Day 119: Super-Babies!!!

The kids love dressing up and Bryce will go along with anything Skylar wants to do but lately he's very in to Superman. You'll hear him say "a bird, a pwayne, no! SUPERMANNN!" So Skylar decided to convert the kitchen towels into capes and they ran around saving the world from great disasters.

And yes, he's naked. He's ALWAYS naked! When they weren't off saving the world, they were doing their all-time favorite job of driving mama completely crazy! I saw this and it made me laugh because this really sums up my day...

I had a ton of stuff to do today which meant bootcamp was out so I ran early this morning. But I paid for that. For the rest of the day I was sore and tired while my little crazies were...well, crazy! They turned my sorted piles of laundry into hiding spots (mixing all of the laundry back together), they climbed into the pantry to reach juice boxes and brought down several things with them, Bryce has decided to start drinking water from the dog bowl (gross!), and Skylar will NOT stay out of the make-up. Now, take all of this and add in the fact that Bryce has an earache and Eva is cutting her 3rd tooth and taaaadaaa - Happy Monday!! I was scheduled to go out with friends tonight but this mama is just beat down and with two of my three kids feeling rough, I can't leave them behind. I'll worry sick about them. There's always next time...

But now, it' s FINALLY time for bed and this mama needs it!!! Till tomorrow...

Day 118: Fun in the sun!

After a very dreary Saturday, filled with ridiculous thunderstorms, today was shaping up to be a beautiful day. It took me a while to actually get out there and enjoy it since I was still stuck in my office cleaning and organizing. But hearing the laughter of my kids coming from the backyard was just too hard to resist not being with them. So hard as it was, I walked away from my project and went to play in the warm sun with my beautiful babes.

We all had so much fun and even baby Eva got to get in on the fun. Her very first "babe-in suit" as Skylar calls it. Sweet daddy filled the pool up with warm water so that all of us would be comfortable. Bryce of course spent his time jumping in the pool, falling out of the pool, peeing in the pool, and adding anything in the backyard TO the pool.

Skylar was happy to show us all of her cool new tricks that she's learning in swim practice with one of them being her ability to hold her breath for a "really long time." She's our little fishy...

I was so happy to get to spend this time with them and after putting them to bed, got back to the office. Funny how stress-free cleaning it out seemed to be this time around. I think I really needed that vitamin D and vitamin baby-time! It's good for the soul. I told Matthew that I'd only be a minute but lo and behold, I got started, couldn't stop, and FINISHED! Whoot! Okay, not completely finished but all I really have left is to buy this 7 drawer unit thingy that will house all of my extra supplies so I don't have to go on a mad hunt, and then to kind of spruce it up a bit with some better décor. I unfortunately can not get rid of the huge, tacky whiteboard since the Mr. uses it for work...so I'll just have to work around it. I'm also thinking that I'd like to repaint with a lighter, more inviting color but again - I'll have to check with Daddy since this is really his space. Kind of. :)
Before (to refresh your memory):

After:

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

Pretty amazing, right?!! Oh yea - totally patting myself on the back right now! I think my cleaning lady is going to either be relieved to not have to work around all the mess or disappointed that she actually has to clean this room now. While I was busy working my rear off, little miss was playing and/or crying on the ground next to me. At one point I looked over and found this...

Cleaning and reorganizing is SUCH hard work. Little turkey. Once she fell asleep, there was really nothing else I could do in the office that didn't require noise so I had to move out until she woke up. I'm not complaining though as it was a nice break, hanging out with daddy. We had a wonderful Sunday and I'm a happy girl to have completed project number 3!!!

Day 117: Back to the office...

Despite my best efforts to avoid my office project, it still haunts me and since the office sits right off our entry way, I see the mess all the time. So today the kiddos and I made a trip to staples to get some of the necessities I would need to make this project work. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that it was chaos. Or that my son attempted to break a fax machine, got stuck under a desk, and had a complete fit when I wouldn't let him have "canny" at 10 in the morning. And I certainly don't have to tell you that Skylar lost her shoe, added about 10 things we did NOT need to the cart, and waited until we were as far away from the bathroom as possible before saying "but mama, I REALLY haff to go bad!!" Sigh. I know that I will look back on this and laugh....one day....but not today. Today I just wanna cry. I did manage to squeeze in a quick pic though...do NOT let those angelic faces fool you!

