Boating

Perfect weather for boating. It was a perfect day. We didn't have any issues(except at the very beginning trying to start the boat). It all worked out and everyone had a wonderful time. I am feeling a little seasick. As I'm trying to write this my body feels like it is moving so I should probably lie down. It ended up getting windy so it was really rough for the last couple hours. Hope you all had a good day as well.

ahhhh, Friday

Today we had rain...can you believe it? I didn't even know it was in the forecast. When we left for Target it was sunny and when we walked out of Target it was sprinkling. Crazy.

So Target was quite the adventure. What should have taken about 1/2 hour took and hour and a half. Thanks to the many potty breaks. 6 to be exact. She actually went 2 times. We made it to the pull-ups 3 times and each time she would start yelling at me and pointing down there....nice picture but she doesn't really talk yet so this is how we figure it out. I would prefer some other sign but this is what I get-even in public. So we went back to the restroom again...and again...and again. I was exhausted after Target and we still had to go to the mall and meet a friend and her girls to play. While we were constantly going to the potty I kept forgetting where I was last and ended up grabbing the wrong size pull ups as we dashed off yet again. Oh well, they are kind of big but they work. Next time I will go ALONE! Grace did ok at the mall. She went to the restroom many times and went a couple of those times. We didn't make it for the bm but I think that was partly b/c of some rude ladies that were waiting for the family restrooms....ummm, hello? I had 4 kids 4 and under that needed to go potty and they were in front of us and didn't plan on letting us go. So off we went to the regular restroom where each one had to take a turn. Whatever....the family restrooms have 2 toilets in each one which would have been great.

We made it through our adventures and when we got home we had a little storm....really little. Like 1 bolt of lightening and thunder but it rained a lot which is great for my garden. Have a great weekend...we are going boating tomorrow.

Potty Training 101

There are a few things you need when you begin potty training.....lots of panties and patience.

Grace is determined not to wear diapers except to bed yet she hasn't exactly figured out how to make it to the potty...especially for a bm. More than you wanted to read about today? It's more than I wanted to deal with today.

Is it ok to give up on day 3? I'm not sure she is completely ready but if I keep working on her at home then maybe she will get it. I said I was ok with her not really 'getting it' so quickly but maybe I'm not. My expectations are clearly too high. She is not Andrew and has not acted like him for 1 second of her life. Andrew woke up one day potty trained. He literally had one accident and never needed pull ups. I was blessed to have my first one be so easy. Of course I did it on his time. It happened one morning about 3 months before he turned 3. Mind you, Grace just turned 2. I know it's possible as many little girls potty train early but I need more discipline. I apparently have to follow her around with the potty and remind her every 10 seconds. It's exhausting but I will not give up on her today. Maybe tomorrow!

Post Memorial Day

Well, today I am cleaning. I didn't want to do all the dishes yesterday so I did them today. Also, cleaning the floors. Since we live in dirt we always have dirty floors. I hate this part of living here, along with pretty much everything else, but I must mop yet again.

I think Grace may be getting close to being a "big girl." She has been using the potty a lot. Today she has been wearing panties and no accidents. We are working on it but not getting my hopes up yet.

I guess it's kind of a boring day around here. We were thankful to have friends and family over yesterday. The kids didn't take naps so they went to bed early. Grace was in bed by 7 and slept all night until about 7:45 this morning which was awesome. Of course I couldn't fall asleep when I went to bed so I ended up watching tv instead. It was nice to not have kids running around while trying to watch tv. Well, I guess that's it. We are just staying home today and tomorrow. Thursday we have Grace's class and possibly the farmer's market but I'm not sure if we will go.

Memorial Day

Before I start, don't forget to pray for all the families that need it today and to honor those that have given their lives for our country. No matter what you think about war or the troops being in Iraq this is what they have chosen to do and they are protecting all of us who are too chicken to be there. Anyway, just remember what today is about when you are celebrating and bbq'ing with your friends and family.

Ok, so it's been a couple days. What have we done? Well, I'm not sure. Saturday I was gone all day...like from 9am-7pm b/c I went down the hill to a baby shower for Heather's sister. It was a lot of fun but completely exhausting. David and the kids stayed home and played all day. I think they played in the water and rode their tricycles. He usually takes them for a walk on their trikes. Yesterday, we went to church in the morning and then I worked the 11 o'clock service. I was home by 1:15 and left again at 4:45 to work the evening service. I only saw the kids for a short while but got to cuddle with them both after they woke up from their naps. Andrew wanted to leave and go with me (he actually cried) but he wouldn't be with me at church so he decided to stay with daddy. I felt so bad. Those are the times when I don't want to leave. They never, and I mean NEVER cry for me. Daddy, yes, mommy, no!

I got up at 6 am this morning and baked brownies. I woke up hot and couldn't fall back asleep. David had turned off the ceiling fan b/c it was really chilly last night but this morning after he took a shower it was humid in our room....anyway, I was up so I baked brownies. Then I was going to bake banana bread but it said to sift the dry ingredients but I don't have a sifter so I decided not to. How important is the sifting step. Obviously there is a reason for it....I just don't know what it is.

I just realized that today is not me monday...hmmmmmm, I guess I will do it next week instead. Today kind of crept up on me being a holiday and all. I act like it's a holiday from work for me. Yeah right. Hope you all had a great memorial day weekend.

I promised pictures and here they are. Just random pictures from this past week.
I love the white dress Grace is wearing and put up 2 pics so you can see how adorable it is (and how adorable she is in it)!!! Grace laughing.....very rare and wonderful! Andrew in a tux...we tried it on and it's a perfect fit. He will wear it in Cousin Rhonda's wedding in June. Oh, and finally Grace with her sunglasses upside down. And, I can't figure out why all the pictures are all crazy. It just happened and I don't want to go back and redo it all. Enjoy and have a great weekend!

Farmers Market

Today we went to the Farmers Market. The kids were great. We bought strawberries, sourdough bread, and pumpkin bread. I also got each of the kids a snowcone. It wasn't messy (believe it or not) but next time I think we will just get a kids lemonade. With the strawberries I made freezer jam....here is a picture.

Yesterday I promised a picture of the kids playing in the water table. Here's a couple...

Tomorrow I have a few pictures that I am going to post but I will save them so that I have something to put on here tomorrow.

Water Wednesday

Today the kids played with their water table....a lot! I have some pictures that I will post hopefully tomorrow. Grace kept leaning her whole body over and putting her face down in the water. And, of course Andrew kept complaining that his clothes were wet. I think he changed 3 times. When will he understand that he is playing in a water table and that's what happens. He cries and gets incredibly upset.....same thing with paint or anything messy. But Grace dives right into everything....no worries, doesn't care if she gets dirty. The other day she was eating a popsicle and it was running down her arm and stained her arm and she didn't care. Andrew eats his faster now since he is older but last year he had to have a napkin around the stick so if it dripped, it didn't get on his hands. They are so different. It's fun to watch sometimes....that is if you get to sit back and watch and enjoy. Usually if one isn't having a meltdown the other one is.

I put Grace in a bikini today and it was so funny b/c she kept trying to pull the top down to cover her belly. When that didn't work she tried pulling the bottoms up really high and her little 'cheeks' were hanging out. So cute....I definitely have to get those pictures on here for you to see. Well, I better finish what I was doing---laundry. My least favorite thing to do!

Disneyland 2009

Click here to view this photo book larger

Not Me Monday!

So here is my first attempt at Not Me Monday. To see what it is all about click the button in my sidebar and read what MckMama has to say. She is the creator of Not Me Monday! Here we go!

I most certainly did not spend my entire Saturday evening dodging Grace to make banana bread(a new recipe) that ended up a little too brown and tough. Definitely not me!

I also didn't clean my entire laundry room (almost spotless) just to pile all the laundry up again b/c I was too lazy to put it all away....not me!

Also, I didn't go to the mall with Grace last Tuesday and put her in a stroller (which she actually sat in for about 10 minutes) while I raced through my returns/exchanges just to say Grace sat in the stroller the whole time I was there and was an angel. I really do want her to be a good girl. Then I definitely wouldn't have pushed the limit of stroller time just to browse through Bath and Body Works. Nope, I also didn't give in to her screaming to get out of the stroller in Bath and Body Works and let her push the darn thing. Not me...I would never give into her tantrum at the mall. Nope, never!

Also, I would never hide from my kids in my office just to type this not me Monday post. I would never let them play in the dvd's just for the few minutes that I need to get this done in peace. Oops, better put those dvd's away before they get scratched!

Hot Enough?

OK, so as if it wasn't hot enough today (96 degrees when I checked around 3 pm) I decided to make banana bread. I saw that I had very ripe bananas...thanks to the heat...and found a recipe online and made it. It is baking right now which is making the house even hotter. Last I checked the temp in the house it was 83 degrees.

Tonight David and Andrew went to the fair to see the monster trucks. They had soooo much fun. David (being the fun daddy that he is) bought tickets for Andrew to ride some rides. He had a blast. He was really sad to leave. I really didn't want them to go b/c I think it is dangerous. Lots of gangs up here and they hang out at the fair but my boys are safe.

Grace and I stayed home and she was really mad for a while. She kept yelling for daddy and throwing tantrums about everything. We finally went to Bill and Wendy's to hang out for a while. She constantly yells at us to watch every little thing she does or sees. I couldn't get anything done with her by herself. I did get the bread done....that was actually pretty huge considering how she acted the rest of the evening. Oh and Bill and Wendy gave us some strawberry freezer jam. It is sooo yummy. I definitely need to get some strawberries and make a batch to have. It will be gone in no time.

Well, that's about all for today. I need to go check on my bread.

Hi

That's really about all...Hi! A shout out to my faithful followers who read all my wonderful and sometimes boring blog entries. Tonight I am going to see a movie with my friend (and neighbor) Stephanie and her sister. I can tell you that 6:30 can't get here soon enough. I've been cleaning and doing laundry this afternoon and since Grace got up from her nap she has been throwing tantrums over everything. Doesn't help that she is hungry but they neither one really have appetites. Unless, I offer them junk food which I refuse to do at this point. I'm sure the heat doesn't help. Weather.com says it is 88 degrees. I think it may be a little higher but who am I? No breeze and the sun has been beating in the front window since about 3. I'm not complaining....just whining. I'm exhausted from all the whining and tantrums my kids have been throwing this week. No, I don't give into the tantrums but it doesn't matter, they still throw them. Well, I guess that's it. I feel better now just venting to all of you. Have a great evening! I know I will....drinking my soda and eating my popcorn watching a movie in peace....ahhh, the silence!

Attempting to feed the ducks

Today we went to feed the ducks and I really wish I had pictures. Maybe a video would have been better. The kids were slow at tearing the bread and throwing it and the HUGE geese were a little impatient so Stephanie and I ended up just throwing whole pieces at them to get them away from us. Feeding the ducks has never been my favorite thing to do but I figured I would get past my fear and take the kids since they were excited. I'm not sure they will want to do it again either. We did get to see a mama duck and her ducklings. It was so cute and Andrew loved that they followed us around. Now we are going out to work on the garden. I have to add fertilizer to some of my plants and make bigger wells for the tomato plants. Our backyard has a slight slope so we have to make wells around each plant to keep the water from running off.

We have been so busy lately. It seems like we are always going somewhere. Plus now that it is warm outside we are out late playing so bedtime has become later for everyone. Today was my last day of bible study until fall. I'll miss it but it will be nice to have one less thing to do. Next Tuesday is also my last night in the nursery for the summer. Once again it will be nice to be home in the evening and not leaving as soon as David gets home. Well, I guess that's all. Have a great day!

Dentist Update (and more)

Andrew went to the dentist and she was able to see in his mouth and use a mirror. Yay! No xrays or cleaning but it's more than we got done last time. Of course David took the day off work to go and they said he has to go back for a cleaning b/c they don't do that on your first visit? What? Hello? People have to take off work to go to the dentist, especially since they have 8-5 hours. Anyway, what a pain. Last night Papa Wayne told Andrew that when he went to the dentist last week, they found a crocodile and some frog legs and numerous other items in his mouth. Sooo, today Andrew told the dentist he had a crocodile in his mouth. He also told the "library girl" (I'm sure she will love hearing that) and a girl I work with at church.

I took Grace to her class this morning and she was really good. Then we went to the mall and then met Andrew and David at the library. Andrew went to church with me tonight b/c he and Grace were having hitting issues. They have been hitting a lot for a couple days and I figured the break would be good. Plus, they each got one on one time with each of us today....did that even make sense? I decided to take Andrew with me when Grace grabbed his breadstick off his plate and he punched her in the eye. Don't think she is innocent though, she usually hits him first. Hopefully they will be happy to see each other in the morning after the break this evening and all night. Well, I hope you all have a great day. I'll be back with more exciting ramblings I'm sure.

Boring day

Today was kind of boring...just cleaning and cooking. The kids fought most of the day which was exhausting. Tomorrow Andrew has to go to the dentist. Big prayers for that b/c last time he was really scared and wouldn't even let them look in his mouth. David is taking him this time and then they are going to the library after for story time. Grace and I are going to her class in the morning and then to the mall. I have a couple things to exchange. Hopefully she will be good and let me try on a couple things. In the afternoon I have a Dr. appointment so David will be home with the kids. It's a busy day of appointments for us. I'll update you tomorrow on Andrew's appt. So far he acts like it will be OK. David was talking to him about it and he wasn't scared so hopefully it will go well. Have a good night!

Simply Saturday

Today has been busy...typical Saturday. I really just want a Saturday where I can just sit and relax. Actually I will take any day at this point. I don't think we have too much going on this next week so hopefully the kids and I can stay home a couple days and just be home. I went grocery shopping and to Costco this morning. When I dropped off the groceries, I decided to take Grace to Costco. She was really good but insisted on wearing her snow boots. It's 90 degrees today! Her daddy told her she could wear them in the van but then had to change into her sandals and she listened. I didn't even have to fight her.

David painted the fence out front. It was looking really bad. He also washed half the windows. I am currently baking bread. (I am making the Amish Friendship Bread.) Crazy I know when the house is already 80 degrees but you have to bake on the 10th day and I will be gone tonight. I'm playing Bunco with my neighbor and her family. This is the 2nd month and so far they've needed me both nights. It's a lot of fun! Yesterday I put all my pictures on cd's. Actually I have a few more to do but I messed up the last cd and have to wait until I can buy more but at least I got a lot more pictures off my computer. Well, I guess that's all for now. Maybe I can catch a little nap while the bread is baking. Have a great day! Here is a picture from Friday when we were outside playing. Just thought I would share!

Fabulous Friday

We've been outside most of the morning. The kids rode their tricycles, blew bubbles, and now they are outside playing in the backyard. Grace is in the swing and Andrew is pushing her. We have to get out in the front yard in the morning b/c the sun just gets too hot for us to be out too long. Right now it is too much sun in the back also but they love playing on the slide. They spend a lot of time on the patio in their playhouse in the shade so it's fine. I was lucky to snap these pictures before they got really into playing out front. Of course I took a lot of pictures but these are my favorite.

Yesterday Andrew performed (or not) with all the kids at our bible study. He actually just stood there and smiled once in a while. I didn't really get any good pictures. I couldn't figure out what setting to use on my camera so most of them are dark. Oh well. I got video of him doing nothing. No big deal there will be many more performances in his life. Next week is our last week for the bible study and we are having a luncheon. I can't believe it is already over for the year.

I hope you all have an awesome weekend. I will update at some point. Saturdays are always so busy but I will try. God Bless!

Boring

I really have nothing to write about today. I guess I could tell you that when we drive somewhere (or actually just hanging out at home) Andrew is constantly pointing at things and naming each one and then telling Grace to say the word. Such as, "Grace, see that tree? Can you say tree?" Sometimes she will try and other times she just points. It's really cute. His daddy used to do that with him when he was first learning how to talk and I think it's cute. As if he's not already just like his daddy, here is one more way. Tomorrow is Andrew's performance at my bible study and then the older kids are having a beach party. Sounds like a lot of fun....which I could be a fly and watch what they do. I'll let you know how it all goes. Have a good night!

Disneyland

Disneyland was awesome! I am so glad we were able to all go together. It wasn't as crowded as you would expect Disneyland to be and we got to ride several rides. The longest line we waited in was 45 minutes and I'm not sure we actually waited that long. I kind of wanted to ride Peter Pan's Flight (or whatever it's called) but the line was 45 and we could ride so many others in that time. The only other ride I wanted to take the kids on was the flying Dumbo ride but when we got in the long line they had to reset it and that took 20 minutes so we decided not to stay and wait. We are going back sometime so we will just ride it then. We all had our picture taken with Mickey. The kids are scared of the characters dressed up. They would prefer not getting near them at all. I don't recall any major meltdowns, except when it came to trying to get Grace in a stroller. If she wanted in she would climb up there but there was no forcing her into it. That was definitely the worst part of it all. She is too little to walk everywhere and we ended up holding her a lot. By the end of the day our bodies were tired of walking so much and on top of it our backs were killing us from holding her. If you didn't catch my last blog, you can see our Disneyland pictures by clicking here.

Grannylou and Aunt Nunny left this morning. We left the house around 4 am to go to the airport. When I got back I went back to sleep and the kids didn't wake up until 9am which was nice. I was able to sleep a few more hours. We didn't go to mommy and me this morning but we did make it to the library. Well, I guess that's all for now. I'm sure I will think of more to tell you about Disneyland as I look at some of the pictures. I think the main thing is that we just had soooooo much fun and the kids were great! Have a great day!

Disneyland Pictures

We had an awesome time and are completely exhausted. To see all the pictures we took click here and look at all the albums I've added. I made an album of the picnic and birthday pictures. Then I have 2 albums of Disneyland pictures...one from my camera and one of pictures from Grannylou's camera. Hope you enjoy the pictures. Hopefully I can tell you a little about our trip soon!

May 1st

Today we picked up Grannylou and Aunt Nunny at the airport. We took Aunt Nunny to P.F. Chang's for her birthday lunch. David came over and met us. Our server brought out a little birthday dessert with a candle for Jenny. They did sing really loud and embarrass her...we were kind of hoping they would.

Then we came home and mommy got a haircut and then we had dinner, opened presents, and had cake and ice cream. It was a really good day for everyone. I got a lot of neat gifts....a garden flag stake and flags, lotions, Clinique makeup, and gift cards. Jen got me a couple new books by Karen Kingsbury...an awesome author and a magnetic calendar to use with the kids. I've been wanting this thing for a long time. Anyway, we are heading to Disneyland tomorrow for another full day of fun.

I'm going to upload all the pics from our picnic on Wednesday and then all the pics we took today. I know there are a lot of the same pics but I'm a scrapbooker and have to take a bunch and then pick the best. Right now I don't have time to go through all of them so I'm just going to post them all.