the Sweetest Life

Babies and Brilliance -

2011-07-28T13:37:00.001-07:00

Whoops, missed my morning post. We've been busy today. :) Ryan attended the funeral of a coworker's mother last night, which was 2 hours away, and we ended up going to bed pretty late. I turned off the alarm at 6:30 this morning, and accidentally slept till 6:57! I was exhausted.. finally got out of bed at 7:10, and Brooke was already awake, so my morning workout was out. I ended up working out after the kids went down for their nap this afternoon, which felt AWESOME, and I ended up burning 70 more calories than I did yesterday morning, so... can't really call it a failure.

I GOT A NEW PHONE TODAY! My new every 2 with Verizon finally came around, and I got to pick out a bright, shiny new phone. (not through Verizon, however.. was not impressed at all by their selection) It's pretty exciting, because I've been using a 4+ year-old back-up phone for the past year, after my last phone went haywire from water damage. My wish list included a touch screen, and pull out keyboard, without having to pay for a data package. (cannot and will not spend $80+ a month for cell service!) So, this Samsung phone below fit the bill, and I ordered the pink case off of eBay. I am a happy, happy girl.

While we were out and about, Pierson started calling out colors that he saw.. and he got them all right. Blue! Why yes, that's blue. Orange! Why yes, that's orange. Purple! Wow, that IS purple! It's crazy. I know I've said I'm amazed by this kid, but really.. I'm amazed by this kid. He's not even 22 months old yet!

Recently Freecycle has been a real blessing for our family. I was able to get a few new decor pieces, including a framed print, brand new thatched throw pillow, (looks perfect in Ryan's leather chair!) and a Pottery Barn wrought iron/cherry hanging picture frame. But the real excitement came yesterday, when two different, very nice Freecyclers chose to give us baby dolls and tons of baby doll accessories. Brooke has recently taken an interest in baby dolls (finally!!) so I had pulled out her two little babies out of storage. That's all we had, though. The Freecyclers gave us.. an American Girl Bitty Baby white wooden bed, two doll strollers, a wooden clothes trunk, a baby swing, a Moses basket, TONS of clothes and 4 baby dolls. Brooke was in absolute heaven! I was in heaven! Seeing my baby girl loving on her new baby dolls made me so happy. I've always known she's a kind, tenderhearted little girl, but I've never seen her as nurturing as she was with her babies.

The best part? I brought all of her new babies and things and set them up in her bedroom, and, before she got into bed, she rocked her babies and sang to them... the same song I sing to her every night. It took everything I had in me not to cry in front of her. She whispered "night night" to them, and got into bed. My sweet, sweet Brooke.

Rocking and singing to her baby ~
(Don't judge the jammies--I let her pick them out :))

Kisses for her baby ~

Making sure they stay nice and warm :)

Oh, it does my heart good. Our kids make life so much happier.

Day 3 -

2011-07-27T04:42:00.001-07:00

Day 3 is done. I felt like I had been drugged when I woke up at 6:30, so I stayed in bed till 6:40, and was on the elliptical by 6:45. So, it was much harder to get out of bed this morning, but MUCH easier to work out. I burned the same amount of calories that I normally would during an afternoon work out. I was definitely much peppier, but I'm not sure if it's because my body is starting to get used to morning work outs or if it's just because I made a new playlist last night. :) Music gets me moving.

The kids and I had a fun, full day yesterday. We went to the mall, the pet store, and Walmart, all before nap time. They were EXHAUSTED. :) We don't usually go to the mall much, but with it being so hot, and their awesome play place, it's a good choice. We parked at the lower level of JCPenney, and had to walk through the men's department to get out to the mall. Pierson looked around at the mannequins dressed in nice dress shirts and ties, and said, "daddy's clothes!" :) Yep, that's how he sees daddy most of the time. Brooke was very gently touching each tie, and commenting on how nice they were until we nearly reached the mall, Brooke gasped, stroked the fabric of a nice top, and said, "oh, this is LOVELY!" It made me laugh so hard! Also made me contemplate how often I say "lovely"..

A cashier at one of the stores we went to took one look at Pierson, and said, "he looks just like you! Wow, he really is a mini you." Even though I see it all of the time, it makes me really happy when other people notice. :)

I think I enjoy the pet store nearly as much as the kids do. I had nearly every pet under the sun, at least once, during my childhood, so, even though we don't have a pet right now, it's fun for all of us to go enjoy them at the store. The one we went to yesterday, near the mall, was a lot bigger than the store we normally go to--more fish, in all acrylic tanks that are lower/well lit/easier for kids to see, (Brooke was happy!) more birds, and they even have cats and kittens in the cat adoption room. (Pierson was happy!)

Well, kids are awake. :) Have a great day!

