Par-tay Time

Being the party animals that we are, here is our evening:

Baby girl fed and asleep.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars viewing for an enthusiastic 3 and 5 year old.
Popcorn and leftover halloween soda dessert
Tivo recording of the east coast ball drop viewing
Late bedtime for 2 little boys.
A happy ending to 2009!

Can't wait to see what 2010 has in store for us!!!!

Scooty Ms Scootypants

Aughh... she moves. Not only does Little Lady move laterally (by rolling all over the place), she now moves forward. She moves especially quickly toward potential choking hazards, such as bits of newspaper, dried food chunks (courtesy of Squeaker), and any electronic devices. Guess we have to start vacuuming regularly. I mean, *more* regularly. ;) She looks like a little inchworm. It is adorable, by the way.

Recovery mode

Party. Party. Party. Party. Breathe!

The kids have been up very late 5 nights in a row, we are all sick (nothing terrible, just little colds, thankfully), and the house is in a terrible state. I think everyone needs a nap! :).

We were very lucky that Santa stopped by our house given the behavior we saw Christmas eve - I think he tends to look past the over-excited naughtiness- and our house is filled with equal parts toys and wrappings. I sure am glad this is a once a year thing!

I am looking forward to our final week off. Maybe we'll go to the movies or play some of our new games. One thing I really want to do is go to the zoo. The festival of lights that has been at the wild animal park for years is no longer. I can't wait to see the replacement festivities at the zoo. Luckily there is a whole week and no definite plans - we'll see if and I ever wake from my long winter's nap.

Ornament, as requested

And, yes, it does come in a caucasian version.

Whhhhiiiisssshhhh

That is the sound of time flying. At least, I think it is as I can't even pay attention to THAT. My goodness... I don't know what has happened the past 2 weeks, but I am pretty sure it involves NOT getting ready for Christmas. Let's do this by the numbers, shall we:

6 evaluations/IEP meetings at work (in addition to current caseload)
1 dentist appointment for child with black tooth
1 child left at home with Daddy while Mommy and other 2 fly across the country
4 hours of delay at 2 airports
4 days of visiting friends and family in Virginia
2 Grandparents meeting Little Lady for the first time
2 vomit incidents on airplanes
0 days of snow on trip... bad timing, I hear they have PLENTY of snow now.
-620 hours of sleep (and counting)
1 baby who decided that she didn't want to ever take a bottle again
4 different family/friends watching kids while Mommy goes crazy keeping up with current work schedule (thank you family/friends!!!)
1 VERY VERY messy and undecorated house
75 pictures cropped poorly by snapfish requiring redo
3 trips to Walmart (see above)
1 more vomit incident on one of the trips to walmart
1 ornament purchased by husband for baby girl who is very caucasian and ornament is very NOT caucasian -- does it make a difference???? Eh, perhaps not.
1 date with husband to see Blindside which I liked very much.
1 cold spreading through family


Okay, now I need to eat some chocolate and go to bed because Little Lady likes to eat at night (see above) and I am tired!!!

Swamped

I am swamped with work, life and my need for sleep. Catcha in a week or so.

Oh, okay, I have been a slacker with my posts, but really and truly... no sleep and too much to do, no time to sit and blog. But, I am not procrastinating as I have 4 reports to write and all three kids are asleep.. I should be doing my work... but oh, guess what? Guess where I am going next weekend??? I am taking Little Man and Little Lady and heading east for some visiting. Little Lady gets to meet Grandma and Grandpa Cockrell. And, as she is only 5 months old, I am guessing Grandma and Grandpa are slightly more excited than she... BUT, I know Little Man is going to have a hard time keeping his excitement in for much longer. As it gets closer, he is getting more and more rambunctious. He tells nearly everyone where we are going and how much fun it will be. We bought a gift for Uncle Will for Christmas and he wanted to see if we could bring it with us so he could open it and (oh, darn, can't give it away on here)... enough said, he is just really excited! I am starting to feel bad that we will only be there for a couple of days. Unfortunately, school/work/airfares dictated when our trip would be, but I know we'll have a good time. We will even have time to see a couple of friends up in northern VA. yipee! The only downside to the trip (other than it will be FAR too short) is that Daddy and Squeaker won't be joining us... oh, and i booked a red eye on the way there and a 7 am flight on the way back. Silly silly silly me. Should be fun and completely exhausting. ;)

Razzzzzzzzz

Little Lady's newest fascination (well, besides rolling around the room) is blowing razzberries. You might say, "Hi there baby girl!" She'll look right at you and say, "razzzz" like she's been doing it for years! So cute and messy ;). I tried to take a picture, but she is way too interested in the camera!

Five Months Old

And so dang CUTE! Our dear little lady is quite an active little thing, too. She can't stand to be held for too long. She leans over as if to jump right out of your arms. Then, you put her down and she rolls around, playing with toys and cooing... man, to have that life! ;) Anyway, she is growing well and just a beautiful baby. I am constantly amazed at how much she is able to do. I guess I was feeling bad for her, being shuttled here and there all the time. I have not been able to sit one-on-one with her, 5 hours a day, just cooing and staring (um, I never did that with Little Man, I promise ;)) How in the world is she able to do all these fancy tricks? What a clever and highly motivated little girl. She will DEFINITELY be able to keep up with her brothers!!!

Also, the way she "talks"... hysterical. It is like she is a possessed little thing! I really need to get out the video camera.

Oh, and those pudgy little thighs! man, oh man!!!

Um, sleep, where are you?????

Where did the last few months go????? I am not sure, but it definitely was NOT spent working out, eating less carbs, yelling at my kids less. Is it January 1st already? I need to set some new resolutions! My first will be to go to bed before 10pm. Why, you ask? Well, because Miss 5-month-old-tomorrow has pretty much stopped sleeping through the night and for me, this leads to the following:
waking up twice at night
being very tired in the morning
being cranky in the morning
being impatient with the boys
yelling at the boys
feeling bad for yelling at the boys
being more cranky
drinking coffee
feeling like 1 cup should be enough then eating chocolate or other sweets to compensate for being tired and cranky
feeling bad for eating chocolate and other sweets
being too tired after the boys go to bed, or first thing in the morning to work out, so I don't
feeling bad for not working out when I am eating so horribly
and on and on and on

So, in order to break this cycle, I am going to go to bed early. How about right now. And, since there are no plans tomorrow... other than the obvious "make tons of food to consume in large quantities for Thanksgiving"... I plan to get LOTS of exercise. Anyone for a walk?

