My Three Monkeys

Getting Back on the Horse

2011-04-18T05:37:00.001-07:00

It has been a while since I have been here to blog. Life just seemed to take over and everything got so busy, blogging was the last thing on my mind. But as I sit here, on this beautiful spring morning I feel like I need to catch up on the comings and goings of this busy family the last few months.

Alex and Collin are doing wonderfully at school, I could not be more proud of them. We have had to spend some more time with Alex working on school work since his teacher has been worried he will not be ready for regular 1st grade next year. It is insane to me how much they expect from Kindergarten these days. I heard one teacher say that Kindergarten is now what 1st grade used to be, and that is just nuts to me. They expect 5 and 6 year olds to memorize dozens of sight words, to be able to read fluently, and be able to do addition and subtraction before they are allowed into 1st grade. I look at Alex and I am impressed by what he is able to do, and yet his teacher is worried. Don't even get me started on the fact that standardized testing starts in 3rd grade! Anyway, off my soapbox. LOL.

Collin is doing fantastic too! I had a meeting with his teacher the other day about his kindergarten readiness and she is not worried at all, he is right on track. Plus, his social skills have come leaps and bounds. He is almost a totally different child at school then he was at the beginning of the year. He has friends now, he talks and is outgoing, and the teachers just love him. And he did wonderfully at his kindergarten registration, completing all the tests and making me very proud.

Mackenzie is doing great too! She is a little character, a princess tomboy. LOL She is so ready for school I think, I will probably see about putting her in a 2 day a week preschool program in the fall, but being an October baby she misses the cut off for the pre-k program by a few weeks.

Everyone is growing up so fast! Yesterday Alex went to his first 'friend' birthday party at a local bowling alley. He had a great time with all his little friends, and with bumpers he scored a 69.

This week is spring break, so hopefully I can think of lots of things to keep everyone busy . :-)

Picture Post

2010-11-01T07:25:00.000-07:00

Here are some Halloween pictures and extra of kenzie, just cause I thought it was so cute!

She was none too happy when I took this picture. LOL

Alex on the left as Bumblebee and Collin on the right as Iron Man. :-)

Still Here

2010-10-12T13:53:00.000-07:00

Hello world, I am still here. Man I can't believe I let it go so long since I wrote anything. But yes, we are all still here. School is going well for the kids, Alex and Collin both and doing great! The only small problem we had was Collin not wanting to use the potty at school, but we got past that and now it is smooth sailing! We had Mackenzie's birthday 2 weeks ago, and it really was great. I can't believe she is already 3! I do not know where the time has gone, it was like yesterday that I was pregnant with her, dragging both boys to my million doctors appointments, starting this whole stay at home mom thing.

One rather odd thing was that somehow Imanaged to get strep throat in the middle of all this, none of the kids had it, and I didn't give it to anyone. It was just some wierd fluke case I must have gotten out somewhere. But let me tell you, I don't remember it being so bad when I was a kid, it really knocked me out for the count for a good few days. But now I am all better (I won't say normal, I don't think I was ever that! LOL) and it is pretty much the same old same old around here. I gotta say though I LOVE this time of year, Halloween through New Years is my favorite time of year. So here we go, into the holiday season, and I will try to keep up better with the blogging thing, but then again I can't make any promises. :-P LOL

Happy Birthday Collin!

2010-08-11T06:16:00.000-07:00

4 years ago today my little Collin was born!! I remember that day very well, mostly for how normal it was compared to my other birth experiences. I was exactlly 36 weeks along, and hadn't been feeling well for a few days. I few days before I had had my 36 week check up and they did all the usually tests for Preeclampsia since I had had it with Alex. I had not heard anything back from the doctors office yet and so I had called them during the day but I was told the tests were not back yet. By about 6pm I was feeling pretty confident that if they hadn't called me yet then everything must have been fine. But just a little bit later I got the call from my doc saying that while my tests weren't too bad, my blood pressure was up and since I had made it to 36 weeks already (and because of how sick I got with Alex so fast) it would be best to just go ahead and have a baby! She told me to meet her at the hospital that night. Luckily the hubby was already home from work, and I quickly made the call to my mom that we would be needing a babysitter for Alex, that today was the day! So off we went, rather calmly, to the hospital to meet up with everyone. I was admitted to Labor and Delivery that night and was prepped for a C-section.

Oh yes, and we can not forget the funniest part about it all, that up until that point we all knew I was having a GIRL! I had brought a little dress to the hospital to take her home in and her name was going to be Mackenzie Ann. So, it was to everyone's suprise when at 10:36 that night, after a very normal c-section in which I got to be awake this time! LOL. A little boy was born! At first I thought my doc was joking when she said it was a boy, but then everyone in the OR realized that this was supposed to be a girl, and amisdt some laughing I was shown my new little boy. The problem was that we didn't have a name, at all! Or any boy clothes, and the nursery was already painted in pink and yellow. But after a day of talking hubby and I came up with Collin Thomas, Collin because it was a celtic name we both liked (hubby was very picky) and Thomas after my brother. And it was up to my mom and hubby's mom to go buy some boy clothes for the little stinker! And well, he just had to handle the pink room for a while. :-)

And Collin was as healthy as could be, he was 5lbs 8ozs at birth and went right to the regular nursery ( a feat for my kids!). And he got to room in with me, and came home with me after 3 days. In fact the day after we came home was MY birthday! What a fantastic present!

And while Collin has been a challenge at times, he is also a joy. He suprises me everyday with his curiosity, his compassion, and his uniqueness. My little boy who chooses to wear his pants backwards because, well, he wants too! Who takes care of his little sister and always has a funny face to show you. My baby who will be starting pre-k in a few weeks! I am so proud of the person he is growing up to be, and can not wait to see what the future has in store for my little Colli-buggers. :-)

Baby Collin in June of 2007, he was almost 11 months old and was already starting to walk!

Collin this past Saturday at his birthday party! We all had a blast, and Collin behaved incredibly well!

Happy Birthday to you!!!

The three kiddos with my brother Tom and his wife Sarah. :-)

The End of Summer

2010-08-06T06:29:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, so not in temperature, or really in season, but we only have 2 more weeks before schools starts on Aug 23rd, and with Alex in all day Kindergarten this year it means the beginning of a whole new adventure! And though I am a little nervous for him, in reality I am fully confident that he is well prepared. Alex is already a very social kid, he can make friends with anyone anywhere (once he gets over his initial shyness) and while he isn't quite reading yet, the drive to do so is definitly there and I have no doubt that he will pick it up quickly. The other cool thing is that Alex's elementary school, North Jefferson Elementary, has actually been make smaller this year. A new elementary school is opening and so the whole county has been redistricted and because of that our district was made smaller and so now there will only be 2 classes per grade with no trailers. They are even small enough that they are having a catered seudo back to school night before school starts so that all the kids and parents can meet their teachers and see their classroom before the year actually starts.

