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!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Bees & Business Trips ~
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 :)
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. :)
Friday, April 22, 2011
Happy Easter :)
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!
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!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Shiny, Happy Kids ~
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!
Have a great day!
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Sweet as Honey ~
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.
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, April 15, 2011
Friday Randoms ~
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!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Butterflies & Blogs ~
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. :)
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