Thankfully, my mama heard my cry and offered to watch Bryce and Skylar so I could have some time off. Eva is such a good baby that it really feels like just Matthew and I even though she's right there. I didn't argue with her one bit and took them right over. I did not use my time very well though (as usual) and ended up just walking around Trader Joes with Matthew. We did buy a new beta fish because our little Bruce-y went to fishy heaven this morning. Funny how I was just making a post about him a few weeks ago and now he's gone. I know it's just a fish but its still sad. I went back and forth on if we should tell Skylar or just replace him without saying anything. Ultimately I decided that she should know. She handled it pretty well but we didn't really give her too much of a chance to be upset even if she wanted to since I threw in really quick "we can get you a new fish if you want. A red one?" So while Matthew and I were out and about we picked up a red beta which she has named "flower bug." Do NOT try and convince her of a different name because she is bent on it being "flower bug." Stay tuned for pics as I gotta get the tank all cleaned and ready for him. Best part of my night was heading to pick Bryce up and getting a chance to visit for a bit while the kids were being silly. Skylar had knocked papa's hat off and he pretended to fake cry while Bryce gave Skylar the third degree. "Ky-yar! Say saw-ee!" "Ky-yar! Is not punny!" He had us all laughing hysterically, even Skylar. She did eventually muster out an apology while giggling her head off and Bryce then said "there Papa! All better!" Such a sweet kiddo and worth all of the mess he puts me through....most times. :)

Day 116: Walkathon!

yea! The walkathon is finally here. Skylar and Bryce were able to raise $375 collectively for their school. Bryce had his MDO walkathon yesterday but since big sis' is today, he gets to party twice. This was one of the pics posted on the school's Facebook page and I just love it!

He's such a stinker. After mom's night last night and then the kids getting up super early, I'll be honest and say, I was not really looking forward to this day. There's a lot of work that goes into getting the kids there and keeping them together etc, that I was just not really feeling it. But I'll tell ya what - I am SO glad I came because it was tons of fun and the kids had a blast! Skylar stayed right next to her brother for the majority of the time and would proudly introduce me to anybody she could. She seemed a bit hesitant at first when one of her friends sprayed her with a water gun but after a few minutes she was soaked from head to toe and loving it. I felt like I was taking a trip down memory lane since this was my old school, doing the same things I did when I went there. It's just a weird feeling now seeing my kids go through it. Here's some pics of the fun.

 One thing I noticed too was that Skylar is popular. I'm not saying this because I'm bias but because upper classman would walk past her and call out "oh, hey Skylar" and then walk on. It's not surprising since she makes her presence known but I was still just amazed by it all. Once they were soaked to the bone, they grabbed lunch and we headed home. But first...

Milkshakes!! I was just so proud of them and we had such a good day that I felt we should celebrate. They didn't complain and came right home for nice long naps. Well, not entirely true. Skylar napped. Brycen cried. And cried. And cried some more. But then we went to swim practice and out to dinner with friends. So it all ended on a good note..

Day 115: Mom's Night Out!

Whoot! Before I start on my much needed mom's night out talk, I'll first walk you through my week. Aside from the umpteen number of projects I've put on my ALREADY busy life, Bryce has been a nightmare. The poor kid just won't stop crying and nothing you do can help him. I'll offer to hold him, get him a snack, go play outside, take a car ride, EVERYTHING but nada. He just cries and cries. So I have put it off for long enough and we are going to see an ENT specialist asap!! We both need it. Him for relief and me for sanity. So I have everything else, Bryce not feeling well, and daddy coming home later then usual because he's been so slammed at work - this mama needed a break!
And the first stop was restore the core!! I know what you're thinking - how on earth can that be a break? Oooh but it is. The kids are at school, Eva goes to the nursery, and I have "me" time for an entire hour!!! Granted, its tough but at the end I feel so rejuvenated and ready to tackle the world! Today's class was by far the hardest as she had us doing everything from dragging ourselves across the room on paper plates to handstands. It was nuts! But so fun!!

It's amazing what you're capable of if you just set your mind to it. So after this, Eva and I ran some errands and came home for a quick bite, then shower, then it was off to get the kiddos from school. Once I picked them up and saw their moods, I decided it was best to not go home and let them stress me out before my night out so instead, Target. That was mistake one. Mistake two was deciding to trust a 4 year old and 2 year old outside of the shopping cart after a long day at school with no naps. Insert complete chaos. Finally, we made it to the checkout and Skylar asked if we could eat at the cafeteria so I said yes. Surprisingly they stayed in their seats and ate most of their food. I consider that a mild victory. The score was still mama 1, Skylar and Bryce 100 but I'll take whatever I can get.