Collin is also starting school this year, pre-k, at their elementary school. His year will probably start later than Alex's, not until September. But honestly I am not sure, they changed teachers this year and I have not heard anything yet from the new one. But last year with Alex, I didn't really hear anything until like 2 weeks or so before school started for them, so I am not concerned yet. And speaking of Collin, mister boy turns 4 in just a few days! Tomorrow we are having his party, and I am so excited for him. He is such a special little kid! I would never say any of my kids are my 'favorite', because I love them all with all my heart and soul, but I do have a special place in my heart for Collin. He is very much like me in a lot of ways, and he was my 'normal' baby. He is the one who gave me the opportunity to be an average mother, who got to room in with my baby and bring him home with me. I also feel like I missed a lot with him, since I went back to work when he was 3 months old and didn't become a SAHM until he was 12 months. Plus, he is just a very unique little kid, for example, he always wears his pants backwards. He knows he does it, and if you ask him why is pants are backwards, he will say "Cause I'm Collin!". I love my special little boy and am so proud of how he is growing up!

And then there was Mackenzie. She is in the middle of potty training and is having so so luck. She knows how to, and will use the potty correctly, there are just some days where she won't, and it is accident after accident, and then she will go back to going potty again. So, who knows, but hopefully she will pick it up soon!

So anyways, that is us for now. I will post pictures of the kids first days of school when they come around. My little babies are growing up!

Happy Independence Day!

2010-07-04T09:19:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a fun and safe 4th today, and I want to say a big thank you to all our men and women in uniform, military, police, and firemen. Without them we wouldn't be the safe, free place this country is. I feel so blessed to live in the United States, where I can raise my children without fear. And as the wife of a former Navy man and police officer, I can say the sacrifices those men and women make are tremendous and they deserve all our appreciation for the job they voluntarily do everyday. So, thank you for keeping me and my family safe, and have a happy Independence Day!!

Summer is Here!

2010-07-02T07:06:00.000-07:00

It is finally summer! Though with the temperatures around here you would have though summer started back in the beginning of June. It has just been stupid hot here, and we have had no rain for at least 2 weeks, the grass is all starting to die. Which normally wouldn't be that bad, we don't care about having a pretty green lawn, but with goats and a cow who need to graze, it is going to become an issue if it doesn't rain soon. But oh well, it will be winter again before you know it and then we will be wishing for these days back again. LOL.

The kids at least have been enjoying themselves, with Alex out of school the days have been full of coloring, playing outside, going to the pool, and helping Daddy with work outside. Little Collin has just gotten over being sick with some stomach bug, he was down for the count for about 3 days, but now is back to his usual, opinionated, emotional self. Though I must say, over the last few weeks he has started listening much better. And I have seen him helping Mackenzie a lot, he will get her toys she asks for and shares with her and last night he brought her one of her baby dolls when I was putting her to bed "so she wouldn't get lonely". He really is a very sweet, kind little boy. And speaking of Mackenzie, the potty training continues. She will go on the potty, and will even go with the right timing and all, so I know she can, but she just isn't completely interested yet. Though considering she can change her own pull up now and will tell you whether she went pee pee or poopie, I may just have to take the pull ups away all together and "force" her to do it. And I have to say, her language ability is pretty amazing to me, compared to her brothers she is far beyond where they were at 2 years old. I can have a pretty normal conversation with her about most things, she expressess herself very well. And then there was Alex, he is definitly a little kid now. All the good things, like being able to make his own sandwiches and pour his own drinks, and learning how to read (very slowly), and he has a fantastic imagination. And all the bad things, like talking back, acting snotty, ordering his brother and sister around, and lying. Oh yes the lying, his new trick. At least he isn't very good at it yet, I catch him almost every time. But that is going to have to be reigned in, cause as my mom always said to my brother and I, "it isn't that you did something wrong, that can be delt with, it is that you lied about it that made me angry."

So, it is always intesting around here, never a dull moment. And now to a few pictures.

Alex and Collin coloring some pictures about outer space that I printed off the internet.

Alex found an old book of sheet music of mine from back when I was a kid and was learning how to play piano. I wrote my own (rather horrible) song in it. He saw it and copied how I wrote the notes and then proceeded to play his own 'song'.

Alex and Kenzie eating a snack. They were just too cute not to take a picture of. :-)

Last Day of School

2010-06-04T17:59:00.001-07:00

Today was Alex's last day of school for the school year. I felt silly being a little emotionaly about it. I mean, it was only pre-k, not high school or anything, but still, I am just so proud of how he has done and to think he will be in full day kindergarten next year!! He is a kid now, not a preschooler. Alex on the other hand didn't seem to care too much. He did give his teacher a hug as we left, but after that all he could think about was what we were having for lunch. LOL. Now on to summer, I am trying to think of ways to entertain the kids. I am thinking about taking a "schoolish" approach and every week picking a theme to focus the week's activities around. Next week I think we will do 'outer space' since Alex has recently gotten into Star Wars. I figure on monday we will go to the library and pick out books about outer space, and then during the week we will work on an art project where we will build a model of the solar system using paper mache to build planets that we will paint and then maybe hang in the play room. The next week I am thinking of doing 'water' since that week Alex and Collin have their swim class all week. Beyond that I am not sure, but I am thinking of animals, dinosaurs, plants... Hopefully it will work and keep the kids busy and learning some too. :-)

Spring or Summer?

2010-05-20T06:14:00.000-07:00

The weather around here has been very odd. Some days are 90+ degrees and sunny, others are 50 and rainy. It hasn't really felt like Spring, just summer part 1. We have already had to kiddy pool out once and have spent many days in shorts and t-shirts with icepops outside. I took this picture this past weekend. It was on the warmer side and all three kiddos climbed up on the ATV to sit and eat their icepops. I was amazed they all actually smiled and I managed to take a pretty good picture.

But on the whole nothing too exciting is going on around here. There is lots of work outside to do now that it is warming up and we are going for a small veggie garden this year, so there is lots of weeding in my future. I really can't wait for the pools so open though in like a week. The kids are old enough now that going to the pool will actually be fun this year and not a chore, plus I have lost like 20lbs and plan on buying a new bathing suit that doesn't make me feel like a cow squeezing into spandex. :-) Here we come summer!

A month gone by.

2010-05-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

So, I know, I am getting bad at the blogging thing, a whole month and nothing posted. Oh well, here I am now with some updates!

Both Alex and Collin are all signed up for school next year, Collin for Pre-k and Alex for kindergarten. Alex is so excited about taking the bus next year too, though I am nervous about it, not from a safety point of view but just from a "oh my god my baby boy is going to be all myhimself on a bus with other kids and I don't have control!!" point of view. In other words, mommy issues. :-P But I gotta start snipping away at those apron strings one thread at a time, so Alex will ride the bus (and I am sure I will cry my eyes out that first day!).

