Back to School Week!

Tonight, I am mentally preparing for the upcoming week. Izzy starts school on Wednesday. First Grade!!!!! Normally, I am much more on top of schedule items, but I find myself procrastinating all things "responsible" and using every last ounce of our Summer together for fun. While thinking of our last two days and planning fun activities, I realized, we have had all of the fun we can have. I have GOT to be responsible. We have Back to School night, Izzy's first soccer practice, piano lessons, First day of school baking, First day of school, Women's event at church, Hubby's birthday and dinner with friends and all of the little things that are involved in each of those events that only I can do...all have to be done in the next 5 days. Oh. My!

In this same week, my sweet Lovey FINALLY decided he was a big boy and has potty trained himself. Friday morning he went in the potty for the first time on his own and by Saturday was wearing underwear without accidents. Today, he went to church, out for lunch and then shopping for soccer gear, all without accidents!!!! This is a huge and wonderful breakthrough, which I have been praying for-for months. 3 years and 2 months and he is potty trained. Wahoo! No accidents, and he doesn't want/need my help. While it took months longer than Izzy (potty trained at 2 1/2), this is by far a million times easier to wait until they are ready.

My boys are growing so fast. Praying I can keep it together during this "Big" week!

Bittersweet.

I have been a little sensitive and emotional this week, with good reason.

1. My Grandpa passed away last Friday. Technically he was my "Step" as he was my Grandma's second husband, but he was the only Grandpa I knew as a child. All of my family memories are woven with him as a main character and to think that my kids haven't had a chance to know him because of illness and will grow up without his humor make me very sad. It is also so sad to realize I am getting to an age that my Grandparents are passing more quickly and my time remaining with them is short. I am even more sad, that 2 weeks ago when we went to visit him out of town, we missed him by less than an hour not knowing that was our last chance at seeing him, thanking him for wonderful memories and saying a final Good-bye.

2. In my last post, I told you how Hubby had successfully completed his 2nd year of Medical School and now we are just looking at 2 years of clinicals before his Graduation. This makes me so happy, but I get emotional every time I think of it. Look how far we have come. We will have been married 11 years in September and 7 of that has been working towards this goal. This huge milestone brings such a huge feeling of achievement, but for this Mommy a heavy slap of remembering just exactly why all of this came to pass in the first place. My Judah. It is almost 7 years and I can't believe we have survived without him, let alone lived a successful and blessed life.

3. Mothers Day. The ultimate in bittersweetness. OH how blessed I am to have my boys and to have the chance to hold them on such a special day. To have memories of becoming their mother and to know the pure joy they have brought to my life. I can close my eyes and remember the absolutely pain, sickness and agony of not knowing if I would ever be able to celebrate this day. But here I am, 3 beautiful boys. There are no words really to explain what happens to a Mother who has buried a child. Mothers Day is one that just takes that broken heart and just twists it. I know that I this blog is full of posts that are bi-polar, full of super highs and the lowest lows, but so is life. This week I try to focus on all that God has given me and the tremendous blessings in my life including my short time with Judah. I would be remiss to not be honest and say that these days hurt as well.

Yesterday, my sweet Izzy came home from school with a huge grin on his face. He asked me to close my eyes and promise not to peek. I sat on the living room floor waiting patiently, for what I knew was a early Mothers Day gift. When he finally said, I could open my eyes, I found a huge hand-made card with a giant fingerprint flower in a pot that said "Happy Mothers Day!" Inside was a picture he had drawn of us scuba diving (? Hate to say, but I am too panicky for that ever to become a reality.), with hearts floating above the ocean and "I love Mom" written in huge letters above the top. On the opposite page was a questionnaire about me. What is something your Mom does to make you feel special? - "She makes me a lots of birthday parties, even when it isn't my birthday." What is the best food your Mom makes for you?-"Pizza and Corn dogs...I love corn dogs." (I never make corn dogs. That totally made me laugh.) Tell me about your Mom. "She has brown hair, with light colors in the back (...no I don't), brown eyes, she weighs 80 lbs ( I <3 him) and she is 11 ft tall."

I seriously tried to contain my sobbing because it was so sweet, but why do my thoughts always go to my sadness that it was the very first school card I have received. I miss getting things like that from my would be 1st grader, and having 3 boys to smother in kisses in the afternoon after school. But I am so thankful to get one at all.

Kids are like Dogs...stay with me. Dogs can sense everything, sickness, fear, emotions and change. Kids are the same. My Ash has been tagged lovey, since he was a newborn for his cuddly ways. This week, I think he has sensed my heartache, and has spent the entire week saying unprompted "I Yove You Mama", giving my back rubs and snuggling really closely. Just what I needed. Between my lovey and Bobo's unending kindness and art work, I am going to be ok this weekend.

Praying all of you Mommies get all of the recognition and appreciation you deserve and days filled with hugs and slobbery kisses. For those who have lost a child, or who are still waiting for the Mommy dream to become reality, I pray for peace and fullness on this very bittersweet day.