This was another night that daddy came home later then normal and I was SO ready for 7:30 to come around so I could sprint out of there! I think Eva could sense something was up and was basically refusing to go to bed but she finally dozed off and I quickly kissed the man, snuggled the firstborn and ran!! Bryce was already asleep by this point so no kisses for him. :( I started on my way with my windows down, sunroof opened, and music blaring - in my minivan!!! "I'm sexy and I know it..." I definitely needed this night with my girls. We talked, laughed, cried, and celebrated. I couldn't go one day without them - seriously. THE best!

Day 114: Organize the office now commencing!

Alright so we've managed to clean out the garage and organize the kitchen (as well as decorate), now it's time for the office and its a very scary task. Like most of the other areas in our home, our garage has become a storage/housing areas for all things completely unrelated to "office." We have everything from diapers to toys, laundry baskets to clothes, wrapping paper and bows, and the list goes on. And even with a desk that has drawers designed to "file", our paperwork and mail always end up in a huge stack (ish) mess on the corner just waiting for Bryce to pass by, grab a handful and begin making confetti out of them. This area is definitely in need of help! Today while Skylar was at school, I made every attempt to start on this area by following my notes from the blog I'm following and begin sorting everything in areas of "file, shred, other room, trash, etc" but Bryce was not having it. For every one piece of paper that I'd put in the box he'd add 20. So I'd start over by grabbing out every paper and reorganizing again but would turn around to see him in a different area of the office, making a mess. So THIS is a project that has to wait and in the meantime...this is what I'm dealing with!

 Pretty scary, right?! Buuuuut, in the words of Scarlett O'Hara, "tomorrow is another day..."

Day 113: Sleep little fishy...

So last week's swim practice went MUCH better then the first week and when I asked Skylar if she wanted to go to practice she said "yes, I like my NEW teacher because she doesn't let go of me." She went on to tell me how she and her teacher talked about her fears and that the teacher promised to not do anything to scare her. I guess it worked because Skylar was able and willing so whoot! I was nervous when we first arrived if it would be the original coach or not and it wasn't - phew. But something tells me Skylar will have to come face-to-face with her again in the near future. On the way to practice Skylar was talking and singing, all while wearing her goggles, but then it got very quiet. I looked in my backseat to find this...

Poor dear was so tired she passed clean out, goggles on and all. I was certain that when we got there and I woke her she would be a royal terror (she gets that from her dad) but again, she surprised me with her enthusiasm! It helped that we saw familiar faces today and she even made a new best friend, Keira. They came out hand-in-hand asking if they could have a girl party at Sweet & Sassy. Her mom and I exchanged numbers and Keira even gave Skylar a "friend bracelet" (aka - hair tie). Skylar is now VERY excited about attending the next swim practice! Thank God for new friends!!!

Day 112: Allergies strike again!

While running last Saturday, I felt that familiar tickle in the back of my throat. The one that you can tell is drainage and hoping you can talk yourself out of getting sick. Thankfully, I'm certain it's allergies since I sneeze about a million times a day. Buuuuut, little man got it and so did Eva. So the three of us are just a sneezy, snotty, mess! Because I was pretty sure we'd be stuck at home today, I went for a morning run which was pretty difficult since I couldn't get my breathing right. When I got home, I heard Bryce waking up (5:45AM) so I grabbed him before he could wake up his sisters. He was so grouchy which is normally not him so I knew he woke up earlier then he needed to but there was nothing we could do about it now. Matthew leaving was the icing on the cake though because Bryce just went in serious meltdown mode. Skylar and I both tried different things to cheer him up or get his mind off of daddy leaving, but nothing worked. Until I said - "who was donuts?!!" My little red-faced, puffy-eyed, runny nose kid turns around and says "no-nuts?!" Success. Donuts are the cure to any ailment, at least in this household. After picking up donuts and seeing the sugar highs well underway, I decided we'd go to bootcamp after all since they had energy to burn. They all did great! At one point I looked over and noticed that Skylar was laying her head in Brycen's lap, while he gently patted her hair. It was such a sweet moment which as any mom knows can be rare amongst siblings so cherish them while you can!

After bootcamp, I let them run around a bit while I fed "chunks." Skylar is a little monkey and makes me a nervous wreck watching her dangle her long stems, while reaching for the next bar to grab on to. And Bryce! That kid just will not stay in one area for longer then 2 seconds. He'll go down the slide then run to the swings. After he swings on his belly a moment, he runs out in to the open field near the parking lot, then back to the slide, then to the lake to chase ducks, then back to the swings, and on and on. Chasing him is so hard. But chasing him while a baby is hanging from your breast, is exhausting. I think the little turd knows it too. I think he waits until he sees that I'm feeding her and then makes his move. Turkey. So let see...after running not quite 4 miles, then going to bootcamp, then chasing kids around the park whilst nursing, this mama is POOPED!