Alex also just had his 5 year check-up last friday. He is 33lbs and 41 inches tall, small but still within normal. His weight is in the 5th percentile and his height in the 25th. Developmentally he is right on track, and growing well. He also got 2 shots, his second MMR and Varicella (chickpox). he actually did very well for those. He cried but he didn't fight at all.

Mackenzie is growing up so fast as well. She is speaking in full sentences now and is just a spunky, lively, opinionated little munchkin. She definitly keeps up with her brothers and gives them a run for their money. The potty training kinda stalled, but I am not worried, it will happen when it is supposed to happen.

Overall things have been going very well here, a lot of the same old same old, but I won't argue with that. :-)

Maturity

2010-04-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Something I deem as close to amazing happened this morning. I was getting the kids ready to get in the car to take Alex to school and then go to the grocery store. Alex was getting dressed on his own and I was changing Mackenzie's pullup when I saw Mackenzie had an old braclet of mine (a really old one I didn't really care about), Alex saw the braclet too and went to take it from her and in the process pulled it and broke it and beads went everywhere. Alex immedietly appologized to me, which was good in itself, but then Collin came in the room from the bathroom and asked to no one in particular "What did Mackenzie break?" assuming it was his sister who had committed the crime, Alex spoke right up before I could say anything and said "Kenzie didn't break it, I did". OMG!!! My 5 year old who loved to lie and manipulate, because well, he is 5! Just took personal responsibility for something he knew he might get in trouble for. I couldn't get upset about the braclet, I was so happy and proud. Ok OK I know, in the long run is it that big of a deal? No, not really, but It is such a thrill when you see your kids finally showing the morals and behaviors you have benn trying your darndest to instill in them. :-)

Happy 5th Birthday Alex!

2010-03-12T04:17:00.000-08:00

On 3/12/2005 at 3:04pm (a saturday) my oldest was born. Alex was a fighter from the beginning. I had developed preeclampsia at 28 weeks and was put on bedrest at home and then full bedrest in the hospital a few days later. I had been in the hospital for a week, had gained 20lbs of water weight, and was on magnesium sulfate all the time (which makes you feel like garbage, let me tell you!) when on the night of 3/11/05 I told my nurse that I was having trouble sleeping and was uncomfortable. She went and got permission to give me an Ambien, and when she returned she decided to do a quick assessment on me. When she listened to my lungs she said it sounded a little rattly and that she was going to get me a chest x-ray. Maybe 2 hours later, the chest x-ray ws done and I was immedietly put on oxygen, I had fluid backing up into my lungs. I didn't sleep at all that night, every time I would doze off my oxygen sats would drop and the alarms would sound, everytime they would up my oxygen levels. Finally by about 7am I was on almost 100% oxygen and even with that could barely think about anything else but breathing, all I wanted was to take a deep breath and I couldn't. My OB told me today would be the day, but because of 2 other emergency c-sections I had a to wait a few hours. Luckily through all this only I was suffering, Alex was always fine, his heart rate stayed normal. Finally a little before 3pm they took me back and the docs tried to put in an epidural, but I was too swollen and after sticking me twice they had run out of time. My hubby was allowed to come in and give me a kiss as they prepped me, and at 3:02pm I was put under general anesthesia. At 3:04 little Alex was born, screaming so loud they could barely intubate him. He was 2lbs 14ozs and 15 inches long, but he was all fighter. He spent less than 24 hours on a ventilator and another 4 weeks on gradually weaning levels of oxygen. After a very uneventful 6 weeks in the NICU our little man came home. The only intervention he needed was support for his little body to grow, some time under UV lights, and one blood transfusion. He was 4lbs 8ozs when he came home, but was an excellent baby.

Today he is the picture of health and happiness. He has no lingering effects of his early birth and is smart as a whip. Today I take my little man to be registered for kindergarten. What an amazing journey his little life has been, and the blessing is, it has only really just begun.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ALEX!!!! WE ALL LOVE YOU!!! :-)

Alex today with his little sister

Alex on the day he was born.

Pictures and Update

2010-03-08T15:25:00.000-08:00

Collin, alseep. cutie-pie.

This is what happens when you leave this little girl alone for 5 minutes. LOL I was talking on the phonein the kitchen, and when I walked back into the living room, here she was. :-P

The boys playing on Hubby's drum, they loved it!

Our little drummer girl!

Thank goodness spring is almost here!! Today it was 60 degrees and bright and sunny. After this horrible winter it was absolutley fantastic. Right now I am trying to get ready for Alex's birthday party this coming saturday. This past saturday I took him up to Strasburg to ride the big steam engine they have up there. We road in the dining car and had lunch during the hour long ride. it was really a lot of fun! I do have some pictures of that, but they are in my phone, so I gotta go through the extra effort of e-mailing them to myself and, well, I just haven't done it yet! LOL. Then on the 12th Alex has his kindergarten registration, and on the 22nd Collin has his pre-k registration/testing. This month is definitly going to be busy. But, as long as this nice weathe sticks around I can deal with anything. :-) Happy Spring ya'll!

Snowmagedon!!

2010-02-06T18:39:00.000-08:00

Snow, snow snow!! Between last night and today we got 30 inches of snow. 30 inches!! Absolutely crazy. The kids tried to go out in it today but only spent a few minutes before they were frozen. Plus they could barely walk in it! Luckily we had Sophie, our dog, who was brave enough to go out first and make some paths for us. Man's best friend! LOL. I am so ready for Spring!!!

Blog Recommendation

2010-01-28T08:46:00.000-08:00

I have fallen in love...with a blog! The blog is called FreeRange Kids and while it is a 'parenting' blog, I think just about anyone could read it. It is run by a woman named Lenore Skenazy, who now has a book out by the same name, FreeRange Kids. Some may know her as "the worst mom in America". She was dubbed that because she wrote an article a couple years back about how she let her then 9 year old son ride the New York Subway alone from a department store to their home. There is a whole story that goes along with that that I won't get into here, but what the main point of her blog (and her book is) is that we need to trust our kids and let them experience the world according to their own abilities, not by what society lays down as what is appropriate. She goes into a lot of crime statistics and talks with a lot of experts about everything from baby toys, to the media. And while her brand of parenting may not be for everyone, I know she goes a little farther than I myself would be comfortable with, I don't think it could hurt to take a look at what she says. She is snarky, funny, and very informative. And on her blog she posts a lot of letters she gets as well as newstories. So, if you have a mind check her out!

www.freerangekids.wordpress.com Or just look for the link on the right of my page. :-)

Everyone is growing up!

