So Fresh and So Clean!!

My kiddos had their dentist appointments the other day and I'm happy to report - all clean and NO cavities! Wooohooo! This was Brycen's first time to visit the dentist so I was a little bit worried how he would take someone digging around in his mouth. When we first got there, they told me Skylar would be getting xrays and the worry really sank in. How am I suppose to manage two screaming, scared kids?! But they did great!

In fact, not only did I receive mucho compliments on their pearly whites but also how amazing their manners are. They were surprised to see that Bryce went in the chair all by himself, held his mouth open and looked like an old pro. But even more then that - when they handed him his goody bag and he said "tank u" the dentist looked at me all wide-eyed. She was so impressed by how well he spoke for being only 2 and that he was such a well-mannered boy! Oh yes, I'm tooting my own horn here! Clean teeth and good manners - yep, I'm the bomb! lol.

Here's an after pic with their stickers and goodies in hand! Now if only mama can find time to make it to the dentist...

God, grant me patience!

My "big" boy is making a serious leap forward but unfortunately for us, he's attempting this all at once. This last weekend he's crawled out of his crib, went potty on the big-boy potty, and we are in the process of weaning him from his beloved "gee" (pacifier). Sounds great, right? It is really - except for when you're 5 1/2 months pregnant and already taking care of a 4 year old and 2 year old AND your husband owns his own company so it puts a lot of the parenting duties solely in your hands!
I am SO super proud of my little man though. It's amazing how in just a few short months, he's grown so much. I love to hear him talk and as mentioned in a previous post, he's got such a big heart!

Back to last weekend -
This mama is tired. Sunday night I had *maybe* 4 hours of sleep in total. Bryce and Skylar were both up and down all night and just when I start to fall asleep, the alarm goes off! Boo. Monday I was tired, emotional, cranky - all of it and I remember praying (crying, really) God, please get me through this day and give me patience!!! After many more tears and potty messes and "mom, I'm hungry" - I just happened to check my email. I noticed that I had an email from Carla McDougal (great Women's Bible study leader) and I was tempted to just pass it by. But something prompted me to open it and I'm so glad I did! The title of her blog post was The Parenting Marathon - who wouldn't be tempted to read that?! In there she describes about how emotional new transitions are because she happens to be in a different stage of parenting. The "empty nesting" stage. But there was one part of her post that really spoke to me and just what I needed on this sleep-deprived, patience-trying, emotional day.

 -"I feel the need to rehydrate—from a physical and spiritual standpoint. Confusion clouds my mind. My stride weakens with each step. Thoughts of quitting spoil my concentration. Within seconds these words resonate within—Come on, you can do it! I recognize this inner voice of encouragement spurring me forward… the tenderness, the Lord’s perfect timing. All of a sudden, adrenaline kicks in and I pick up the pace. Reaching this mile marker ignites a sense of excitement, accomplishment, and sadness rolled into one emotion.In the midst of these tangled thoughts comes a soothing whisper… a sweet voice eases my confusion. Remember, my child, to lay aside every weight, and the sin, which so easily ensnares you, run with endurance the race that is set before you. But, God… No excuses, look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of your faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and now sits at the right hand of the throne of God. These words wash over me like a cleansing spring rain. In the blink of an eye my vision clears. Refocusing on God’s Word brings clarity to the goal. This drink of living water rehydrates my body, mind, and soul preparing me for what lies ahead."

Like I said - she's sending her last child to college so for her it was a different stage in parenting - one of letting go. For me, I was feeling so weak and venerable. I was beginning to have doubts cloud my mind thinking - can I do this? Can I really take care of 3 children? Look how bad I'm struggling with my first two and all I want to do is cry and SLEEP! So reading this was such an encouragement that no task is too big for God. "Remember my child, to lay aside EVERY weight, and the sin (in my case fear and doubt), which so easily ensnares you, run with endurance the race that is set before you."

At that moment, I took a deep breath and said a little prayer and no kidding - I instantly felt better. Undoubtedly I was still tired beyond belief but I felt a reassurance that I could get through this day and I could do it without losing my patience - well, minimally! :)

I leave you with one quick photo of my big boy sporting his batman underoos! He's cute, right?

He Works Hard for The Money!

Okay, so not really the way the song goes but you get the idea. This one's dedicated to my hard working man. Matthew's always been "oil-field trash" and comes by it honest since all of his family is also in the same field. It's amazing really to see where he started and where he is now. From a shop-hand to a business owner is quite a transition and we are ever thankful to God for giving him such an opportunity.

That being said, he is one of the hardest and most dedicated men I know. He wakes up early to start his day and sometimes doesn't really get sleep while he works through the night. And despite all of this, he still makes time for his family. It's been hard and there have been some sacrifices made but the one thing about my husband is that he truly lives for his family. In a later post, I'll discuss his daddy-daughter date nights which mean the world to both Skylar and I. He's a very good man and I'm blessed to have him.