Time for a Break

Good news, no school for a week. Bad news, no school for a week. In our school district, there is no school for the whole week around Thanksgiving. I guess it is good, in theory... people might want to travel for more than 3 days. But, for those of us just hanging around the ole house, it just means more time at home. I am sure it will go by quickly, and I won't miss having to rush the boys through breakfast before we have to head out the door in the morning... but I have a feeling that I am going to love November 30th when school resumes.

I was hoping to do something fun this week... I will have to get some more rest so that I can wrestle these kids out of their jammies and on to the aquarium or the beach or wherever our free days take us! Too bad Daddy's work does not have the same vacation schedule as our schools do.

Booty

Me: what is a "booty"
Squeaker: it is like an elbow, but not an elbow
Me: huh?
Squeaker: it is like a bony skeleton thing

Go figure.

Annoying?

You know what must be annoying for parents who work full time... I mean BOTH parents working full time... A whole week where school lets out at noon, followed by an entire week off. How do they do it. Luckily, I am not having issue with this as we are in half-day kindergarten, preschool and I work part time, but I was thinking, it must be hard for those whose schedules are more rigid.

I'm cute - even when I'm sick

Ahhhhhhhh... And apparently these are some yummy fingers!

Itty Bitty Sicky

So sad... Little Lady is sick. Strange, since no one else is sick, but I guess we all have some stronger immune systems than she does. The boogies, the cough, the crankiness... let's all hope for a quick recovery.

Unable to help myself

Start 'em young, I say!

So Sad.. and expensive

I think my blackberry died. :( I am so sad and going to be more sad when I find out how much it will cost to replace it.

Movin' right along

So, Little Lady cannot be left alone on the floor... So, I stuck her in the cosleeper while I went into "the other room". When I came back, she was trying to climb out*. Son now what do I do?!

*okay, so really she rolled over and got her arm caught but she pushes off with her toes and can scoot her self across the floor. Logical next step: crawling out of bed, right?

Musing from an "older" Little Man

LM: Mommy, I don't want to grow up.
Me: What is that?
LM: Because when you grow up, you have to work. I don't want to work, I want to play all the time. That is why I don't want to grow up.
Me: You are a smart guy.
LM: Yah, I know.

Knocking on wood as we speak

I am sure I have said this before, but I HAVE to share again...

It is so wonderful to have a child that can soothe herself to sleep. I know that much of that is personality/temperment, but today I would like to take some, no, A LOT of credit for this. I chalk it up to experience- you know... Three kids and all!!

Halloween 2009

Click here to view these pictures larger

Success

Party was a success. I am tired and putting my feet up and uploading a boatload of pictures. I am pretty sure I have about a thousand pics this month alone.

Catch you in a couple days, Good night.

F.I.V.E.

That's the way we spell "a big huge no longer a baby and quite grown up" kid. Holy cow, he's old. Little Man turns 5 years old today. We are so excited for him. Five seems like such a big age to me. No real reason why, I suppose. But a kid through and through.

Well, this is a fun way to start out your birthday, eh? Yah, for some reason, some call it asthma, a small cold turns into this. But no worries, we have so much planned for today that the albuterol might actually benefit us in the long run -- nothing like jazzing a kid up on his birthday, with a party and halloween with trick or treating. We will hopefully crash tonight without as much as peep.

Little Man has come into his own this year. He has started to read, learned to ride a bike, started kindergarten, is very imaginative, loves to climb, loves his little sister and brother, curious about EVERYTHING, has quite the ability to reason and problem solve (sometimes to his parents' dismay). He is more than ready to play sports (or something simliar). He loves all things "boy" - superheros, star wars, robin hood, and the list goes on. Everything is "AWESOME".

.... and now, I have a party to get together and also have to head to work for a bit, so the rest will have to wait.

ready set go

Do laundry. I have a party to get ready for and all I can think about is the 5 loads of laundry that I still have to do! I sure wish we had planned to have halloween on saturday. hopefully next year it will be on a sunday! :)

Apparently I am too busy to even capitalize. what's up with that?

Squeaker Says

I have coughses today... but my kneeses are okay

Uh, croupy and awake quite early. :(

Busy day too - off to check out his teeth at the dentist after a faceplant at his 3 year old checkup.

Party prizes preview

As the halloween carnival/birthday bash creeps up on us, I am finally able to check stuff of my lengthy 'to do' list.

Here is tonight's small feat.

Highlights

- Little Lady stopped her blissful sleeping through the night thing in lieu of waking every 2 hours at night since she is not eating during the day. Also, does not eat when I am at work -- not unhappy, just holds out for the "real thing". Smart cookie, that one!

- Squeaker is THREE and is doing quite well. He is a bundle and a half of energy and we are happy when he does not nap because going to bed in the evening is soooo easy that way. At preschool, he is a different kid and not in a bad way, just in a non-squeaker way. We are working on that.

- Little Man is anxious for his birthday and exhibiting every negative behavior seen at school, on tv, or whatever he can come up with. It is exhausting! We are considering a trade or checking on our return policy for this one. On the other hand, he is exuberant and eager to learn and loves school and really really really wants to do karate now that we forced him to take an introductory lesson.

- I am doing okay. This month I have found has filled up very quickly and I can't believe how little time I have to sit on my couch eating bon bons. It is the beginning of the tend as my mom points out. The beginning of a crazy "go here go there" life. I am in the midst of preparing for the big birthday/halloween bash and also getting my ducks in a row for adding on another day at work. All this excitement leaves the house a total disaster so I am also trying to figure out how to fix that little problem. ;)

Once I upload some birthday prep pictures, I will post... limited time at the computer these days.

Celebrate, Celebrate, have a good time

It is time to celebrate. We are having a birthday party for Little Man this year. He is turning FIVE after all. FIVE. FIVE! What the heck?! Since when are we the parents of a full grown KID. Not a baby, not a toddler, not a preschooler... a K. I. D!!!!! Yikes! He is quite excited to have friends again, so a party it is. Check out these invitations:

Squeaker's Big Day

Today, our little monkey, our very cute (and loud squeaker) turns THREE! Three just kinda snuck up on us.

Happy Birthday my big boy!

What to do for our Wild Things....

So, should we see the movie or not??? My source tells me that it might be a bit scary and difficult to follow for my boys. I read some reviews and saw more about the "scary" parts and it seems that it may indeed be a tad scary... especially for our Little Man. I am not quite sure I want to forgo the movie however, because it talks about being angry and frustrated and that is EXACTLY what we are dealing with at home! It might be a great teaching tool. Or maybe I want to see it enough that I am willing to scare my kids??? The movie is part of our birthday celebration for Squeaker. I don't think he'll get scared. He does quite well with scary things... at least, much better than his brother*. If you have seen it, and read this before we go tomorrow morning and want to talk me out of it, now is your chance!