Tuesdays and Turtles -

2011-07-26T05:23:00.000-07:00

Day 2 is done. Ryan didn't have to leave until later this morning, so I took the opportunity to go running this morning rather than being inside on the elliptical. I took up running a little while ago, and I really enjoy it. I kept remembering how I used to run every day with my dog, Lexy, when I was a teenager, and how 1) I was very fit, and 2) it was just fun, and I looked forward to it. Even now, hearing a song that I used to run to years ago, I have very happy memories of it. Of course, memory and reality is a bit different. Getting back into it after so long was hard, and I didn't enjoy it at first, but the more you do it, the easier it gets, and the longer you can go.

All that being said, I always work out in the afternoon during the kids' nap time, and usually if it's a day that I'm running, I can't go until after dinner. (once Ryan is home, and it's not as hot outside) So, running in the morning is totally new to me.

I won't lie.. I felt like a brick. I was excited when I first stepped outside, because, hey, it's actually kind of cool outside at 6:30 AM. :) It was breezy and a mere 73 degrees.. though already humid. (can't escape that around here, though, even if you're running at 3 in the morning) As I started to run, I felt stiff and heavy.. like a brick. I didn't at all feel like my normal peppy self; I felt heavy, as though I had weights pulling my legs down. I thought if I pushed through it, I'd eventually loosen up, but no. I did stretch beforehand, too. So, it wasn't very fun, but it was easier and more distracting being outside. I kept going, and got back to the house at 7:20--just in time to find Brooke coming down the stairs. :)

I'll be curious to see if this gets any easier after a week. I will say, though.. I had a VERY productive day yesterday! I was practically bouncing off the walls yesterday morning, and was able to get so much done. And, not having to use half of the kids' nap time to work out, I was able to get more done during that free time.

Yesterday was a big day... Pierson said "love you" for the very first time. :) He was pushing his toy shopping cart, pretending to be leaving to go somewhere, and said, "buh-bye, love you." I pretty much melted into a puddle right there. Gosh, I love him. Another thing I love hearing him say is "tickles," which sounds like he's saying, "turtles." :) (I LOVE his mispronunciations and never want him to stop.) Both of the kids LOVE to be tickled, and will beg for more if I stop. They're both very ticklish, though. Just brushing Brooke's hair into a pony tail, and having the brush touch her neck, she starts giggling. And Pierson has super ticklish feet; just trying to clip his toe nails, he squirms and laughs, saying, "it turtles!" :) I love my kids.

6:30 Challenge -

2011-07-25T05:11:00.000-07:00

It's only 8:11, but I feel like I've accomplished quite a bit already this morning. My Mom watches that Dr. Oz TV show, and she was telling us recently that "Dr. Oz says it's ideal to wake up at 6:30 every morning, and work out at 6:35." I laughed, and said that it may be "ideal" for some people, but not for me. There are morning people, and there's the rest of us. I'm just too sluggish to wake up and immediately go work out. Ryan countered that if you were to try it, and stick to it, it would become habit. Being the stubborn individual that I am, I told him that I will try it every day for a full week, and see if 1) it actually makes me feel better, 2) it gets easier with time/becomes enough of a habit (enough that I'd consider doing it permanently) and 3) it makes me lose any weight. (because we all know, with me, if it makes me lose weight, I WILL stick to it)

So, I finished Day 1. I'm usually up no later than 7 every morning to get Ryan out the door with his coffee and breakfast, but it's been a long, long time since I've worked out in the morning. I won't lie, I hated the first ten minutes. Getting to 20 minutes wasn't any easier, and by 30 minutes, I was just thankful that the torture was over. (I did run yesterday afternoon, so 30 minutes of cardio will suffice for day 1!) It was difficult for me to have to be THAT awake THAT early in the morning. I have to say, though, it was pretty cool to look at the clock, and realize that it was only 7:05 and I was already done with my workout for the day! (I will still do some weights and ab work later) Showered, made Ryan's coffee and breakfast and got him out the door, all well before 8:00. We'll see how Day 2 goes.

Speaking of being healthier, I weighed myself yesterday for the first time in (I believe) 3 weeks. In those 3 weeks, I ditched the South Beach diet (to some extent) and instead focused on eating tons of fruits, (which are limited in SB) veggies, mostly lean meat, and little bit of whole grains, and eating smaller amounts more often, rather than 3 full meals. I've felt better, and had more energy, but I couldn't really tell if I'd actually lost anything. Apparently, I've lost 4 lbs! Hurray! Which means I'm a mere 3 lbs away from the weight I was before I got pregnant with Pierson. (though, when Ryan asked, "so, how many lbs is that away from what you weighed with Brooke?" I answered, "umm.. no comment. Lets just say, I still want to lose a bit more.")

Now that I've rambled on way too much about working out and diet....

Today is exactly one month away from Brooke's 4th birthday! We don't talk with her about it very much, because one month is still an eternity to a 3 year-old, but I'm getting excited about it. She changed her mind on the butterfly party idea, (dang it!) and still wants her (original idea) Finding Nemo party, which I've got a lot of ideas for, but haven't actually purchased anything yet. The Nemo cake should be interesting! We did decide we're going to hold off on the "first pet" idea, though. Maybe next year.

