sawyer. I found Sawyer. In the bathroom. Playing in the toilet. With one of his rings. And splashing. And my kids hadn't flushed the toilet! Gross!
I grabbed Sawyer, brought him into the kitchen, and started disinfecting his hands. I tell Andrew to go take care of the toilet.
All the while, Jackson had followed me into the bathroom. He stayed in there after I grabbed Sawyer and proceeded to say he was going to flush the toilet. Andrew gives the go ahead for this.
"No! Don't flush it! Andrew the toy is still in the toilet!" I scream. I'm having visions of an excess plumber's bill to come fix the toilet after a toy gets flushed down it.
Andrew immediately realizes his error and bolts towards the bathroom yelling, "No Jackson! Don't flush it! Don't flush it!"
Luckily, everything turned out okay. The toy was fished out of the toilet before it was flushed, and we narrowly avoided an outrageous bill to fix a broken toilet. Crisis averted.
Friday, July 26, 2013
Living with Sons
I was putting the boys lunches together today for their last day of preschool. Our preschool closes for the month of August to give their teachers a much deserved break as well as prep for the new school year.
I had emptied yet another gallon of milk (because I swear we go through 3 a week) and left the jug on the kitchen table. After hearing a child crying, one asking for help, and the other asking if his clothes match (yes, this is super important because my kids will at least be able to match their clothes even if they are boys), I was distracted. I have no idea why I got distracted. This is normal for me.
After averting a crying crisis with Sawyer who was upset the entire toy couldn't be shoved into his mouth, helping Cullen find his cowboy hat, and assuring Jackson his clothes did match today, I went back to packing backpacks and finding water bottles.
Next thing I know, Cullen is sitting at the kitchen table pouring the little remnants of the milk jug into a glass left on the kitchen table from last night filled with water. It made this milky white concoction that looked chalky.
He looked up at me (obviously quite proud of himself) with a smug smile and said, "I like milk!"
Following this statement, he proceeded to drink his chalky concoction with a yum thrown in there for effect.
During this whole time, I just stared at him, like I was watching a bad movie, thinking, "That's just gross."
Cullen drank his milky goodness. He's his father's son.
On aonther note, Jackson was walking back to the bathroom last night for bath time. He was naked after shucking his swim trunks.
Right before he turned the hallway corner, he bends over grabs his butt and other male parts and says, "Look at this! Look at me!" He's laughing the entire time thinking this is the funniest thing ever while jiggling everything at Andrew and I.
Andrew and I are about 10 feet behind him talking. At this event, we both stop talking watching this unfold. At the end of it, Jackson laughs, turns the corner, and goes into the bathroom.
I turn to Andrew, "A girl would never do that! That is a male thing, and a girl would never ever do it. He doesn't get it from me; he gets it from you. A girl would never do that!"
I turn to go get Sawyer dressed, and Andrew is standing there half staring at me, half laughing at me.
"A girl would never do that," I stated again just to make my point.
The things I put up living with 4 boys!
I had emptied yet another gallon of milk (because I swear we go through 3 a week) and left the jug on the kitchen table. After hearing a child crying, one asking for help, and the other asking if his clothes match (yes, this is super important because my kids will at least be able to match their clothes even if they are boys), I was distracted. I have no idea why I got distracted. This is normal for me.
After averting a crying crisis with Sawyer who was upset the entire toy couldn't be shoved into his mouth, helping Cullen find his cowboy hat, and assuring Jackson his clothes did match today, I went back to packing backpacks and finding water bottles.
Next thing I know, Cullen is sitting at the kitchen table pouring the little remnants of the milk jug into a glass left on the kitchen table from last night filled with water. It made this milky white concoction that looked chalky.
He looked up at me (obviously quite proud of himself) with a smug smile and said, "I like milk!"
Following this statement, he proceeded to drink his chalky concoction with a yum thrown in there for effect.
During this whole time, I just stared at him, like I was watching a bad movie, thinking, "That's just gross."
Cullen drank his milky goodness. He's his father's son.
On aonther note, Jackson was walking back to the bathroom last night for bath time. He was naked after shucking his swim trunks.
Right before he turned the hallway corner, he bends over grabs his butt and other male parts and says, "Look at this! Look at me!" He's laughing the entire time thinking this is the funniest thing ever while jiggling everything at Andrew and I.
Andrew and I are about 10 feet behind him talking. At this event, we both stop talking watching this unfold. At the end of it, Jackson laughs, turns the corner, and goes into the bathroom.
