I am posting this a little early since I am going to be out of the house for like 12-14 hours tomorrow. So, I want to wish everyone a wonderful, joyful Thanksgiving with lots of yummy food and good company. I am thankful for my wonderful family, for getting more time with the hubby this last six months, for Alex doing so well in school, for all my kids' good health, for having a roof over our heads, food on our table, and hubby having a stable job. I am thankful for all the small things and all the great things. I am thankful for silly things like the Twilight novels, and for serious things like having gotten my bachelor's degree this year. I am thankful for my whole life, it is far from perfect but I love it anyway.
So, anyway, Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What are you all thankful for?? :-)
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Happy Veterans Day
Today is Veterans Day. Not a day I ever really paid much attention to, but I know I should, we all should. As a teenager I was quite an outspoken protester. My Philosophy teacher in my senior year of high school called me a "pinko commie", I spent my 18th birthday at a protest down in D.C. at the Egyptian Embassy, and the first thing I did when I went away to college was join the local chapter of Amnesty International, which quickly morphed into an anti-war protest group. We had petition signings on campus and attended protests, most notably the Stop the School of the Americas protest down at Fort Benning in Georgia. I truely believed in what I was doing and was proud of my role. Then something happened that really shifted my way of thinking, I met my husband. We met online, had a whirl wind romance of about 3 months during which he proposed. The key to this? He was in the Navy stationed in Norfolk, VA. I visited his ship a few times, met his friends onboard, attended their Christmas party. And then one week after he proposed to me he suddenly came home with the news that his ship was being suddenly depolyed and was leaving in 4 days. I drove down with him and his mom to drop him off at his ship, and it still brings tears to my eyes remembering how I felt seeing him walk away from me with no idea of how long he would be gone. That was January of 2003, 3 months later in March I sat and watched the beginning of the Iraq war on tv, sick to my stomach, knowing he was over there somewhere. In the end we ended up being lucky, he was only gone 6 months, and during that time we shared many e-mails and 2 phone calls. It was November 14th 2003 that we were married (Saturday is our 6 year anniversary). In April 2004 his time was up and he decided to get out of the Navy because we wanted to start a family. But going through all that let me see into a world I had no idea about before. I saw those young men and women saying good bye to children and loved ones, going to work everyday, sometimes doing simple jobs but always in service of a greater cause. I also saw the joy and excitement the day those men and women came home, the new fathers who were let off the ship first to see their babies born while they were gone. I remember how I felt seeing him for the first time in 6 months and not knowing whether to scream or cry and probably doing both. If you ask my husband, he down plays it all, the job he did, the time he served, but he will forever be a hero in my heart, because he did a job that so few are willing to do. He stood up when others have sat down or run away. I remember feeling such pride when on our honeymoon we were having breakfast at the bed and breakfast we were staying at and a man we were eating with stoped us before we left and asked my husband if he was in the military, he said yes, and the man took his hand and said it was an honor to shake his hand and thank you for all you do.
I say all this because I think there is one lesson we all need to be sure to learn, no matter what you think about the military, where its going, who leads it, when you get down to it are the men and women who choose to serve their country. And they deserve all the honor and respect in the world. And also for those familys that give up their sons and daughters, husband and wives to this dangerous job with no certainty of their safe return. So today, take a moment and just think about those in your life who are serving or who have served and say a prayer for them and their families.
In my own life I have several Veterans, my husband who was in the Navy, my Dad who was and still is in the Navy, and my grandfather who passed away was in the Army I believe, not to mention the numerous friends we have who have served. I thank you all!!
I say all this because I think there is one lesson we all need to be sure to learn, no matter what you think about the military, where its going, who leads it, when you get down to it are the men and women who choose to serve their country. And they deserve all the honor and respect in the world. And also for those familys that give up their sons and daughters, husband and wives to this dangerous job with no certainty of their safe return. So today, take a moment and just think about those in your life who are serving or who have served and say a prayer for them and their families.
In my own life I have several Veterans, my husband who was in the Navy, my Dad who was and still is in the Navy, and my grandfather who passed away was in the Army I believe, not to mention the numerous friends we have who have served. I thank you all!!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Interesting Site
So, when I come across something interesting, I like to pass it on. I recently was surfing around the web and found a pretty cool website. It is called Underdog Laboratories. Its moto is that it "creates products and services that are better". Basically they promote some interesting business who are looking to become globally responsible, and in their blog they post about a lot of global issues (human rights and such). It is definitly something to take a look at if you are interested in that sort of thing. here is their link.
http://underdoglabs.com/about/
http://underdoglabs.com/about/
Monday, November 2, 2009
Halloween and other stuff
This year we had a subdued Halloween, but it was still fun. I took all three kiddos to Alex's school's fall festival last tuesday. We got hotdogs there and had fun seeing what all Alex's classmates dressed up as. There were a lot of other games and stuff there, but they were a little too 'old' for them, so after about an hour we left and came home. Then I took the kids trick-or-treating on thursday because that is when the Martinsburg Mall was doing it. The kids had a blast there! Though it was hard for Collin to get the idea that you only get one piece of candy at a time, he was upset when we went to the first place and he didn't get "lots". But other wise they were very good and got a good amount of candy.
Over the weekend Timm and I went out of town down to Roanoke, VA to visit some friends. It was a wonderful weekend, but not quite restfull, several late nights, so I feel like I need some extra sleep still. LOL.
And then today I had my first 'parent/teacher conference' with Alex's teacher. They are technically called 'home visits', but we had ours at the school. And basically Alex had to do a could of 'tests' where he had to ID some letters, write his name, and a few other things, then his teacher went over how she felt Alex was doing in school so far and all the things he has learned. Overall he is doing very very well! I am also very impressed with hsi teacher, she really seems to care a lot about each of her students and had a lot of information and pictures to share with me. I am so glad I got him into this pre-k class!!
And tomorrow Collin has his first gymnastics class at the community center. I hope he does well, I want to get him involved in more things, but he has such a stubborn streak in him it is hard to get him to cooperate sometimes. We will see!
On a side note, I also got my physically degree today in the mail. I graduated from college back in July, but hadn't gotten my acutal paper degree yet. It was definitly nice seeing my name on that piece of paper, especially after 7 years of hard work. :-)
Anyways, better get to folding some laundry. It made me feel bad when my hubby had to ask for some clean boxers this AM. I gotta get on the ball! :-P
Over the weekend Timm and I went out of town down to Roanoke, VA to visit some friends. It was a wonderful weekend, but not quite restfull, several late nights, so I feel like I need some extra sleep still. LOL.
And then today I had my first 'parent/teacher conference' with Alex's teacher. They are technically called 'home visits', but we had ours at the school. And basically Alex had to do a could of 'tests' where he had to ID some letters, write his name, and a few other things, then his teacher went over how she felt Alex was doing in school so far and all the things he has learned. Overall he is doing very very well! I am also very impressed with hsi teacher, she really seems to care a lot about each of her students and had a lot of information and pictures to share with me. I am so glad I got him into this pre-k class!!
And tomorrow Collin has his first gymnastics class at the community center. I hope he does well, I want to get him involved in more things, but he has such a stubborn streak in him it is hard to get him to cooperate sometimes. We will see!
On a side note, I also got my physically degree today in the mail. I graduated from college back in July, but hadn't gotten my acutal paper degree yet. It was definitly nice seeing my name on that piece of paper, especially after 7 years of hard work. :-)
Anyways, better get to folding some laundry. It made me feel bad when my hubby had to ask for some clean boxers this AM. I gotta get on the ball! :-P
Monday, October 26, 2009
Organization, whats that??
Ok, so anyone who knows me well, knows that I am basically a scatterbrained mess most of the time. I usually know where things are, but there is no logic to why it was placed there, and if someone else went looking for it they would probably end up in Egypt before they found it. So, I amazed even myself yesterday when I took on the task of organizing the boys' room. And not just cleaning it, but really coming up with a system for them to be able to successfully clean it on their own, and for me to retain some of my sanity at the end of everyday.
Up until now there really has been no system, and everyday around 4pm the battle of wills starts when I ask them to clean up their toys, which usually involves lots of crying, whining, pleas for "a special treat when I'm done" and other such nonsense. But, now hopefully no more!!
First I went through their room and got rid of a garbage bag worth of broken and/or unplayed with toys and ripped up books. Then it all went back into the bins in categories (cars in one, animals in another...), the bins were all labeled, puzzles where seperated out and into their own bags, and the books reorganized on the shelves. Now the way it works is each boy has their own set of bins they are responsible for every week, those are the bins they clean up at the end of every day. Their play kitchen is both of their responsibilities, but the bulk of that clean up will fall to the child with the least to pick up that day. The books are now on a 'take one at a time, unless you ask permission' policy, along with the puzzles both cardboard and wooden.
If on any day one boys refuses to pick up a bin, or if it is lazily put away (not all of it contents are picked up, or the toys are just thrown into other empty bins), that bin gets removed for the remainer of the week. If I see either one of the them with more than one book, or one puzzle out without having asked permission, then those get taken away for the remainder of that day. My only flexability comes when they are sick, or away, then I will clean up their bins for that day.
At the beginning of each new week, which will be on sundays, the boys get to pick three bins that will be their responsibility, and then I divy out the rest. I also set up 2 bins, each one has their name on it. Those are bins where they can put any special toys or treasures they have that they do not want their siblings to touch.