*examples of "scary" movies for LM: Tale of Despereaux, Great Mouse Detective, Land Before Time, Toy Story 2, Lion King, Snow White, Sled Dogs... "scary" most often means "nervous" and he doesn't handle "nervous" well.

All the way rolly polly

Ugh. So, Little Lady is quite clever and is now rolling front to back as well as back to front, which means... she rolls across the floor -- luckily in one direction only, so we can still find her after being left alone for 30 seconds. ;)

Rolly Almost Polly

Well, Little Lady can roll over. Sigh. She is so adorable when doing it, too. Double sigh. She rolls from her back to her tummy... which seems to be the hardest way to go, but she is sure determined. I LOVE IT. And, if I was a good mommy, I would have some awesome video footage, but I did manage to charge the camcorder after she rolled... that is a start!

Busy Weekends Begin

It seems that our weekends have started to fill up. Thus begins that stage in our lives when our weekends are full of fun and adventure, planned and executed according to our calendar. This morning we are dividing and conquering. The two boys are off to the movies with GaMommy, I am off to work, and Daddy has some yard work to do. We have a few weeks before we are inviting people over to celebrate LM's birthday, people we hardly know. People I am not quite sure I want to see the disaster that is our home.... yet. :)

I have so many errands to run, and after last nights "quick" grocery store trip with the three kids... I have decided to wait until I am sans kids (or at least some kids) to finish up those errands. Our purpose was to get out of our clean house to go gets some beer for our game night with some friends. Little Lady was tired and needed a nap, Squeaker did not nap despite our best efforts, and Little Man did not nap long enough and was way too excited about his friends joining us for the evening. All I needed was beer. I hauled the three kids into the store with nice gentle reminders to walk nicely in the store and stay with me. Little Man was half walking half running ahead to get in and get out. Squeaker was walking with his eyes looking everywhere but in front of him and I am pretty sure he walked into every single shopper and their cart in the entire store. Little Lady cried the whole time and even the cashier tried to coo at her to no avail. Ahhh... the glamorous life of parenthood... and I looked like a such a lush just going in for beer with my 3 kids -- Why yes, I did need it that badly. :) Funny thing is, it seemed like a good idea at the time - silly me. I was about ready to open up a bottle in the checkout line, and I don't even drink beer!!!!

Boy, that was a tangent. Anyhow, working on the weekend is a nice escape, extra moolah, and it means we are off and running every Saturday! Let the games begin!

Decided

* working more starting in November.

* to give up the fight for Squeaker's nap and let him be a zombie the second half of the day. This one should be a post of its own.

* wording for invitations to Little Man's party

* Little Lady is the best baby... 2 nights in a row she has slept from 8pm to 6am- granted she won't know that I have opened my big mouth

The "How much do I want to work" dilemma

Working one day a week has proven to be just enough to throw a wrench in the week. I spend half the day catching up and getting into a "groove" (or whatever it is that makes me not feel flustered). Then the school day is over at 2. It really isn't working for me. And I greatly dislike bringing my work home with me since I would much rather devote all my attention to my busy little ones at home. So, I decided I either needed to work more or less. (less = not at all). I decided that the extra money is nice, and I like what I do, so more work it is. Now that LL is getting bigger, I feel more comfortable leaving her in someone else's care. So, the search for daycare for an infant returns... wish me luck. Once I find that, I need to decide how much I want to work.

What I would love is to work full time and be at home full time... uh, that is not happening unless I clone myself and the technology just isn't there yet (although someone can dispute this, I am sure). So, do I work 2 days a week? 3 mornings a week? or what?

Fall is here

Finally. and Suddenly. We went from 90 degree weather to 65 degrees. Crazy! But, it is nice, since it is October after all. And, you know what I don't miss -- raking leaves. I am sooooo glad we are in California this fall. Last fall was all new and exciting, but now that we are mostly settled in, I am really appreciating those hours a day spent raking in years past. And, yet, amazingly, I have no free time. It doesn't help that I am completely exhausted. My dear LL is sick. Snotty sick. So, sleeping in the horizontal position leads to several wakeups a night due to the inability to breathe comfortably through that tiny little nose. We are great friends, the 'boogie-sucker' and I. :)

Hopefully the next few days will allow us to catch up on some much needed sleep and perhaps then give me back some brain cells so I can keep up with this blog!

Looking forward, I see lots of party, halloween and birthday prep going on. Perhaps you can help? First order of business, finding a cute birthday/halloween party invitation to copy. My favorite right now is making a mummy by wrapping the card in gauze. I am sure there are more creative ideas out there, but as mentioned above, lacking brain power at the moment. ;)

Terrible Mommy

So, usually, I send out a photo slideshow to friends and family... where I have to narrow down 300 some pictures to a reasonable number to view -- say 40-60. Sometimes I exceed that cuz my kids are so dang cute, but this month... a whopping 25 pictures. And, I have no excuse whatsoever. My new camera works and has been with me most of the time. My only excuse is that I am lame. This month will be more exciting, I am sure. I mean, come on, two birthdays... what more could you ask for. HOLY COW... BIRTHDAYS!!!!! When did this happen. We just moved here and just had birthdays. We are going to be 2 and 4 forever. No way anyone around here is allowed to grow up into a KID... aughhh... 5 years old seems old to me. Like the end of a child, toddler, preschooler, etc... and now a full fledged KID! Yikes. I am the parent of a Real Live KID.

Anyhow, I need to go tag some 300 or so items for the upcoming consignment sale while LL sleeps, LM at school, and Squeaker glued to the Great Mouse Detective. Have you seen this... so cute.

Sleep is GOOD

This is never more clear than when you don't get it. :) Our Little Lady has been amazing and has been consistently sleeping until about 5:30am. Of course, she is up for the day then, usually. But, I will TAKE it. :)

Yesterday was a sleep disaster! Our lovely boys decided that neither wanted to take naps, and just before we gave up, they both fell asleep. We woke them at dinnertime, but probably should have done it sooner or not let them nap. They were both still awake at 9:30pm when I went up to bed. Ugh. So, thinking that they would sleep in, I merrily went off to bed. Little Lady, uncharacteristically woke at 2:30ish and had a bear of a time going back to sleep. I must admit, I had become accustomed to a nice night's sleep! Anywho, she finally went back to sleep just before 4, and then less than 2 hours later, guess who woke up... BOTH the boys. Not sure why, but it was an early start to the day for sure. Hoping today goes much better in the sleep department. This is by far not our worst night, but makes us skittish for naps today. :) Wish us luck!

Cool Rider

Sorry for the video quality... i was using my phone and holding the baby. you get the gist, right?

Laughter

Seems like it has been a while, and I am sure there is a bunch of stuff I should report...