2010-01-28T08:06:00.000-08:00

It is hard to believe that I don't have any babies anymore. Not that I necessarily want anymore. But still, having 3 back to back I felt like I constantly was doing the baby thing, now my munchkins are growing up! Alex's kindergarten registration is on March 12th, and he turns 5 on the same day. I am also trying to get Collin's preschool paperwork done, which means getting a million forms filled out by his pediatrician and dentist. He will be in the same class next year that Alex is in this year. And to top it off Mackenzie is potty training!! I just bought her her first set of little girl underwear, with princesses on them (cause that is what she picked). The idea of not buying diapers again is so exciting and yet kinda sad. Now instead of screaming babies, diaper changing, and naps (why do those have to go too!!?) I have three arguing, opinionated, little kids who are too smart for their own good. You can't pull one over on them anymore. Oh well, at least I get to sleep all night. :-)

Rediscovering the Library

2010-01-10T05:18:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I am a child of the information age. I am 26 and I think mine was the last generation to write papers in elementary school with blue or black ink, cursive, double-spaced on college ruled paper. By high school is was all typed. And today, even my four year old can use the computer. But even so, it still surprised me when low and behold, I rediscovered an old friend, the library!! Imagine it a whole building full of PAPER books, all available to borrow for FREE!! LOL I know I felt stupid that I hadn't even thought of going to the library for probably close to 10 years, but yesterday I made the leap and got myself a library card and took Alex and Collin with me. They loved it!! For our first check out we picked some kids audiobooks to listen to in the car. Last night I couldn't help going on and on about all the cool stuff they offer, and what kind of stuff I could check out. It made me realize, there really is no excuse these days not to read to your kids. I mean come on, it is the simplest thing that can give the most pleasure and really change a child forever. I know I would not be who I am today without books, reading has always been a tremendous part of my life, and even today I feel rather empty if I don't have a good book to read. So go ahead, rediscover the library, for yourself and your kids, they really are amazing places! :-)

Still Alive!

2010-01-09T14:16:00.000-08:00

First some pictures. :-)

Yes, the boys are wearing make-up! They wanted me to put some on them, so I did. LOL

Mackenzie in her Christmas dress.

Mackenzie out in the snow storm we got.

Yes, it is true, I am still here. I did not fall off the face of the planet, just been very busy with the holidays and all. So here I am, back in a new year (and a new decade!) Things have been very good here! Alex is doing wonderfully in school, he loves his classmates and his teacher, he even has a "girlfriend" named Alyssa. Collin and Mackenzie are growing like weeds! Kenzie is already speaking in sentenses, and Collin is learning his ABCs.

Our holidays were fantastic! Christmas eve we spent with my husband's side of the family at my sister-in-law's house, then Christmas day we spent with my family at our house. Then we went down to visit my dad and step-mom in North Carolina for a week, which was a blast! We are so blessed with such a big loving family!!

So much has gone on it would take pages to write it all down here, but I will say this was probably our busiest, but most fun holidays yet!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2009-11-25T18:35:00.000-08:00

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?? :-)

Happy Veterans Day

2009-11-11T05:38:00.000-08:00

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!!

Interesting Site

2009-11-09T15:09:00.000-08:00

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/

Halloween and other stuff

2009-11-02T15:26:00.000-08:00

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

Organization, whats that??

2009-10-26T01:28:00.001-07:00

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

Mackenzie's Birthday Party!!

2009-10-11T08:49:00.000-07:00

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!

Happy Birthday Kenzie!!

2009-10-05T08:10:00.001-07:00

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!!

Update

2009-10-03T07:24:00.000-07:00

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! :-)

The Joy of Germs

2009-09-21T17:10:00.000-07:00

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!

Catch Up

2009-09-08T01:14:00.000-07:00

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 Newest Addition

2009-08-23T07:42:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

Collin's 3rd Birthday Party!

2009-08-09T18:16:00.000-07:00

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.

Busy August

2009-08-04T01:27:00.000-07:00

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.

Brothers and Sister

2009-07-22T05:57:00.000-07:00

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!! :-)

Whats New Here?

2009-07-15T18:34:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

Can we say busy!!!?

2009-07-05T19:34:00.000-07:00

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.

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!!

Are you a "bad" mom?

2009-06-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

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/.

Mommy Guilt

2009-06-11T08:17:00.000-07:00

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.

Little Ninjas Summer Camp

2009-06-09T01:15:00.000-07:00

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.

First Day at the Pool

2009-06-04T17:52:00.000-07:00

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.

Father and Daughter

2009-06-02T01:23:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

A Hot Busy Weekend

2009-06-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

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!!

Alex's "Graduation"

2009-05-26T15:06:00.000-07:00

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

Spot the Toddler

2009-05-26T14:56:00.000-07:00

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.

Finally pictures!!

2009-05-23T19:08:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

Life's Blessings, at 4am.

2009-05-14T01:29:00.000-07:00

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.

Alex and Mackenzie check-ups

2009-04-30T13:25:00.000-07:00

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.

Universal Preschool-Update

2009-04-21T16:40:00.001-07:00

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. :-)

My Brother, The Rockstar

2009-04-21T10:48:00.000-07:00

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!!

Back from the land of the sick

2009-04-13T07:19:00.001-07:00

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! :-)

What A Week Can Bring

2009-04-01T06:22:00.000-07:00

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!

Universal Preschool

2009-03-23T11:26:00.000-07:00

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.

Happy Birthday Alex!

2009-03-12T06:43:00.000-07:00

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. :-)

How well does your child know you?

2009-03-11T07:47:00.000-07:00

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

Alex's Birthday Party

2009-03-08T14:49:00.001-07:00

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.

Birthday Trip

2009-03-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

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.

Random pics

2009-02-25T06:52:00.000-08:00

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. :-)

3 Steps!

2009-02-19T13:18:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-02-19T06:37:00.000-08:00

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!

Cutest Boy in the World?

2009-02-07T05:56:00.001-08:00

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. :-)

AVON

2009-02-06T14:09:00.000-08:00

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. :-)

Three's Company

2009-01-27T06:49:00.000-08:00

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.)

My Big Girl

2009-01-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

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.

Another First for Alex!

2009-01-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

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. :-)

10 Ways to Tell You are the Parent of a Young Child

2009-01-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

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!)

The Next Rachel Ray?

2009-01-13T05:52:00.000-08:00

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!? :-)

Raising Cain

2009-01-10T07:12:00.000-08:00

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.

3 Year Old Philosopher?

2009-01-08T11:21:00.001-08:00

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

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-02T13:45:00.000-08:00

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!

2009-01-02T13:32:00.000-08:00

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

Christmas!