Spring Break Day 3

WoW. I'm exhausted. My arms feel like jello and everything else just hurts. It was one of those super fun days that leave you feeling like you could sleep for days. Summary: Crown Center to see the Under the Sea exhibit, shopping, picnic lunch, Kaleidoscope and ended with a yummy treat from a local bakery (for the boys, don't worry I didn't cheat). That sounds like a lot and it was, but then you add in the walking, and with the enormous amounts of people that all had the same idea as I did, I had to carry Asher for 60% of it in fear that he would get trampled. Of course all of the escalators are broken, and the elevators move at a snails pace and everything we did was about 5 floors apart with 2 sets of stair cases for each. Oh and did I mention Asher doesn't do stairs...yeah. EXhaustion! Even with all of that, it was so worth it. The weather was perfect, my boys were so well behaved and helpful and I was able to experience some firsts with Asher and have great memories. Turns out, Asher is an amazing painter! Now, I would not know this because I am to OCD to get paint out, but I will have to now. He got into this crazy "artist" zone and I was just shocked at his focus and not to mention that he didn't get a drop off of his paper. Time to buy Asher some of his own art supplies...he gets it from Daddy for sure. The amount of people was definitely overwhelming, but I just reassured the boys that we were in no hurry and to enjoy what they were doing. We shared lots of good talks and many more laughs. Great day.

Wish I could stop there, but it has to be said, both of my kids (ages 5 & 2) spent the entire day watching people and how they treated others and commenting on others lack of manners. At one point a 10-ish yr old literally almost trampled me to get a marker, when I turned to him and said, "You might want to say excuse me next time and ask nicely." He gave me a dirty look and pushed a few more people to get out of his way. Another time, the boys and I found a small table with two seats in the corner where no one was around. It was perfect. The boys didn't feel rushed and were able to work on their project. A Dad in business attire, comes over with his two sons to see what we are working on. When they realized they wanted to do our station next, instead of encouraging them to wait patiently he let them take over the table. Izzy was trying to put some supplies back and only lifted himself from the chair when one of his kids pushed himself onto Izzy's chair, underneath him! I was just shocked! I looked right at the Dad and he ignored them. Izzy then looked at me and said, "Mom that isn't fair, I wasn't done!" So, I say while looking right at his sons, "Sorry, Izzy. That wasn't kind. Let's go find another station where people use manners." I understand that sometimes kids get excited and forget their training, but seriously? The parents are with the kids and allowing them to bully their way around. What happened to manners and patience and what happened to parents being a good example?

My boys aren't perfect by any means, but I can say confidently, that even my 2 year old knows better than to behave that way with or without me. I am so over kids acting like animals, doing whatever it takes to get what they want. I am even more over the parents that don't spend the time training them to be respectful. Honest, it really doesn't take much to teach your children to keep their hands to themselves and practice patience. It takes even less to teach them a simple "please" and "thank you". Didn't appreciate that it tarnished our day a bit, but it is kind of a good lesson to my boys. I can't tell you how many times I heard Asher say, "Dat so ugly." about someone who was being rude or throwing a fit. They got to see first hand how ugly it really is to act without respect for others. Sadly, I can count 2 people from the entire day that were kind. That is ridiculous.

Day 4 of spring break is going to be super fun, a beautiful day spent with friends! Can't wait, because I know they have great manners. :)

Spring Break Day 1

Today was lovely! We slept in until 9, moved slowly and enjoyed a quiet morning. After breakfast, I got the boys ready and took them for their new Spring hair cuts at a local kids salon. Izzy has always had curly long hair and as he has lost his curl, we have just kept it longer and in a surfer style. Asher, his hair has a mind of it's own...so I'm happy as long as 50% of it is going in the same direction. :) Today, Izzy informed me that he is almost 6 and it is time for him to be able to pick his own hair. Seemed reasonable to me...until he told me he wanted a mohawk. Ummm.no. His back up plan was to have a short style with spiky, messy hair on top. He was able to either sit in a fun power-wheel and watch a movie, or play a video game while she cut his hair. That was a no brainer. He picked the Wii and played Super Mario Bros. He had so much fun and then when she spiked his hair like crazy with gel I thought he would fall over out of his chair. He actually said, "I've never seen my forehead." LoL! Asher thinks Izzy is "Awesome" (he always says that) so he wanted the exact cut. Unfortunately, at first he had a complete panic attack at the thought of sitting in the car or chair by himself, so he sat on my lap at first. But, when he realized he was missing out, he picked a car. Which was great, except he picked the only CINDERELLA convertible in the joint! OMW. I was so happy that he was willing to do something on his own, I didn't say a word, but when a little girl came in for her cut and the only option for her was a Hummer or a Harley, she was less than pleased. Asher didn't seem to mind, he kept chatting away on his Cinderella cell phone and steering like he was in a Nascar race. As a cherry on top, when offered every movie known to man-kind, he skipped Cars, Robin Hood, Elmo and went the Dora route. Niiiiiice.

But when you have kids as cute as this...




It's super easy to forget the crying, and the Cinderella car.