I turn to Andrew, "A girl would never do that! That is a male thing, and a girl would never ever do it. He doesn't get it from me; he gets it from you. A girl would never do that!"
I turn to go get Sawyer dressed, and Andrew is standing there half staring at me, half laughing at me.
"A girl would never do that," I stated again just to make my point.
The things I put up living with 4 boys!
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Wild West
It's Wild West week at the boys preschool this week. They're having a blast with the theme.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Roux-ga-Roux
My boys love Animal Planet's Gator Boys. Ever since the show came on, Jackson and Cullen have been obsessed with watching it. They even pull out their stuffed alligator and pretend to wrestle it during commercial breaks.
Gator Boys was on last night right before bed time. Nothing too unusual. In the episode, the guys from Mississippi were talking about the Roux-ga-Roux legend. Of course, the episode played up the Roux-ga-Roux, and the Gator Boys ended up playing a practical joke on one of their guys.
After everyone was tucked in bed, Jackson comes out about 20 minutes later having to use the potty. When I'm putting him to bed, he tells me he's scared of the Roux-ga-Roux.
"It's going to get me," Jackson said.
As cute as I thought it was, I tried to explain the Roux-ga-Roux wasn't real. That didn't work, so I did the next best thing. I pointed at his night light and said, "The Roux-ga-Roux doesn't like light, so your night light will keep you safe." That was a little more convincing, but he still needed more.
I pulled out the big guns.
I grabbed his stuff alligator and put it at the end of Jackson's bed. I told him, "The alligator will keep you safe and scare off anything it sees. It will bite them!" That did it!
As I left his bedroom, I decided letting him learn about the Roux-ga-Roux was probably not my best parenting moment. He had seen the episode before, so I really didn't think anything of it. Apparently, he's old enough now to put two and two together. No more talk of legendary creatures named Roux-ga Roux in our house.
Only a minor parenting failure on my part. :)
Gator Boys was on last night right before bed time. Nothing too unusual. In the episode, the guys from Mississippi were talking about the Roux-ga-Roux legend. Of course, the episode played up the Roux-ga-Roux, and the Gator Boys ended up playing a practical joke on one of their guys.
After everyone was tucked in bed, Jackson comes out about 20 minutes later having to use the potty. When I'm putting him to bed, he tells me he's scared of the Roux-ga-Roux.
"It's going to get me," Jackson said.
As cute as I thought it was, I tried to explain the Roux-ga-Roux wasn't real. That didn't work, so I did the next best thing. I pointed at his night light and said, "The Roux-ga-Roux doesn't like light, so your night light will keep you safe." That was a little more convincing, but he still needed more.
I pulled out the big guns.
I grabbed his stuff alligator and put it at the end of Jackson's bed. I told him, "The alligator will keep you safe and scare off anything it sees. It will bite them!" That did it!
As I left his bedroom, I decided letting him learn about the Roux-ga-Roux was probably not my best parenting moment. He had seen the episode before, so I really didn't think anything of it. Apparently, he's old enough now to put two and two together. No more talk of legendary creatures named Roux-ga Roux in our house.
Only a minor parenting failure on my part. :)
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
Pictures from Sedona
Here are few pictures of Andrew and I in Sedona. We are not standing in front of a backdrop. The backgrounds are au natural. It is just that gorgeous there.
Andrew and I did a bit of free climbing while out on one of the cliff faces. We were about 10-15 feet up off the ground. Luckily, Andrew didn't fall.
Need Coffee
It is now 10:25am and I am just taking my first sip of coffee. Said coffee was freshly brewed about 10 minutes ago. It is mid morning, and I am just getting my caffeine fix.
Why so late?
Getting 3 kids taken care of in the morning by yourself takes time. Especially when I didn't want to get out of bed. Cullen woke me up before the sun was up and crawled into bed with me. I wasn't awake enough to put him back in his own bed. Hence, we both slept in until 7am when Jackson made an appearance.
After making pancakes from scratch (yes, I consider Bisquick from scratch), everyone got dressed and ready for the day.
A few quick errands later, I was lagging when I realized I have yet to make coffee for myself. Now the kids were watered, fed, dressed, and ready for the world. I more or less had a quick shower, made myself look decent enough, ate a quick breakfast, and decided that was good enough.
With coffee in hand, I am now watching my two oldest play with balloons while Sawyer is trying not to get trampled. I think the dogs are in hiding. Jackson and Cullen already had their first major balloon injury when not watching where they were going and bonking heads pretty hard.