2009-01-02T13:20:00.001-08:00

So, finally I get off my butt and post some pictures. Here are a few to get started. I should say that we had a wonderful Christmas, thank you to my sister in law for hosting a really wonderful party on Christmas Eve, we had a great time! And thank you to my dad and step mom for coming up and visiting last weekend. It was so wonderful to have you. :-)

Here are Alex and Collin Christmas morning with the play kitchen they got from Timm's dad and step mom. They absolutely love it! and it worked well keeping them occupied until my mom and brother and soon to be sister in law got to our house!

Mackenzie on Christmas Eve at my sister in law's. She had a great time playing with the toys there and was a very good little girl.

Mackenzie being held by Jennifer, Timm's sister with her husband (also Tim) in the foreground. I was so happy she let other people hold her that evening!

"Merry Christmas to All and To all a Good Night!"

2008-12-24T03:11:00.000-08:00

Well, the next two days are going to be so busy I wanted to make sure I got on here and wished everyone the Merriest of Christmases!! we will be spending the day today at Timm's Sister's house with his family and then tomorrow will be staying cozy at our house with my mom, brother and soon to be sister-in-law. You know, it is the blessing of the season that even though i have a dead battery in my car, and I have to go back to the store today to get a new battery because the one I bought yesterday is the wrong size (yeah, like I know anything about cars!!), I am not stressed at all and am so incredibly happy for it to be Christmas Eve. All I can say is I hope that everyone has a blessed holiday, filled with family, fellowship, and love. "Merry Christmas movie house!, Merry Christmas Emporium, Merry Christmas you old building and loan!!"

Christmas Tree!!

2008-12-21T12:30:00.000-08:00

So, here she is, our tree in all her glory!! This year we decided to get a live tree so that we can plant it outside after Christmas, and I love her! There is nothing better than to have a fire in the wood stove at night with no light in the room but the Christmas tree sitting and chatting with friends and enjoying each other's company. Only 4 more days left!!! :-)

And her first word is..... (drumroll please!)

2008-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

....MOMMY!! Yes, finally, my girl child spoke her first word and it is Mommy. Alex's first word was Daddy (any suprise since he is a little "mini me"), Collin's was "alex" (no suprise there since as a baby Timm and I were working so much he saw Alex more than us!), and now my sweet little girl. It is so wierd to hear her talk, her voice is very nasal right now, but darn it sure is cute!! She also kinda says "uh-oh", but not real well. On the walking front, still very little. She will cruise for short distances, like down the coffee table, or the big couch, but alas no more than that.

Only one more week till Christmas!!! Anyone who knows me well, will tell you (and be laughing about it at the same time) that I am the queen of tacky when it comes to Christmas. If money was no option (and I could tie my husband up for a while) our house would look like the house in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, with some added 15 foot tall blow up Santa's riding motorcycles and snowglobes. I LOVE Christmas, and the whole season, and now that Alex is old enough to know who Santa is and the whole story I have a good excuse to be as korny as I want to be about the whole thing!!! But last night, Timm and I had to laugh, when Alex started telling us what he wanted for Christmas. He wants his very own skid-loader (think small, Bobcat bulldozer kinda thing, our next-door neighbor Luke has one we borrow), with a gun on it. And he also thinks that we should all have our own skid-loaders so we can drive them around together. Timm had to explain to Alex that he doesn't think Santa could fit down the chimney with a Skid-loader. So, here we embark on the last week before "chris-chris" (as Alex calls it). Man, I don't know what I am going to do with myself on December 26th!! LOL.

Baking Crazy

2008-12-15T07:55:00.001-08:00

This weekend I had the best time. My mom came up saturday afternoon and stayed till sunday evening and we got all our Christmas baking done. We made about 6-7 dozen chocolate chip cookies, about 7 dozen sugar cookies, 2 bathces of peanut butter/chocolate fudge, and 4 loaves of bread. I am so greatful that mu mom was up here to help with the kids, it made things soooo much easier!! :-) The trick now, is to put everything in the freezer so little (and big) hands don't eat it all before Christmas day. As a kid, every year my mom and I would go over to my grandma's house and bake all the same stuff and half would go in the freezer and half in the fridge. Well, my brother and I would almost always end up eating frozen fudge out of the freezer, it is soo good!!

Thanksgiving pics!

2008-12-05T04:48:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving. In the morning we went to my mom's house and had a yummy turkey lunch, and then went to Timm's Dad's house for dinner. The kids were worn out by the end of the day, but they had a wonderful time!

My lovely husband building a lincoln log house at his Dad's house

Collin at my mom's house, drinking from his "big boy cup" (which he then proceeded to spill everywhere, LOL)

Alex at my mom's house. He had fun playing with Uncle Tom's trains.

Of course, the little princess. Our little sweet pea. :-)

What a time to be grateful

2008-12-04T05:58:00.001-08:00

I hope that everyone had a wonderful thanksgiving. We had a great time and got to have 2 wonderful meals that day. Thank you to my mom, and to Timm's dad and step-mom for a wonderful day. Anyways, I do have pictures, I just haven't gotten a chance to post them. But, I will do that soon.

I just wanted to put something out there I have been thinking about for a while now. I belong to a number of mom's groups, online and in person and I have noticed a trend happening more than I have before, poverty. I can't tell you the number of blogs and posts I have read of women who's husbands have lost their job to the current economy and are terrified they won't be able to feed their children, let alone provide a Christmas for their kids. It breaks my heart because I know stories like that are only going to become more prevalent.

We are by no stretch of the imagination rich, but I can be happy that our bills are up to date, I can go grocery shopping today, I can send Alex to preschool, and I know Timm's job is secure. And most importantly, we have a lot of love in our home. Timm is my soulmate, and I will always stick by him and he me. No matter what happens we are a team working together to raise happy healthy children and to provide each other happiness.

So I say, this holiday season, enjoy all the trappings of Christmas (heaven knows I LOVE all the tackiness of the holiday), but also take the time out to realize what this holiday really means to you. It may not be a religious meaning, maybe it is the closeness of family and the love of your children that make this time special. Whatever it is, always be grateful for what you have, tangible and intangible. Love, support, and hard work is what is going to get this country through these tough times, let it start in our homes.

Ok, off my soapbox now. LOL. I will try to get some new pics of the kids up soon. :-)

Sad Story but Wonderful Lesson

2008-11-26T04:18:00.001-08:00

We are very close to our neighbors on our right (the other neighbors are butt heads). We share everything, watch each other's animals, have dinners together occassionally, and help each other out with projects. (Plus they gave me one of their horses, and our first 2 goats, and our cow is from the family's dairy farm). Well, last week, Luke's grandmother went into the hospital (he is very close to his grandparents, they are like his parents in many ways) because she had pneumonia. Well, his grandfather was driving back and forth to the hospital to visit her and last saturday night his car hit a patch of ice and he skidded off the road and hit a tree. He was rushed to the hospital, but unfortunetly passed away from his injuries monday morning. Luke and Marybeth (our neighbors) are some of the best people you could ever meet and are a joy to be friends with and it breaks my heart that this happened to Luke's family. So, I just wanted to say, if you are the praying kind, to light a candle and say a prayer for the Lucas family (kinda funny, Luke's name is Anthony Lucas, but everyone calls him Luke, not sure why, LOL).