We enjoyed a nice lunch out just the three of us, followed by a great nap for Asher and an afternoon of playing for Izzy. I decided I would get a jump start on my spring cleaning, even though the weather outside is SNOW! I gutted Izzy's room and in 2 hours we had 1 large trash bag for trash, 1 for clothes and 1 for toys to be donated. How is that possible? I just did this in September! SB Day 2: We are tackling Asher's room and doing some fun projects with the boys. I might need prayer for Day 2....Asher is a hoarder. It is not going to be pretty.

How are you spending your Spring Break?

Snow Day #3/ Snow Inside

Snow Day #3 and I am still coming up with ways to entertain! Today the temperatures were frigid, -20 windchill was just a little too cold for us to do much of anything. I searched all night online for activity ideas for the kids and I thought this would be perfect for today. Bring the snow to you! I took a storage tub outside and filled it twice with snow and then dumped it in the boys bathtub. It filled it to the top and the boys played for over 2 hours with it. I found some toys like Izzy's tech deck snowboard and a guy and he built mounds and ramps and played X games! Asher loved to bury his toys and then dig them up with a crocodile claw. Gloves were all that this activity required and there was no mess!

We even built a snowman!

The looks on my boys faces were priceless and Izzy even said, "Mom, this is the best idea you ever had. I don't think I will ever go outside in the snow again and get cold and runny noses! I'll just play inside!" Sounds good to me!

Snow Day #2

We've been hit by a snowstorm and it is time to get creative people. I have two boys who want to play in the snow again and so I have to distract them with my super way more fun than a snowball fight ideas. I am only one person and dressing the 3 of us yesterday was exhausting.Then I had to haul everyone around on the sleds and they chased me all over the yard and then there was the picking up Asher out of the snow because he was so bundled up he couldn't move. Finally, when it was time to come inside, I realized there wasn't anyone to meet us with a mug of hot cocoa and yummy snacks because that person is me. After I get everyone undressed and redressed and under warm blankets, I had to cook lunch and by that time, I was WIPED. So that is why, I have to get creative today. God only gave me enough energy for one outside snow day a year. Hope you enjoyed it boys!

Snow Day #2 is officially Army day. After the boys morning bath, I dressed them in pj's and let them find all of their army gear. They dressed themselves up and helped me build a fort.


I wrote out missions for them to complete.

I hid a flag for them to find and capture.

I made them a soldiers lunch that they ate in their fort.


Today has been nothing but fun and giggles and it is so cute to hear them using their imagination. Lots of whispering and secrets are being shared in that fort. And thanks to Dora, Asher knows just how to follow a map and pick a path!


Asher was so busy waving the flag and saying "Hooray!" that he didn't notice his fellow soldier was wounded and needed help! Never leave a man behind!
Just when they were busy sharing military secrets, I ambushed their fort and shot them with as many Nerf bullets as I could find! I captured their flag and won the battle!

Having an army party this summer really paid off on this snow day. We had so much fun!

I packed a yummy snack bag for Izzy and we are spending some quality time together watching a movie while Asher naps. They were having so much fun playing army that I got all of my chores done this morning and besides dinner, I have the rest of the night to play! I have another fun idea for tonight....stay tuned!

Christmas Wish Lists

Translation & links:
1. R/C 4-Wheeler (similar to this)
2. BMX bikes great for playing on the tech deck ramps!
3. Wipeout is Izzy's #2 show. Should bring the giggles.
4. Nerf Lazer tag. Mommy likes this idea because I don't have to search for bullets!
5. Playmobil gym set found here. He would also like the school, if we feel like spending $100.00

Translation & links:
1. Imaginext make everything my kids want. Find their latest must have here.
2. BMX bikes same as Izzy's request. They love those things!
3. Flashcards. He especially loves these.
4. Trains. He will take any kind, he is slightly obsessed! Choo Choo!
5. Puzzles, same as train. He loves anything that takes focus. Simple kid, I love him.

I was hoping Izzy would write out his list for the first time this year. That didn't work out so well. While he enjoys writing, he is only in Kindergarten and their writing skills are only a couple of words at a time. You would of thought I was asking him to write a novel and he was complaining of hand cramps and finally I gave in and wrote it for him. Maybe next year! Still, cute and funny to see how after a day at Toys R Us, what items really stuck out in their minds. Also, happy to see that the little things make them happy.

Super Duper Fun Weekend!

It is Monday and I am surprised I am able to get out of bed today because this weekend was so jam packed with fun!

FRIDAY

After school, I took the boys for a picnic dinner at the park!

We sat on a bench and watched the other kids play while we ate our dinner and talked. We ran all over the park and played until dark. They had a blast and were completely ready for bed by the time we got home. Perfect night.

SATURDAY

Finally the Walk for Life!!! I had been waiting and working on donations for a few months and we made it to the big day. I set my goal at $500 and through the love and generosity of my friends and family I was only $100 short of that goal! This walk was so important to me because my life could be very different right now if I had made a different choice six years ago. I would have missed out on holding my sweet son, bonding with him, having picture memories, I wouldn't know his new baby smell, I would have no memories and only heartache. Every life matters and it just broke my heart to read the statistics that most babies are aborted due to social reasons. It was a beautiful day and we met up with my sweet friends and walking partners Katie and Bella. The babies snacked and giggled the whole way. It was precious. I can't wait to hear how much the walk raised for the center, as soon as I hear I will be sure to pass it on. Thanks to everyone who helped support my walk!