I am hoping this system will work out well. I have really struggled with how to divide up the responsibility of cleaning their room since they both share all their toys and have bunk beds. It isn't fair when one is being lazy and they both get punished for it. Hopefully this way things will even out and become more fair, and now the boys know exactlly what I expect from them when I say 'clean you room'. Of course there will be issues that need to be ironed out as the first week progresses, but I think I have made a good step forward.
Now I just need to see how I can get Kenzie to stop pulling out all of her socks from her drawer and stuffing them around her room. :-D
Up until now there really has been no system, and everyday around 4pm the battle of wills starts when I ask them to clean up their toys, which usually involves lots of crying, whining, pleas for "a special treat when I'm done" and other such nonsense. But, now hopefully no more!!
First I went through their room and got rid of a garbage bag worth of broken and/or unplayed with toys and ripped up books. Then it all went back into the bins in categories (cars in one, animals in another...), the bins were all labeled, puzzles where seperated out and into their own bags, and the books reorganized on the shelves. Now the way it works is each boy has their own set of bins they are responsible for every week, those are the bins they clean up at the end of every day. Their play kitchen is both of their responsibilities, but the bulk of that clean up will fall to the child with the least to pick up that day. The books are now on a 'take one at a time, unless you ask permission' policy, along with the puzzles both cardboard and wooden.
If on any day one boys refuses to pick up a bin, or if it is lazily put away (not all of it contents are picked up, or the toys are just thrown into other empty bins), that bin gets removed for the remainer of the week. If I see either one of the them with more than one book, or one puzzle out without having asked permission, then those get taken away for the remainder of that day. My only flexability comes when they are sick, or away, then I will clean up their bins for that day.
At the beginning of each new week, which will be on sundays, the boys get to pick three bins that will be their responsibility, and then I divy out the rest. I also set up 2 bins, each one has their name on it. Those are bins where they can put any special toys or treasures they have that they do not want their siblings to touch.
I am hoping this system will work out well. I have really struggled with how to divide up the responsibility of cleaning their room since they both share all their toys and have bunk beds. It isn't fair when one is being lazy and they both get punished for it. Hopefully this way things will even out and become more fair, and now the boys know exactlly what I expect from them when I say 'clean you room'. Of course there will be issues that need to be ironed out as the first week progresses, but I think I have made a good step forward.
Now I just need to see how I can get Kenzie to stop pulling out all of her socks from her drawer and stuffing them around her room. :-D
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Mackenzie's Birthday Party!!
Yesterday we had Mackenzie's birthday party here at the house. We all had a great time! The kids were generally very good, and Mackenzie seemed to really get into it. Our wonderful friend Beth brought over her two sons, Alexander and Jack, so Collin and my Alex had some friends to play with, which was great. And I always have fun spending the day with my family. Kenzie got some great gifts too, lots of clothes (which is fantastic because she desperately needs some cold weather things), shoes (which Kenzie loves, she is a shoe freak), several babydolls which have kept all three kids occupied since yesterday (even the boys amazingly, they are very sweet with them, it is very cute!), and my mom made the best picture collages to hang up, one is of all three kids and in it she typed out the little songs they sing, and another one (which almost made me cry) was a picture of kenzie on one side and then on the other is a little letter my mom wrote to her and a poem that my grandmother wrote about her children around the time she had my mom, and then also two other pictures one of all three kids and another of Kenzie from her first birthday. I love stuff like that because I am horrible with printing out and framing pictures and all, and because I am a sap at heart and love personal gifts like that.
So, thank you to everyone who came out! it was a wonderful day and we all had a great time!
This is Kenzie with one of her babydolls, she just loves them! She spends all of her time pushing them around in their little strollers, and last night she even gave one of them a bath! LOL.
cupcake time!!
As an activity I let the kids decorate halloween cookies. Of course, didn't think about the fact that I was loading them with sugar!! (Sorry Beth!!LOL) But they seemed to have fun with it. What I thought was really funny is that my kids ended up covered in icing, whereas Beth's Alex was totally neat and clean the whole time. I wish I knew how to get my kids to do that!.
This is Kenzie decorating her cookie, she needed a little help from GaGa, but she seemed to have fun licking all the icing off afterwards.
And of course, this little princess herself. Those little boots she got from my dad and stepmom, and since I opened the package on friday she has not taken them off. She LOVES them!! Of course they are really like slippers, but she wants to wear them everywhere. Just too cute!
So, thank you to everyone who came out! it was a wonderful day and we all had a great time!
This is Kenzie with one of her babydolls, she just loves them! She spends all of her time pushing them around in their little strollers, and last night she even gave one of them a bath! LOL.
cupcake time!!
As an activity I let the kids decorate halloween cookies. Of course, didn't think about the fact that I was loading them with sugar!! (Sorry Beth!!LOL) But they seemed to have fun with it. What I thought was really funny is that my kids ended up covered in icing, whereas Beth's Alex was totally neat and clean the whole time. I wish I knew how to get my kids to do that!.
This is Kenzie decorating her cookie, she needed a little help from GaGa, but she seemed to have fun licking all the icing off afterwards.
And of course, this little princess herself. Those little boots she got from my dad and stepmom, and since I opened the package on friday she has not taken them off. She LOVES them!! Of course they are really like slippers, but she wants to wear them everywhere. Just too cute!Monday, October 5, 2009
Happy Birthday Kenzie!!
This morning my little girl turned 2!! I can't believe it, she is my baby! She was born 6 weeks premature and was in the NICU for 11 days. She was a tiny 4lbs 8ozs and 18 inches long when she came home. Oddly enough she was the same weight coming home that Alex was, the difference is that that was pretty much her birth weight, where as Alex had actually doubled his. Crazy to think of them being that small. She is such a spunky, opinionated little girl, she keeps me on my toes, and she can definitly hold her own with her 2 big brothers.
So, happy birthday Kenzie!! We all love you so much!! :-)
This is Kenzie a few weeks ago
This was Kenzie at her first birthday party a year ago, what a difference a year makes!!
So, happy birthday Kenzie!! We all love you so much!! :-)
This is Kenzie a few weeks ago
This was Kenzie at her first birthday party a year ago, what a difference a year makes!!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Update
Things have been busy around here, but good. Luckily Alex got over his strep throat pretty quick, and tolerated the antibiotic very well. And it managed not to spread to anyone else in the family. He is also doing great at school, and really enjoys going. A new little girl just joined his class, so now there is an even 3 girls, 3 boys in his class. On the 8th he has picture day, and on the 16th he has a field trip to Ridgefield Farm, which is a pumpkin patch and orchard. He will get to take a school bus for the first time on that field trip, so I think he is gonna have a blast!
Collin and Mackenzie are doing very well too. On monday Mackenzie turns 2, yay!! I can't believe my baby is gonna be 2! We are having her party next saturday the 10th, which should be fun, hopefully it will be a nice day.
Today I think I am gonna take the kids to a local orchard that is having a fall festival type thing today, and then probably go to the store to start buying things for Kenzie's party. I know, my life is just sooo exciting. LOL. But I have to say I am so glad it is fall. October through New Years is my FAVORITE time of year. I just love the holiday season, it brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood, and now having kids of my own I get to do all the fun kids stuff all over again and experience it from their eyes.
My one goal for this fall, learn how to make an apple pie that doesn't turn to mush. Seriously, everytime I make an apple pie it tastes good, but turns so watery it barely respembles a pie. Anyone have any great tips for making an apple pie that holds together well?
Ok, well, better get my day going. It is beautiful here, like 65 and sunny, better go an enjoy the day! :-)
Collin and Mackenzie are doing very well too. On monday Mackenzie turns 2, yay!! I can't believe my baby is gonna be 2! We are having her party next saturday the 10th, which should be fun, hopefully it will be a nice day.
Today I think I am gonna take the kids to a local orchard that is having a fall festival type thing today, and then probably go to the store to start buying things for Kenzie's party. I know, my life is just sooo exciting. LOL. But I have to say I am so glad it is fall. October through New Years is my FAVORITE time of year. I just love the holiday season, it brings back so many wonderful memories of my childhood, and now having kids of my own I get to do all the fun kids stuff all over again and experience it from their eyes.
My one goal for this fall, learn how to make an apple pie that doesn't turn to mush. Seriously, everytime I make an apple pie it tastes good, but turns so watery it barely respembles a pie. Anyone have any great tips for making an apple pie that holds together well?
Ok, well, better get my day going. It is beautiful here, like 65 and sunny, better go an enjoy the day! :-)
Monday, September 21, 2009
The Joy of Germs
Well, my track record has been tarnished. After 4 years of being a mom I was proud to say that my children had never had to have an antibiotic. But alas, poor Alex has been diagnosed with strep throat and is on antibiotics. I have nothing against drugs, but I myself am horribly allergic to just about all of them, so I have always been very selective and careful about them in general. But the poor guy is just miserable, I have struggled just to get him to drink anything, let alone eat. And getting him to take his medicine was a process in itself. It didn't help that he had a horrible experience getting his strep test at the pediatricians. At first he opened his mouth, but when she went to swab him he batted the swab away and touched it, so she had to do it again. Well, he wasn't having it and clamped his mouth shut, it took another very nice nurse to get him to open his mouth long enough to get a good sample, then he promptly threw up on the floor.
Oh well, I guess I will just have to get used to this, now having a child in public school (germ central!). Hopefully he will feel better soon and be able to eat again!
Oh well, I guess I will just have to get used to this, now having a child in public school (germ central!). Hopefully he will feel better soon and be able to eat again!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Catch Up
Yes, I know it has been a while. I have no excuse for not blogging other than, well, being lazy, so here I am catching up. So, what has happened in the last few weeks? Alex started school on the 1st. He is still in pre-k this year, but now he is in a Title 1 class at his elementary school. So far he really likes it, there have been no fights or break downs yet. His class is really small, only 5 kids, so he gets a lot of individual attention, and I think he especially likes eating breakfast at school.
Our little Collin has finally potty trained, yay!!! So, no more pullups. Though he is still learning all the finer mechanics of it, he is doing very well both day and night, with just about no accidents for the last few days. And now Mackenzie keeps asking to sit on the potty. I don't know what I will do when I don't have to buys diapers anymore, do a little happy dance I think. LOL.
And as for Mackenzie, she is a little bundle of energy, she just runs everywhere. I gotta get on the ball too, because her second birthday is in a month. I think the theme is gonna be Tinkerbell this year (with a little halloween thrown in there since it is in October, I can't help myself, we are Halloween freaks around here :-) ).
And as for me, the excitment in my world? They just opened a Target in Martinsburg, woohoo!! That means Starbucks! And Frappuccinos!! LOL. I am just sooooo easily amused. :-P So anyway, here are some random pics from the last few weeks. I promise I will be back sooner this time!. :-)
Yes, this is Mackenzie in her Halloween costume, I just bought it this past weekend and couldn't resist putting her in it, she is just too cute!!!
and this was just precious, Alex and Jasper asleep together. Amazing to see Jasper laying down, he is definitly the psycho kitty!
Our little Collin has finally potty trained, yay!!! So, no more pullups. Though he is still learning all the finer mechanics of it, he is doing very well both day and night, with just about no accidents for the last few days. And now Mackenzie keeps asking to sit on the potty. I don't know what I will do when I don't have to buys diapers anymore, do a little happy dance I think. LOL.
And as for Mackenzie, she is a little bundle of energy, she just runs everywhere. I gotta get on the ball too, because her second birthday is in a month. I think the theme is gonna be Tinkerbell this year (with a little halloween thrown in there since it is in October, I can't help myself, we are Halloween freaks around here :-) ).
And as for me, the excitment in my world? They just opened a Target in Martinsburg, woohoo!! That means Starbucks! And Frappuccinos!! LOL. I am just sooooo easily amused. :-P So anyway, here are some random pics from the last few weeks. I promise I will be back sooner this time!. :-)
Yes, this is Mackenzie in her Halloween costume, I just bought it this past weekend and couldn't resist putting her in it, she is just too cute!!!
and this was just precious, Alex and Jasper asleep together. Amazing to see Jasper laying down, he is definitly the psycho kitty!Sunday, August 23, 2009
Our Newest Addition
So here he is, our newest little addition. My very sweet sister-in-law drove all the way to Fredericksburg (Like an hour and a half drive) to pick this little guy up for me. He is 10 weeks old, very playful and very friendly. I decided to name him Jasper (Jazz for short). Why you ask?? Well, I am a total dork and love Twilight, so I went through all the male Vampire names from Twilight and settled on Jasper because, well, I think he looks like a Jasper. So far our other cat Riley has tolerated him, and Sophie our dog has just about completely ignored him. And it is a struggle to get the kids to leave him alone, they are constantly wanting to pet him, pick him up, or just follow him around yelling "JASPER!!" at him. But I am sure after a week or two the novelty will wear off and they will back off some.
So, welcome Jasper, to our loving, slightly insaine family. Hopefully you weren't looking for calm and peaceful, cause you won't find that here. LOL. :-)
So, welcome Jasper, to our loving, slightly insaine family. Hopefully you weren't looking for calm and peaceful, cause you won't find that here. LOL. :-)
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Collin's 3rd Birthday Party!
Well, I don't know quite how it happened but some how my little boy is turning 3! His real birthday is on tuesday the 11th, but we had his party on this past saturday. We decided to do a cook out and spent lots of time sitting outside, enjoying the day. Thank you to everyone who came, we had a wonderful time, and were so happy to share the special day with you!
Collin threw a little bit of a fit right when we wanted him to blow out his candle because it meant that he had to stop playing with his new trucks.
It was hard to keep Alex from trying to open collin's presents, but in the end he was very good, and Collin really got into ripping the wrapping paper into little tiny pieces.
We were lucky that a good friend of ours, Beth, and her two boys were able to come to the party. In this pic is my hubby, Mackenzie, Jack (Beth's youngest), and finally Beth. The animals are always a big hit with the kids. :-)
And finally, this is the cake I made. Over all it turned out ok, the 'building' ended up almost falling off the back of the cake, but luckily it held up. And, it tasted good, and that is the important part.
Collin threw a little bit of a fit right when we wanted him to blow out his candle because it meant that he had to stop playing with his new trucks.
It was hard to keep Alex from trying to open collin's presents, but in the end he was very good, and Collin really got into ripping the wrapping paper into little tiny pieces.
We were lucky that a good friend of ours, Beth, and her two boys were able to come to the party. In this pic is my hubby, Mackenzie, Jack (Beth's youngest), and finally Beth. The animals are always a big hit with the kids. :-)
And finally, this is the cake I made. Over all it turned out ok, the 'building' ended up almost falling off the back of the cake, but luckily it held up. And, it tasted good, and that is the important part.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Busy August
Ok, so I haven't posted in a while, simply because, well, things really have not been that exciting. Just the usual everyday joys and sorrows of screaming children, house stuff, work, blah blah blah. But, now that August is here, the tempo should pick up, A LOT. First, on the 8th we are having Collin's 3rd birthday party, which should be fun if it doesn't rain (it better not, and even if it does we will still have fun, :-) ), then the 11th is his actual birthday so I gotta figure something out to do on that day. Then the 15th is my birthday (I'll be 26, woo hoo, not too exciting) and we are alos having a yard sale at the local flea market that weekend. On the 17th Collin has his 3 year check up and on the 24th his first dentist appointment. And finally on the 26th Alex starts school (still preschool, but it is at his elementary school). So, this month should prove to be interesting.
Oh and a big birthday shout out to my Dad, today is his B-day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! All these August babies, I think I read somewhere that more babies are born in August than any other month, all that November-December happiness I guess, LOL.
Oh and a big birthday shout out to my Dad, today is his B-day. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!! All these August babies, I think I read somewhere that more babies are born in August than any other month, all that November-December happiness I guess, LOL.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Brothers and Sister
So, the kiddos spent the weekend with my mom this last weekend, and as a fun craft she made tye dye shirts with them. They came out very very cute, and after they were all done my mom took this pic. It is so hard to get all three of them together where they arn't either upset, screaming, or trying to run away, so a pic like this is priceless. Thanks mom!! :-)
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Whats New Here?
Well, not much actually. Alex is taking swimming lessons for the next few weeks. He had his first one this past sunday and did very well. He was really shy and a little scared at first, but after a little while he warmed up to the teacher and really tried hard to do what the teacher was asking him to do. As a treat afterward I took him to 7-11 and got him a slurpee and some gummy bears, which he greatly enjoyed. Other than that, there is little else going on around. I guess I just wanted to post to let everyone know we are still alive. LOL. Of course the calm will soon end as Collin's b-day is coming up in August (as well as mine, but we won't say anything about that. :-P ).
Oh, I did want to pass along a recommendation. If anyone one out there is interested in natural and alternative medicine and hollistic living, I just recently found a pretty cool website/blog called http://www.healthyfellow.com/. It is updated pretty regularly with information about everything from medical treatments, to hair and skin care, to nutrition and all sorts of other interesting topics. In general there is just a lot of stuff about keeping your mind and body healthy, and I have really enjoyed reading through the posts. Just thought I would pass that along, if anyone was curious about that kind of stuff. :-)
And well, next time I post hopefully it will be more exciting. LOL. :-)
Oh, I did want to pass along a recommendation. If anyone one out there is interested in natural and alternative medicine and hollistic living, I just recently found a pretty cool website/blog called http://www.healthyfellow.com/. It is updated pretty regularly with information about everything from medical treatments, to hair and skin care, to nutrition and all sorts of other interesting topics. In general there is just a lot of stuff about keeping your mind and body healthy, and I have really enjoyed reading through the posts. Just thought I would pass that along, if anyone was curious about that kind of stuff. :-)
And well, next time I post hopefully it will be more exciting. LOL. :-)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Can we say busy!!!?
Ok, so this is backwards,but for some reason it always puts the pics before what I write, no matter where I put the cursur, so just read below first. LOL.
A pic taken by my Grandma Ballard. Mackenzie was covered in cake, but she was one happy girl!
My whole family that was there. From left to right, me, my cousin Olivia, Grandma Ballard (my dad's mom), Uncle Curtis, Aunt Donna (my dad's sister), Sarah (My new sis in law!), my Brother Tom, my mom, my uncle (mom's brother), my step-mom Rhonda, and my dad.
A pic of me and Timm and Sarah and Tom. Timm looks good in this pic (though that may be because he was actually just smiling and not making a funny face or doing something stupid, LOL, love you honey!). I on the otherhand look fat, I think I am slouching in the pic or something cause I swear I really did look a lot better that day. Plus, I started out the day in Stilleto heals that looked great, but they don't work too well in grass, so they were ditched....Anyway, enough complaining about myself.
A pic taken by my Grandma Ballard. Mackenzie was covered in cake, but she was one happy girl!
My whole family that was there. From left to right, me, my cousin Olivia, Grandma Ballard (my dad's mom), Uncle Curtis, Aunt Donna (my dad's sister), Sarah (My new sis in law!), my Brother Tom, my mom, my uncle (mom's brother), my step-mom Rhonda, and my dad. 
A pic of me and Timm and Sarah and Tom. Timm looks good in this pic (though that may be because he was actually just smiling and not making a funny face or doing something stupid, LOL, love you honey!). I on the otherhand look fat, I think I am slouching in the pic or something cause I swear I really did look a lot better that day. Plus, I started out the day in Stilleto heals that looked great, but they don't work too well in grass, so they were ditched....Anyway, enough complaining about myself.Ok, so yes, I am still alive. We have just been incredibly busy I feel like I have been running ragged the last few weeks. We have been preparing our house and yard for my brother's wedding, which was on the 4th. We dug new flowerbeds, mulched our brains out, built a new deck after tearing the old one down, and weeded/mowed/and trimmed everything a million times. :-) But in the end it was all completely worth it. The ceremony was on saturday and it was beautiful. I was blessed enough that my brother asked me to officiate the wedding, why you ask?? Well, I think it started as a joke "hey, YOU could so the wedding!" Ha ha, laughs all around. Well then it got me thinking, I wonder if I could? So I went online, and within a few short minutes I was ordained and sent all my paperwork into the State of West Virginia with $25, and a week later I had a license to perform marriages in WV!! So, I ended up doing it. It really was fantastic, everyone had a great time. We got to see family we haven't seen in a long time, hang out with old friends, had a ton of great food, and set off fireworks.
I think what was the most wonderful part for me though was that my brother is one of the most important people in my life. It almost chokes me up thinking about how much he really means to me. Since I was a little kid he has been my best friend, and besides my husband, he is my best friend. He is the kindest, sweetest, most loyal man, with a crazy sense of humor and a dork after my own heart. So, to see him so truely happy made me so happy I almost started crying during the ceremony. All I can say is that I wish him all the luck in the world, a marriage is a difficult thing and the road can be bumpy, but if you keep your partner close to your heart and in your mind at all times and you work through it together, it can be the most life altering thing (other than having children). I love you Bro!!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Are you a "bad" mom?
An interesting question, one that, when I first read it on the Manic Mommies forum I got defensive thinking "me?, a bad mom, no!!" But then I read on about what they were talking about and it made sense (it has very little to do with being BAD, and more to do with following, or not following norms of what society thinks is GOOD or BAD). And to illustrate the point of being a "bad" mom, I would recommend that all you moms out there read this http://badladies.blogspot.com/2009/06/bad-mother-manifesto.html It really touched me and I think speaks a lot of truth. So anyway, back to Mackenzie screaming, and trying to make my boys clean up their toys. Ahhh the joys of motherhood. :-)
P.S. And for anyone out there who has not heard of Manic Mommies, they are a fantastic podcast you can find on Itunes. They are 2 suburban moms talking about their daily struggles with their young kids and lots of other stuff too (husbands, work, and interviews). They are wonderfully funny, and speak to the reality of parenting in a way that makes me not feel so alone sometimes. I would definitly recommend them. They also have a website at http://www.manicmommies.com/.
P.S. And for anyone out there who has not heard of Manic Mommies, they are a fantastic podcast you can find on Itunes. They are 2 suburban moms talking about their daily struggles with their young kids and lots of other stuff too (husbands, work, and interviews). They are wonderfully funny, and speak to the reality of parenting in a way that makes me not feel so alone sometimes. I would definitly recommend them. They also have a website at http://www.manicmommies.com/.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Mommy Guilt
Ok, so I feel really bad. Alex has had his camp this week and almost every morning he has faught me. I mean screaming, crying, saying "mommy I'm scared" and "Don't leave me!". But I have held firm and made him go, sometimes even leaving him crying. I have talked to the teacher and she said each day he is upset for like a minute after I leave and then he is all into it and smiles and giggles. And every day I pick him up he is all happy and enjoying himself. But still, every morning I do the debate, do I take him home or make him go? I wanted him to do this camp to have fun and get used to getting up and being active in the morning since his preschool is in the morning next year. But I have been shocked by his reactions, he had absolutely no problem in preschool all last year, he always went running off into class, even from the first day. So, I am not sure why he is having such a hard time with this. It is in the same place he went to school, with a teacher he has had before, doing things he has done before... so I am stumped.
But dealing with this I have also come up with a new reason I want him to go every morning. What message would I be sending to him if, at the first sign of discomfort I let him bail out. I was always a VERY shy kid, I got very nervous when I had to go somewhere new or have a new experience. But, what helped me was beign forced, or forcing myself out of my comfort zone. Because, then once I had accomplished it I knew I could do more than I had previously thought and the next time it wasn't so bad. For example, in high school I was in Chorus, I loved it, but always stood in the background. Then finally my junior year I decided I was going to perform in the Cafe Musique revue our Choir put on every year. I can not tell you how terrified I was, I was almost sick. But I forced myself to do it and I felt so amazing about myself after the fact, I knew I could do anything after that. I guess I just want Alex to feel the same way, for him to know that though he was scared and nervous, he did it, and he did it on his own.
I just hope that is the case, and that I am not scaring him for life. LOL.
But dealing with this I have also come up with a new reason I want him to go every morning. What message would I be sending to him if, at the first sign of discomfort I let him bail out. I was always a VERY shy kid, I got very nervous when I had to go somewhere new or have a new experience. But, what helped me was beign forced, or forcing myself out of my comfort zone. Because, then once I had accomplished it I knew I could do more than I had previously thought and the next time it wasn't so bad. For example, in high school I was in Chorus, I loved it, but always stood in the background. Then finally my junior year I decided I was going to perform in the Cafe Musique revue our Choir put on every year. I can not tell you how terrified I was, I was almost sick. But I forced myself to do it and I felt so amazing about myself after the fact, I knew I could do anything after that. I guess I just want Alex to feel the same way, for him to know that though he was scared and nervous, he did it, and he did it on his own.
I just hope that is the case, and that I am not scaring him for life. LOL.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Little Ninjas Summer Camp
This week Alex is going to camp for the first time. Of course it is only one week, 9-12 in the morning, but still, it is technically call camp. :-) But anyway, it is run by Jefferson County Parks and Rec, and the one he is doing is martial arts themed. It is with the same woman who taught the little Karate class Alex took a few months ago, and he loved that so I figured he would like this. Yesterday was his first day of camp, and he said he had fun, except that he would not tell me a darn thing that he did. The answer to every question was "nothing", ok I thought that started when he was like 14, not 4!! Oh well, at least he said he wanted to go back today and that is something. :-) It has also been my first experience 'packing a lunch' for him. It sounds silly but I actually almost teared up doing it the other night, to think my baby boy is old enough for me to be packing his lunch! Yeah, I am esily amused these days. LOL.
My goal with all these martial arts classes if for him to get an interest in it and eventually sign him up for formal classes through an academy. I think martial arts is fantastic, not only is it exercise but it builds selfesteem, respect, and will hopefully give him a focus as he grows up. But who knows, I won't force it down his throat, if he ends up not liking it then we will try something else.
My goal with all these martial arts classes if for him to get an interest in it and eventually sign him up for formal classes through an academy. I think martial arts is fantastic, not only is it exercise but it builds selfesteem, respect, and will hopefully give him a focus as he grows up. But who knows, I won't force it down his throat, if he ends up not liking it then we will try something else.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
First Day at the Pool
This wednesday we went down and visited my mom and went to the pool at her apartment complex. We all had a ton of fun! The kids were all very good and had a ball. Mackenzie didn't really want to spend any time in the pool, but was happy to wander around and explore.
Mackenzie in her swim shirt from last year, I hadn't yet bought her new bathing suit. Hence her belly sticking out. Oh well, luckily I don't think she cared. LOL
My Mom and the boys in the kiddy pool splashing.
And of course Kenzie again, this time she was happy to just sit in her stroller and watch the fun.
Mackenzie in her swim shirt from last year, I hadn't yet bought her new bathing suit. Hence her belly sticking out. Oh well, luckily I don't think she cared. LOL
My Mom and the boys in the kiddy pool splashing.
And of course Kenzie again, this time she was happy to just sit in her stroller and watch the fun.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Father and Daughter
Everyone told him it would happen, but I think Timm now sees it for himself, Mackenzie has him wrapped around her little finger and is not letting go. Of course he loves our boys just as much, but there is just something so special about his and Mackenzie's relationship. He has endless patience for her and everynight has to go into he room and lay with her (one night he even fell asleep in there for a few hours). And that little girl just squeels and giggles whenever he is around. Mommy may have been her first word, but she is totally a Daddy's girl. :-)
Our sweet little girl, after a yummy run in with a pudding cup. :-)
And of course, Father and Daughter. How blessed I am. :-)
Our sweet little girl, after a yummy run in with a pudding cup. :-)
And of course, Father and Daughter. How blessed I am. :-)Monday, June 1, 2009
A Hot Busy Weekend
Well, it feels like summer is finally here. It has been hotter than hades for the last several days, and of course we chose now to start ripping down our old, crappy deck to make room for our newer better one. Luckily we were blessed enough to have a bunch of help saturday and sunday. A few of our friends have decided to have "work parties" at each other's houses, so we had a few of them up on saturday and then sunday my brother and his fiance (who are getting married at our 'farm' on July 4th) came up to help some more. So between everyone we managed to get all the demolition done that was needed and I built a play house for the kids (I just enclosed the space under their playset and put in a floor) and built them a sandbox using left over boards that came off the old deck. And I am proud to say that I did most of the work on those things, measuring, cutting, and nailing the boards. Considering how suburban I typically am, it was a stretch for me. :-) The kids also were very busy, the boys were outside just about all day friday through sunday and played their little hearts out. And Mackenzie spent a few hours outside too, she is so fair skined though I kept her in more to prevent her getting too much sun.