What is the big lesson? Live everyday to the fullest, don't sweat the small stuff (and some of the big stuff too), go with the flow, and tell your family everyday that you love them. Life is to short and too unexpected to waste days on stress, bitterness, and anger.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2008-11-26T04:05:00.000-08:00

Well, I know I haven't been on here too much lately, things have just been so busy. Yesterday I wanted to give Collin to a pack of wolves. He just grumped all day and didn't listen to ANYTHING I said. For some reason he was obsessed with cereal, every 20 minutes he was in the pantry stealing cereal. I started out by politely telling him no, then forcefully telling him no, then yelling at him, then slapping him on the hand. But nope, all day long he was in the pantry. My children have an obsession with food, every chance they get they steal it from the fridge and the pantry. I have come out of showers to whole packages of hotdogs being eaten, blocks of cheese opened, and eggs all over the floor. Who knew you could do so much mischiff in 5 minutes!!! And I really don't get it because I have never withheld food, they eat 3 meals and 2-3 snacks everyday, plus upwards of 3 cups of milk and 1 of juice a day. And the problem is they are old enough now that locks don't work, Alex can get them all off, and Collin can at least open doors and the fridge lock.

But, that was yesterday, and this is today. I am hoping that today will be better since I have a lot to do to get ready for Thanksgiving. I am not cooking, but am going to my mom's house in the morning and then Timm's family in the afternoon. For my mom's I am bringing dessert, so I gotta bake today (which for me is a joy anyway), plus we are going out of town for the weekend on friday and leaving the kids with Amma (Timm's mom) at our house, so I need to go to the grocery and make sure we have all the staples and yummy things for all to eat over the weekend. On top of that I gotta finish up some cleaning and make sure my homework is done for school since it is due on saturday and we will be out of town.

So all in all, it will be a busy day, but busy days are better than slow days. They wear the kids out and they take better naps after we run errands and it keeps my mind busy so I don't worry about other things. Well, off to get to it! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Kung Fu Alex

2008-11-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

Alex began taking a martial arts class last wednesday called Little Ninjas. It is for kids 3-6 years old and is run by the county. He was a little nervous and apprehensive his first class. Plus he is the youngest kis in his class, but I think given time he will pick it up.

Alex doing jumping jacks

They learned how to do a basic kick in his first class. He kinda got it, but will need some practice.

They also learned a basic punch in his first class. Overall he had fun and I think will pick it up quickly.

Its a Boy's Life

2008-11-12T04:08:00.000-08:00

Just a random smattering of pics I have taken over the last week or so. These boys never fail to make me laugh and smile (or want to pull my hair out and scream).

My little drummer boy. Who needs all the expensive toys littering the floor, I want spoons and mixing bowls!! :-)

Alex inherited his daddy's gene for being able to sleep anywhere through anything. This can not be comfortable, but he was passed out. (And please ignore the nasty stains on my couch, no cleaner takes them out, I can't wait for the day when we can get our "post milk/yogurt/juice/ketchup... spills furniture", like in 18 years!!! LOL)

And well, I guess this is what little boys do when their older brother is at preschool and their little sister is napping. Collin is a little angel in human disguise, not because he is perfect, but because for everytime I want to sell him to wandering gypsys there are 3 times that he has made me laugh outloud and smile in wonderment that I was given this amazing boy to be my son.

All my children are wonderful, and special in their own way. Alex made me a mommy and taught me how to be a mommy, he was also so sick when he was born that he also taught me how precious life is. Collin though healed me in a lot of ways. After Alex was born I became quite depressed, I had a LOT of guilt over his birth and was really mourning the first pregnancy that I didn't have, all those wonderful experiences (baby showers, ultrasounds, the "perfect" birth) that I didn't get to partake in. Having Collin really renewed me, he showed me that every child is different and he gave me the chance to have a "normal" pregnancy. He has taught me patience, hope, and never-ending love (even when you are trying to find addresses for gypsy bands). And he paved the way for me wanting to have a third child, and really appreciating my pregnancy with Mackenzie. I like to say that Alex is my heart, Collin is my soul, and Mackenzie is my laugh. The world is a better place for having them in it, and if all I ever accomplish is raising them, then my life will have been a great success. Being a mommy is the greatest job in the world. :-)

A Day Off

2008-11-12T03:43:00.000-08:00

Well, a day off for Timm, not for me. But it was definitly nice having Timm home yesterday (bless the federal government and their strict adhearance to the federal holiday schedule!), he even got a 2 hour early release from work on monday because tuesday was a holiday. But with a day off, first it was playing video games while I ran to the store, then he decided to chop wood outside, of course little "chopping" is involved and more feeding wood into the giant wood splitter he got, then it was giving Collin a hair cut, then more video games. Below you will see Collin's new hair cut, I think it is cute, but it will take a while for me to get used to. No more messy rats nest hair! LOL

And, since Timm was home to help with the kids a little I decided to take on a project, going through the boy's room and not only cleaning but throwing away all the broken, nasty toys in preparation for the mounds they will get for Christmas. I have posted pictures of their clean, organized room for 2 reasons. One, it is very very unlikely that it will stay this way beyond this afternoon and I wish to preserve it for posterity, and two so that others may know that yes I do clean their room, I just don't do it with any regularity because they will just rip it apart within 24 hours and I really do treasure my sanity. :-)

Future Rock Stars

2008-11-06T05:01:00.000-08:00

These 2 crazy boys love singing and dancing, and now they love banging on stuff with drum sticks (from our RockBand game) and rocking out on their little toy guitar. Future rock stars? I'll be waiting for my mansion. LOL

And well, they are just cute. We got these 2 robes at a yard sale in New York, they were like $2 a piece. They like putting them on after they have their baths.

Preschool Website

2008-11-05T04:33:00.001-08:00

Alex's preschool is run by Jefferson County's Parks and Rec. so he isn't in a "school" per se, but his classroom is in the comunity center at Sam Michael Park. But, Parks and Rec does have a website which they just re did a bit and now they have a few preschool pics up, and Alex just happens to be in them! Go to www.jcprc.org and click on Program and Camp Photos on the left. Then click on Preschool. He is the one in a green and blue stripped sweater.

Alex's New Game

2008-11-03T17:46:00.000-08:00

So, Alex has a new game he loves to play. It is called Robot. He holds a controller for a broken remote control car he has and then orders you around to do different things. We spent about 10 minutes this evening lining up toys in a row on our area rug and stacking blankets on the floor. Then it was my turn and he had to put them all away (and amazingly he did it!). It is fun for him I think because it gives him the chance to be in total control over something for a while, and then in return I get to make him clean up his mess, and he thinks it is still a game! He is turning into a very imaginative, creative little boy.