I have just enough brain power tonight to let you know that our darling little one has started to laugh. She does not dole those out willy nilly either. I have heard it a couple times now and several "almosts". It is adorable to see her break out in the biggest grin ever and yet not quite big enough for that laugh. She sure is a cutie!!!



oops, wrong picture. ;) hee hee

Beautiful and Delicious

yummm

Mailbox Game

Here is a fun way to get your kids quickly to/from school. One child runs ahead to the first mailbox and waits to get a high five. Then the second child runs to the next mailbox. It helps that in our neighborhood the mailboxes are clumped together every 3 or 4 houses. Makes for longer runs. ;) Added bonus, the younger child is quite tired at the end of the walk and is willing to sit and play nicely while you are being productive (or not). Unfortunately, still doesn't make him tired enough for a nap. :(. I am not sure of the draw, but they love giving each other high-5s. And, good turn-taking!

Afternoon Fun

Guess what we made today???




In general, I reserve messy activities for when I have had a lot of sleep and thus have accumulated lots of patience. I did not do that today, but it turned out okay - for like 30 minutes... 30 minutes of wonderfulness. ;) Perhaps I just need to have 5 similar activities lined up so that once they get tired of one, I am guaranteed at least another 30 min???

Positive Reinforcement

We have a dilemma:

What do you do if there is not a positive reinforcer greater than playing with your brother???

So, we decided that we were going to put the boys together in a room again for several reasons that are all now seeming not so worth it. Anyhow, it is not working out so great - this sharing a room thing. We have the "Bedroom Rules" followed by "Good Bedroom Behavior" (basically the rules but with all positives) and a sticker chart for when they follow all the rules and have good bedroom behavior. Now, they could care less about the rules when there is a fun playmate in the bed next to them. It would probably be a whole lot better if they were not so into playing together. And, if they could control themselves. They have earned one sticker each, in the past week. Not good. We even stagger the bedtimes - which is not the problem - it is the waking up at the crack of dawn, or earlier, that is the problem. Whoever wakes up first (and it is usually the older one) goes over to wake up his brother. This wouldn't be so bad if it was 6:30 or 7am... but it isn't. And, inevitably, it wakes everyone else up, too. :( I went to bed at 8:30pm last night and am considering doing it again tonight. I am so tired of this. any suggestions?

Sleep Preference

On her tummy
On our bed
Sucking her fingers

... Haven't seen much of her today!

Playdates

It has been a long long time. Long long time. We finally have resumed having playdates with actual children who are, can you believe it, the same age as my children. Squeaker was lucky enough to have a friend when we moved here. Just about 3 months younger, our family friend's son has a little boy who lives about 5 minutes away. Nice. Little Man, on the other hand, has been going up to random adults in the neighborhood asking if they have kids for him to play with. Poor thing. Luckily, school has started and since it is half-day, there are a bunch of stay at home moms who come everyday with their kindergarten children in tow. Some of us got together after school today (and will, every Wednesday) for a picnic at our local park and some playing. It was lovely. We, of course, had to leave early cuz one boy was pushing others down and the other was throwing mulch, but prior to that... lovely. :) It was great to talk to other moms and watch our children beat each other up. ;)

TKB

In order to hold myself accountable, I have decided to post on here about my new venture... Turbo Kick Boxing. At one point in my life, I may have been able to do this quite well, but tonight told another story entirely. I am much heavier, less flexible and more out of shape than I once was -- which contributes to my ghastly performance at this evening's TKB class. Oh well, the instructor is nice, the other people in the class are also beginners, and it gets me out of the house at bedtime. Sorry Daddy! :)

I am going to stick with it and hope to get myself back into some sort of shape (other than round)! Keep you posted... but not too frequently.

Monkeys in a bed

I am so glad we splurged for the king!

Yummm

Remember how Little Lady was working on getting her fist to her mouth the other day? Well, yesterday she spent 95% of her awake time working on that skill. Seriously, even when she was supposed to be eating, she wanted to get her fist in her mouth. Eventually she'll get that thumb out from under her fingers and we'll have an official thumb sucker... but in the meantime it is all work and no play around here:

I see fist... struggle struggle squawk struggle
I can get it into my mouth... num num suck suck
Ack, involuntary spasm
Where did that fist go?
Ah, I see it again... concentrate, concentrate, squawk, struggle
Finally... suck suck suck
Dang, another spasm...
repeat over and over and over and over until I fall asleep.

Big Day

Little Lady is 2 months old!!!!!

And, she loves her bouncy seat, talking/cooing, sucking on her fist, and looking as adorable as can be!

Squeaker's First Day of Preschool

**EDIT: Must give credit where credit is due... GaMommy took these wonderful pictures since Mommy had to work (boo hoo)**

First Day of School

Little Man started Kindergarten this week. He is SO ready for Kindergarten, and if weren't for the age, maturity, and motor development, he would be ready for 1st grade...

Before we even moved to this school district, we were going to put LM in this kindergarten program. It is a special program for those children with late birthdays or who might need another year before the rigors of the full-day K program. Apparently, it isn't like it was when we were young. In kindergarten, they are expected to write sentences, stories, and illustrations. I seem to remember that was what you learned in 1st grade! Times have changed. Anyway, since his birthday is in October, and he tends to shy away from writing/coloring/finger-related activities and gravitates more to run run run/sword-fight/attack/chase/hide/scream/yell. Yes, all boy! So, we thought it would be best to place him in a 2-year kindergarten program. He has one year of half-day K that focuses on basic skills required for the full day curriculum the following year. One more year to grow!

So, the first day of school... it was spectacular. He was a little emotional (just like his mom - excitement and nervousness) but went in and just did beautifully. He is, apparently, a good listener and already made an impression on the teacher. ;) As long as he does it at school, that is all I really care about. He is a bit sad that he can't go all day, but there is time enough for that. It actually works out well that he goes 1/2 day since he still naps. The best part for me, we can walk to and from school. No driving and hauling kids in and out for a 2 minute drive. It is heavenly. Just a stroller, beautiful weather and a little bit of exercise.

Back at work

So, it occurred to me that I didn't start working again after LM and Squeaker until they were over a year old. And, poor Little Lady is being torn from her mother's arms before she is even 2 months old. POOR THING!!!!! I am glad to be at work and soooo thankful that I work for an employer that is so incredibly flexible to allow me to work just one day a week. I am even more thankful that my mom, wonderful GaMommy, is able to arrange her schedule to watch the kid(s) while I work... it sure does make everything just so much easier. And, since it is the beginning of the year, I have had to work 2 days in a row, and am now more confident than ever that one day a week is just right for me!