So, in the end it was a very productive, busy, sweaty, sunburn inducing weekend. :-D Happy Monday everyone!!
So, in the end it was a very productive, busy, sweaty, sunburn inducing weekend. :-D Happy Monday everyone!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Alex's "Graduation"
Well, sort of, since he is going back to preschool next year, just a different one. But his school called it Appreciation Day. I had some flash forward moments though, sitting in the gym at the community center, seeing all the "congrats grad" signs up, waiting for the kids to march in. I almost expected to see an 18 year old Alex walking in in a cap and gown, LOL. But, thank goodness I have many more years before that happens. And considering how choked up I got at this little ceremony, I am going to need 14 years to learn how to hold myself together for his high school graduation. :-) But anyway, it was all very cute. The kids marched in, sang a few songs (one about frogs, another about planting flowers, and a few others) and then their names were called and they got a little certificate and a goody bag with some little toys. Afterwards there was a whole spread of food and the kids got to runa round and play. Overall it was very sweet, and a good time was had by all.
Now, over the summer Alex is taking a swimming class and a week long, half day karate camp.
Oh, and the pics here are in backwards order, the bottom ones are actually the first chronologically. :-)
Three happy kids eating cupcakes!
Alex getting his certificate from his teacher
The whole class lined up before they sang their songs
Alex walking into the gym, don't ya love the hands in the pockets. :-P
Now, over the summer Alex is taking a swimming class and a week long, half day karate camp.
Oh, and the pics here are in backwards order, the bottom ones are actually the first chronologically. :-)
Three happy kids eating cupcakes!
Alex getting his certificate from his teacher
The whole class lined up before they sang their songs
Alex walking into the gym, don't ya love the hands in the pockets. :-P
Spot the Toddler
Now that Mackenzie is sleeping in a toddler bed she has the ability to get up and wander her room during nap/bed time. Well, this results in her destroying her room everytime I put her down to sleep. The really cute thing is that she also will pull her blanket off the bed and curl up on it on the floor to sleep, versus climbing back into her bed. On monday I went into her room and found her still asleep, in the middle of her mess.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Finally pictures!!
Ok, so finally I managed to get a new camera, a Sony Powershot. So, I had to try it out today. It has been ridiculously hot this weekend, so we have tried to spend short bursts of time outside. But, Timm did managed to get the pool taken down (we are just tired of the upkeep, so away it goes, making room for a new deck. :-) ) and underneath was a big sand pit that the boys immedietly dove into with shovels and dump trucks. Between that and Alex's new little fishing pole the boys have had a great weekend. Also, my mom came up for a few days, which has been wonderful, and the kids are always thrilled to have Gaga around. :-)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Life's Blessings, at 4am.
WARNING! Philosophical blubbery coming up...LOL
So, here I sit, at about 4:30am. My wonderful husband is in the shower, I just finished packing his lunch and making his coffee and I sit down and take a look at my Women's Health magazine for a few moments when I read an article about a woman who chose to have a baby on her own, she was in her late 30s and had no serious relationship going and decided she wanted to be a mom. And I must say it really made me think. I am so amazingly blessed. Over the last week the boys have been crazy, the words "no" "I don't want to" and "mine" have all been shouted across the house at least hundreds of times, fighting has been the course of the day. Needless to say by bedtime all my fight is worn out just in time for the bedtime battle of "I wanna sleep in your bed!" More than once I have thought about the going price of children on the gypsy market (LOL). But, then I read this article and the first emotion that went through me was pitty. I know the woman in the article was not looking for pitty, she was a happy single mom of a 3 year old. But how sad would it be to have to make the decision on whether or not to have children completely on your own, so have to do it in a sterile doctors office with people you barely know. I am blessed that I met the love of my life, my true soulmate at 19 years old! I wasn't looking for him, my life was going somewheres else entirely. My days were filled with college, friends, and family. But looked for or not, there he came and ever since that first e-mail 6 years ago my life has never been the same. My heart was transformed. And out of that amazing love story 3 children came, all beautiful gifts in their own ways to mold me into "mommy". And everyday I have with them is a blessing of the highest order. To be entrusted with their care by the Divine, to see them grow and learn everyday, and to be able to share them with an amazing man who has proved to be an excellent father and devoted husband creates feelings in me that can not be described by words.
In the end though you know what, the greatest lesson of all is that though they will test every limit you have and then find new ones to test. Though you will have your good days, and your bad days, and your "oh God can I start this day over!" days. Though the times will come when that appreciation turns to frustration. In the end I still have 3 amazing children, a loving husband, and a small family who I love more than life itself, who I would gladly lay my life on the line for. And it is that powerful love that is greatest gift that could ever be recieved or given.
So, here I sit, at about 4:30am. My wonderful husband is in the shower, I just finished packing his lunch and making his coffee and I sit down and take a look at my Women's Health magazine for a few moments when I read an article about a woman who chose to have a baby on her own, she was in her late 30s and had no serious relationship going and decided she wanted to be a mom. And I must say it really made me think. I am so amazingly blessed. Over the last week the boys have been crazy, the words "no" "I don't want to" and "mine" have all been shouted across the house at least hundreds of times, fighting has been the course of the day. Needless to say by bedtime all my fight is worn out just in time for the bedtime battle of "I wanna sleep in your bed!" More than once I have thought about the going price of children on the gypsy market (LOL). But, then I read this article and the first emotion that went through me was pitty. I know the woman in the article was not looking for pitty, she was a happy single mom of a 3 year old. But how sad would it be to have to make the decision on whether or not to have children completely on your own, so have to do it in a sterile doctors office with people you barely know. I am blessed that I met the love of my life, my true soulmate at 19 years old! I wasn't looking for him, my life was going somewheres else entirely. My days were filled with college, friends, and family. But looked for or not, there he came and ever since that first e-mail 6 years ago my life has never been the same. My heart was transformed. And out of that amazing love story 3 children came, all beautiful gifts in their own ways to mold me into "mommy". And everyday I have with them is a blessing of the highest order. To be entrusted with their care by the Divine, to see them grow and learn everyday, and to be able to share them with an amazing man who has proved to be an excellent father and devoted husband creates feelings in me that can not be described by words.
In the end though you know what, the greatest lesson of all is that though they will test every limit you have and then find new ones to test. Though you will have your good days, and your bad days, and your "oh God can I start this day over!" days. Though the times will come when that appreciation turns to frustration. In the end I still have 3 amazing children, a loving husband, and a small family who I love more than life itself, who I would gladly lay my life on the line for. And it is that powerful love that is greatest gift that could ever be recieved or given.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Alex and Mackenzie check-ups
This morning both Alex and Mackenzie had their check-ups at the pediatrician. For Alex it was his 4 year check-up and Mackenzie her 18 month check-up. Thank to Gods my mom came with me! With all the tests and stuff they had Alex doing, I don't think I could have done it by myself and watched the other 2. In the end it all went very well. Alex is 31lbs and 39 inches tall, and Kenzie is about 23lbs (I don't remember the length, but she is in the 75th percentile for length). And both are developmentally right on track. They both had to get vaccines, Alex just had to get one shot and he was a real trooper! He was definitly scared, but didn't fight it at all. Mackenzie had to get 2 shots, and well she acted like an 18 month old getting 2 shots, but in the end she was fine. So, in the end I have 2 very healthy "normal" children, LOL.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Universal Preschool-Update
Today I took Alex to have some followup testing done by the pre-kindergarten teacher at his elementary school. And I must say, while he did a good job, he acted very wierd. Things I know he knows he refused to do for her, like identifying his letters and pointing out body parts. But, in the end it may have been a good thing because she said he definitly qualifies for the program next year! So, next school year he will be going to pre-k tues-fri, 8:15am-11:30am at his elementary school. I really liked the teacher too, she was young, and really seemed to interact well with Alex. She said they offer a bus to pick him up in the morning if I am interested, but I just don't think I am ready to put my baby on a bus, so I told her I have no problem driving him, LOL. And he gets the option to buy or bring his breakfast with him to eat at school, though if he eats at home he can just play while the other kids eat. In the end I think this is going to be great for him, and it gives me some security knowing that he is now going to be followed by the county, so if any learning issues come up they can be quickly dealt with.
On another note, Mackenzie is now out of her crib. For the last month or so she has been trying to climb out of it, and in the process gets her knees stuck between the slats, sometimes giving herself some pretty good bruses. So, on sunday the crib came down and she is now on her mattress on the floor until she gets used to it, then we will put a toddler bed in. So far, she has done wonderfully, no crying or fussing at all. Sometime we will hear her up playing after we put her to bed, but later when we go to check on her she is always asleep in her bed. It felt so wierd though, that crib has been up, constantly since I was 27 weeks pregnant with Alex (when we got it), it was wierd taking it apart and putting it away. But I am proud of her, she is growing up too fast. Plus, she is now really walking most of the time. Where did all my babies go!! LOL. :-)
Also, as a last aside, my faithful digital camera of 4 years kicked the bucket this last week, so hence why no pictures of the kids. But hopefully the beginning of May I will be getting a new one, if anyone has any recommendations for a good one that doesn't cost the GNP of a small country please let me know. :-)
On another note, Mackenzie is now out of her crib. For the last month or so she has been trying to climb out of it, and in the process gets her knees stuck between the slats, sometimes giving herself some pretty good bruses. So, on sunday the crib came down and she is now on her mattress on the floor until she gets used to it, then we will put a toddler bed in. So far, she has done wonderfully, no crying or fussing at all. Sometime we will hear her up playing after we put her to bed, but later when we go to check on her she is always asleep in her bed. It felt so wierd though, that crib has been up, constantly since I was 27 weeks pregnant with Alex (when we got it), it was wierd taking it apart and putting it away. But I am proud of her, she is growing up too fast. Plus, she is now really walking most of the time. Where did all my babies go!! LOL. :-)
Also, as a last aside, my faithful digital camera of 4 years kicked the bucket this last week, so hence why no pictures of the kids. But hopefully the beginning of May I will be getting a new one, if anyone has any recommendations for a good one that doesn't cost the GNP of a small country please let me know. :-)
My Brother, The Rockstar
Ok, So this has nothing to do with my kids, but I had to post this picture. It is a picture of my brother and his band he was in when he was in high school back in the early 90's. My brother is one of my best friends in the world, and in my opinion is one of the most awesome people ever (mostly because we can completely dork out together over our common interests like U2, Star Trek, physics theory, and other random fantasy and scifi things). My brother is the one on the left playing bass.
So, this one is for you Dude! I love you and am so proud of you and all that you are working towards. :-) Long live Lord Rhombus!!
So, this one is for you Dude! I love you and am so proud of you and all that you are working towards. :-) Long live Lord Rhombus!!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Back from the land of the sick
Well, I haven't posted in a while because the last 2 weeks have been a journey through illnesses. LOL. We had 2 bugs go through our household, and both sucked. The first one I got hit with the hardest I think, the second one the boys and Timm got hit the hardest. But, now we are all on the road to recovery and doing much better. Yesterday we had a great Easter. We spent the morning at my mom's house, had an easter egg hunt and some yummy food. Then we went to Timm's dad's house and had another easter egg hunt, spent time with family, and had more yummy food. So in the end, the boys made out like bandits in terms of candy, and we were all fed well. LOL. but really, we had a great time, it was a wonderful day, so thank you to everyone!! Not too much is happening this week, but that is a good thing considering I am so behind in most things (homework, laundry, cleaning...) that I need some time to catch up. Anyways, I will get around to posting more pictures soon too, really, I promise! :-)
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
What A Week Can Bring
Over the last week things have been busy, but good! The kids and I were sick with a nasty cold. I got the worst of it and was out for the count for two days. I felt bad that Timm had to make dinner and such on those 2 nights, but there was little way I could even get off the couch. it was almost nice that the kids were sick too because it slowed them down a lot and we spent a lot of time cuddling and watching tv together. Then, saturday was Timm's 31st birthday. My wonderful mom kept the kids for the night and we went to see Cirque de Soliel (I probably spelled that wrong) in Baltimore. It was fantastic!!! I wish I had half the talent those performers had. Afterwards Timm said it was one of the best shows he has ever seen. (which was good considering the tickets were a Christmas present to him from my mom, at my suggestion). Then we went to dinner at the Buffet at the racetrack and promptly lost $40 to the slots between us, but it was fun!! LOL. Then sunday we picked up the kids (and had a yummy cake with my mom for Timm's birthday) and went to my father-in-laws house for Timm's birthday party. We had a great time and the kids were happy that Mrs. Beth and her Alex and Jack were there to play with.
Now, we are into another week, nothing nearly as exciting though, just the usual preschool, clean the house, do homework (for me!) routine. Today looks like it is going to be a rainy, muddy day, so hopefully we can find something fun to do inside. Well, I better go get Mackenzie into daytime clothes before she manages to take her diaper off again. Off into the day I go!
Now, we are into another week, nothing nearly as exciting though, just the usual preschool, clean the house, do homework (for me!) routine. Today looks like it is going to be a rainy, muddy day, so hopefully we can find something fun to do inside. Well, I better go get Mackenzie into daytime clothes before she manages to take her diaper off again. Off into the day I go!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Universal Preschool
One thing I have learned about West Virginia is that it does have a universal preschool program, meaning free half day preschool 4 days a week for 4 year olds. The catch? placement is very limited as there are only a few classes in the county and in order to register you have to take your child to be tested. So, this morning at about 9am I took Alex (and had Collin and Kenzie with me) to his elementary school to be tested, along with what seemed like 100 other kids and their parents. The result? At about noon I walked out with three very hungry, whinning kids. But, I can' not complain too much. Alex did very well. He had to be developmentally tested, and have hearing, speech, and vision tests done. He passed all but his speech completely. The woman said his articualtion was very good, but his comprehension was a little lacking. He had a hard time naming colors, and counting to 10 (he always gets all mixed up with colors and numbers) and because of that had a hard time doing some of the things she asked him to do. He also didn't answer some of the questions she asked him properly, for example, she asked him "who do you live with?" and he said "my school". She said it isn't enough to be worried about, but it would warrent him being retested during the school year. So, in the end all is well, but we are all exhausted. And we don't even know yet if he will be placed in a class, but time will tell.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Happy Birthday Alex!
Today is Alex's actual birthday, at 3:04pm 4 years ago my little man arrived into this world 11 weeks early via emergency c-section. I had preeclampsia which, after a week in the hospital, caused me to go into congestive heart failure with pulmonary adema. It was one of the scariest things I have every been through, but to see my little man today, I truely know what miracles are. Even though he spent 6 weeks in the NICU, today he is the picture of health. He is developing just like any other kid his age, though maybe a little short physically. No one I have ever told of his background said they could have guessed he was a preemie.
So, today he has preschool, where they will sing him happy birthday and he gets a crown to wear. And then afterwards we are going to go out of a picnic at the park (because he has been asking for a picnic for a while). And this morning I made him pancakes and bacon for breakfast, it was his choice.
So, happy birthday little man!! We all love you so much. :-)
So, today he has preschool, where they will sing him happy birthday and he gets a crown to wear. And then afterwards we are going to go out of a picnic at the park (because he has been asking for a picnic for a while). And this morning I made him pancakes and bacon for breakfast, it was his choice.
So, happy birthday little man!! We all love you so much. :-)
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
How well does your child know you?
Ok, so I am going to follow along and copy Beth's blog and dothis questionarre too. I asked Alex these questions and these are his own answers.
1. What is something mom always says to you?: About Kenzie
2. What makes mom happy?: When you spin around and play
3. What makes mom sad?: Spots (??)
4. How does your mom make you laugh?: A dog (I think he ment when he plays with their toy dog)
5. What was your mom like as a child?: Like a baby
6. How old is your mom?: Maybe 3
7. How tall is your mom?: Big
8. What is her favorite thing to do?: Paint
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?: Go away
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?: Cutting and painting
11. What is your mom really good at?: gluing paper
12. What is your mom not very good at?: You have germs in you and get sick
13. What does your mom do for a job?: Doing your homework
14. What is your mom's favorite food?: Pizza
15.What makes you proud of your mom?: Cutting (paper)
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?: a policeman
17. What do you and your mom do together?: Paint
18. How are you and your mom the same?: Paint
19. How are you and your mom different?: books (that we like different ones I think)
20. How do you know your mom loves you?: This much!!-with arms outstretched.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?: That daddy goes away to work
22.Where is your mom's favorite place to go?: The toy store.
So in the end I think he was talking about himself, especially since I told him he could paint when Collin and Kenzie take a nap later, so i think he has painting on the brain. I would like to know though why spots make me sad. LOL
1. What is something mom always says to you?: About Kenzie
2. What makes mom happy?: When you spin around and play
3. What makes mom sad?: Spots (??)
4. How does your mom make you laugh?: A dog (I think he ment when he plays with their toy dog)
5. What was your mom like as a child?: Like a baby
6. How old is your mom?: Maybe 3
7. How tall is your mom?: Big
8. What is her favorite thing to do?: Paint
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?: Go away
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?: Cutting and painting
11. What is your mom really good at?: gluing paper
12. What is your mom not very good at?: You have germs in you and get sick
13. What does your mom do for a job?: Doing your homework
14. What is your mom's favorite food?: Pizza
15.What makes you proud of your mom?: Cutting (paper)
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?: a policeman
17. What do you and your mom do together?: Paint
18. How are you and your mom the same?: Paint
19. How are you and your mom different?: books (that we like different ones I think)
20. How do you know your mom loves you?: This much!!-with arms outstretched.
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?: That daddy goes away to work
22.Where is your mom's favorite place to go?: The toy store.
So in the end I think he was talking about himself, especially since I told him he could paint when Collin and Kenzie take a nap later, so i think he has painting on the brain. I would like to know though why spots make me sad. LOL
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Alex's Birthday Party
Yesterday we had Alex's birthday party, and it was so much fun! Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. :-) As you may be able to tell, it was Dinosaur themed, and luckily the weather turned out to be beautiful, 70 degrees and no rain! It was a wonderful day.