Naturally on days like today, my kids all nap at different times. Of course. So mama thinking I'd maybe sneak in a quick nap? hahahahahaha! Not going to happen. They literally all slept in rotation. Bryce went down while Skylar and Eva played. Skylar was bouncing off the walls and making all kinds of noise in her bedroom so I didn't want her waking her brother...

After her energy started wearing off, I sent her back to bed only to have her brother wake up 15 minutes later. So now Bryce and Eva are both sitting on my lap, watching Mickey Mouse. And then Eva starts dosing in my arms (finally!) so I gently slide her into her swing, where she falls comfortably back to sleep only to have Skylar wake up again. It's moments like this where I'll look over at Roxy, who has now slept the entire afternoon on a soft, fluffy blanket - and be totally jealous. At least I was able to get a couple loads of laundry done and then house straightened a bit before daddy got home. Praying we all get some much needed sleep and that I wake up feeling rested, and snot-free!

Day 111: Concert (and picnic) in The Park!

Days like today remind me why I love The Woodlands. I'm always trying to convince Matthew to stay on this side of town and one of the biggest reasons I'm redoing my home is to keep him from moving us too far. I figured I'd keep us here another 3 or 4 years and take him to more events that happen in our area so he's forced to fall in love like I did.

Yesterday there was Run for Hope and today was "Concert in The Park" which is something they start in Spring every year and it goes through Summer. When I first approached him about it, he definitely did not seem interested. I was able to coax him into the idea and he's so happy we went. He must have said several times "good idea, mama. Let's do that more often." It was such a fun evening and the kids had a blast. They played in the sand, danced at the pavilion, chased their friends, built robots, and even got lost! Eeek. That was the one scary part of our adventure. Matthew assumed I was watching Bryce, I assumed he was watching Bryce and boom! - gone! Thankfully, everyone stopped and looked for him with us and he was found right by the water, hanging out with other kids. Sigh. That kid! It was a lesson for us for sure. Aside from that adventure, the evening was just perfect and we couldn't ask for greater weather!

Day 110: Run For Hope!

Today was race day and I am SO proud of both my husband and daughter. Daddy ran his very first 5k (3.1 miles) and did NOT stop, not once. And Skylar ran her first 1 mile race. She had to stop occasionally but each time she'd take off running again, she'd leave me in the dust. The girl can RUN. Watching her makes me wonder if she'll be a runner like me, but more of a sprinter then long distance runner. I could tell she was feeling defeated when people would pass her and she'd take off with such a look of determination. I tried my best to remind her that she doesn't need to come first...just run to have fun. She's only 4 for goodness sakes. When we came back towards the finish line, they had signs set up with names of children who are in foster care. I told Skylar to look at all of the signs and how many names were on there. I explained that each of those kids are living in a home without a mommy or daddy and that's why we run today. We are running to bring each of them hope. She said - really? They don't have a mommy? I'm not sure if it sunk in for her or not but I was SO proud of my girl for getting out there and truly giving it her best. She didn't quit and she ran her heart out!! Some fun pics...Here's some pre-race pics:

And here's daddy, running like a champ! Aunt Kelli took this pic and I'm so thankful since I didn't really have any pics of him from the day. I was so happy to see her on the sidelines cheering him on too because whether it's 1 mile or 20, its a HUGE accomplishment! Thank you, Aunt Kelli.

And here's the girl crossing the finish line. She was so happy to see that big yellow finish line sign and she gave it all she had!

Here she is again, showing off her very first medal! I couldn't be more proud of her and look forward to many more races that we can do together!

And of course this race just wouldn't be the same without my girls. I absolutely love my friends. We have cried together, laughed together, ran together, and even danced silly together. Our warm-up before the race was the "harlem shake" which is a silly thing trending right now. But just like one of my friends said "we are fun. And not one of us stood still when the music broke out. We all started dancing, regardless of those who weren't." LOVE THEM!

After our race, it was time to come home and relax a bit. Today was such a beautiful spring day and we enjoyed spending time out in the backyard with the babies. Nana and Papa came by and picked up Skylar (as promised) and poor bubba had a meltdown. He just would not stop crying and asking for "sissy." So we all got dressed, loaded up, and off to dinner for four! We were a bit worried how he would do since Skylar helps out in showing him how to behave at a restaurant but he did great! He loved having mama and daddy to himself! Well, aside from "eebah" but you hardly know she's there since she's so chill!

It was another blessed day and I'm so thankful for my health, my family, and my friendships. God pours out His blessings and His grace far more then I deserve.