Just a heads up, I will be sobbing in my lap for the next 12 hours, as my boys will be starting Kindergarten and Preschool respectably. :( Sigh.

Random Trip to Expensive Theme Park

We took an impromptu trip to Sea World today... very spur of the moment... and I am so glad we did. We called Aunt Coleen to join us (since she wasn't working) and enjoyed the sunny Southern California weather. It was great - even without the naps. I didn't expect the boys to make it as long as we did (to dinner time) but they did quite well and had a fabulous time. Thankfully, they have a good AAA discount and I ignored the part where we are poor. :)

Yay, Mail!

What an exciting mail day... I finally purchased and received my brand new camera. It is so cute and small. I decided to go with Canon, since I loved my last one (that I apparently broke) so much. I found a good deal it when I was searching for searching around for something unrelated to this camera. I got distracted. And purchased my camera. My cute little green camera!



Now, I don't have to worry about breaking my mom's camera anymore and having to replace two. And, I have a cute green camera that fits right in my pocket without a problem.

Another exciting bit of mail came, a package from a dear college friend who apparently has nothing better to do with her time than make quilts. Check out this quilt:



Adorable! And... it adds a nice balance to all the pink we have accumulated in our house in the past month. THANK YOU!!!

The storm before the calm

I am baffled by how often I miss all the signs. Without fail, I misread certain 'signs' as ' someone has replaced my 4 yo with the devil!'. These 'signs', if interpreted correctly, would all point to 'SICK'.

Yesterday, Little Man had a horrible no good verrrrry bad day (...All details have been blocked from my mind). Today, he took a nap at 8am and again at 1:30pm and has been coughing, wheezing and generally content to sit on the couch. Um, sick.

Why do I never see it coming- even though Daddy was sick, I was sick and Little Lady was sick (currently getting over it), and LM had a runny nose yesterday- I mean, all the signs were there! The good news is, he was not replaced by the devil AND he is extremely more helpful when sick (and blowing germs into his sister's face) and helped LL burp after her meal. I am glad the storm has passed and am enjoying the calm while it lasts.

My parents got a washer and all I got was this box

Luckily, Daddy is so creative and turned an ordinary, plain, HUGE box into a CASTLE!!! Comes complete with drawbridge with string to pull it up and down.

It was looking a little pitiful in the garage, so I moved it into the backyard and let the boys loose with some leftover craft paint that was clumping. Boy were they a mess... and there are a few areas of stucco that are now green on the back of our house... but it was worth it for the end result. A multicolor castle. Gorgeous!!!

Caffeine Experiment

So, you know how kids with ADHD are given stimulant medications to improve their attention? Well, I decided that I would try a little 'holistic' experiment. Completely unscientific, you understand, but not totally off the mark.

My theory is as follows:

Can't physically sit still, even with bribery or by playing the 'statue' game=ADHD
ADHD(sometimes =) stimulant medication
Stimulant=Caffeine
Caffeine=Dark chocolate covered espresso beans (20 of them to be precise)

Beans ready to go - there were 20 to start (a serving size was 22)
Eating the beans - some encouragement to eat more than one at a time in less than 30 minutes. he savored every last bite.
Delicious -- note the chocolate drool, so tasty

Results:

Well, I would have to say, I was prepared for the worst - like it would not work at all, he'd be so hyper we'd have to get the ladder down to remove him from the chandelier (that he was playing with during lunch - aughh). I might even go as far as to say that he was notably calmer. I would definitely try again to determine test-retest reliability.

Discussion:

No actual determination of how much caffeine was consumed leads to difficulty with retest opportunities. I doubt he'd go for a cup of coffee with breakfast. Actually, I take that back, he is strange like that - such as oral sensory kiddo - loves lemons, limes, sour, spicy, sweet, and crunchy, so perhaps he'd like strong bitter coffee???

*Note: THIS IS NOT A RECOMMENDATION TO TRY THIS AT HOME!!!!! No actual research was performed. I don't know that I would even recommend doing this to anyone else's child, unless they were as sleep deprived and impatient as I was today.

Soooo Big!

I don't know how big she is, but seems like Little Lady must have doubled in size in the last 2 weeks. I am not sure what happened to my newborn, she has turned into a full on baby. :( I have decided that I am going to have to keep track of her milestones online since I am one full baby book behind. Having stuff packed up for years doesn't promote task completion over here! Squeaker should have his baby book done by the time he is 18... and, Little Lady, I just hope you get one. Right now I am thinking I might start an online journal or blog for the sole purpose of milestone tracking... however, I can barely keep up this little blog these days. I am hoping that changes, though.

This thing looks so yummy... I keep seeing it fly in front of my face. Must focus to get in mouth...

Sweet Success

Musing from Little Man

As we sat on the couch watching Shrek and i was feeding Little Lady, Little Man looks over at me and says:

LM: You know what? I wish I was a mom.
Me: Really, how come?
LM: So I would know if it tickles when babies eat.
Me: It doesn't tickle.
LM: Oh, well, I still want to know.
Me: Not gonna happen, just take my word for it.
LM: Okay.

Last night

It is our last night camping and I really wish it weren't. We have had a great time and have embraced the dirt full on. I see lots of socks that just aren't gonna make it. Anyway, although camping with kids is more work than camping solo, it is by far worth it and I have to say, Little Lady did quite well, too. She is still in her sleepy phase. Packing up will be a bit more difficult, but, again, worth it!

Naps - part 3

Naps - part 2

Naps - part 1

Camping

We are camping this week at the beach. Little Lady was not super cooperative during my designated packing time but we got it done. The campground is near Santa Barbara and is on the beach. We can hear the waves rolling onto shore as we sleep and we can sit and stare at the ocean all day- or in those few moments when we aren't chasing the kids around.

The drive yesterday was pleasant... Except for when we had to stop in the 108 degree temps. Luckily, W0 minutes later, and a drive over the mountains, it was like 30 degrees cooler.

And, after our first night as a family of five camped in one monstrous tent, we are officially on vacation! 5am wake ups and all (Little Man may have set a new record!). Little lady did well with minimal crying/complaining. And squeaker managed to sleep slightly past his siblings - he didn't have a chance with all the noise of the other two!

Sibling snuggle time

Little Man really does adore his sister.

My thoughts on Three

First week with three on my own, sorta. (Lucky for me, Daddy is working from home these days, which has been helpful at times, even though it is distracting for the boys at other times.) Anyhow, here is what I think -- oh, I guess I should preface this by mentioning that we are experimenting with no naps all around for the boys. Squeaker gave them up a short time ago. He has always had a difficult time getting himself calmed down to fall asleep and it really was inevitable. Little Man, despite being 2 years older, still requires a nap -- which has become more evident by our little experiment. I have no problem with only one kid napping, however, their schedules are not coinciding. LM wakes at the crack of dawn or earlier. This is one of the biggest factors to his needing the midday nap. They both go to bed at 7-ish each night without problems. Squeaker wakes a couple hours later and thus does not need the nap. Our experiment is primarily to see if LM has it in him to sleep later. Result: Nope. I am pretty sure he will never sleep past 6:30. So far it has happened maybe... once?