On another note, I have to say Happy Birthday to my brother who turned 31 on Halloween ( I was always jealous that his birthday is on Halloween, as a teenager he got halloween parties and I could never go because I was just his pesky little sister). He is one of my best friends in the world (next only to my hubby) and has played a larger part in making me who I am today. He is perhaps one of the kindest, sweetest, smartest guys I have ever known, and I think I owe some of my sanity to him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LORD RHOMBUS!!! (LOL, inside joke, :-) ). Good Journeys.

Trick or Treat!

2008-11-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

Well, we went trick or treating thursday night instead of friday. Why you ask? Well, the city of Martinsburg (the closest town to us) decided that the high school football game (can we say "good ol' boy's club!) was more important than Halloween (ok, it is the same day every year, they could have scheduled the stupid football game around it). So, to make sure there were enough police for both trick or treating AND the football game, they moved the former to thursday night. So, I took the kids up to the mall and let them trick or treat there. Alex had a blast, he was a little scared and nervous, but overall did a good job and had fun. Collin was pissed off because I dropped his bucket and spilled all his candy, so I decided to do his collecting for him. And Kenzie just hung out in the back of the double stroller just stairing at every one. It was a fun evening, and the boys then spent the rest of the night eating just about all their candy. (except for the 3 musketeers that I stole).

PS. I have learned an important lesson. All those times your mom said she needed to inspect the candy first to make sure it wasn't poisoned, she was mostly lying, she just wanted first dibs on your candy. Hey, we birthed you, we can have your darn Milky Way bar!! LOL. :-)

Pumpkins and Parades

2008-10-29T02:33:00.000-07:00

Last night it was pumkin carving time! I did the goopy part and Timm did the carving part, which I am horrible at. And of course Alex was a big help!

OOOO, creepy! LOL

Yay, pumkin!! What you can't see is that Alex is screaming "Cheese!!" You would never know that he was actually sick last night with a slight fever and runny nose. Kids are so resilient. :-)

And here is my concrete, perfectionist husband who has to have a template to carve a pumpkin (like I should talk, I can't do it to save my life! LOL). And he kept complaining that it wasn't symetrical. But, he did a very good job.

------

Yesterday Alex also had his Halloween party at school and at the end of the day they did a little parade around the lobby. It was so cute and absolutely hysterical as all the kids were just running and acting crazy, Mrs. Cheryl (their teacher) certainly has her work cut out her for!

My little dinosaur!

Richmond

2008-10-29T02:18:00.000-07:00

Last week my mom and I took an overnight trip down to Richomond, VA. She had a buisness meeting to attend and I thought it would be fun to get away for a little while. I took all three kids and the day my mom had her meeting we went on a long walk around the city. We finally stopped at this cute little park right on the James river and had our snack and played. We all had a great time!

Wow, my son really does have manners!

2008-10-26T17:54:00.000-07:00

So, this afternoon we were having pizza for lunch. I had just made it and given some to Alex and we were all sitting on the couch and Alex looked at me and said "Thank you for making the pizza mommy!". It just about broke my heart. It is one thing to prompt them to say "thank you" or "please", but another when, completely on their own accord, show they have good manners. I was so proud of him.

New Blog!

2008-10-25T04:50:00.000-07:00

For anyone who is interested I have started a new blog. This one will be devoted to cooking, baking, and recipes. I have discovered a love of cooking and thought I would share the great recipes I find, and my own experiences with what I make. My new blog is http://feedingmyfamilyandmyspirit.blogspot.com/ Take a look if you are interested. :-)

Warning About Halloween Candy Made in China

2008-10-23T13:35:00.000-07:00

I am the first one to tell someone they are being paranoid, or victim to an urban legend. But I received this video on my Preemie's Today yahoo group and it seems pretty sound to me. I would rather be safe than sorry when it comes to my children. Take a look and make the decision for yourself.

http://tinyurl.com/tainted-candy

Child For Sale

2008-10-20T13:48:00.000-07:00

Just Kidding. It is a wonderful, blessed thing that we love our children as much as we do or else we might be inclined to drop kick them out the door some days. LOL Collin is a sweet, kind, goofy little boy who definitly holds a special place in my heart. But there come the days that I wonder what planet he came from! Today, I don't think he has said anything else to me but "NO!". He does the opposite of everything I ask, never naps, and seems to think crackers look better in crumb form all over the floor and furniture.

Of course it doesn't help that I just managed to jam my thumb on my left hand in the door jam of the bathroom door. The bottom part of my fingernail has turned a lovely shade of purple and it has throbbed for like 2 hours.

It is days like this that make me glad that I have a good sense of humor (and neighbors far enough away they don't hear my yelling, LOL).

I am just glad it is finally really fall. All the leaves are falling, and it has frosted here the last 2 nights. I LOVE the winter, and especially the holiday season. I have such wonderful, fond memories of the holidays when I was a kid, from the big family filled event packed Thanksgivings and Christmases at my grandparents house, to the small thanksgiving my mom and I had when I was a teenager and my brother was away at school and we were living in Georgia. I wanted to make the whole dinner (versus ordering out), but of course I had my mom's help. :-) It was wonderful. This time of year is very special to me, especially now that I have kids and can share it with them. The baking bug has also hit me, I can't stop myself from baking, breads, pies, cookies... Anyone need any catering? LOL.

Anyways, enough of my rambling. Maybe I will go get a shower, finally, at 5pm. :-)

The 2008 Annual Autumn Grace Blasko Crab Feast

2008-10-15T07:57:00.000-07:00

Last saturday Timm and I dropped the kids off with my mom for the night and we went to the crab feast that Timm's sister organizes every year to raise money in honor of her late daughter, Autumn Grace Blasko, for her foundation that provides scholarships to kids with disabilities. It is always a wonderful, fun event and we really had a blast. Thank you Jennifer for all you do. You are an amazing person. :-)

Timm and his sister Jennifer. (yes the beer accompanied my husband all night long).

Timm and his mom dancing (this is how you know my husband got very drunk, as he NEVER dances. LOL).

Timm and his brother-in-law, Tim. They had just finished mopping the floor after the event was over.

If you ever wondered...

2008-10-08T06:55:00.000-07:00

If you ever wondered what would happen if you got stung by a bee on your eyelid, well here you go, your curiousity can be satisfied. Yesterday Collin some how managed to get stung right when we were getting him in the car to go take Alex to preschool. We didn't realize what had happened at first, he was just rubbing his eye and crying. But by the time we got to preschool his eye was swollen shut and we saw the little red spot in the middle. So, it has been regualr benedryl since yesterday and well, at least he can open his eye now. But last night was rough, he was so uncomfortable he was up a good part of the night. Hopefully it will get better today.

Yesterday about an hour after it happened.

This morning. It re-swelled from lying down all night but now it looks better.

Happy Birthday Mackenzie!

2008-10-06T07:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had Mackenzie's birthday party and it was a lot of fun! She got lots of presents and loved eating her cake! Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us. :-)

Before everyone got there I had to take a pic of her in her little outfit. She looked so cute in her little bow.

The kids got to decorate pumpkins. This is Alex and his cousin Alyssa with Alex's pumpkin.

Me and Kenzie opening her presents.

And of course the little princess having her first bit of birthday cake! She at the whole thing and probably could have still had more. :-)

The Imaginary Child

2008-10-04T05:37:00.000-07:00

To dispell the myth that Mackenzie is just a figmint of my imagination (as evidenced by the fact that in all my picture taking I always seem to never take any of her!) her are some pics from within the last week of the little lady!

Argh!! I'm a pirate girl!!

She has so much fun playing in our burnable paper bag, she will sit there for half an hour just tossing paper around.

Kenzie from above. (just ignore my slipper socked foot peaking in there, LOL)

Alex's First Field Trip

2008-10-04T05:18:00.000-07:00

On thursday Alex went on his first field trip to the Harpers Ferry-Bolivar library and I got to chaperone so I was able to take a few pics. It was pretty short, the librarian just read them 2 stories about pirates and then they all got up and pretended to walk the plank. Afterwards we all went outside and had snack on the picnic tables. Overall Alex had a good time and was very well behaved. Which I hate to say is more than some of the kids. And what is stupid in my opinion is that ALL the moms were there, and yet they did nothing when their kid was acting up and being rude. I can understand that it is hard for kids this age to sit still for as long as they did, but I don't understand why you wouldn't attempt to control your child if you were 5 feet away watching them be rude and distracting? I don't know, I just don't get it. I shouldn't be critisizing anyway, I know I loose track of my kids from time to time, but at least I have the excuse of having 3.

Alex is the one in the back with the stripped sweater on.

Yay, snack time!!!

Alex's Preschool Masterpieces

2008-09-29T07:13:00.001-07:00

One day they did finger painting, and this is what my boy came up with. Not quite sure what it is supposed to be, but it sure looks like he had fun!

Every week or 2 they do a different letter. Obviously the first 2 weeks it was 'A' and so they had stories about apples and did these art projects.

Last week they started with the letter 'B' and have had stories about bears. Ali did a great job on his bear, but he must be awful uncomfortable with his leg on upside down. :-P

Every week or 2 they also introduce a new shape. The first was circles. They went on 'circle hunts' in the classroom and one day Ali brought this home. He was very proud of his ducky.

Busy Busy Busy

2008-09-29T05:18:00.000-07:00

Well, we have been very busy the last few weeks. And, life proves to get busier over the next month. Alex has been having a blast at preschool, and he comes home every week with a stack of art project (which I will take some pics of and post) which I love. On thursday the 2nd alex has his first field trip to the Harpers Ferry Library. All parents have to chaperone since his preschool doesn't have the ability to bus the kids, so I have a friend watching the younger ones and I get to go with Ali, I am really looking forward to it. Then, in October Alex has picture day, then the local fire company is going to visit, then they have a halloween party and have another field trip to a pumpkin patch! I am so happy for him that he is having so much fun. Collin and Kenzie are doing well too. Coli has been his usually self, throwing fits everyday about anything he isn't in total control over, arn't 2s grand!!! But he is also incredibly sweet, bringing people their drinks and playing with Kenzie, and he always says "thank you". And Kenzie isn't walking yet, but she pull up on everything and is crawling and exploring the whole house. I get the feeling like one day she is juist gonna stand up and run. LOL. ANd she now has 4 teeth, and 2 more coming in. Oh, and she eats like I have never seen a baby eat. She eats as much as the boys do at any particular meal. :-) Well, that is the update for now. I will post more pics just as soon as I remember to get new batteries for my camera (which is sad because we have then, they are just in one of our sheds, LOL).

Saving Grace- A Night of Hope

2008-09-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my mom had the kids (Timm went on a fishing trip with our next door neighbor) and I went to the Gala for the Preeclampsia Foundation. I recieved a comp ticket since I am a PE survivor and gave an interview to a woman doing an educational video for physicians about the personal effects of PE. It was a very emotional night, there were so many women there who lost their babies due to PE and complications from prematurity due to PE, and many stories of women who passed away themselves due to this horrible disease. 76,000 women die every year from this horrible disease for which there is no cure but delivery. I am so incredibly lucky to be alive today and to have my 3 healthy children. I give all of the credit to my doctors, who didn't blow me off, but listened and took action when action needed to be taken even at my pleading to be sent home from the hosptial or taken off the mag sulfate which made every muscle in my body cramp up. When things like that happen to you, it makes you wonder, why AM I here. Why did I survive when so many other women have died. If I was alive 50, or even 20 years ago, I probably would be dead, along with Alex. It is those sorts of realizations that make you understand how precious life is, and it truely makes you believe in the divine.

Alex's First Day of Preschool

2008-09-05T08:38:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Alex's first day of preschool. He goes from 1-3:45pm tues/thurs. I was so afraid that he was going to be upset when he saw I wasn't staying with him, even though we had talked about it. But, I signed him in and we walked up to the classroom door and as the teacher ushered him into class he just turned around and said "bye mommy" with a little waive, and that was it. Then I went out to my car and cryed for 5 minutes, LOL. I think what got me was just hwo independent he was, it didn't bother him one bit to go to school, he is a little boy now and not my baby!! :-P Then when I picked him up (which I was almost late for thanks to a very large freight train!! ) he just walked out and took my hand. I asked him what he did at school he said that he played on the playground, had snack (of donuts and juice apparently) and that he "listened to his teacher". LOL. But he loved it and said he wants to go back. I am so proud of him. My little my is a little kid now!!

Before school

After school

Back From Vacation

2008-09-04T07:07:00.000-07:00

Well we got back from our vacation on saturday but I am finally feeling like I am getting back on a schedule. We had a great time though. The kids were a bit off since we were totally off our normal schedule, but I think they had a blast. We went to The Enchanted Forest, which is a waterpark/amusement park, Sylvan Beach, and basically just hung out with family and had a good time. Here are just a couple pics.

This is Alex and Aiden, his cousin on our first night there in bed together. They had so much fun together!!
This is Alex and Timm walking at Sylvan Beach. We didn't go swimming there, we just had lunch and walked around and let Alex ride some of the rides there. But it was fun!
The only ride we could get Collin on was the Carousel, but he liked it. After the first moment of being scared he had fun and was waiving to us all.