My prayer has always been that he find something that makes him happy - not successful - although that would be nice too. I pray that he always keep God first, his family second, and remember that business ventures come and go but family is forever! I doubt that in later years when my kids reflect on their father that they would say something like "hey dad, I'm so thankful to you for a cool car and a big house." No, I think it would be something more along the lines of "I'm thankful that you were always there for me when I needed you and you loved me unconditionally." I say it all of the time but I'm very VERY blessed because my prayers have been answered and I couldn't ask for a better "daddy" for our kids.

So - WE LOVE YOU DADDY! Thank you for everything you do and for all the love you give!

Fourth of July 2012

This year was a pretty fun year to celebrate Independence Day. In years past, Skylar has always been pretty terrified of the loud fireworks and the out of control sparklers. But this year, now that she's my big and brave four year old- she really seemed to enjoy it. Bryce - being ALL boy - LOVED it! Of everyone though, I think that daddy liked it the most. It's a time when he gets to unleash the inner pyro with his wife's consent.

We started the day out with friends at the parade. Daddy had to work which was a bummer but we still had so much fun. And he made up for it with a beautiful display of fireworks! The parade was something I wasn't really sure about since the kids are still so young and it's so very hot but they did great! Bryce was all about cheering on each and every float that came by and at one point, he practically threw his juice at me to applaud the war veterans. It was hard not to get emotional. Here's a little glimpse of our parade fun -

It was a wonderfully HOT time! SO thankful for good friends and family. Speaking of family, after the parade we went home to have some lunch and then headed to Papa's house where we got to have some pool time. It was definitely needed after our excursion to the parade. We enjoyed swimming, eating, and visiting. Skylar and Adley even braved the pool with no water wings! It was a great 4th of July indeed. This is a pic of Jaymee with her Adley and me with my Skylar -all cousins!

And here's a pic of my wonderful Grandmother with *some* of her greats and grandson, Jack. She's an amazing women whom I love and adore!

Birthday Babes!

Last year my kiddos celebrated their birthday outside with a huge waterside and a smaller splash area for the little ones. This year - since Mama's expecting we did an indoor (aka - AC) party! We had so much fun celebrating with all of our friends and family at Bouncing Bears. Our theme was Toy Story and both of the kids wore cute little shirts showing off their ages! I can't believe that my kids are growing so fast! My baby is 4 and little man is 2! I've said it once and I'll say it again - don't blink!!

Skylar really had more fun since the bouncing catered to her age group a bit more. Bryce was ready for cu-cay's (cupcakes)! It was a very good day and I know they had a blast! 

My Sweet FOUR year old:

How time flies when you're having fun. Skylar, you are such an amazing little girl and have really grown so much over the past year. You are still the same inquisitive little girl you've always been but now, to see how much you've grown and how much you understand - it's truly amazing. You have a gift, baby. You are SO smart and adapt well in any situation. I love that you can walk into a room full of strangers and instantly make your presence known as well as making "best friends" instantly. It's something that also worries me though because you're heart is so big, it's been such a hard task to get you to understand that there are some bad people in the world too. To you, that's not possible because you see the good in everybody! You are also still as sassy as ever and while sometimes you drive mama crazy, most times I have to suppress my laughter because of what a little fireball you are. You sure can dish it out - that's for sure. I already know that you and I are going to go toe-to-toe many of times and most likely your wits and charm will beat me! But remember - you always say - "mama, you're the bus (boss)!" And DON'T you forget it! 

I love our little talks and especially love our girl-time. I think that you and I agree that most times having Bryce around is great-fun but a girl needs some downtime once and a while. You love being treated like a princess and getting your nails painted or going to look at Pottery Barn Kids. You just get lost in that store, playing with all the girly things from strollers to vanity's and jewelry boxes. You are also such a great big sister. There are times that I fear for Brycen's safety - like when you slammed his fingers shut in the bedroom door because you wanted him out. But if ever I mention taking "bubba" away, you have a huge meltdown. I know that you love him and my prayer is that you are always close! No matter what challenges each of you face - remember God gave him to you to love and protect! You're so happy right now at the idea of a new little sister. There have been times that you have asked if you're still my girl or if you got new baby clothes too. I've tried to explain to you as well as show you that NO one will ever replace you! You are my first and that's something that no one can take away. There's only one you and I'm so blessed that I get to be the one that has you - spending all of my time with you. It's something that's been difficult to convey because while you're such a "big girl", you are still only 4 and only understand so much. 

I love you my sweet princess. I am so excited for this upcoming year full of new friends and new adventures. 

Kisses, butterfly, eskimo, and BEEEEES!!! 

Mama

My Squish -

I'm not sure how much longer you'll be a little "squish" as now you're leaning out and losing some of that baby chub that we all adore so much. Don't get me wrong, I think you'll always be a big guy but there's just something about a bouncing baby boy full of pinch able fat that makes my heart melt! Nothing could've ever prepared me for you, Brycen Allen. No amount of books or "been there, done that" speeches from fellow mama's. I mean this in every sense...the obvious that you are most definitely "all boy" but also I mean that nothing could've prepared my heart for amount of love I have for you. Like your sister, you are the only "you" and to make sure that I'm clear - I love each of you beyond words but each of you hold a special but different place in my heart. There are moments I can share with your sister that sorry bud, you just can compete with. But then there are "us" moments...special, tender, and sweet moments. See - unlike your sister who has always been a very independent girl - you love to love and you love to cuddle. There are so many unasked for or unsolicited hugs and kisses that are so dear to my heart. You are definitely a mama's boy. Daddy is good for rough-housing which is something that you want to do ALL of the time but your sleepy, sick, cuddly moments are reserved just for me! You have a smile that lights the world and a contagious laugh just like your great grandmother, Judy. I pray you NEVER lose that because it's what draws everyone in and makes them feel good just to be around you. 

Now back to the other part of that statement - you know, the "all boy" thing. Sigh. Our house will never be the same now that you're here. Just when we thing everything is "bubba-proofed" you come along and destroy something else. You can't eat a meal without putting some of it on the table or yourself...art, I call it. Every drink still needs the protective "no-spill" piece because for whatever reason - drinks become a source of water gun or splash area. Our ozarka container has baby locks that you have already mastered and insist on trying to empty the 5 gallons of water daily! You MUST have shorts or pants on at all times because if left only in a diaper - it immediately comes off while you run butt-naked thru the house peeing on everything. Our silverware drawer takes a little bit of tugging when trying to pull it out because you always go in and dig for something while hanging on it and unhinging it from the rack. Because you always seem to be "unnn-rrry" (hungry), the pantry is a daily struggle. If you can reach it, you will pull it out and attempt to open it yourself. Then of course there's the normal stuff like running straight for the one and only mud puddle in our only pair of clothes, or climbing to the top of the playground and attempting to jump of the slide rather then actually slide down, or putting anything and everything in your mouth to give it a taste-test. The list goes on. I read once on pinterest or some other site a quote that said "boy - (noun). noise with dirt on it." It's SO true. I wouldn't change any of it though, baby. Not a single thing.

I love that you love to dance. I love that you love your sister with all of your heart. She's your best friend and no one makes you laugh like she can. Buddy, please promise me the you'll always be there for her. You are her only brother and I know in my heart that God has great plans for you but remember that she needs your unconditional love always. Crazy or bossy as she may be - love her still. You are my sweet son and I take so much pride in calling you mine. I leave with one little poem that I found in a book..you know to continue with the sappy stuff...

That Little Boy of Mine

Two eyes that shine so bright,

Two lips that kiss goodnite,

Two arms that hold me tight,

That little boy of mine.

No one could ever know how much your coming has meant.

Because I love you so, you're something heaven sent.

You're all the world to me.

You climb upon my knee.

To me you'll always be.

That little boy of mine.

I love you forever my Brycen Allen. 

Mama

Sweet and Chunky GIRL!

Last week was our big anatomy scan and everything looks great. In fact, our newest little princess has really started growing and where most babies weigh around 10.5 ounces at this stage, she's weighing in at a whopping 13oz! And legs!! She's got looooong and skinny legs! I'm already so in love. Our little turkey was a bit uncooperative however, and I'm hoping it's because she's lazy and not another strong-willed child who does what she wants - when she wants. I have two of those already...this mama needs a break!

After the appointment, I saw my regular doctor who said that everything was absolutely perfect. I thought about that later. About how I never had a perfect pregnancy without some kind of hurdle or obstacle to overcome. With Skylar, at this same scan they found cysts on her brain and a kidney problem known as hydronephrosis. With Bryce, I had hyperthyroidism and had to see a cardiologist for fear that my pregnancy was causing too much pressure and hypertension. This just feels so surreal. She's been a blessing from the very beginning. No fertility issues and countless tears thinking I'd never get pregnant - nope, God just gave her to me. And now, a healthy pregnancy?! I say all of the time how blessed I feel but truly, I can't possibly express the amount of thankfulness I have to serve such a powerful and gracious God. My cup runneth over.

So here's a pic of our little butterball. Like I said, she was being a bit uncooperative and only wanting to smash her face right up against my placenta so getting a clear picture was a bit of a challenge. Keep staring at it, you'll see her...and she looks mighty sweet! I LOVE HER!

Baby Number 3!

Such a long delay in posts but this time I really do have a legitimate excuse. You see, almost immediately after I found out I was pregnant - morning sickness hit with a vengeance! I had some morning sickness with Skylar and only slight nausea with Bryce but this baby, YIKES! Definitely my least favorite part of pregnancy. It doesn't help when I have two rowdy kids who are expecting mama to go about every day just as before. So there you have it - my excuse for being absent. Although, let's be honest - I've never been good at updating.

I ended my last post with a promise to provide the details of how we found out so here goes. My race was on a Saturday and as mentioned, the race itself just felt "off." I felt sluggish and couldn't understand why I needed to use the restroom as often as I did since I really wasn't consuming that much water. By Sunday, I was drowning my pain (I was VERY sore) in my favorite champagne and trying to rest as much as I could. Well on top of being sore and tired, I was very emotional. Very. By Tuesday night, something told me that maybe I should just take a pregnancy test "just to see." Well, lo and behold a tee-tiny faint pink line appeared. I set it aside without too much thought thinking it was probably a dud. It was one of those cheap internet strip ones that I've gotten false positives before so I was convinced that was what was going on this time too. The next morning, I was getting dressed for bootcamp and felt a wave of nausea and again a little stirring of maybe I should test again. This time however I used a test that I never get false positives on and voila! Pregnant! I was shocked. Of course I was excited beyond belief but Matthew and I just don't get pregnant by accident. No. It takes a lot of tears, a lot of stress, and even after trying countless fertility drugs - it just didn't happen. So what was this?! I was not going to question it but accept it as another gracious gift from God. I know He knows what He's doing and I just have to trust that every thing happens for a reason. Just to clarify, I wasn't expecting this but it doesn't mean I didn't want it to happen. Matthew and I often talked about when we were going to have a 3rd and when was the "right time." So, this baby just made an earlier arrival is all and we are thrilled! Here is our sweet little baby at 7 weeks.

From the beginning, Skylar has always said that the baby is a girl. Matthew and I began to worry about having a boy because she was so set of having a baby sister, how could we possibly explain it to her. I would often times try to say, are you excited about mama having another baby? She would of course say yes. I would try and sneak in - you know, we might be having another bubba. Wouldn't that be fun? She would whip around look at me with a grimace and say NO MAMA! IT IS A GIRL! I was really beginning to worry. Well it looks like just maybe, she was right! The original plan was to have a cake-reveal party at Skylar and Brycen's birthday party BUUUUUTTT...I have no patience. I had to make an unexpected visit to the hospital due to falling directly on my stomach. While we were there the tech asked if I wanted to know and I said - yes. Such a shame, I know. As of right now, the baby is a girl but the tech did say that the image she got wasn't the best and I myself saw how the baby was not cooperating. That being said, I've had strong girl feelings as well as Skylar but every now and again would second guess myself. Either way, we decided to announce anyway and here it is:

Daddy, Mama, Skylar, Brycen, and sweet baby sis. We do have a name picked which some of our family and friends know but until daddy gives me the official y-e-s, I'll hold off before thinking of a way to announce that one.

So there you have it, May bay 3 is on her way and I'm already at the halfway point. Crazy.

13.1 Success and Surprises

I did it!! I really really did it! I actually succeeded in running my very first half marathon!

The day started out nice. I woke up early...partly due to the new mattress while mostly due to nerves. I had a tough time eating and the butterflies in my stomach were getting worse the closer I got to the event! Once there, I found my group and we made our way to the start line. We decided it would probably be best to try and use the restroom which was insanity. As nicely put together as The Woodlands Marathon was, that was one of the major downfalls - lack of restrooms! The lines were absolutely ridiculous and left us starting with the wrong pace group. The weather was quite nice in the beginning. I had arranged for Matthew and Dad to meet me at the 6.5 mark so that I could pass off my sleeve warmers and of course give hugs and kisses! I was so happy to see them and at that point, I still felt okay - just a little sluggish. I gave a quick hug to my man and I was off again. Out of nowhere, I realized I had to use the restroom again - which is very unusual for me seeing as it's never happened during training. I ignored the first stop and saw my pace partners drifting further and further away. I knew at that point that I wouldn't want them to stop just for me to use the restroom - so I let them go. Finally, a bathroom with only 4 people in line. Holy cow - it took nearly 5 minutes to get into the restroom and then I was off again. Trying to make up time for stopping, I began running a bit faster and darting in and out between racers. I hopped up on the curb to get around someone and when I came down, all my weight went to that bad foot and bam! PAAAAIIIIN!!! I was NOT going to be defeated. I managed to push through the pain, the mental war going on inside my head telling me to stop, and again the urge to go potty...I pushed on. I was never so happy to see that finish line! I came through and collapsed onto the ground next to my pace partners. I saw Matthew walking up so I limped my way over, gave him a HUGE hug and said - I will NEVER do that again. Ever. 