So, I am considering going back on our experiment and letting the poor zombie kid sleep. I am also incredibly tired and physically exhausted - you know, the whole waking up in the night for an hour or so each time -- so I could use the break. I just wish I could convince Squeaker to join his brother. Any suggestions? :)

Oh yah, so back to what I think... um, three is awesome and quite difficult at the same time. We can have several wonderful hours when everyone is in sync and I am happy, then, just after lunch, things go downhill rapidly and I can feel that happiness slip away with the weight everything. I need to figure out when to get me a glass of wine.

Conclusion: Mommy needs a break.

Weekend Wrapup

We had such a wonderful weekend, I just have to share. We were blessed with some special visitors. Firstly, Grandma West came down for a visit and to meet her 13th great grandchild. 13 is a lot of great grand children. Especially since she has 4 more grandchildren that have yet to add to that number. Little Lady had a great time snoozing on Grandma's shoulder and in her arms throughout the weekend. She is the perfect size. LM and Squeaker are too big for that now. ;)

And, if that wasn't excitement enough, my best friend came down with her mom and her daughter. I love that we live close enough that we have been able to see each other 3 times already this year and we were barely able to see each other once a year when we lived on the east coast. We didn't do a whole lot - but it was great. I even got a girl's night of shopping out of it. I can't tell you the last time I have been to the mall sans whiny kids. It was delightful. We did have a 2 week old tag-a-long, but she slept the whole time, so I can't complain. And, then, as a trial run for next week, we took everyone to the beach. It was wonderful. The boys, despite being tired, had a great time and did very well. I should have put on sunscreen and perhaps we should have given Squeaker some sunglasses* but all in all, it was perfect weather, kids had fun and the day was amazing.

*did you know that you can get a sunburn on your eyeballs?

Sweet sleeping baby

I have a problem. I can't stop gushing over the sweet little bundle of sleepiness. It just melts my heart.

Please Hold

Can't blog now, have been very busy starring at the baby (and eating cake). Can't stop staring. So cute and small. And, as an added bonus, she does not talk back, throw toys or fight with her brothers... yet! ;)

Potty Update

Going on 2 weeks now, Squeaker is a potty trained little boy. He just decided one day to wake up with a dry diaper and hasn't turned back. Great timing, eh? Usually parents put off potty training when there is going to be a new baby in the house for fear of a regression. Well, since Squeaker demands individuality, he did it all himself. Can I get a Hal-le-lujah!!! We just squeaked by to have only one kid in diapers at a time. Woo Hoo.

The only problem is not wanting to leave his toys. He holds his underwear and does the potty dance until he can't hold it any longer. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes he almost makes it. So, if he were an only child, he'd be 100%. Hopefully he'll learn really quick that he can go pee fast and come right back to his toys and that his big brother won't take his toys while he is gone. In the meantime, we'll just have extra undies at the ready for those 'almost' moments.

Excuses

So, I am pulling the "I just had a baby, cut me some slack" excuse. For everything. I feel like I should be more productive given the number of things going on in my head... but alas, I just had surgery less than a week ago and I am still recovering. I am using the excuse on myself this time. Unfortunately, my brain wants me to get things done.

Anyhow, I have been sending out monthly photos to friends and family since Little Man was born. It has been great for those who don't live close, but even better for me because I have been able to keep track of the highlights over the months. Unfortunately, Kodak Gallery decided that they were going to delete my photos if I didn't pay them an annual fee. Of course, I refused, being the stubborn girl that I am, and they really did delete them all. I do have all the pics on my computer and my back up hard drive, but no longer do I have the whittled down version. Instead of 50 pics a month, I have like 200 each month to go through to find the highlights. All that hard work for 4 years is gone gone gone. So, last month I switched to a different photo sharing site. And, this month, I decided that I would also try to include these pictures on this blog. I have been having a tough time finding a spot within the layout I have chosen, so I am going to just post them in today's post and hope that I can find a layout or design a layout someday to accommodate my picture addiction. Enjoy.

Click here to view these pictures larger

And then there were three

We are officially outnumbered. And quite fortunate to have added a beautiful little girl to the mix. So far she is pleasant and cries very little. Keep it up Little Girl.

The baby and I will head home today and the boys are very happy about that. Although it will be a tired couple of days, months, years... I am really excited to see our new family unit in our new house in our new neighborhood.

Ah, memories

Now I remember what it is like to stay up all night, to hear the desperate plea for help when there is an air bubble, and those first few messy diapers! It is all coming back to me!

She sure is cute though! Except she looks a little mad in this picture. But she is sleeping so that is good. Now I have to think of a fitting blog name for her. I mean we FINALLY decide on a name and now I have to think of another... Come on.

When the boys came for a visit yesterday, Little Man asked, "Is she a real baby?". How cute is that. Oh, and Squeaker wanted to touch her spit bubbles. Ahhhhh. Should be fun having this new plaything around!

After

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Before

or maybe this is the "After" for the pregnancy? Anyway, off to the hospital. Can't wait to meet you little girl -- or as Squeaker says, "Baby Sister".

Undecided

I know the whole "planned c-section" is what many families choose when given the option - usually having had a prior c-section. I am scheduled to go in tomorrow morning and am still really hoping, hoping, hoping that this baby comes on her own. I don't know why, maybe just because I don't really want to have the surgery, or maybe it is just because I like drama, I am not sure, but I sure would love to go into labor on my own. Both the boys came when they wanted to, so why can't this baby girl? There are some benefits to knowing when you will have the baby: GaMommy is babysitting, less stress and anxiety, etc... but I still think that she should have joined us by now. It would have been so nice. So, I am going to walk up and down the stairs until the boys wake up from their naps. It seems like the only logical thing to do. I have like 20 hours -- let's go already.

Oh, and I think we have a name. We can check that one off the list. Although, since she is arrive tomorrow, I am sure you can deal with the suspense for just one little day.

Happy Father's Day to us

Several appliances later, we are flat broke. We went out on Saturday to buy a washing machine and were unsuccessful... mainly because we brought the boys with us. So, Sunday, we decided to do it again, mostly because we are glutton for punishment. And, surprisingly, when you set your expectations so very low, you have nothing to do but come out ahead... and with a refridgerator. Uh, so, we got sidetracked. But it is a great fridge and we DID need one. It was on the list. The washer was first, then the fridge. Then the dishwasher and then the dryer which should take care of all our major appliances - unless we can't figure out how to get our a/c to work before it gets hot.