While Asher and I were walking, Izzy was off at his weekly Saturday breakfast with Papa and Grandma. He always has a great time, and gets lots of attention from the waitresses. I mean look at him, he is adorable how could you not give him a free cookie every time? :)

Look at that PANCAKE!

Our day just kept getting better when after the walk and Izzy's breakfast, we met up at a friends farm where they have a pumpkin patch, mums, corn, a hay maze and hay rides! The boys picked their perfect pumpkins and just had fun being boys running through fields. It was Ashers first time at a pumpkin patch and I am pretty sure that was the most fun he has ever had.

Stranger Danger!

After school today, I took the boys out in the front yard to play with their dump trucks. They love to sit and load our landscaping rocks into their trucks and then push them around and dump them into a messy mountain. You can't get much more boy than that!

I decided it was a good time to practice a little something we all call "Stranger Danger." We have talked with Izzy about this before, and he has heard it at school as well, but I wanted to see him act out what he would do. I didn't prompt him at all, I just simply said, "Go in the grass and show me what you would do if a stranger pulled up and asked you to come look at his new puppy?" He giggled nervously and said a quiet, "no." Hmmm...I can see we have a little work to do. He knows the right thing to say "Yell. Go. Tell" (that is the anthem at school) but he was too shy to do it in front of me and Asher. That made me worried that if he was scared to yell and scream in front of me, how would he ever fight off an attacker? So we practiced over and over. Finally, by the end of it he was yelling "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!" and showing me how fast he could run away. Then I stepped it up a notch and asked him what he would do if someone tried to take Asher and he was the closest to him? Without a word he grabbed Asher by the arm and took off like a flash of lightening and Asher not having a clue as to what was going on ran just as fast! He did great. Izzy then decided it would be great to pretend Asher was the stranger and he would yell No and run away. I think you can guess that game ended up in two boys just giggling and chasing each other. :) Either way, I feel a little more confident that Izzy will not speak to a stranger and if someone gets too close he wouldn't be embarrassed or scared to get into trouble. He also told me he knows how to fight someone if they tried to take him. Izzy hasn't hit anyone in his life, so I thought it would be interesting to hear what he thinks he would do. #1 Bite. #2 Punch in the "peanuts" lol #3 Poke them in the eyes #4 Kick them everywhere. Yep, I think that pretty much covers it.

Izzy had a super dramatic moment while we were outside as well that didn't have anything to do with our super acting skills. Somehow he got a splinter in his forearm. It was barely stuck in his arm and I could pull it out with my fingernails without even touching his skin. Izzy didn't seem to care about that small fact and begged me (picture more like hysterical screaming, the kind with enormous tears and snot running down his face) to get him a band-aid. Side Note: Why do kids automatically think a band-aid fixes everything? I explain a band-aid won't do the trick this time and ask him to be brave and just let me pull it out. I can't describe the completely crazy crying that happened in those few minutes. I get the splinter and one nano second later all of the tears and hysteria ends and he says "Thanks Mom." This whole situation got me to thinking about how a few of his friends have already started to lose their baby teeth. OH. MY. WORD. How will we cope if this is his reaction about a splinter? Really this is all my fault. I was the same way as a kid, so this is totally pay back. Good thing Daddy is going to be a Doctor, I can start passing this kind of stuff off on him.


A little time outside before dinner: educational and fun! Bonus: TONS of running made for two very tired boys. ;)

We had a good run...

We made it a full 5 years before breaking something. I'd say that is pretty good. Today I was a tad under the weather and had the boys downstairs playing. House rules are, you can play in the living room, but no running. This is a hard rule to stick to, because our living room has two openings into the kitchen which makes for a pretty good race track if you will. The boys try to "walk fast" but end up in a giggly jog and then by the end it is a full on run. Which always puts them into a time-out.

So back to today, I am upstairs when I hear a huge crash. I run downstairs to find my little Asher behind the living room recliner with a look of "ohmywordIaminbigtrouble." He got his foot tangled in the cord of a floor lamp and it crashed into the hard wood floors. It looked like it got hit by a car because the metal frame was bent as well as the metal shade. The bulb...well it was in about a thousand pieces which is never fun to clean up, let alone when you aren't feeling your best. Needless to say, he got a time-out for that one. Izzy was a mess all day, because he was so worried about who was going to tell Grandma since that was her lamp. I told him not to worry that I was going to talk to her. She walked in a little later and that little stink spilled his guts before the door was even totally open! Of course, Mom was totally fine about it, and we actually fixed it minus the bulb. I made Asher come to Grandma and tell her (well I told her again and he said yes and nodded) and then he said sorry and gave her a kiss.

But, then I think, one lamp in 5 years....that ain't bad right? Never had crayons, markers, pens, pencil marks on the wall, no crazy spills on the carpets, no weird accidents or broken items, furniture all still perfectly intact minus chew marks on the crib, no permanent marker on their bodies, no self-given hair cuts. I'd say with two boys...we are doing pretty good. So I stayed consistent with discipline, but I wasn't really that upset. Maybe because it wasn't my lamp. lol

It was a frustrating day for me. Not just the lamp, but I was just frustrated with myself because I hate that middle of the road sick. Sick where you are weak and exhausted but have no real symptoms so you feel guilty for not doing all the things that are begging to be done. I didn't have the energy to play with the kids. I for sure wasn't up to being out in the heat so they could just run free. I tried to keep them busy and entertained, but nothing like I normally interact. I feel like it was a wasted day and I hate that. I feel August looming, and that means school is just days away. I have tons of play dates I want to fit into the next couple of weeks and just fun things to do with my boys. Hubby and I talked and I think we are going to let Asher have a sleep-over in Izzy's room on Friday as a special treat. They have always slept well in the same room on vacation, but we have never tried it at home. They are both excited..we will see how it goes. I'm worried that once Asher tries it, he is going to want to sleep in there every night and I am just not ready to let my baby grow up that much yet.

I am determined to feel better tomorrow and get lots accomplished. Hopefully, we can meet up with our friends at the park and enjoy the day. Here is hoping the lamp is the only casualty of 2010. :)

Shots.

I have one of those headaches from anxiety due to taking two children to the doctors office and knowing that I will have to wait like 14 hours to get back into a hot, stuffy room. Then I get to answer 1,000 questions and then repeat the same thing when the Dr. finally comes back. Today, Izzy gets his Kindergarten vaccinations. He said he will just want me to hold his hand if he gets a shot. I didn't have the heart to tell him ahead of time, I just said it was a possibility. ???Lying??? Oh well, I took one for the mental support of the team. Of course, they need me to come in a full 30 minutes ahead of time to fill out paperwork. This annoys me because we all know I could fill that out while waiting in either the waiting room or the hot, stuffy exam room.

Hubby is in Med school and I think that every once and a while, I am going to make him take the kiddos in so he can always remember how traumatic it can be, stuck waiting forever in a room full of sickies, when you have two healthy kids. I am going to put Asher in the stroller and feed him yummy snacks to keep him happy. That is one less kid I have to worry about touching things. Yuck. Izzy, I am just praying for the best. Hoping he takes the shots well, isn't scared and doesn't start the ugly cry because within seconds Asher will follow. Today is definitely a QT drink day and then nap. I am exhausted already just thinking about it!

Mommy Guilt

I have the sads today. :(

Izzy was sick last week. Like the sickest that boy has ever been, sick. Last Saturday we went with our friends to Fun Run, and the boys ran off and jumped on bouncey's all day. The next morning, he woke up and cried about a horrible headache. Weird, he has never had one before. We stay home from church and he cries throughout the day. He wakes up in the middle of the night sobbing that his head hurts so badly that his eyes are burning and he can't open them. I sleep in his room and hear him weep throughout the night. Then he throws up. Ugh. Monday, he has a temp of 102 and slept from 11 am-6pm STRAIGHT. Hubby wakes him up at 6 and moves him back to his bed and he immediately went back to sleep for the night. That is until 2 am when he starts throwing up every 5 minutes. That is when he developed the weirdest cough. I assumed it was from the puking and the no eating for days so I thought maybe his throat was burnt a little in the process. By Wednesday, he was back at school feeling much better and back to eating. He still had this nagging cough that sounded awful and really kicked up at night.

Cut to this morning, I get a call from my dear friend who we went to Fun Run with last week. She asked me to review Izzy's symptoms and I did. Turns out, her son has the exact same thing and was up all night. Headache, vomiting, fever, and a weird cough. Her hubby takes him to the Doc and I worried, because I know how sick and unmovable Izzy was when he had it and don't you hate when you take your poor little sicky in for a checkup and they say "Oh it is a virus, wait it out and keep the fluids running." Well, I was wrong. WAY wrong. Turns out, he has Croup! Which means, Izzy most likely had the same thing. Now, I know that Izzy is now healthy and fine, although he still has that yucky cough at night, but I feel awful that I didn't take him in to get it checked out. Her son was put on a steroid and seems to be improving already. I have never known anyone to have Croup so I googled it. When I read that children that were born prematurely are most at risk and when they get it have a high risk of being hospitalized, I felt horrible!

Rationally, I know that I can't know everything. But, Mommies are built with a natural intuition, and normally mine is right on. Glad that our boys are happy and healthy and getting better every day. Just wish I had taken it a little more seriously and maybe he would have gotten healthier a little quicker and not suffered so much.

On a happier note, my boys played outside all morning. I put up a little tent in the backyard, filled a little case full of army/spy toys, supplied snacks and drinks and let them have at it. 4 hours later, they came in dripping sweat, covered in dirt and laughing so hard. It was simply the cutest watching them play together like little boys. Now that might sound weird because they are boys, duh, but they are really getting to the age where they love the same toys, love to play together and Asher is so obsessed with Izzy that he will literally do whatever is asked of him. They chased each other around the yard, in and out of the tent and hid from each other. Where was Mommy? I was sitting so comfortably in a leather recliner, watching a recorded show and relaxing while watching them play with the basement door open. Have I told you how happy I am to have nice weather again? Very happy. :)

And so are they!

Pool Party!

Yesterday the kids and I went to a pool party for our friend Elijah who turned 5 years old! It was so much fun. His Mommy had the room decorated so cute and the kids were so excited about everything. This is a really fun age because they understand what having a birthday party really means and this was his first party with school friends. Big step! From the moment we got there, all you heard was belly laughing from a group of boys and that lasted the entire time. It didn't take much to make the boys giggle. One boy blew into his capri sun to make it puff up and I thought Izzy was going to laugh so hard he would pee his pants. After pizza, cupcakes and presents, it was time to go to the pool. Except it wasn't just and indoor pool it was like a mini water park. A soft foam Pirate ship was set right in the middle with a slide and huge water guns. The pirate flags filled with water and would dump randomly and fountains of water sprayed kids unexpectedly. There was also a giant spiral tube slide, but unfortunately all of our kids were too short to try it out.

Once I put Izzy's life jacket on, he was like the road runner in the water. I could barely keep track of him! Asher on the other hand, he stayed close to Mommy. He did much better than I anticipated, but wanted me to sit right next to him so he could safely splash in the water. He even tried the pirate slide a few times, so we are making progress when it comes to water. He doesn't like to be splashed or to have water above his shoulders so he was happy if we stayed away from the fountains. When the party was over, we came home and went straight to nap. I was having this weird dream about Asher crying in the middle of the night when I woke up to Asher screaming in the monitor. I looked at my clock to find out it was 6 pm. Let's review: Boys go to bed at 7. Whoops! Ran down and rescued my baby and tried to wake Izzy. Hubby came up about 20 minutes later and said Izzy was still asleep! He finally woke up from his hibernation and we enjoyed dinner and then Hubby surprised us and took us for some Ice Cream!!!! We sat out on the deck of the local Baskin Robbins and gobbled up our quickly melting treat and listen to Izzy tell us how much he loves us. Over and over again. :) He is always so loving and affectionate, but something about yesterday he just was gushing with love. I walked into the kitchen to find him kissing Ashers hand and telling him, "I love you brother, you are the best brother ever made." At the pool party, he swam across the entire pool, got out and walked over to me and said, "I love you, Mom!", turned around and jumped back in. Lots of effort for those sweet words. During our ice cream trip, he told Hubby over and over again, "Daddy, I love you so much." He even told me, "Mommy, you make my heart so happy, you take care of me when I am sick, you read to me, you play with me. I just love you guys so much." These are just a few...he was full of them all day. He is the sweetest kid I know.

Our pool opens tomorrow, and I could not be more excited. I have never wanted a tan so badly in my life. I just want to lay out in my comfy lounge chair with a cold lemonade and listen to the boys laugh and chase each other around the backyard. I want to swim and only get out to enjoy some yummy grilled chicken. I want to take the best naps ever because you are so wiped from all the sunshine. I want to have no laundry because all you wear is a swimsuit all day, everyday. I want summer, because that means Hubby is on a break and we get to enjoy some much needed family time!

With all of the fun we had yesterday, it makes me even more excited for the pool to open. It has been a super long crazy winter and I am over it.

New Layout!

It is Spring time...although you wouldn't know it where I live. Sunshine hasn't come for a visit in a while and the non-stop rain has left me needing something to brighten my day and attitude. What better time to change up the ole' blog. Loving the colors and the sweet pic of my boys. Hopefully, you all think the same.

I spent the night working away on my little lovey's 2nd birthday bash. One project almost completed, so I am feeling pretty good about myself. I am branching out. I am trying new things. I am daring to be creative and not really worrying so much about the outside opinion, which is a pretty big deal since I am a total people pleaser. I would have never categorized myself as a crafty person, and maybe I still won't, but it turns out I can throw a pretty cute party. Very excited for Lovey's party. Not so excited that he is growing so fast. Lots of things to mark off the party project list, it is now a daily requirement. Mommy needs to stay focused!

Saturday is sure to be fun, a pool party for a sweet 5 year old friend. Can't wait to find out how Asher reacts to the water. Baths have proven to be a war so I am a little concerned for pool time tomorrow and the rest of the summer for that matter. This is one time where I am hoping peer pressure wins. :)

All in all, I had a great night. Quiet night full of projects all to myself. Gave me a little time to regroup and get out of this funk I was in earlier. Excited to start a new day and enjoy it with great friends and my super cute swimmers. (Hopefully)

Regroup

I posted earlier about having a rough day with my little Lovey-Asher. I had a million things to do today and didn't get to any of them and spent most of my day feeling frustrated. I think there are a lot of factors that added to my frustration, not just Ashers random behavior.

1. Weather. It is raining, then sunny and hot, then severe storms with hail. My house is like completely different temperatures in every room. My room is a steady "humid laundry mat" temp, which is making a restful sleep extremely difficult to achieve.

2. Finals. This is Hubby's GI finals week. Translation: Single Mommy for about 2 weeks. :(

3. Not sleeping well. See #1.

4. My flippin jaw is hurting like crazy. This severe weather is causing my jaw to ache like i'm 100 years old. Imagine the worst tooth ache you have ever had, but it is every tooth on one side of your face. *Send sympathy this way*

So here I am having a rough day and I put my boys to nap and come crash for the remainder of the afternoon. I wake up to a phone call from my Dad offering to take us out to pizza because he heard I was having a rough day. Score! Get the kids up from nap and I was so happily surprised to find my lovey was BACK! Happy, smiling, bouncing around. Apparently he just needed a 4 hour nap to regroup and so did I.
He did great at the restaurant and we came home and played together and watched the storm outside. After the kids were in bed for the night, I got the sweetest email from my friend. She is such an encourager, always has something positive to say and constantly praying on my behalf. I can't even explain how much I appreciate her friendship.

I was catching up on some blogs and realized how even though I had a not so fun day today, how much I have to be thankful for. My bad days are so few and far between. I have an amazing, faithful, loving husband who I am so very proud of. Parents and a brother who love, love, LOVE us and our children beyond words. I have friends who support and listen, but most of all encourage and that is so priceless. Then there are my precious healthy boys. They are my entire world and I don't ever want to take a day for granted with them, even if it isn't a smooth day. I want to be so careful to not wish time away, because I know first hand, just how valuable time is.

Izzy and I did our "5's" before bed and he also wanted to do "Highs/Lows" before we prayed.

Izzy's:
High- "Playing Play-doh on the deck with you. It was so fun and I like being with you."
Low- "I get sad when it is bedtime because I know after we pray I know you are going to leave me for a long time and I won't get to see you until tomorrow and that makes me miss you too much."

Annnnnnnnnd I'm back. The time we spend talking before bed is the sweetest time of the day. No matter what has happened during the day, everything melts away when I hear him say something like that.

This Mommy is thankful for good family, good friends and two amazing little boys that overflow this house in love. Some days, just may be a little louder than others. :)

Wednesday

My kids have the best friends. I hope I can always say that because friendship is so important. While Izzy was at school yesterday, Ashers best friend Bella came to play for the morning. Her Mommy Katie and I switch babies so that we can attend our big boys school functions and it has worked out so perfectly. It has been a while since I have gotten the chance to watch Bella and we had all missed her so badly! She is just the sweetest and Asher adores her.

Almost instantly, I watched my baby boy turn into a big boy showing off for his little friend. He danced for her, tried to read books to her, showed all of his tricks and at one point even tried to walk down two steps like a big guy. She was not at all impressed by said tricks, but he tried his best to please her. They play so well together, they share and look out for one another. I always worry that I won't have fun toys that a baby girl would enjoy, but Bella is so fun she will play with anything. She played cars and colored. We read, sang and practiced our flash cards. Then, I remembered that my Mom had saved one of my baby dolls. Remember the baby dolls that were so life like, very rubbery, soft skin? Well, I ran down and found it, cleaned it up and put Ashers baby onesie on it and instantly I heard a squeal. Bella carried that heavy baby doll around from that moment on. It was so sweet and I was so excited to play girlie things for once! She is so snuggly and sweet and we had the best time with her.

Changing the subject a little, today I was looking for something in our storage and came across two precious notes from my twin nephews from when they were small. My little nephews aren't so little anymore. Now they are strong athletic 14 year olds with low voices. When I first met them, they were younger than Asher and it feels like I have just blinked and they are teenagers. Back to the note, one said, "Ant Michael you are the best ant and the neicest (nicest) ant ever. That is why I am giving you lots of xoxoxoxoxo's. Then he drew flowers all over the page. The other note was just as sweet and he wrote it like a roses are red poem. I almost cried when I read those little notes. It made me realize just how quickly this all passes and how important it is to enjoy every single day of our little ones life. I am sure that my blog isn't always exciting and to others might not seem important, but it makes me so happy to look back and remember simple days with my boys.

Yesterday was so much fun and I can't tell you how it filled this Mommy's heart to see my boys playing with their friends and to hear the little giggles and see the different sides to their personalities. Those are things I wasn't sure I would ever get to experience and here I am, overwhelmed with love and pride for my precious gifts! I am not going to take a day for granted, because before I know it, I will be hearing two very deep voices and looking up to my very handsome guys. :)

2 in a row!!!

Wow!

So remember yesterday when I said a compliment from a complete stranger is the best? Well we have 2 in a row, people!

Today I took the boys on a lunch and play date with Izzy's friend Ella. We had a blast and stayed hours past what we intended. The kids were having so much fun and playing so well together and Ella's mom and I were having a grand ole' time just chatting away and relaxing. When we decided to declare the play date over, I took the boys to the bathroom and a nice lady stopped me midway to tell me she watched my kids play and just wanted to say, "I think your kids are so great. They are just NEAT!"

I know it is such a simple thing, but it is so nice to know that other people notice my kids and not for outrageous behavior...but just because they are good kids.

This time, Izzy overheard the compliment and yelled "Hey Mom! Did that lady say I am the BEST boy she has ever seen?" Followed with, "Can you move my pirate for that?" :)

I think I might just have to take them out again tomorrow and see if we can keep this streak going!!!

Izzy's Quote of the Day: "Mommy, I think you are going to have a baby in your tummy soon. I think it is going to be a boy and we are going to name it, Little Bill."

Heaven on Earth

Today I found Ashers heaven on Earth. The library. My baby loves to read. Now that Christmas break is over and Izzy is back in school, all morning long you can find Asher in his room sitting on a mountain of books and quietly reading to himself. So today when I took the boys to the library, he walked in (first time not in the stroller) and squealed like it was Christmas and took off for the kid section! How did he know where to go? I was cracking up! A few people gave me a look like "Oh great...here comes one of those..", but I would like to think they were pleasantly surprised. Asher ran to the kid section grabbed a book off the shelf and plopped himself down to read. Izzy found a couple of books quickly and then was off to do a puzzle. They were both super quiet and well behaved. Asher wanted to look at every book and was more than disappointed when it was time to leave. I gave Izzy his library card and some books and gave Asher one to carry too. He copied Izzy and gave it to the librarian and was so proud of himself.

Here are the lessons from my day:

1. Asher isn't too young to enjoy all that the library has to offer.
2. Mommy only has two arms and without the stroller to stuff all of our junk in, I definitely need to make a library tote for each of the boys.
3. Next visit to the library, I am going to have to schedule some more time for our visit. My kids love it there and they proved they can handle it. Even if the little one isn't strapped in the stroller! :)

And to make our visit even better, I got a compliment on our way out! *Cheer*

One of the librarians stopped me and said, "I am very proud of your boys, they did great!"

Compliments from strangers are the best. Am I right?

Cabin Fever

We have officially been snowed in for 6 days. That is almost a week. I don't plan on getting out tomorrow as the high for the day is 1. ONE!!!! In other words they should just tell you if you open your front door at all, you will have frost bite. At 9 am, it is supposed to feel like -24. Ironically, my parents got us a very expensive electric blanket for a Christmas present. We have never needed such a thing, so we returned it for a new King size sheet set...they are lovely by the way. Wouldn't you know, one week later, this would happen. I feel like I need to befriend an Eskimo.

My kids have been great this week, but I can tell we are getting a touch of the Cabin Fever. Asher has taken up learning new dances to keep himself entertained. Tonight while we were cooking dinner, he decided (totally randomly I might add), to learn the Moonwalk. He did this for about 20 minutes straight. Of course, an older brother can not be out done, so then Izzy had to show us that he could do the moonwalk too, and much faster. Then how high he could jump, fast he could spin and so on, and so on.

The Christmas toys are losing their excitement. The basement is too freezing cold to enjoy. It looks like tomorrow, Mommy is going to have to get creative. I would hate for Asher to have to learn to drop it like it's hot just to chase the boredom away. :)

Bigger and Bigger.

Today my little Asher is 18 months old!

I can't believe how fast time has passed. It seems like I should still be swaddling him, but instead, I am chasing him down. That little bugger is fast! He is so much fun and he makes everyday so joyful.

Yesterday, we took some pictures by the Christmas tree and drank some hot cocoa. Well, Asher didn't, but he enjoyed his sippy with water. I was able to get a few cute pictures, but Asher was easily distracted and I quickly remembered how stubborn that little one is. He has beautiful eyes and he has this new look that tells you he has a devious plan and it is the complete opposite of whatever you would like him to do. It is nearly impossible to resist. I had already decided I would be happy with whatever pictures I was able to get, instead of being frustrated I didn't capture the perfect moment. No matter what pictures I get of my kids, they are still cute because it is them. I gave them both a big marshmallow for being such good sports. It was Ashers first and he was instantly in love.

Today is also Izzy's first snow day from school. He was thrilled to see snow and find out what you do exactly on a snow day. I told him we would come up with something fun and different and so we have decided to have a safari. I got out his walkie-talkies and all of his stuffed animals. We will hide them around the house and he can page me when he finds something. Asher will have fun just following us around. I think after lunch, we will have some more hot cocoa and snuggle up to a movie. After that we need a sweet treat to celebrate our lovey's big day.

I am off to a safari...pray my little animals aren't too wild!

UPDATE:

The safari was a huge success! I told Izzy to go to his costume chest and find whatever he thought he would need on a safari. He came back with his Terminator (looks like a soldier) costume on, walkie-talkies, binoculars, and camera in hand! I told him to sit on the stairs patiently with all of his equipment and proceeded to hide all of his stuffed animals around the house. He gave me a walkie-talkie and I gave him clues like: "What kind of food does a monkey like to eat?" He screamed "Bananas!" and took off to the fruit basket in the kitchen where he found a little stuffed elephant. He was squealing with excitement each time we played. Then I took a few turns looking for the animals and his clues were surprisingly excellent! Asher had a plastic toy walkie-talkie and he just ran around and pretended along with us. Towards the end, I started the timer and he had to find all of the animals in a certain amount of time, which he thought was so exciting. We played safari over and over and over and over and over again. We had so much fun today using our imaginations. We will definitely go on a safari again soon!