Despite my potty break, running (aka - limping) on a bad foot and just not feeling up to par - I finished my first half in 2:20:25 which is only 10 minutes after my goal time. I am proud of myself. Proud that I had the courage to start and the determination to finish. As far as never doing it again, I actually think that I will just not any time soon - here's where the surprise comes in. But FIRST - here's a pic of my amazing pace partners that I wouldn't have ever made it without.

And here's a pic of Brycen and I proudly displaying the 13.1 sticker on the swagger wagon!

Now for the surprise...after all was said and done - I finished my race and I finished it while PREGNANT! That's right folks - baby number 3 is on their way! HUGE SURPRISE!!! I'll explain how we found out in a later post. We are blessed. 

13.1 bound

This Saturday will mark the day of my very first half marathon and I am just a whirlwind of emotions. At times I feel so excited to finally be doing something that I've always wanted to do and other times I'm just relieved to have it almost over. That's terrible right? Well, when you're going from one injury to the next it can kind of take the wind out of your sail. This Thanksgiving I ran the "Run Thru the Woods" and it was a blast. This run is what actually stirred the desire for the half marathon in the first place. However, this run was 5 miles NOT 13.1 miles! Here's a pic for your viewing pleasure:

We really did have fun. And all of the above girls except 1 (she's now preggers) are part of the half marathon team which is made up of about 30 women. So I wasn't the only crazy one to sign on the dotted line. The first of my injuries consisted of achilles issues which was not terribly painful but just a pain in the you know whats it! Then came stomach issues which was easily fixed by me learning what worked and what didn't. For example a banana and half of a yogurt is good whereas a protein shake and oatmeal bar is NOT GOOD! Like I said - that was a pretty easy fix. Then came back issues which actually stemmed from the stomach pains. I think that my stomach would begin hurting and I would (subconsciously) over compensate by hunching over trying to take some of the impact off my stomach but now putting a terrible amount of strain on my back. Again, easy enough fix. And finally - this was the real kicker - plantar fascittis. A mouthful huh? Here's the gist - when you run depending on what type of runner you are...do you have high/flat arches..do you oversupinate or overpronate...blah blah - depending on all of those factors, you're feet take on a ton of impact. If you don't know in advance how you run, you can really hurt yourself. This is me. I was fitted for shoes (highly recommend Lukes Locker - they KNOW what they're talking about) but I never really used my shoes for what they're intended for - high arches! In the midst of training for a half, I decided to take on a wallpaper removal project (see earlier posts) and only added more damage. Back to the injury - it's basically the ligaments that connect to your heal and down into the arch of your foot start to tear and over time the ligaments become so stretched that they either rip away completely (not me) or the ligaments are just very tender and need adequate rest and support to keep from tearing (me)! Once I found out how to tie my shoes (there really is a specific way with running shoes), began stretches, icing, and KT Tape (the best thing since sliced bread), it's been an easier time on my foot. That's not to say that the pain isn't still there and that after my long runs I don't want to curl up any cry sometimes but it's getting better.

Sigh. What a whiner huh?? Now that I've got that out of the way - I really AM excited about running. Really. Despite injuries and all the mental games that go along with them, I've made some pretty amazing friends and discovered that our bodies are capable of doing the unthinkable - if we only challenge them. What's in the future? Not sure at this point. Running will continue on but I will be taking some rest. I think my body will thank me for it. My ultimate dream would be to run a full marathon and maybe even one day take on the "big kahuna" - THE BOSTON MARATHON! A girl can dream, right? Stay tuned for an "after-the-race" post where I can proudly sport my 13.1 sticker on my swagger wagon!

"Best night sleep of your life?" Not hardly!

Last weekend Matthew decided he had enough with our old mattress and that it was time to replace it. This has been an ongoing discussion at our house with me always convincing him that now is not the time. Well, we both have been having a tough time sleeping over the past couple of months and upon inspecting the manufactures tag on our old mattress we found that the poor thing was about 11 years old! Yikes. I finally gave in (not that I had a choice anymore) and the search began.

One of the things that I truly love about my husband is that he is a researchin' fool! He doesn't go out and make a blind purchase - well, at least not on BIG purchases. Nope. He will read reviews, watch videos, get other family members or friends opinions and then he'll make his decision to purchase or not! So in researching something like "what type of mattress will give me the best sleep of my life?" of course temper-petic comes up. I mean, isn't that their slogan pretty much? He researched each type of bed and read each review and watched each video of people demonstrating their levels of comfort or concern. Finally, he picked "the bed" and off to the mattress store we went!

After trying out a few beds, we did end up going with the one he originally picked based on reviews. Before we left, our salesperson said "just make sure to let the kids kind of bounce around on it as it can be kind of firm when it comes out of the warehouse." Understatement of the year. This brings me to today. I feel as if I've been sleeping on our kitchen table all night and I have a nice aroma that is now stuck in my hair. Matthew and I both laugh over why they give you that "100 day money back guarantee" because it probably takes that long to break the sucker in! And the smell?! It's terrible. I would think that with enough people complaining about the smell and firmness of the brand new mattress (no, we're not the first to complain) that they would develop some method of letting it air out and then having a machine to stomp on it a few hundred times, achieving the customers desired softness.

We both know that it's going to take a couple of weeks to "break it in" and then we will finally have the "best sleep of our life." In the meantime we are freely allowing our kids to jump on the bed and putting the "no more monkey's jumpin on the bed" on the back burner. Hey, whatever it takes right?

Hungry Man

Since the day he was born, Brycen has had an insatiable appetite. Which aside from the mother/son bond you often hear about, I knew he and I would get along great so long as he didn't try and steal my plate of food. I can still remember the day he was born and how quickly he latched on and how next to impossible it was to get him to stop eating! Not much has changed in the eating department. He no longer breastfeeds but at every meal time, he is the first one at the table and the last one to leave. I often times joke that Skylar is so skinny because Brycen waits till she's not looking to steal some of her food.

It's because of this hearty appetite that we've given him nicknames such as chunk, tugboat, squishy, and bubba. I know "bubba" doesn't really fit in with the other chubby names but for me, it has a much better ring to it when you see this blond-haired, blue-eyed, tank come running up to you! It's funny because Matthew and I always said that we wouldn't ever call our son "bubba" and yet it's the name we most often use in calling him. I don't know that he'll always be a big boy or that he'll always love food so much...something tells me he will...but either way, we are soaking up every moment of this chunky, squishy, hungry little man!

Because every one needs play time!

These days my kids are b-u-s-y and I have a really tough time trying to keep up. Our schedule during the week is usually pretty busy but here lately, the weather has been so unpredictable and it seems at every turn we're dealing with some kind of illness. Last week it was strep - for ALL of us. So now that we are back to good health, I think my kids have suffered from slight bits of cabin fever and are just bursting with energy! This is no good to a mama who has herself knee deep in a gazillion projects (see earlier posts) but I often times try to remind myself that I am a mama first.
So we headed out with our first stop being Toyota! Kids dream, right? Okay, so I desperately needed to get the oil changed on the van and figured it wouldn't take too long. When we pulled up, I was informed that it would take about an hour and fifteen minutes...breathe...okay, well it has to be done so we'll wait. We go inside, sans stroller, and made our way into the play area. The kids seemed entertained for about 15 minutes and then Brycen proceeded to start chucking lego's outside of the room into the "normal" customer waiting area and Skylar found a set of stairs that she kept trying to dart up. My time was spent diving after lego's, running stairs, and then of course - 3 bathroom runs. First was me. Then Skylar who I asked at the time I went if she needed to go and she said no. I asked three more times "are you surrrrre?" Exasperated she said "mama, NOOOOO!" Okay fine. Remember I said that I did all of this without a stroller which meant while I was using the restroom, Brycen was very rapidly unrolling the entire roll of toilet paper in the bathroom and then trying to crawl into the adjoining stall which thankfully was unoccupied. So alas, we finally made it out of the bathroom and back into the play area where Skylar waited just until I had everything set up to now block off the entrance so hopefully I could contain the thrown lego's and runaway children, to say..."um mama, I need to go potty." I would normally ignore her knowing that this is probably her attempt and just trying to meander through the building except she had the "potty stance." You know the one I'm talking about - legs crossed as tightly as possible, hands guarding any possible leaks, and a face that says you have about 3.2 seconds until this becomes a real problem. Back to the bathroom we go. I don't need to remind you that again, I have no stroller so just repeat steps 1 thru 3 of our last bathroom trip and you get the idea. Again we get back to the play area when I notice that Brycen hides in a little corner behind a table. Grrrrreat. I lean over to see his face and sure enough - it's bright red as he continues pushing and leaving mama a nice surprise. And there you have it - bathroom trip number 3!

Thankfully, by the umpteenth time we finally made it to the play area my phone rings and it's Toyota saying my vehicle is ready! Whaaaat?!!!! My quoted hour and fifteen minutes was really only 30 minutes. Phew. And yes, all of the above really did happen in only 30 minutes! Can you imagine how long this post would be if I still had an hour left?! I was so relieved and instantly felt that God had a hand in this. I called my mom and told her that I think He must've been looking down and said, "I think I'll go ahead and extend a helping hand to Sarah today." Thank you, God!!! Much appreciated.

Finally - to the point of the post....After our fun trip to Toyota, I took the kids on a quick run and NOT because I'm a glutton for punishment (well maybe I am) but because I'm currently training for a half marathon (another post - I promise) and haven't been out running in a while so I needed to try and get some mileage in. We finished up quick and made our way inside Wonderwild which is one of my favorite places. It's basically an indoor gym with everything from a HUGE play structure for crawling, climbing, sliding, hanging etc to a blow up obstacle course to a smaller area with kitchen, ball pit, trucks and more! They also have an area where you can eat your lunch or quick snack with your kids. I promise I am not a salesperson for Wonderwild. I just love it that much. We barely made it inside before both of my kids were already yanking their shoes off. They were so excited to finally have some real play time and so was I. You'd think that I'd had enough exercise after chasing them around Toyota and then running 3 miles but no, I think there's a kid in all of us that longs for adventure and fun. So yep, I was crawling, climbing, bouncing and sliding. It was a good end to our crazy day.

Miss Priss

Oh my darling daughter. I don't even know where to start in trying to play "catch-up" here because honestly so much has changed and the difference between our 2 1/2 year old daughter and our 3 1/2 year old daughter is HUGE! I think at 2 1/2 we still kind of felt that she was a baby and even though we could see how quickly she grasped things, she was still our baby girl. But now, she's becoming more of a little girl each day. For starters she's HUGE! Well, tall that is. I don't know why this surprises me so much considering I'm near 6 ft tall and the Mr is over 6 ft tall but she's only 3 1/2 and she's already slightly over 41 inches tall! Isn't that crazy?!! Just this week in her ballet class it was brought to my attention just how tall that is. I was talking with some of the other mom's while also chasing Brycen all around the building and one of the mom's mentioned how nice it is that all the girls will be moving on to the next class together. This class is for 3 year and 4 year olds. I stated that Skylar wouldn't be moving until the following year because she is only three and it was just a dead silence followed by the sound of jaws hitting the floor. The other moms just couldn't believe that she was only 3 years old because of how tall she is and I guess I just assumed that the other girls in her class were also 3 but no, they're 4 and Skylar is much much taller. That's not to say that the other girls are short, they're probably right where they should be for 4. I am anxious to see how tall she'll actually end up being and of course we're all placing bets! Despite her being SO tall right now, I still think she'll be as tall as me which is 5'11 whereas my mom thinks she may actually get to be 6 feet tall. If that's the case I only hope there are more shops that cater to tall thin women because this is one of my greatest challenges - finding clothes that fit right!

So, speaking of ballet...Skylar has been a little prima ballerina now for almost a year and she loves it. I'm not sure if she loves it because it is so "girly" or because it's the one and only part of her life that she doesn't have to share with her brother. Either way, she seems to enjoy prancing around and then teaching me her newest moves. Here's my sweet ballerina with some of her friends:

Things that she has learned so far is toe tapping, chasse, plie, saute, and bowing. I'm sure there's more but these are the things she screams at me when she's trying to teach me the right moves!

9 Months and Rolling (a catch up post)

Here's one of those promised make-up posts. Funny thing about this one is that I actually started it back when Brycen was 9 months but never puplished it so here ya go! :)

Yes...just rolling. I always dread the ineveitable question that all moms/doctors/friends/neighbors etc seem to ask..."so, is he crawling yet?" Aye! No matter what I do or how I try, he is content on rolling and rolling only! There have been times that we were convinced that crawling was right around the corner...you know, when they put their legs in postion and do that rocking back and forth movement. With Skylar, once she did the rocking - it was only a matter of days till she took off. Not so much with Bubba. He is not a fan of the crawling. In his defense, he is a BIG boy so it's probably pretty hard to get all that weight off the ground! And why is it that we have "clocks" on our children any how! Either way, I was pleased to learn that crawling is NOT a milestone and for those that are "milestones" at his age...well, he's meeting them so ha!!

He recently had his 9 month check up and we're happy to report that he's a healthy baby! CORRECTION: he is a VERY healthy baby! He's a strapping 22lbs 4oz and growing like a weed! I am loving every minute of it! I've recently started calling him "squishy" and Matthew hates it! But oh well! Because each time I look at him that's all I see is just yummy squishy-ness bursting out every where! He's purrrrfect!

New Blog - Makeover Edition

So perhaps you've noticed that the blog has had the dust knocked off and is now sporting a new look?! Like it?!! This is my attempt at trying to visit it more. I figured if I gave it a new look, a new name even - then maybe, just maybe I'll acutally start posting more!

Here's the thing about creativity...I sat and pondered over what I could possibly name this new blog of mine and poof it came to me! I was so excited only to be bummed that someone stole my name! Can you believe it?! Alright so maybe they had "mamalogues" first but I think I like Texas Mamalogues better anyhow so ha! Aside from just wanting a new look, the real reason I made this change is that it occurred to me that I had pretty much all of our information out there for the world to see. Our first, middle and last name and even the city we reside in! I don't know what I was thinking but at some point I really need to figure out how the whole privacy thing works on this because you just never know!

So, here's the new blog. Hope you like it! :)

Valentines Love

Now that Matthew has started his own business (don't worry, that will also make the blog...one day), we have had fewer date nights due to our busy schedules and our attempt at sticking to a budget! However, Valentines Day came and we both kind of decided that a date together was long overdue. I think our last was on our anniversary in November. So I arranged for our awesome babysitter (aka "Nana") to come by early so we could beat the crowds.

It was a lovely evening filled with stories, laughs, and tears. Yes, I said tears! For as long as I've known Matthew he's never been the real sentimental mushy type and is more likely to buy a card that has a bit of humor then one that has a romantic poem. It's not that he can't express himself emotionally. No, I think it's quite the opposite in fact. I think that beneath the tough exterior, he is such a big teddy bear that if he said what he truly felt, we'd both be sobbing. So while at dinner, I went to Facebook to post a picture because yes, I am that girl who updates her status about ten times a day and "check's - in" anywhere we go. Facebook is addiction número uno but pinterest is a very close second. Anyway, before I can upload my picture I see a post from Matthew- who NEVER gets on Facebook and his addiction is to the History channel and learning wilderness survival skills! It was a perfectly romantic sappy expression of how he felt with still adding in some humor.

I love that man! I am so relieved I took our picture together first before seeing that post because I'm sure I had mascara everywhere! Here we are:

New Year. New Beginning. New Pinterest?

Wowzers. I knew it'd been a while since I posted anything but a whole year! That's just a shame. And what's worse is I do believe this is probably my one millionth and one time of "catching" up. Fail. Thus, is my crazy life and well my lack of stick-to-it-ivness. That's a word, right?

Here goes. I think we'll just start from today (also something I'm vaguely aware of doing in a few posts prior) and move back as time allows. ha! Well, I've recently discovered the most amazing website ever...thanks to Facebook and a few friends....PINTEREST! The best thing since sliced bread. Really. What it is you ask?! Okay, so you're probably not asking because most everyone already had pinterest long before I did but I'll explain anyway. Hmm....so maybe I'm not quite sure on the logistics of it all BUT what I do know is I can log in and "pin" things like cute hairstyles or how to make your own laundry detergent or even cool craft ideas for kids and let's face it, any busy mom is always looking for new ways to entertain the hellions er, I mean precious kids! :)

Problem in finding this amazing, wonderful, crafty site is that now I have managed to get myself into a handful of projects that I have absolutely NO time to finish. For example, I happened across a gorgeous kitchen and after wiping the drool off my face found myself with a sponge, spray bottle, and putty knife removing the wallpaper! Whaaaaat?!!! Why?!!! I have seriously lost my mind. So in between making breakfast, folding laundry, giving snacks, cleaning dishes, letting the dogs out, changing diapers, separating sibling fights, feeding the dogs, making lunch, paying bills, going to the grocery store, cleaning the house (for the 100th time), reading books, wiping tears, kissing boo-boo's, more laundry, more dishes, more snacks, make dinner, oh ya! the dogs again....ALL of THIS and what do I do...I tear down wallpaper! I will include a before and after and maybe an in-between because God willing, I will find the humor in all of this one day.

But for now, I whine! I whine because I'm just dead tired. I whine because I really wish I could just rewind and save the project for another day but now that it's started I HAVE to finish because of a little trait my father passed down to me... OCD! But mainly I whine because I have no one to blame but myself and that's just not fair! I'd love more then anything to blame my husband for all of this because he is so easy to blame for everything else but nope, he just sits there with his smug little "I told you this was a bad idea" smile. You know...no, I blame pinterest! And because my insanity knows no bounds, the projects don't stop there. Noooo...I've already baked about 10 different things, pulled everything out of my craft closet to do "kids projects," and organized and reorganized different areas of the house. So really, I've succeeded in just making a HUGE mess! I know it will all come together eventually though and then I can relax again. Well, you know - whatever that means with a 3 year old and 1 year old.

So, as you can see there will be lots of catching up to do and my pinterest addiction will probably be a love/hate one. So please, tune in next week for the continuation of wallpaper removal and the crazy rollercoaster life of mine! Ciao.