But I have coffee now, and that is all that matters.
Why so late?
Getting 3 kids taken care of in the morning by yourself takes time. Especially when I didn't want to get out of bed. Cullen woke me up before the sun was up and crawled into bed with me. I wasn't awake enough to put him back in his own bed. Hence, we both slept in until 7am when Jackson made an appearance.
After making pancakes from scratch (yes, I consider Bisquick from scratch), everyone got dressed and ready for the day.
A few quick errands later, I was lagging when I realized I have yet to make coffee for myself. Now the kids were watered, fed, dressed, and ready for the world. I more or less had a quick shower, made myself look decent enough, ate a quick breakfast, and decided that was good enough.
With coffee in hand, I am now watching my two oldest play with balloons while Sawyer is trying not to get trampled. I think the dogs are in hiding. Jackson and Cullen already had their first major balloon injury when not watching where they were going and bonking heads pretty hard.
But I have coffee now, and that is all that matters.
Monday, July 15, 2013
Parents on Vacation!
I have an excuse on why I haven't written anything in awhile. I was on vacation! A child-free vacation! Whoop! Whoop!
Andrew and I went to Phoenix and Sedona for a few days last week while my Mom was kind enough to watch the kids. My brother lives in Scottsdale, so we stayed with him before heading to Sedona.
Our vacation was wonderful and relaxing. We did nothing but lounge by the pool reading and swimming all day long for one day. I think I finally convinced Andrew we need several days like this at a resort for our next vacation. And he agreed! A little sun, sunscreen, water and a good book was all that was needed.
Our next day, we drove to Sedona, which is about 2 hours away. We stopped off at Montezuma's Castle to tour. We arrived at our bed and breakfast early afternoon. After getting settled in and hearing a speech about bringing our flashlight with us to look for scorpions and rattlesnakes, we headed out for a hike. Our B&B sat right next to a few major Red Rocks which provided a gorgeous view.
Our hike went around Bell Rock. We weren't able to go all the way around. We had to head back so we wouldn't miss our Pink Jeep tour. If you have never been to Sedona or Red Rock Country, I highly recommend going. The views are beautiful. There are a lot of trails to hike and outdoor things to do. It truly is amazing. Our Pink Jeep tour was 2 hours of greatness. Our guide was hilarious which made the tour even more fun. The views were spectacular since we drove up into the National Forest and were around 4000-4400ft up in elevation. I'll post some pictures once I get them downloaded.
Friday, we took a detour back to Scottsdale through Jerome and a National Forest. The drive was beautiful. We drove through a dust storm and rain storm once we got back to Phoenix. I've never seen a dust storm before. It was very interesting watching in blow in from afar. Once the storms past, we headed back down to the pool. We had to live it up while we didn't have the kids.
I flew home on Saturday while Andrew headed west for a business trip out of the country. Granted, it would have been nice to fly home together, but we don't always get what we want.
Overall, the trip was pretty great. We plan to go back to Sedona and stay longer next time. The Grand Canyon is only a couple hours drive away, and we would both really like to go there. Once the boys get older, it would be a good place to take them hiking.
I only wish our vacation could have lasted a little longer, but life beckons as usual. I'm just happy we had a few days alone with each other.
Andrew and I went to Phoenix and Sedona for a few days last week while my Mom was kind enough to watch the kids. My brother lives in Scottsdale, so we stayed with him before heading to Sedona.
Our vacation was wonderful and relaxing. We did nothing but lounge by the pool reading and swimming all day long for one day. I think I finally convinced Andrew we need several days like this at a resort for our next vacation. And he agreed! A little sun, sunscreen, water and a good book was all that was needed.
Our next day, we drove to Sedona, which is about 2 hours away. We stopped off at Montezuma's Castle to tour. We arrived at our bed and breakfast early afternoon. After getting settled in and hearing a speech about bringing our flashlight with us to look for scorpions and rattlesnakes, we headed out for a hike. Our B&B sat right next to a few major Red Rocks which provided a gorgeous view.
Our hike went around Bell Rock. We weren't able to go all the way around. We had to head back so we wouldn't miss our Pink Jeep tour. If you have never been to Sedona or Red Rock Country, I highly recommend going. The views are beautiful. There are a lot of trails to hike and outdoor things to do. It truly is amazing. Our Pink Jeep tour was 2 hours of greatness. Our guide was hilarious which made the tour even more fun. The views were spectacular since we drove up into the National Forest and were around 4000-4400ft up in elevation. I'll post some pictures once I get them downloaded.
Friday, we took a detour back to Scottsdale through Jerome and a National Forest. The drive was beautiful. We drove through a dust storm and rain storm once we got back to Phoenix. I've never seen a dust storm before. It was very interesting watching in blow in from afar. Once the storms past, we headed back down to the pool. We had to live it up while we didn't have the kids.
I flew home on Saturday while Andrew headed west for a business trip out of the country. Granted, it would have been nice to fly home together, but we don't always get what we want.
Overall, the trip was pretty great. We plan to go back to Sedona and stay longer next time. The Grand Canyon is only a couple hours drive away, and we would both really like to go there. Once the boys get older, it would be a good place to take them hiking.
I only wish our vacation could have lasted a little longer, but life beckons as usual. I'm just happy we had a few days alone with each other.
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Errors
I've been trying to post of couple of videos. For some reason, Blogger does not like me and won't let me upload said videos. I'm working on, but until then please be patient.
Friday, July 5, 2013
Pacifiers and Shot Glasses
I've been looking for Sawyer's pacifiers all morning. It seems I either have 4 right in from of me or I can't find any at all. This morning it was the latter.
As I'm searching underneath furniture and through toy bins for pacifiers, I remember where I had hidden a few.
In the kitchen cabinet, next to the shot glasses.
Voila! Pacifier found!
I'm not sure what this says about me as a parent. I keep random, extra pacifiers next to my collection of shot glasses. I will not over analyze this. At least the liquor cabinet didn't have any in it!
As I'm searching underneath furniture and through toy bins for pacifiers, I remember where I had hidden a few.
In the kitchen cabinet, next to the shot glasses.
Voila! Pacifier found!
I'm not sure what this says about me as a parent. I keep random, extra pacifiers next to my collection of shot glasses. I will not over analyze this. At least the liquor cabinet didn't have any in it!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Tortilla Mask
Last Friday, we had fajitas for dinner. Andrew grilled the meat while I sautéed the peppers and onions. It was a family effort kind of dinner.
We were sitting around the kitchen table enjoying dinner when Cullen decided to make a mess. He unwrapped his tortilla and pulled everything out of it. He was smearing sour cream and guacamole all over his plate while simultaneously dipping the fajita meat in it to eat. It was mess, but he was eating and containing it to his plate. It wasn't too worried.
Amongst the mess, Cullen picked up his tortilla and bit a hole in the center of it. He held it up to his face to see through. Andrew leans over and whispers, "I bet he makes another hole for his other eye." Sure enough, he did.
Next thing I know, Cullen's bitten three holes in his tortilla to make a perfect mask to fit his face. He's holding it up to face growling and smiling through it.
Andrew and I are doing are best not to laugh. I didn't want to encourage him to play with his food because we've been trying to curb playing at dinner. Especially with food, but I had to admit it was really funny. I had to turn my face away and cover my mouth because I was not doing a good job not laughing. Andrew finally composed himself enough to say, "Cullen eat your dinner. Don't play with it."
Cullen was so proud of himself for figuring out he could make a tortilla mask out of dinner. I'm glad the kid has imagination. I'm just over the whole playing with his food phase.
We were sitting around the kitchen table enjoying dinner when Cullen decided to make a mess. He unwrapped his tortilla and pulled everything out of it. He was smearing sour cream and guacamole all over his plate while simultaneously dipping the fajita meat in it to eat. It was mess, but he was eating and containing it to his plate. It wasn't too worried.
Amongst the mess, Cullen picked up his tortilla and bit a hole in the center of it. He held it up to his face to see through. Andrew leans over and whispers, "I bet he makes another hole for his other eye." Sure enough, he did.
Next thing I know, Cullen's bitten three holes in his tortilla to make a perfect mask to fit his face. He's holding it up to face growling and smiling through it.
Andrew and I are doing are best not to laugh. I didn't want to encourage him to play with his food because we've been trying to curb playing at dinner. Especially with food, but I had to admit it was really funny. I had to turn my face away and cover my mouth because I was not doing a good job not laughing. Andrew finally composed himself enough to say, "Cullen eat your dinner. Don't play with it."
Cullen was so proud of himself for figuring out he could make a tortilla mask out of dinner. I'm glad the kid has imagination. I'm just over the whole playing with his food phase.
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