Anyhow, after spending a good amount at our local home improvement store on our shiny new fridge, we decided to go celebrate father's day and go out to lunch. While at lunch, GaMommy informed us that there was a sale on a washer at our local major electronics store, so we sent the boys home with her to nap (she is wonderful!) and went to check out the sale. Unfortunately, the sale was really good and the washer was amazing. And, most unfortunately, the dryer was also on sale so we got both. YIKES! We spent the rest of the afternoon diverting our attention away from our bone dry bank account and just relaxed and did nothing. Just as a father's day should be!

So, after emptying the dishwasher and having to rewash 25% of the dishes, I think we need to win the lottery to increase the likelihood that a new dishwasher finds its way to our house sometime soon.

It was a good father's day and we are so thankful to have such a wonderful Daddy to take care of us. Daddy, you are wonderful and we love love love you so much.

What to Do?????

I found my camera. Woo Hoo
I took two or three pictures. Horray.
My camera stopped working. Boo.

What am I going to do? If I run out and get a new camera, my current one (which is lovely, by the way) will start working again. :( If I don't get one, I will go into labor tonight and miss the most important day of our little girls' life... Oh, and we can't buy a camera because we need a washing machine that cleans the clothes instead of making them dirtier. I don't know how that is possible, but it is.

1 week to go

Yikes. Really? 1 Week???

So, I had my last OB appt before the scheduled arrival of our little baby girl. Everyone, and that list now includes me, is convinced this baby is going to hold out until next Thursday. She is still flipping around all over the place, turning head over heels and doesn't appear to want to settle down. Although I am significantly uncomfortable, I do believe that she is doing it all for me. I mean, our house is coming along and in a livable state, which is good. I highly recommend moving 3 weeks before you are due to have a baby - especially if you are particularly exuberant 'nester'. :) I might even be able to park my car in the garage by next week!!!! :)

Check off list:

living room converted to playroom CHECK
Bassinet assembled CHECK
family room comfy and pretty much 'put together' CHECK
Baby clothes washed CHECK
Bedrooms cleaned and ordered CHECK
Car seat installed CHECK
Clothes washed (this week) CHECK
House vacuumed CHECK

Still left to do:

Find trash can
dust
have baby
make some dinners
replace essentially all appliances
fix roof/balcony
clean garage

Fun times ahead this week! Woo Hoo!!!
And, it is Father's Day on Sunday. How exciting.

Lost

Oh my, I don't know what to do... I lost my camera! I am lost without it. I tend to take, on average, 100-200 pictures a month-- this month... a big fat goose egg. :( I am especially anxious about this with the new baby coming. Whatever will I do???? Luckily I found my SLR today, so at least I can carry that around. I just hope that I am quick enough to take pictures of my speedy little ones.

So, anyone know where it is??? I can tell you this, it is not with the sleeping bags that were lost for 2 years. Those have been found. I need to find the new black hole. I seriously have looked everywhere!!!!! But, I guess I haven't since it is still gone.

"Closure Update"

On this post, I had mentioned how many things we had on our task list that I wanted closure on... well, here is the update:

• Baby still has no name     Narrowed down to 2 names, for the moment
  
• Our new house is a MESS and unlivable for the moment     House is livable but a mess... the garage is cleaner but the house is fuller
  
• I thought I was done at work, but found out on my 'last' day that an IEP had been scheduled for this Thursday, so I have to go in... AGAIN     Work is done, checked out, and not to be thought of until August
  
• Our house is full of boxes, misplaced and broken down furniture.     Fewer boxes, more "stuff" (although not yet put away), and furniture might be in its final resting place
  
• Squeaker is a royal mess -- he is wild, excitable, teething, etc.    Squeaker is mellowing out.  He is sleeping in our old queen size bed, in his own room, sleeping through the night again, and in general, doing well (knocking on wood as I write this)
  
• I don't fit into my clothes anymore.     Clothes still don't fit, maybe even fewer fit?
  
• Little Man wants to move into our new house and asks several times a day if we can. It is driving me crazy.     Moved in, living in the chaos, and everyone except Squeaker is happy with our new home (Squeaker asks to go "HOME RIGHT NOW" several times a week -- meaning back to GaMommy's house)
  
• We need way too much stuff for our new house - that is what happens when you get rid of everything (cleaning supplies, condiments, everything you don't move cross country)     Our purchase list is dwindling... just need to acquire some yard equipment which is low priority given we have found the fridge and washing machine are WAY below my low standards. 
  
• I am uncomfortable and would love very much if baby-no-name comes a bit early, assuming the ultrasound goes well on Monday     Ultrasound went well and baby can come but the time to come early is running out.  I am scheduled for a c-section on the 25th!
  
• We have not moved out of my mom's house and really can't given the state of our new house -- okay, I would put up a picture, but I went to the house yesterday to meet with a roofer and the boys were HORRIBLY behaved (I know, you are shocked) so I couldn't even take a minute to catch our mess on camera. Besides, the garage door needs repair... ooo, next bullet
  
• Our house needs a new garage door opener, roof repair, huge and dangerous trampoline gone out of the backyard, gaping hole of a spa covered and secured, exposed wiring in boys' bedrooms covered, side gate latches installed, new windows, screens, oh dear... is there more, probably, but this is a good start.     Have had quotes on our repairs and are deciding on which are the most important to get done.  We have cleaned and covered the spa and the trampoline has been relocated to GaMommy's house.  Oh, and exposed wiring covered appropriately.  
  

I CAN'T FIND MY CAMERA!!!!!  Lost in the move!!!!  :(  BOO HOO BOO HOO

Oo-De-Lally

The song of the month, compliments of a recently discovered VHS tape watched approximately 4 times in the last week -- We finally have cable, so it might have been watched more often than that. ;)

Oo-De-Lally - Robin Hood and Little John

Mommy's cranky

9 months pregnant and feeling like 12 mos pregnant... so just leave me alone for 5 minutes!

Note to self: what kind of a crazy woman brings two energy-filled, loud, and impatient children to home depot, by herself when 12 months pregnant, anyway????? Dumb dumb dumb. need to rest. too much to do. can't rest cuz brain won't shut off. Need to nest...now.

On another note, we finally have internet in our house. woo hoo. unfortunately it is not wireless (yet) and although I would very much like to hole away in the corner of the house that has the ethernet cable, I cannot without assuming that the rest of the house is likely to be destroyed or a child injured in my 'absence'.