Pierson is still continuing to amaze me. He's been learning his colors, which I figured was probably too early and would confuse him, but he always surprises me. He is pretty consistent with blue, yellow, and orange, but he also knows purple, green, red, pink, and gray. (which he calls "grape!" I LOVE that!) Sometimes if I ask him what color something is, he won't even look at it, but instead will run down his list of colors, laughing at every wrong answer until he gets it right. Silly. :)

Recently, he has borrowed a phrase that Brooke uses when she's proud of herself for doing something. She will very triumphantly, say, "Ta da! Thank you, thank you!" (complete with a bow, sometimes 2 :)) She has a slight flair for the dramatic. :) We call her our little actress. Now Pierson is saying it all the time, and it's adorable. I've got some very proud kids, apparently. He even taught his little friend, Nicky, to say, "ta da!"

His 2nd birthday is now just a little over two months away, and I've already got his birthday present! I saved up all of my Amazon gift cards that I got from Swagbucks, and used them to buy him something he's going to LOVE. I feel like such a kid when it comes to giving my kids gifts, because keeping it a surprise KILLS me! I can't wait for him to see it. :) I was leaning towards doing a Cars party for him, but I haven't made up my mind yet. He likes all kinds of things, and his favorite actually seems to be trucks right now. (Chuck & Friends as well as firetrucks) I'll just have to see what's out there. :) I really, really enjoy doing their parties... it's a sickness, really.

Hope you all have a great Monday!

Words -

2011-07-08T06:16:00.000-07:00

Love it; Pierson can say his name now! If I ask him, "what's your name?" he will point to his chest, and say, "Pierson!" He also really likes to distinguish between his things, and Brooke's things. Though he likes to call her, "Brookie." :) (Ex:"Brookie's cup, Pierson's cup.") Sitting at the dinner table the other night, he starts calling out, "Pieeeeerson! Brooookieee!" Gosh, I love this kid.

I'm babysitting a friend's son, Nikolas, this morning, and Pierson, out of blue, started calling him, "Nicky!"

Brooke is still having nightmares at night, which, since I discovered what's going on, I have a lot more patience and sympathy for. The other night, it was "scary bugs in my room" and she literally woke up thinking she had bug bites on her arm. :( When I told her that, no, her arm didn't have bites, and there were no bugs in her room, she asked, "were they pretend?" So, at night we now talk about things she likes, like dogs, fish, cars, and I tell her that if she thinks about them before she falls asleep, she just might dream about them. :) She really likes that idea, and it has made bedtime less scary for her. I ask her what she would like to dream about tonight, and she gives me a fun little scenario. :)

Speaking of scary bugs, I came home the other night from my run in the park, and discovered a tick on my stomach as I went to shower. It has literally been over 5 years since I've seen a tick, and it gave me the heebie jeebies! (thankfully it was a large, run of the mill tick, not a little deer tick) I guess I'll be dousing myself with bug spray prior to park runs from now on! Gross. But, I so enjoy running in the park.

I take the kids to the pet store fairly often as free entertainment. Brooke is a huge fan of the rodent section and the fish, and Pierson's favorite are the birds. We have a grand ole time, and get to leave all of the little pets at the store. :) This past time, though, Brooke started asking if she could have a hamster; specifically, she asked if she could have one for her birthday. She's even thought of a name! Remembering that I had my first pet, a bird, at her (about to turn) age, Ryan and I are considering it. Heck, a hamster sounded WAY better to Ryan than what his son would like to have! :) Ryan hates birds with a passion. Of course I'd still be taking care of the theoretical pet, but I think she's getting to the age where she can help care for one. (feeding it, giving it water, playing with it, etc. all with supervision) But, we haven't completely decided yet.

Well, we're off to the playground! Have a great weekend! :)

Sweetness -

2011-07-06T11:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was not a great day. Between the DVD player dying during Ratatouille, the garbage disposal conking out in the early afternoon, and Ryan coming home to tell me that his car was broken down in the driveway, (after getting a jump start at work just to make it home) the badness just seemed to keep escalating. I was set to take our friends' dog out for a run at the park last night after dinner, (which I enjoy tremendously) but instead I followed behind the tow truck with Ryan's car, with the kids in the back, (who thought it was an adventure, and just the coolest thing ever, to see Daddy's car on a tow truck) and I thought, this isn't sad anymore, it's just laughable, it was that ridiculous. (and I might have laughed, if it weren't such a failure of a day) Momma said there'd be days like this.

Today? Today has been good. We all slept in, even Brooke, (!) until 8:30. We played. We laughed. (I cleaned, vacuumed, and did laundry, which I consider good, but who wants to read about that?) The kids splashed around in their pool while I got some sun. They're both napping now, and I'll hopefully be able to get a do-over, and get that run in with my furry running partner tonight.

Pierson is saying some new phrases. Yesterday it was "hold me," (which is really cute, and it's not in a clingy way, just a randomly sweet way) and today it's "where's it going?" Aka- the school bus driving down the street, "where's it going?" And when I answer, he asks sweetly, "why?" (he learned that one from his sister!) I tell you, the kid will ask you why until you run out of answers. I don't really mind the why's. Both of our kids are just inquisitive and curious about the way everything works, and I want to encourage that. (I only mind if they ask "why" when I tell them to do something. :))

Have a great day. :)

The 4th -

2011-07-05T06:52:00.000-07:00

Well, we came, we saw, we conquered. We had a really wonderful holiday, and a fabulous long weekend in general. :) We were fairly busy and productive, and just generally enjoyed our family time together.

I've been amazed a lot this year with how "easy" the kids are getting as they get older. In so far as they are more easily adaptable to whatever we are doing, can even skip naps if it occasionally calls for it, and are generally fairly happy with whatever we're doing. I love that we've been able to ditch one of the baby gates now that Pierson has been able to navigate the stairs up and down for quite a while now. I love that they enjoy playing together, and now will sometimes go off together to play without me, sometimes on different levels of our home. I love their energy. I love their laughter together. I love their independence and togetherness. As they get older, they, of course, become more challenging to parent, discipline, and guide, (and I'm aware that it becomes increasingly so as they get older) but nevertheless I am LOVING this stage.

Recently, Brooke went through a home movie kick, and was asking to watch all sorts of home movies--from birthdays to Christmas to the Zoo to Mommy & Daddy's wedding--she was fascinated by it all. I have to say, watching home movies from when Brooke was a baby, and when Pierson was a baby, it made my heart ache. It's crazy to hear their little sounds and watch their little expressions and think simultaneously, "I can't believe you were that little," and, "Oh my gosh, that's so you!" Hearing their little baby noises made me squeeze them a little tighter, and count my blessings.

But... it in no way made me want another baby! How crazy is that? It makes me thankful for THEM, but in no way makes me want a new one. Yet. Maybe I will feel differently down the road? Maybe not. I guess we will see. For now, though, we are so very good.

Anyway, here are a few pictures from our 4th of July. :) We went to the town parade in the morning, hung out with our friends for lunch and a couple hours at the pool, nap times for the kids, grilled burgers and made s'mores, (of course!) and then braved the possibility of a downpour to go see the fireworks. Radar wasn't looking too promising, but we went anyway, and aside from a few sprinkles at the beginning, the rain went right around us. :)

Brooke at the parade!

Daddy & Pierson~

Sweetie pie~ Her favorite part of the parade was "candy!" which was passed out throughout the parade. Silly girl :)

My little man watching the parade :) He especially the loved the dogs, balloons, firetrucks, and vintage cars

Sparklers! This was their first experience with them :)

Brooke LOVED the sparklers!

Our kids :)

So cool.

Love this!

Hope you all had a happy and safe 4th!

The Great Outdoors -

2011-06-23T07:21:00.000-07:00

It has come to my attention that I've been on a blogging hiatus for far too long. :) It's never intentional, to be honest, but here we are anyway, 2 months later!

The kids and I spend nearly every day outdoors. Even on days with rain in the forecast, there's always some time in the day to squeeze in some outdoor play. Kiddie pool, water table, chalk, bubbles, playground, walks around the neighborhood.. that is what summers are made of. :) And, once Ryan gets my bike back up and running, (hopefully this weekend?) we'll be adding some bike rides on the W&OD trail to the mix.

We also went to the National Zoo two weeks ago, which the kids LOVED. I asked Brooke that morning what she wanted to see at the zoo, and she said, "Um.. crocodiles and fish!" Well, what do you know, they had both. :) The Reptile House was actually their favorite--full of crocodiles, sea turtles, snakes, frogs, and even fish. :) Here's a short little video from the Reptile House:

In these past two months we've had my birthday, Mother's Day, Ryan's birthday, Father's Day... so, I will share a few pictures.

Ryan and I on Father's Day~

Me and my boy, the pantsless wonder ~

Me and my sweet girl~

Ryan & I at my Aunt's 50th Wedding Anniversary party~

At the zoo :)

An attempt at a group shot.. bahahahaha

Ryan & I on his birthday--the whole day was a surprise for him, starting with a hike at Difficult Run

Pierson and his beloved Pillow Pet :)

Turning 28.. ugh!

Hopefully will be updating more regularly.. :) Hope ya'll are enjoying your summer!

Good & Tired ~

2011-05-05T18:25:00.000-07:00

I love days like this. Days when I'm go-go-go all day until well after the kids are in bed, and I finally am able to sit down now at nearly 9:30. :) It feels good to sit down. Between 4 loads of laundry, cleaning, working out for over an hour during the kids' nap time, (while watching Family Man with Nicolas Cage--love that movie) showering, taking the kids on a long stroller walk, then to the playground, home to make dinner, play time, bedtime, then kitchen clean-up.. well, I know I will sleep well tonight. :) That verse in Ecclesiastes is so true, "the sleep of a laboring man is sweet."

Speaking of sleep: Have I mentioned that the kids now go down for naps at the same time? It has made life immensely easier! Even though Pierson sleeps less during 1 nap than he did during 2, I still had Brooke to look after then till it was her nap time, which was right around when Pierson would wake up, and then I'd have to entertain a very BORED Pierson who would much rather play with his sister, and then he'd go back down right before Brooke would normally get up. (and she would actually sleep less often than she wouldn't, because she could hear us downstairs playing) Now they BOTH go down at the same time, they BOTH sleep, and I can use that time more efficiently. It's awesome.

Tonight was our first dinner at the table with TWO booster seats! Pierson has officially bid Au Revoir to his highchair, and is sitting at the table like the rest of us. :) I think he ate better (less playing with his food, more intentional eating) and seemed to enjoy it, while I thought it was also easier to supervise meal time with him right next to me. Sitting there looking at him from across the table, though, Ryan said, "he looks so.. grown-up." I nodded. We no longer have a child in a high chair. They're getting too old!

Speaking of getting too old... my 28th birthday is a mere 4 days away. (and, according to our bank account, I AM getting my K-Swiss shoes! Yay!) We're celebrating with my family on Saturday, in conjunction with my sis-in-law Joanie's birthday--we share the same birthday. :) Just a low key, pizza and ice cream cake kind of family party. My parents are leaving the next day bound for Tennessee, so my requested angel icing cake will have to wait. :) Sunday is, of course, Mother's Day, and this year we will be spending it with my Mother-in-law. :) We're driving down first thing Sunday morning, staying for the day, and heading back in the evening. I'm really looking forward to that, because it's been so long since we've seen them.

Monday is my actual birthday, and I'm honestly not sure what we're doing. Obviously Ryan has to work, (this whole "being adults" thing is for the birds) so we'll just need to figure out some evening plans. We had initially planned on dinner and a movie, but 1) I'm not sure if we'd have anyone to watch the kids, (our friends offered, but I'm not sure how that would work with bedtimes, since they have a son who is Pierson's age) and 2) movie tickets, I discovered, are $11 a person (!!) and I don't know if I can do that, just out of principle! Realistically, we could wait until it's available on RedBox, rent it for a night, and, if I like it, I could buy it, and STILL we'd pay less than one night at the movie theater. (not including any drinks or store-bought snacks. (Oh, yes, we are those people who bring our own treats)) I'm really wanting to see this movie, but.. eh. It's been so long since I've been to see a movie in a theater, and I'm remembering why.

I'm exhausted. Time to unwind for a little while and then call it an evening. Goodnight!

Bees & Business Trips ~

2011-04-26T18:33:00.000-07:00

Brooke woke up screaming twice last night... the first time it happened, I figured she had wet her bed, as that is generally the culprit when she cries in the middle of the night. I was all set to go change the sheets, (thanks to some practice, I can now change them pretty quickly, and with my eyes mostly closed, so that it's hardly a disturbance anymore--I can fall back asleep pretty easily afterwards) but when I checked, she wasn't wet, nor was her bed. Hmm. Well, back to bed. Turned her stars and her Violet back on. That was at 4 AM.

She woke up screaming again at 4:45, and when I took her back to bed and asked what was the matter, she exclaimed with a look of pure terror, "BEES!" --which instantly sent a chill down my spine. I asked, "Where?!" and she pointed to the side of her bed, but even in my semi-unconscious state, I quickly assessed that there were no real bees, and that she had had a very bad nightmare. I told her, "they're not real. They weren't real. You had a bad dream, but go back to sleep, and you will have good dreams." Turned on the stars, turned on her Violet. That seemed to settle that, and she went back to sleep. She even slept late--till 8:15!

But, bless her heart, I feel like I finally realize why we've had trouble every so often with her waking up crying without (seemingly) a reason. She could never express why she was crying, what the matter was, or why she came to our room. Maybe she never could recall what was in her nightmare, but I'm convinced now that this is why she has had some bad nights.

This morning when she got up, she still remembered the bad dream, and was telling me that "there were bees everywhere"--and there were bees in her mouth. :( I about cried. She was so terrified. I feel for her, because I remember--maybe due to my wild imagination as a kid?--I had really bad, vivid nightmares when I was young. I don't know if they happened this early, but I had bad dreams that I still remember to this day. Coincidentally, I didn't even mind when she woke up again at 4:45 this morning, because it actually woke me out of a nightmare of my own--a reoccurring one that freaks me out every time. (something with red lights? But I don't remember the details when I wake up) Though, I will say, I've never had such vivid dreams and nightmares as I did while I was pregnant! The good ones were really good, but the bad ones were truly awful.

Anyway, it brought up the opportunity to talk about bees, and the more we talked about it, the more she was able to sort of laugh over the whole thing. The nightmare was quickly forgotten about, and we had a really nice day. :) Hopefully she won't have any nightmares for the next few nights, as I'll be on my own while Ryan is out of town. I always pray that the kids take it easy on me whenever he is gone, because there are no breaks when you're on your own. :) On the upside, I do look forward to doing some reading, and having the remote all to myself! Those are really the only upsides, though, as I really don't like being by myself, and freak out very easily. :) Gotta get over that eventually, I guess.

And... with that, I'll leave you with a few new pictures. :)

Sweet Pierson :)

His adorable little squinty face!

The kids' Easter baskets ~ they couldn't give two hoots about the candy. They just wanted the cars! :)

Happy kids and their cars :)

Happy Easter :)

2011-04-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

We FINALLY had our family Easter pictures taken this morning, which was so fun!

Okay, so I was running late to get there, (it definitely made me realize I can't have any more kids, or we will NEVER get out the door for pictures! :) and Pierson has a little cold, and it was raining, and the place was packed, and Pierson burst into tears when we stepped into the studio, and Brooke was being what I affectionately refer to as a "humor snob" much like her daddy, (ie- your attempts at making me smile are not gonna work on me, Miss Photographer) and Pierson incessantly kept trying to pick his nose, BUT, looking back, and looking at the pictures, it was so fun. :) I love our kids. I love our family. How did I get so blessed?

Hope you all have a wonderful Easter with your families!

Shiny, Happy Kids ~

2011-04-21T07:01:00.000-07:00

I have a LOT to do today, but I thought I'd post a few quick pictures of the kids from this morning. :) Still jammied, smiley, & happy. I love mornings.

Have a great day!

Sweet as Honey ~

2011-04-19T05:32:00.000-07:00

I was pretty busy yesterday, and didn't have time to write. You know you just may be enjoying blogging again when something happens throughout the day, and you think, "I need to remember to blog about that." This may stick after all. :)

Yesterday, we were watching Rubbadubbers shortly before bed, when Brooke asked me if she could have the purple whale from the show. I thought about that a second, because I don't think they even MAKE Rubbadubbers toys, but before I could respond, she said, "Well, maybe we can get it on sale." I laughed so hard! She clearly is her mother's daughter.

Recently, she has been referring to me as "honey." (namely when she's trying to explain something to me, ie. "well, honey, I had to bring my blanket downstairs because my toes were cold." ) At first, it really took me by surprise--what 3 year-old calls their mom "honey?" Well, a 3 year-old who 9 times out of 10 is called honey by her mom! I didn't even REALIZE how often I call her honey until she started copying me, and now I'm so aware of it. She says it so affectionately that it makes my heart happy, because that's how she must hear it from me.

These days she's always making up songs. I waited SO long to hear her sing anything, but now she sing songs her way through everyday activities. Everything is deserving of a song, in her eyes. :) She also knows way more songs than I imagined. Yesterday, as I went to get her up from her nap, I could hear her singing as I was coming up the stairwell. "Bob the builder, CAN WE FIX IT? Bob the builder, YES, WE CAN!" We rarely even watch Bob the Builder! But, she seems to know a lot of show theme songs, which I think is cute. Heck, I still remember the theme songs of Gummi Bears, Darkwing Duck, Fraggle Rock...

Last night, as I was putting Pierson to bed, I was quietly singing to him "A Bushel and a Peck," when all of a sudden Brooke started singing it with me, word for word! She then wanted to sing it several more times, which I happily obliged to, because I was such a proud momma.

I have such sweet kids. I wish I could bottle them up, and keep them this little.

Friday Randoms ~

2011-04-15T10:06:00.001-07:00

Kids are so funny. Last night, Ryan's back was hurting, and Brooke self-appointed herself as "Dr. Brooke," and decided to give him a check up. :) After putting her hand to his forehead, she declared, "You have a Bieber." (meant fever) After another second of contemplation, she said, "Yep, you definitely have a Bieber," then told him that, to feel better, he needed grape medicine. ;-)

This morning, Pierson patted his head, and said, "boy." Such a smart little guy; he's used to patting his head when I ask "where's mommy's boy?" Then, he patted my head, and said, "boy." Well, 1 out of 2... still made me proud. ;-)

So much to do this weekend! Errands, hair cut, (Pierson was SIX MONTHS OLD the last time I had it cut..) more landscaping, and whatever else we get into. Now if only the weather will cooperate.. Happy weekend!

Butterflies & Blogs ~

2011-04-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

Today is deliciously warm and beautiful, so I took the opportunity to get the kids outside to help me with decorating the large tree in our front yard with big, plastic Easter eggs hung with twine. :) Brooke especially enjoyed helping me by handing me each egg and suggesting where I should put it, while Pierson simply enjoyed cracking them open and leaving them strewn about the yard. As the last egg was tied, he whined, pointed towards the dangling eggs, and said, "ba-oon!" (balloon) He wasn't too happy that he could no longer play with them. So, I gave him the now empty basket, and the three of us walked around the neighborhood picking yellow flowers. (dandelions :) Good and tired kids make for a gooood nap.

His new thing recently are eyes: he likes to point them out in books, on his character cars and trucks, on us, on himself--he even pointed out the eyes on a neighborhood dog today, whose owner had stopped so the kids could pet her dog, and said, "eyes!" He knows the names of pretty much everything on his face and body, but eyes are his favorite right now, and it makes him so proud of himself. :)

It's a very good thing that I haven't bought any Finding Nemo-related party supplies just yet. (Not that I would, being this early, but still.) Two days ago, after she watched an Angelina Ballerina episode where Angelina had a pet butterfly, Brooke started to pretend that she had imaginary butterflies. She then announced with a gasp, "I'd like a butterfly party!" I said, "oh, really?" She said, "and a pink butterfly cake." Gosh, she's specific. Pink butterfly cake it is!

I'm of the mindset that birthdays are really special.. you don't have to spend a lot of money to make your child's birthday a really special day, but I do put quite a bit of time into them. Ryan doesn't understand my fascination with it, but I LOVE planning parties, even just little ones where only family is invited.

Lets just say.. the more I look for inspiration for a butterfly party, and butterfly cake ideas, the more I hope that she doesn't change her mind again before her actual birthday! This would be so fun. :)

Speaking of changing minds, I've changed my blog design already. I wasn't really liking the green at all, but I think I'm happy with this new design. For now. :)

Wordless Wednesday ~

2011-04-13T11:31:00.000-07:00

iRun ~

2011-04-12T08:37:00.000-07:00

As of Saturday, my 28th birthday is now less than a month away. (5/9) In spite of not really wanting to be a year older, I AM pretty excited about my birthday this year, because... I'll be getting these:

(K-Swiss Tubes 100 in "Sunrise")

Ryan and I talked about it a couple of months ago and decided that our gifts to each other this year would be new athletic shoes. (He will also be getting K-Swiss Tubes) I know, there's no surprise aspect, but we both need a new pair, and we're getting GOOD pairs. Not in all cases, but in most, you get what you pay for, and it's become increasingly evident that I need more supportive shoes, especially after suffering a stress fracture in my foot last month, and STILL aggravating it when I work out too hard. It's annoying. I literally can't go running, unless I want to walk with a limp for a few days. And I have to position my foot just so on my elliptical machine to prevent hurting my foot.

Ryan actually did some research on shoes for me, because I want a good pair for running that also has substantial arch support, since that seems to be my biggest problem. He came up with the K-Swiss Tubes 100. I tried them on at Lady FootLocker, and they felt AMAZING. (I even ran around the store/jumped around to really try them out. Sorry, LF.) I also tried on the Asics Gel-Kayano 17, because I've read that they're excellent running shoes, not to mention super pretty. (though literally twice the cost of the K-Swiss) Honestly, there was no comparison. The K-Swiss were light and "squishy" while the Asics felt like a lead balloon.

Normally, I buy everything in PINK. It's a sickness, really; I'm a sucker for anything pink. But I'm pretty proud of myself, because I'm branching out and trying something new and bold. :) At first they look a bit shocking, but at the same time, that's kinda why I like them. The sunrise color won't be released until 4/29--just in time for my birthday, and I CAN'T WAIT. :)

Happy (rainy) Tuesday!

Hop, Hop ~

2011-04-11T05:43:00.001-07:00

We participated in our first Easter activity yesterday afternoon--an Easter Egg Hunt! We had to wake the kids from their naps, (which I never normally do, but I'm so glad that we did!) but they quickly got excited when we told them where we were going. :) I didn't mention it before naptime, because I know that, at least for Brooke, that would've meant that NO sleep would happen.

We followed "the Easter Bunny" (I use that term very loosely) through a tunnel, and out into a big field to find the eggs. I actually told Brooke, "that's not the REAL Easter Bunny, just someone pretending to be the Easter Bunny, since it's not Easter yet." Seriously, the costume was so bad that I couldn't even tell my 3 year-old that it was the REAL bunny. I mean, if that was the real bunny, I wouldn't be very excited if I were 3! Anyway, she didn't seem bothered, and was so excited to hunt for some eggs. :)

(For what it's worth, yes, just like Santa Claus, we talk to the kids about the Easter Bunny. Even though the Easter bunny isn't the REASON for Easter, we include it. Kids have such wild imaginations, and I think it just adds to the excitement of a holiday. If they're taught the real reason for Easter (and Christmas, for that matter) then I don't see the harm in it. That's just our own personal opinion. I know not everyone agrees with it, and that's fine.)

I'm SO thankful that they had the egg hunt scheduled for Sunday afternoon rather than Saturday. It was so cold, rainy, and dreary on Saturday, but absolutely BEAUTIFUL yesterday! It was the perfect day to be outside. As soon as we got home, we changed and took the kids out for a long walk, then let them run around in the backyard before finally having to come inside for dinner. I love this time of year. (but I don't love that I had to kill my first spider of the season--a little black one with pinchers! Gross. Spoke too soon in my last blog post, I guess.)

Anyway, pictures! :) We only took video while we were there, so I just pulled pictures out of the video that Ryan took.

Kids & I ~ Yes, they're not looking. The fact that they sat still for the picture makes it a Win! for me.

Hope you all had a great weekend! :)

18 Months ~

2011-04-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

Yeah. I know. I don't know how it happened, either, but Pierson is 18 months old today! It's a rainy, cold-ish day, (after a couple of beautiful, warm, sunny days!) and thankfully we don't have to go anywhere today. It's a good day to be inside, play, snuggle, and watch Cars:

- Picture of the kids taken a couple of night ago. They were exhausted after a long day of playing outside. :) Pierson is finally willing to share "his" chair. It's pretty cute, I have to say. -

A week from today we'll be heading back for Round 2 of Easter pictures--this time as a family. :) Our most recent family picture was taken at Pierson's birthday party, so I'd say it's about time, don't you think? :) Hopefully we'll get at least one good one to frame and hang in the house. I'm excited!! Are you excited?

Have a great weekend!

Galore ~

2011-04-07T10:43:00.000-07:00

You know your son has possibly committed a few too many wrong doings against his sister when... Ryan asks him to "go tell Mommy you're sorry," and he makes a bee line for his sister, hugs her, and says, "sorry." (But goodness, does it do my heart good to hear my little man in training say he's sorry! He's already a step ahead of the game.)

If you're not a friend of mine on Facebook, then you've missed quite a few pictures in the past 6 months.

First, there was Pierson's Fall Fox birthday party...

Then Halloween...

Then Thanksgiving..

Then Christmas...

Winter..

Valentine's Day..

(My very first Tiffany necklace!)

And lastly, Easter pictures of the kids.

Whew. I promise that this will be the longest post you see from me! Well, now that we're all caught up.. bye for now. ;-)

New Day...

2011-04-06T13:19:00.001-07:00

...new blog. In an effort to start blogging again, I figured it was time for a new blog--new name, new address, new design, new everything--I'm turning over a new leaf! I really loved looking back at my old posts, and I figure since there's never a shortage on things to talk about these days, I might as well try this again. I've blogged for so long that it feels kind of strange to NOT be writing anymore. I won't be updating my old Xanga site anymore, though--that was too much of a pain--but I'll be linking from my old blog. If you made it over here--hi! :)

The last time I blogged, Pierson had just had his first birthday. Now he's just about to turn 18 months old, and is a full fledged "little person," as Ryan will sometimes marvel. He's an awesome little boy. He has a growing-by-the-day list I've put on our fridge of all the words he has said--we're at #43--and it's amazing to me how effortless it is for him. He's just as energetic as Brooke, and loves to follow her around and copy the things she does. He adores her. They have a great relationship now, which makes having them this close in age such a blessing.

Brooke will be turning 4 in August, and, as she likes to tell everyone, will be having a "Nemo party!" Yes, she has already picked out her party theme. :) Now that the weather is getting warmer, she's ecstatic to be outside more, and loves to explore the vast backyard. (She believes the entire communal area behind our house is "her backyard", which, even with as much as I initially wanted a fence, is kind of nice now.) Both of the kids really enjoy being outdoors, and it definitely helps with getting their energy out. It'll be nice in another month or so when we can break out the water table and wading pool, and spend much of the day out on our deck. :) Not that I'm rushing spring, by any means... the weather is just starting to get warm now, and I still have yet to see any of the creepy crawly creatures of the frightening variety that I dislike so much.

I've been spring cleaning recently, and I've also been sprucing up the house a bit, which has been fun. A new brushed nickel chandelier graces our dining room, (Freecycle! It replaced the ugly brass one) new pillows in the living room, (replacing the 5 year old ones!) and I'm trying to figure out where to put these new curtains. (thank you, again, Freecycle!) I also had the idea recently, as I was laying in bed NOT sleeping, to take Brooke's exisiting beige blackout drapes and sew pink fabric on top to match the rest of her room. I also want to add curtain rings to the top, so she's able to open and close them all by herself. :) Our yard is looking better these days, too, as I've been doing quite a bit of landscaping outdoors. It's that time of year, and I LOVE it. And, finally, I'm trying to think of ways to get creative again, and maybe even get paid for it. (Etsy, perhaps?)

For now, I've got enough going on to keep me busy. Some days I think about how, with the ages our kids are, it's sort of easy. At least, easier than some of the stages we've already been through. Then we have days that definitely solidify in my mind that two kids are PLENTY, thankyouverymuch. Babies don't get easier, really--the challenges just change.

I somehow managed to lose my camera during the Christmas holiday. It was Christmas Eve--all of the presents were under the tree, the stockings were filled, the kids' new ball pit ("from Santa") was set up with a big bow, it was dark and the white lights made the living room look magical--the perfect Christmas setting--and I went to grab my camera... and couldn't find it. We searched the entire house, even both of our vehicles (just in case) and it was nowhere to be found. I thought maybe after the decorations came down, we'd find it, but we didn't. I was so frustrated that I nearly broke down into tears. I have two little kids--I NEED a camera. I've been using our new Canon HD DVD recorder to take pictures since then, which is not ideal, (no flash, and not the greatest quality, especially if there is not much light) but it works. I've asked for a new camera for my birthday, and if I do get one, I will be taking SO many pictures.. just because I can.

So, there you have it.