Alex last night with his new art easel that he got from Gaga, he and Collin both love it!
Opening presents. He got lots of dinosaur stuff, an animal game, puzzles, clothes, books, a remote control dinosaur from his Uncle Tom and Aunt Sarah, and a castle play set. The trick now is to not loose all the pieces. :-)
The happy birthday boy!!
And the cake. I made this all myself. It was a lot of fun, and was pretty easy too. I love making homemade cakes for the kids.
Alex last night with his new art easel that he got from Gaga, he and Collin both love it!
Opening presents. He got lots of dinosaur stuff, an animal game, puzzles, clothes, books, a remote control dinosaur from his Uncle Tom and Aunt Sarah, and a castle play set. The trick now is to not loose all the pieces. :-)
The happy birthday boy!!
And the cake. I made this all myself. It was a lot of fun, and was pretty easy too. I love making homemade cakes for the kids.
Birthday Trip
For each child's birthday I like to do something special for them, usually on their actually birthday, if during the week, but this year we did it a little different. On this past friday Timm stayed home with Collin and Kenzie and I took Alex downtown to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum and the Air and Space Museum. He had a blast!! He got to take METRO for the first time which he just loved, and then he just dragged me around the museums, I could barely keep up with him. Here are some pics from our big day (which I think I enjoy at least as much as him. :-) ).
At the Air and Space Museum they had a Cesna airplane set up for kids to sit in.
In the Natural History Museum they had a whole temporary exibit about dirt, Alex liked that they had pictures of bulldozers.
Alex in front of a mock dinosaur bone.
Alex (with his eyes closed of course) in front of a triceritops, he was so excited he could barely keep still.
At the Air and Space Museum they had a Cesna airplane set up for kids to sit in. 
In the Natural History Museum they had a whole temporary exibit about dirt, Alex liked that they had pictures of bulldozers.
Alex in front of a mock dinosaur bone.
Alex (with his eyes closed of course) in front of a triceritops, he was so excited he could barely keep still. Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Random pics
It has been a while since I have posted some pics. So, here are some random ones I have taken over the last week or so.
Ok, so Alex has picked up how to use the computer very quickly. I got him a preschool computer game for Christmas, and he went from never having used the computer before to being able to start his game on his own, do all the little activities, then end it. (Ok, seriously, just ignore all the dust on the keyboard, really I have since cleaned, LOL).
Another cute pic of Collin sleeping. He just goes and goes and goes until he passes out, so he has a tendency to fall asleep in wierd places and in wierd positions. Though lately he has begun to ask to go to bed at night, which is a little odd, but really I think he likes the peace and quiet he gets at night not being pestered by his big brother.
And 'Kenzie, the amazing food pit that she is. She is like a dog, she will eat as long as you are giving her food. I mean, she will drink a whole sippy cup of milk, eat two packets of oatmeal, and then stand in front of you and scream until you give her some of your breakfast. She easily eats as much as the boys. And this is her favorite moethod of eating, the 'grab a whole fist of whatever and try to shove it all in your mouth at once' method. What a cutie pie. :-)
Ok, so Alex has picked up how to use the computer very quickly. I got him a preschool computer game for Christmas, and he went from never having used the computer before to being able to start his game on his own, do all the little activities, then end it. (Ok, seriously, just ignore all the dust on the keyboard, really I have since cleaned, LOL).
Another cute pic of Collin sleeping. He just goes and goes and goes until he passes out, so he has a tendency to fall asleep in wierd places and in wierd positions. Though lately he has begun to ask to go to bed at night, which is a little odd, but really I think he likes the peace and quiet he gets at night not being pestered by his big brother. 
And 'Kenzie, the amazing food pit that she is. She is like a dog, she will eat as long as you are giving her food. I mean, she will drink a whole sippy cup of milk, eat two packets of oatmeal, and then stand in front of you and scream until you give her some of your breakfast. She easily eats as much as the boys. And this is her favorite moethod of eating, the 'grab a whole fist of whatever and try to shove it all in your mouth at once' method. What a cutie pie. :-)Thursday, February 19, 2009
3 Steps!
Well, it finally happened, little Mackenzie walked! It was 3 wobbly steps, but they were unassisted and she stayed on her feet. Plus, she kept trying, she seems really determined now to walk, which she definitly wasn't before. I am so happy for her! But now it means I no longer have BABIES, she has crossed into the realm of toddlerhood. I don't know whether to be sad, or elated. :-) Oh well, right now I am just thrilled.
Too Long!
Uh, I know it has been too long since I posted, but things have been busy around here! Everyone had colds early last week, and then this past weekend we finally finished renovating our laundry room and painting the kitchen (well part of it anyway). I finally have my house back!! Yay! And really, other than that not too much exciting stuff has happened. Mackenzie is working on walking, she will take one single step on her own (like move a foot), but she will walk beside you holding your hand, which aside from being tremendously cute, it is a great leap forward for her. So, hopefully it won't be long and she will be running around the house with her brothers. And Mr. Collin is on the potty training train. He is in pull ups now and he will ask all the time to go sit on the potty, but it is always after he has already gone in his pullup, but I remember Alex was the same way, it took him a long time to get the timing thing down, so at least he is on the right track.
And now I am planning for Alex's b-day in March, I can't believe my baby is going to be 4!! Time goes by so fast, I remember like it was yesterday when he was my little 2lb 13oz, 15 inch long preemie in his isolete with tubes everywhere and that darn beeping oxygen monitor above him. Now, my gosh, he is a little kid! Complete with a smart mouth and the wonderful ability to talk back. LOL. I have found myself using phrases like "don't use that tone with me" and "just wait till your daddy gets home!". But, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, being a mom is the best job ever, I may loose some sanity, but I have gained a lot of love. Ok, before I jump on the sappy wagon, I will depart. Clothes don't put themselves away!
And now I am planning for Alex's b-day in March, I can't believe my baby is going to be 4!! Time goes by so fast, I remember like it was yesterday when he was my little 2lb 13oz, 15 inch long preemie in his isolete with tubes everywhere and that darn beeping oxygen monitor above him. Now, my gosh, he is a little kid! Complete with a smart mouth and the wonderful ability to talk back. LOL. I have found myself using phrases like "don't use that tone with me" and "just wait till your daddy gets home!". But, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world, being a mom is the best job ever, I may loose some sanity, but I have gained a lot of love. Ok, before I jump on the sappy wagon, I will depart. Clothes don't put themselves away!
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Cutest Boy in the World?
I would like to put in the running for the cutest little boy in the world, Collin Thomas Cross. Last night he was being very good, there was no arguing or fighting going on between him and his brother, and he was playing quietly, so I let him stay up later than usual. We had just finished dinner and were watching some tv together when I looked over and here was my Colli-bugs, curled up, asleep in his Cars chair. It was too cute not to take a picture. Oh, and last weekend we went to a get together with some of our friends and before we left Timm sat down with Collin and had a talk about how the last time we went out together he spent the whole time crying and that it wasn't any fun and that this time he needed to be a big boy. Well, now several times a a day he will walk up to me and say "look mommy I'm not crying!"
My sweet little Collin, the world would not be the same without him, maybe a little quieter, but not nearly as fun. :-)
My sweet little Collin, the world would not be the same without him, maybe a little quieter, but not nearly as fun. :-)
Friday, February 6, 2009
AVON
As an aside to the usual talk about the kids, I wanted everyone to know that I am now selling Avon. If you are interested in ordering or selling, please feel free to contact me. You can order through my website, which is www.youravon.com/kathryncross, or through me directly. I would be happy to mail out brochures and/or add you to my e-mail list as well. Avon's mainstay is make-up/beauty/skin care products, but they also offer a variety of clothing and accessories, gifts, jewlery, childrens things, and mens products. I personally use their perfumes and make-up all the time ( my favorite scents are Imari and their new one Bond Girl).
As a side note, if you are out of town and are interested in ordering, I would recommend going through my website, you can pay with a credit/debit card and they will ship your order directly to you with a $3 shipping charge. Or, if you let me know you are interested before hand I can send you the code to get free shipping on your first online order.
Ok, now back to your regularly scheduled programming. :-)
As a side note, if you are out of town and are interested in ordering, I would recommend going through my website, you can pay with a credit/debit card and they will ship your order directly to you with a $3 shipping charge. Or, if you let me know you are interested before hand I can send you the code to get free shipping on your first online order.
Ok, now back to your regularly scheduled programming. :-)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Three's Company
There are those days when Mackenzie is screaming, and Alex and Collin are beating each other up over the same truck, that I think these kids will never get along. But then there are the days, like this past saturday, when they all played together quietly and happily. It was wonderful, one because I was sick that day and needed the reprieve from the screaching, but also because I could see how close these three really are, aside from their daily differences I think they are going to be fiercely loyal and maybe even friends.
Of course, in this pic you can also see just how messy my house gets. It was straighted the night before, and this is only like 9am! But in my new, happier schedule I have decided that the mornings belong to the kids. They can watch their shows, pull out their toys, and generally have fun and make a mess, but at 10:30 the tv is mine (or just goes off), and I save cleaning toys until about 4pm when "calm down" time begins. I think I have recovered a part of my sanity because of this new schedule (well, I should say schedule at all because before was just me running around acting like a looney all the time, no real structure, LOL.)
Of course, in this pic you can also see just how messy my house gets. It was straighted the night before, and this is only like 9am! But in my new, happier schedule I have decided that the mornings belong to the kids. They can watch their shows, pull out their toys, and generally have fun and make a mess, but at 10:30 the tv is mine (or just goes off), and I save cleaning toys until about 4pm when "calm down" time begins. I think I have recovered a part of my sanity because of this new schedule (well, I should say schedule at all because before was just me running around acting like a looney all the time, no real structure, LOL.)
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
My Big Girl
Today I took Kenzie to her 15 month check-up. It went very well, she is growing well and developing properly, though she still isn't walking on her own, her pediatrician isn't worried since she is crusing and starting to stand on her own. It is just a matter of time. But she is 21lbs and 31 inches long, with a big head-18.25 inches. LOL She is right around 25-50 percentile for her age in everything, for my kids that is an achievement!! LOL.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Another First for Alex!
Well, this weekend was another first for Alex, his first ER visit!! My mom took the boys for the weekend, and saturday night while getting out of the bathtub he slipped and fell right on his chin. My mom was wonderful, she scooped him up, called me, and then took him over to the ER since it looked bad enough to need stitches. As it turns out it was bad enough that he did need something, but because it was a straight cut they could use dermabond glue. So, no shots or needles, thank goodness. My mom and brother were great with him, and I can not thank them enough for that!! And a thank you to Sarah, my soon tobe sister in law for watching Collin that whole time too. Your guys rock!! If there is one constant with kids, especially boys, it is that they will hurt themselves!! His little cut will heal in just a few days, but my mom will have a great story to tell him when he grows up about his first trip to the ER!! :-)
As a side note, it is snowing here! Finally, really snowing. I love snow. And oh how I love our wood stove today. :-)
As a side note, it is snowing here! Finally, really snowing. I love snow. And oh how I love our wood stove today. :-)
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
10 Ways to Tell You are the Parent of a Young Child
I saw this on another website, and it made me laugh so hard.
10 ways to tell you are the parent of a young child.
1. You’ve had intense, soul-searching discussions about your child’s bowel movements.
2. Everyone Poops, in your mind, is truly a classical piece of literature, deserving to be spoken in the same breath as On the Road, and Gravity's Rainbow.
3.While cleaning out your car, you retrieve enough cheerios to have host a large breakfast for struggling families on your street
4. You wonder if the cheerio dust left after cleaning your car can be used as a substitute for bread flour.
5.You find yourself randomly chanting “meeska-mooska, micky mouse!” and being disappointed when nothing magical happens
6. Spousal arousal standards fall. Exponentially. Wearing jeans and a shirt instead of frumpy clothes? OH LORD.HOT! HOT!
7. Ketchup becomes the savior of dinnertime. Kid won’t eat vegetables? Dip them in ketchup. Meat looks weird? Ketchup, ho! You ponder creating a religion dedicated to praising ketchup (My lord of pureed, sugared tomato goop. Heinz be thy name. Thy bottle pour; your contents cover, the dinner plate and my shirt).
8. The iPod finally fetches a good song so you crank your car radio to 11 and rock the fuck out. Queer looks from bystanders remind you that not everyone thinks The Imagination Movers are hardcore.
9. You begin to feel that childless people who take it upon themselves to dispense child rearing advice need to be tied up and locked in a room filled with sick and/or colicky kids.
10. You’ve been peed on, pooped on, barfed on, spat on, snotted on, coughed on, bled on, sneezed on, bit, scratched, kicked, punched, slapped, hit, had various food objects thrown or dropped on you, been spilled on, you’ve stubbed your toe, bit your tongue, changed everyone’s clothes multiple times, cleaned the same fucking spot several times over and the stain is still there, and it’s not even noon yet.…
...and you wouldn’t change a thing.
(P.S. I love the Imagination Movers! Just a little mommy crush I guess. Hey at least it ain't The Wiggles!)
10 ways to tell you are the parent of a young child.
1. You’ve had intense, soul-searching discussions about your child’s bowel movements.
2. Everyone Poops, in your mind, is truly a classical piece of literature, deserving to be spoken in the same breath as On the Road, and Gravity's Rainbow.
3.While cleaning out your car, you retrieve enough cheerios to have host a large breakfast for struggling families on your street
4. You wonder if the cheerio dust left after cleaning your car can be used as a substitute for bread flour.
5.You find yourself randomly chanting “meeska-mooska, micky mouse!” and being disappointed when nothing magical happens
6. Spousal arousal standards fall. Exponentially. Wearing jeans and a shirt instead of frumpy clothes? OH LORD.HOT! HOT!
7. Ketchup becomes the savior of dinnertime. Kid won’t eat vegetables? Dip them in ketchup. Meat looks weird? Ketchup, ho! You ponder creating a religion dedicated to praising ketchup (My lord of pureed, sugared tomato goop. Heinz be thy name. Thy bottle pour; your contents cover, the dinner plate and my shirt).
8. The iPod finally fetches a good song so you crank your car radio to 11 and rock the fuck out. Queer looks from bystanders remind you that not everyone thinks The Imagination Movers are hardcore.
9. You begin to feel that childless people who take it upon themselves to dispense child rearing advice need to be tied up and locked in a room filled with sick and/or colicky kids.
10. You’ve been peed on, pooped on, barfed on, spat on, snotted on, coughed on, bled on, sneezed on, bit, scratched, kicked, punched, slapped, hit, had various food objects thrown or dropped on you, been spilled on, you’ve stubbed your toe, bit your tongue, changed everyone’s clothes multiple times, cleaned the same fucking spot several times over and the stain is still there, and it’s not even noon yet.…
...and you wouldn’t change a thing.
(P.S. I love the Imagination Movers! Just a little mommy crush I guess. Hey at least it ain't The Wiggles!)
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
The Next Rachel Ray?
Yesterday Mackenzie and Alex spent about 30 minutes emptying out my kitchen cabinets and drawers, then proceeded to "cook". What amazed me is that Mackenzie had the motion down! She sat with her spoon and bowl, would stir like crazy and then stick the spoon in her mouth. This kept her well occupied for quite a while. So, do we have the next great chef on our hands!? :-)
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Raising Cain
Today Timm took Alex down to Amma's house so that he can put up her new tv she is getting, so it is me here with Collin and 'Kenzie. It is funny that it is almost a vacation! It is amazing the difference in either one of the boys when one is removed from the mix. They go from fighting looneys, to quiet "angels". LOL But last night I recorded a show on MPT called Raising Cain, and I decided to put it on this morning while I putz around. I would seriously recommend this documentary to anyone with boys. It is about raising boys in America today, how society views boys and the sruggles of boys growing up in schools and "on the streets". It has really made me think about my 2 little guys. What an amazing responsibility is put in front of me, not just the day to day process of taking care of children (feeding, clothing, educating, playing), but raising boys who will one day be in charge of their lives and have their own children to raise. To teach them what being a real man is, not what the media says it is. To teach them the meaning of hard work and responsibility, but also how to empathize and love each other without being afriad to show it. And what a blessing it is, that I have an amazing husband who is best example of what being a real man is. My boys can look at their father and see a hard working, loving, responsible, forethinking, educated man, who has faught for the life he has today. My husband MADE his life, and all the while being an emotional caring spouse. What a gift boys are, and what a challenge.
So, if you have boys, look up the documentary Raising Cain. I found it eye opening.
So, if you have boys, look up the documentary Raising Cain. I found it eye opening.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
3 Year Old Philosopher?
Earlier today I was taking Alex to preschool, it was really sunny out, and he asks me this question "Mommy, why does the dark need the sun?" I had no idea what to say!!! I just kinds bumbled some words out and moved the conversation on. My god, my 3 year old is deeper than I am!! LOL
Friday, January 2, 2009
Happy New Year!!
Well, its a little late, but oh well. HAPPY NEW YEAR!! Mine was rather uneventful. We watched the last episode of season 4 of Lost (can't wait till January 21st!!) and then we watched my dvds of Mythbusters (yes, I am a TOTAL dork, but I love that show!!!) my wonderful husband passed out around 10pm. So I sat up, alone, at 11:50 I tried to wake him up but to no avail. So at midnight I toasted myself and then went to bed. Then yesterday we spent the day working on remodeling the laundry room. We are putting up new drywall, paint, a new tile floor, and eventually a new washer and dryer. It is far from done, but I am excited for when it will be done. I spend a lot of time in that room (and it is off of the kitchen, so I get to look at it a lot too) so it will be wonderful having it nice. Anyways, I wish everyone prosperity and joy in the coming year! Bright Blessings to all. :-)
more pics!
Here are some more pics from Christmas morning.
Alex and Collin playing with their new train set that my brother and his fiance got them. They are absolutely in love with it!!
I had to post a pic of my hubby, anyone who know him knows he hates having pictures taken of himself. So the fact that I got a half way decent one made me very happy. :-)
And my little Colli. I was so happy he got into opening presents and all. I don't know if he quite understood it all, but he liked getting all the toys. LOL
Alex and Collin playing with their new train set that my brother and his fiance got them. They are absolutely in love with it!!
I had to post a pic of my hubby, anyone who know him knows he hates having pictures taken of himself. So the fact that I got a half way decent one made me very happy. :-)
And my little Colli. I was so happy he got into opening presents and all. I don't know if he quite understood it all, but he liked getting all the toys. LOL
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