Brief pause

Let us pause briefly to mention that despite a rocky start to sleeping in the new house, we now have 2 simultaneously sleeping boys. I am so excited I can't relax enough to take a nap myself, which I desperately need!!!!!

WOO HOO

Counting Down

3 weeks from today, Baby Girl will arrive on the scene whether she likes it or not... hopefully she will decide to come a bit earlier... cross your fingers. Three weeks is a long time and really not all that long at the same time. 3 weeks, holy cow! Where did these past 9 months go?????

Closure

I think I need some closure on a few items... some may call this 'nesting', I call it 'way too many things on my mind':

• Baby still has no name
  
• Our new house is a MESS and unlivable for the moment 
  
• I thought I was done at work, but found out on my 'last' day that an IEP had been scheduled for this Thursday, so I have to go in... AGAIN
  
• Our house is full of boxes, misplaced and broken down furniture.
  
• Squeaker is a royal mess -- he is wild, excitable, teething, etc.
  
• I don't fit into my clothes anymore.
  
• Little Man wants to move into our new house and asks several times a day if we can. It is driving me crazy.
  
• We need way too much stuff for our new house - that is what happens when you get rid of everything (cleaning supplies, condiments, everything you don't move cross country)
  
• I am uncomfortable and would love very much if baby-no-name comes a bit early, assuming the ultrasound goes well on Monday
  
• We have no moved out of my mom's house and really can't given the state of our new house -- okay, I would put up a picture, but I went to the house yesterday to meet with a roofer and the boys were HORRIBLY behaved (I know, you are shocked) so I couldn't even take a minute to catch our mess on camera. Besides, the garage door needs repair... ooo, next bullet
  
• Our house needs a new garage door opener, roof repair, huge and dangerous trampoline gone out of the backyard, gaping hole of a spa covered and secured, exposed wiring in boys' bedrooms covered, side gate latches installed, new windows, screens, oh dear... is there more, probably, but this is a good start.
  

Anyhow, my mind is constantly going and I just want to sit here all day and finish up some craft projects and I really can't because I can't sit for more than 20 minutes without feeling like someone hit me with a sharp object from behind or having to go pee.

Wait, I really shouldn't be posting anything these days, seems like all I can muster up to write are complaints complaints and more complaints. My point is supposed to be, we need to get some of these tasks completed so we can all have piece of mind.

Achy

INSERT LOTS OF COMPLAINING HERE

Done.

Now I can go to bed. Is 8pm too early?

Update time

House Update: All paperwork has been signed and all docs have gone through (as far as we know) so as of next Tuesday, we are homeowners once again. Wanna see a picture???


We have a few little things to do before we move in, so we may take a week or so to move. And by "we", I really mean "everyone else except for me since I can barely move" :)

Which leads me to the next update... Baby Update: No baby yet. I am about as far along as I was with Squeaker when he decided to join us... which is a little bit worrisome. I am now officially in complain mode and am quite uncomfortable. This belly is rather large and when I saw my profile yesterday, I could not believe it! I would show you a picture, but my mirror broke. So, I have another ultrasound scheduled for the beginning of June to find out how things are looking for delivery. My C-section date is already scheduled, we'll see if I can make it that long. I am guessing not. Just a hunch.

Oh, and I forgot to mention that my sister and my mom threw me a baby shower. I don't know what the ettiquitte is for a 3rd baby baby shower, but it was really fun to see those that came and we played games and ate yummy food and really, what more could you ask for???

Current kid update: School is done for Squeaker and Little Man has about one more week. I am excited for summer and we have a lot going on. It will be nice to sit at home and yell at them to be nice to each other for a couple of months. Little Man is now a full blown kid. He is no longer anywhere close to being a baby, toddler, or even a preschooler. He thirsts for knowledge and looks like a 10 year old on some days. Squeaker is still managing to turn my hair grey with his sleeping troubles. He goes to sleep well at night these days (knock on wood) but nap time is horrendous. I would stop having him nap, but it is not that he isn't tired -- he will keep himself up by talking to his hands. Then, as he is dozing off, will wake himself up and go crazy just so he doesn't fall asleep. AUGHH... the worst part is, we have to pay for it later on in the day - from when he gets out of bed until we get him back in again. Periodically, Daddy will go for a jog and take him along and he will sleep almost instantaneously. Just nap already!!!!!

No other updates at the moment. I have been so busy getting things done and dealing with house/kid/work things that my body is just pooped by the time I can sit. So, I don't sit... I lie down... thus the lack of posting because it is really hard to type sideways. :) And, given that things aren't slowing down any time soon, I don't think the situation is going to improve much in the next month.

Feeling like a Parent

Instead of feeling like a mom, I am feeling like a Parent. A parent is more 'business' then a mom. This week has been filled with all these grown up and parent things to do. I have gone to a parent-teacher conference, took LM for his kindergarten shots, registered him for kindergarten, had a "talk" with my OB about the options for the final 2 months -- and actually less than that, and taken my son to the allergist. Busy week. Oh, and in addition, have been working on the final details on the home-buying front. My brain is exhausted. But, luckily it will be all over soon.

Winding down

The waiting and the waiting and the waiting leads to nothing but more waiting. Things have actually been pretty busy around here, but the waiting for the house stuff to work itself out is driving me NUTS. Supposedly we are well on our way toward closing, but the slowness of the process does nothing for me. So, here is a picture of the outside and I HOPE that I am not being too premature in posting it. I mean, it isn't officially ours... yet.

Just Slightly Post-Freakout

Buying a house is stressful. I don't remember it being this stressful last time. But then again, that was 6 years ago and pre-kids. I guess there is a lot more to worry about now. And, I guess ignorance was bliss at that point, too. Now, we know much much more (but not nearly enough) and we hope that we are still happy with our decision in about 1 year. So, here is the mini update, because that is really all I can provide given that I have a 2 year old who is managing to do everything BUT sleep (including figuring out how to ascend the bunk bed without a ladder -- not an easy task), tons of forms to complete for the mortgage and escrow companies, cleaning, and putting my feet up to do before the end of the day.

* 2 houses have now been reduced to 1 house
* Home inspection completed and the laundry list has been created
* Escrow is to close in less than a month and it seems like there is still a lot that needs to be completed by then
* Move? Seriously... you want us to MOVE? Again?????
* Woo Hoo, we are finally buying a house!!!

Seems that soon we'll be able to get ready for that lucky 3rd child of ours who is probably getting a good dose of adrenaline/stress hormone of choice each every day... perhaps more than the estimated daily allowance... Sorry our no-named Little One. :)

What? It's May???

So, after uploading some 300 pictures from my camera last night, I realized that April went by so fast and we have been so busy. But, I did find that there were some cute pictures on my camera. Enjoy: