20 of my favorite things.....

20 OF MY FAVORITE THINGS..... (thanks Susan for the idea)

After ready a classmates blog of her 20 favorite things, it really calmed me down as I am having a HORRIBLE Monday! Poor Monday really gets a wrap and I feel bad. But MONDAY get the hell outta the way!!! Reading her blog made me realize I really need to try hard not to sweat the small stuff and feel blessed with what I have.

1. My favorite season is FALL! I love the colors, the smells, September 16 is my 30th Birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving,etc. EVERYTHING about FALL).

2. The way my son tells me a story. It's the cutest thing ever and I cannot even describe it! The look on his face, the sound of his voice, the way each sentence stops abruptly and the next begins. And you can't interrupt...because then he has to start over again.

3. The way my daughter looks when she's wearing a pony tail. It's just the cutest thing every, the thing I could not wait to see when I knew September 2007 that we were having a BABY GIRL! (as sge==== she climbs on my lap as I type this at 952pm when she fell asleep in my arms at 730pm)

4. The sound the glass bottle Lipton iced tea pops when you open it.

5. The taste of homemade good cooking mother-in-law food, mom's chili, lasagna and steak in bag.

6. I'm starting to like the color purple more than blue. Like a medium to light shade of purple. And the purple of the girls dresses in our wedding.

7. I like doing laundry-it's a sense of accomplishment! I love the smell of fresh sheets after being on the clothes line all day.....and not when my father-in-law aromatizes the neighborhood. ha ha had to throw that in there.

8. A shower. ALONE!!!!

9. Putting on sneakers after wearing dress shoes or sandals all day.

10. Candles burning during the evening while we are home.

11. Any day spent as a family.

12. Crafting. I love making cute stuff, homemade cards, projects,etc.

13. I like driving, but don't like driving at night.

14. My favorite movie series, believe it or not was even before kids....Toy Story!!!

15. My favorite flowers are: Daisies, pink/white/yellow roses (don't like red at all).

16. My favorite thing about myself are my eyes!

17. I like wearing bummy clothes around the house.

18. I like to have picnics in the field during summer months w/the kids and Troy.

19. I love to be organized, or what I think is organized. I like the way it makes me feel.

20. WOW....my favorite thing in the whole world is my husband hugging me without being prompted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My tired baby girl let me rock her to sleep!! (sighhh i love it).

Dentist Day

January 27, 2011

Lydia and Owen were transferred as patient to Dr.P.M from where they were. Mainly because Dr.M is in our dental insurance network, where as the other wasn't. I took Owen to Dr.J.M when he was 18 mos old for a chipped tooth and it was torture!!! So we decided it might be more kid friendly to take the kids to Dr.K.A. where Daddy, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Elaine and the kids go to....which we had GREAT experiences with them. Owen had gone 4 time and Lydia 2. But it was time to shape up and start taking advantage of the insurance that the farm pays for! So we're saving about $200 a year by going to someone in network, that $200 is just on cleaning's only. (I say that because you'll have to read on......)

So we got there 10 minutes early, mommy was cold, the kids were playing and thought everything was going to run smoothly. I took Lydia back to get hers cleaned and thought we'd have Owen come right back when she was done....nope Lydia and I were transferred to the dentist's office, Troy and Owen stayed behind to get cleaned. (WHAT A CROCK! compared to all 4 of us being in a room at Dr.K.A.). Anyhow......1 hr 16 minutes later we all left! (whew)

To make a long story short-I didn't get to see Owen get his cleaned, but heard him laugh and was reported he did well. He LOVED the bubble gum flavor fluoride treatment and was stoked he got a WOODY toothbrush!!! Lydia was great getting hers cleaned, chose grape flavored fluoride treatment, got princess flossers and a prince toothbrush! After the cleaning Owen let Dr.P.M. count his teeth.....then the news came........Owen has a cavity and it HAS to be filled. It's a molar that he'll have til he is 12 or 13!!!! (we didn't tell him) Then Lydia wouldn't open her mouth for him to see. oh well!!!

So we were glad to get out of there. I made Owen's appointment for in a few weeks, mommy needs time to prepare herself for this visit and the next cleaning appointments. Better take the whole afternoon off for that one!!!

Lydia's Birthday Party

Owen & Lydia watching for the cupcakes to get finished. (above)

Cupcakes on display and Lydia's larger cupcake. Grammie baked all them Friday at our house and Friday evening I frosted them with homemade frosting.

Lydia on her new tricycle bike from Grammie. (Dont mind washer/dryer behind us...we partyied in the basement-lots of room down there)

Saturday evening we had Lydia's 3rd Birthday party with mommy's family. 22 people to be exact, some of our closer friends were unable to make it ot the party. But it was okay. We had plenty leftovers that went to the freezer for later on when we get busier. Lydia had a great time as did the other children. We had 3 new kids join us (Doug's son Mikel-which is peanut's boyfriends son, Then there were Marc's 2 daugthers-which is Jessica's boyfriend). WE all had a good time. And were all sleeping by 10pm! We were EXHAUSTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dentist appointment day.....
1 down 1 more kid 2 get cleaned! Lydia did great!!

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Birthday Parties.....

Well as parents Troy and I have decided this is the LAST big birthday party! (yeah right?!?!?). It is so much hard work! I know why can't I keep our basement cleaned up for occasions like this? BECAUSE we live in our house, I'm busy and we have 2 kids that like to play down there. So I think we're going to from now on do JUST cake & ice cream with family and then if the kids want to have a few friends over for their Birthday's we'll do it. I know I'm a tad disappointed, and this may change in time. But I don't know it kinda makes sense. It truly is hard on me. I am so stressed out by the time the day of the party rolls around that I question myself "is this truly worth it?" I mean yeah sure the kids have a blast and I feel horrible for being in a bad mood. But it is so much fun! We will see. Time changes everything.......

I still cannot believe Lydia Ann is 3 YEARS OLD~! She's our baby, our baby girl at that. She's really started talking ALOT since right around Christmas. I like it, but she sure does yammer away at orders! lol She is full of everything. She is lovable, loves her dolls and animals, observes your facial expressions before she reacts most times, loves to dance, is in aww over sparkly princess things.....she's ALL girl. But isn't afraid to run with the big dogs-and I love that! She holds her own when it comes to fighting with her brother. She does have a 'sound' problem. when she cries, yells at Owen, upset with Molly....you will here it for sure loud and clear!!!
So.....one last time for your 3rd birthday baby girl...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONKEY! Mommy, Daddy and Bubby love you very much!!!

In almost 2 weeks her and I will start our Mommy & Me class. It's rough Friday mornings getting 3 of us ready. Drop Owen off at school, kill and hour and a half, go to Mommy & Me and try to figure things out after that. At times Owen stays at daycare to have lunch, or he gets picked up by daddy or grandma. But all of this is worth it. The look on her face with disappointment when I tell her each time we drop Owen off for school-not your school today. she loves going and she even loved daycare a few weeks ago.

Both kids asleep and in

Both kids asleep and in their own beds 945pm! woohooo. tomorrows a big day!

Momma's furbaby!

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Sleeping update....

Well sleeping and binky update.....
Last Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday night the kids both slept in their beds. I usually don't have a problem with Owen, he's a great sleeper. But I think we had a problem around age 3 where he wanted in our room, until he got his single bed. Lydia got hers mid October. And still isn't 100% sold on it. lol So...last night they were both sleeping in their beds by 945pm. This is a big change for us, since October we've really been trying to get bedtime down pat. But seems like some times it's alot of BS! Yes BS!!! From crying, whining, continuously putting HER back in her bed,etc. I was so proud of Lydia for last night falling asleep in her bed. I awoke at 628am crying, shaking,etc I had a nightmare about snakes chasing me....looking over...there was Lydia beside me!! I never heard her slinker into bed. So what's Troy do? Well he milks 10p and doesn't get in until at least 3-4am (I hate it), he either sleeps on the couch or if Lydia's made her way to our bed...he sleeps in her bed. (Hilarious to see a 6'1" grown man all snuggled up in a Tinker Bell comforter!! LMAO).
Last evening we as a family cleaned up the basement a bit for Lydia's party. The kids are growing more and more excited for the party. I truly think they LOVE company!
Mommy on the other hand is trying to stay busy cleaning....I just need some motivation.
OK now to binky's....Lydia's 3 yr check up last Thursday the dr said no more binkys. Well you can't cold turkey something like that. So the last 3-4 days they're not allowed in my car, and we've been trying to hide them during the day. Makes bed time easier if we have them. But each is down to 1 a piece, so Im hoping by Valentine's Day we can have a celebration of NO MORE BINKY's....we'll see.....

Date

Yesterday Owen and I went on a "date" and what a busy one it was. First we decided to head to Stone Arch to eat, because seriously do you want a 1st date to be at McDonald's or Pizza Hut? ha ha ha.....He ate all his mashed potatoes and gravy, but decided he wanted his yummy cheeseburger to come home to daddy. And he stole a few of my fries. Their cheeseburgers are out of this world!! He chattered the whole time we ate, talking about different things, going to the bathroom alone, what we were doing next. Here he has a notepad and pen, and was making a grocery list. He practiced his name and did 2 letters of his preschool teacher's last name. As we got out of the car when we arrived he asked "mommy can I order my own food". Why sure!!! He did well!

After lunch we were off and running to Giant Eagle (Saved $19.00) where he decided he was going to be a plane, a boat and I swear every movable thing....sound effects and all. Aldi's was our next stop with of course yet another potty break and some elderly men parking their carts in the middle of the isle...SERIOUSLY does there need to be a grocery store etiquette course for men??? lol Then to walmart, we were doing GREAT on time til we got here....ran into a few people we knew, couldn't find some items I had in mind, Owen being distracted by the 'try me' video games as I was looking for an ethernet cord at walmart (still haven't found another one).....so 1 hr and 20 mins later we departed walmart!!! YAY!!! Luckily Lydia went to spend the afternoon with Grandma!

We ventured to Tara's to pick up this absolutely adorable cupcake Tinkerbell stand she found for me, deliver stuff to the sister-in-law's house and the post office. All the stops of course were filled with questions....the best...Owen wanted to know what all the little doors in the post office were....Post Office boxes, now try to come up w/a quick one for a 5 yr old...I didn't know what else to say other than there are people out there who steal mail and people get those boxes, but you have to pay to rent them. WOW that was wrong...it was filled with responses of "mom, will someone steal our mail?", and "that's not very nice".....geez........

Lydia of course wasn't ready to come home and some things had to be discussed......so finally 5 hrs after Id dropped Lydia off....we were back home, I put the groceries away, and had just sat down when I realized at 504pm that Owen's haircut was at 530pm!!!!!!!!!!!! We were off and running again. Lydia acted as if she didn't feel well, so she fell asleep on the way to the haircut until 830pm, but was back sleeping for me by 11pm. Thankfully. I really wish we could stay on task/schedule,etc.....

I'm already dreading bedtime in the fall because Owen will have to get up earlier than usual, daddy will have only had a few hours of sleep and Lydia will start 2 days of preschool.....hoping daddy understands that bedtime routine is important and that mommy's going to need lots of help or him outta the house by 730pm!!! or at least til the kids are sleeping. I don't want to be one of those parents that doesn't do well with the kids in the morning, and we don't have time for breakfast...I understand breakfast is a key to a good health and education!

Well Owen's at school, Lydia's finishing her bath and Ive got TONS of work to do in the next 3 days to prepare for Lydia's party!

HUGE magazine deals.....

If you are a magazine lover, January is the time to start up some subscriptions. Here is a list of great deals on magazine subscriptions:

Tanga has Scrapbook Etc. Magazine listed for $24. Use coupon code SCRAPBOOK at checkout to get it for $5.99.

You can also get a 2 year subscription to Allure on Amazon for $13. It is listed at $18 but $5 will come off when you check out.

Amazon also has 2 years of Marie Claire for just $7 after discount.

Cosmopolitan (1-year) is also on sale for just $5!

Go here to order a 1 Year Subscription to O, The Oprah magazine for just $10.

Weekend....

I enjoy weekends when at least one day we can do something even if it's nothing but spend time together as a family! I LOVE that!!! And today was it!!

Yesterday the kids and I didn't really do much. I cleaned my room...mom woulda been proud years ago...but no one cared yesterday :-( ohh well bummer about being an adult. But at least I can move around in there. ha ha ha. Lydia did Zumba as I watched and folded towels. I needed to watch the moves so I knew exactly what's going on. She was cute! Troy was home shortly after dark and we finished up the Steeler's game together! GO STEELERS!!! Then we watched 'Couples Retreat', we've only had for almost a year and never have had time or a TV to watch on (because the kids pretty much die if we over rule the tv, it's less a fight if we just do it that way). Boy was it hilarious!!

Today (Sunday)..... I got up, got the kids ready and took them to Sunday School. I loved sitting outside the room listening to them chatter as I read my book. Made my heart sing! They talked about shepards and sheep today, or so Owen says and made a finger pupet.

Once Sunday School was over we headed home out of the 18 degree weather to daddy making us waffles!!! We got him another waffle maker for Christmas. (his specialty is pancakes, homemade and homemade syrup too!). Once we were done with that we headed to County Market, coupons in hand OF COURSE. With a list and a budget!! We saved $25.42 ($9.80 was coupons, rest was in store on sale items savings) and were $39.00 under budget.....so we were hungry and decided to use up the rest of my Arby's coupons and fed the whole family for $13.11 !!!! compared to a usual McDonald's trip of $approx25.00 I thought that was AWESOME!!!

We headed home to unload what was most of the stuff for Lydia's birthday party this weekend and relax the rest of the evening. Lydia's still awake after a 2 hr nap (course it's only 939pm and that's EARLY for her). I really wish she'd like ot sleep like Owen does. He's such a great sleeper for me, always has been.

Well . . . . It's on to another busy week of school x3, clean, prepare for the party, finish up grocery shopping, banking, post office (not MOnday), hair cut and zumba! I dont know what Id do if I couldnt do all these things. Im very blessed and thankful for my husband, my children, my family, my friends and just my life!!!

Have a good week everyone!

Toy Story 3 and Zumba

Buzz, The Claw and the Aliens

Jessie and Woody

Owen's favorite Slinky Dog

Lydia and Owen. (can't see her cup, cut you can seeh is alien)

Well. . . . As I had said I was going to try to get blogging more. Even if it is just a little bit.

Thursday evening I headed off to Zumba, knowing Id be hurting the next day but not realizing how out of shape I am. It was so much fun and I wish I could go 2-3 times a week because it was so much fun!!!! I felt my heart beating the whole time, was out of breath and just kept moving. There were women there of all sizes, so I really did feel comfortable. I haven't moved like I did that night in YEARS~!! I think I am going to really stretch well over the next week so I dont hurt as bad after class next week :-) It was a GREAT experience and hope I can keep going.

Friday I knew full ahead at the end of the day I was going to DROP! I was up at 6am, out the door by 715am and on the road. (most who know me, know Im not a morning person). Wonder if it was the excitement of Toy Story 3 on ice....probably! Ive been a fan of Toy Story since it came out. When I was in high school at worked at McDonald's I collected ALL of the happy meal toys, later to save them for my kids, so when Toy Story 2 came out (I had kids), I let them open. I dropped BOTH kids off at daycare (Lydia's 1st daycare experience) and was off and running to work. The kids both did well with the new adjustment. Much to mommy's surprise and better than I did. I got a little bent out of shape because some things weren't done the way I would have, but I can't be 2 places at once. :-(

After work I headed to pick up the kids, and get ready to hit the road for Cleveland!!! We did well in time, stopped at Michael's and got some things for Lydia's 'cupcake' themed birthday party this coming weekend, grabbed dinner and headed to Quicken Arena. I cannot get used to $10 parking!!! OUTRAGOUS. But well worth walking in the cold. We had a little snafoo w/the tickets, but were in our seats and situatied just in time. As each new charector came out Owen and Lydia waved. Owen would scream "HI WOODY, HI JESSIE",etc. It was so cute. Lydia mostly sat on Troy's lap, Owen went back and forth from his seat to Lydia's seat. Which was ok. I took pictures with my birthday present camera! And did well. We were very pleased with sound, lighting, the whole program and best of all OUR SEATS!!!!! I highly recommend a good seat with little kids. Despite the "I want a drink", "I want popcorn"....intermission came soon and we got Alien and Jessie snowcone cups ($10), but that was the only thing they were allowed to get. What a mess!!! lol BUt Im leaning to relax and that it's not worth crying over spilt milk.

Once the show was done we hit the potty, headed to the car, put the kids pj's on and we were on the road!!! About 1 hr into the trip Mommy & Daddy decided they were hungry......what a bad feeling eating whenyour kids are sleeping. But we got home at 1140pm and the kids stayed sleeping!!! YAY!!! It was a great experience.....and we are very thankful, thank you Uncle Tom and Aunt Joanne for the great gift. The kids were still talking this morning about it!!!!

I know I know.....

Lydia getting her hearing screening done today at 3 yr check up! She did fabulous!

I know, I know...I still don't have my Christmas Letter on here.... I feel like Im dancing circles here. (but not burning any calories). ha ha ha. I really do want to apologize for not having it up here. I truly hope that I can get it done soon.

So, I am hoping that my ol classmate who's been blogging almost EVERYDAY, has 3 kids and is super busy....has inspired me! I read her blog often. I wont mention her name, just V5 is what I'll call them. I only know "her" personally, and have never met the other 4 V's!!! However I do read her blog often enough that I feel like they're practically next door neighbors. Corky I know.

Today I took Lydia for her 3 yr check up. I swear Owen didn't get a shot at 3, so I said oh no we won't get shot today. She was as hysterical as Owen usually is. :-) yay because Mommy did appointment alone. So the pediatrician said NO MORE binky, her vision was 20/30, she appears to be in great health, and as to her speech and "hungy" issue constantly driving me nuts---it's NOTHING To be concerned about. Once she sstarts in w/other kids, she'll do better w/speech. Then there's the snacking or as she says "mommy, I HUNGY!" No not hunGRY HUNGY! She sounds like a orphan who has never been fed when I hear her.....just let her go as long as she's eating meals and gaining weight.

STATS:

Lydia 3 yrs old - Height- 37 1/2" (50%) Weight-32.6 lbs (50%)
Owen at 3 yrs - Height- 39" (90%) Weight- 41 1/2 lbs (97%)

I knew there was a difference in height, but just 2 1/2" wow that's close, and weight I was WAY off!!! Almost 10lbs holy smokes, no wonder I find myself still carrying her around.
Im not "comparing" my kids to each other, like 1's better than the other, I just like to see the match up to age/boy/boy,etc. AMAZING!

Tonight I will be going to my FIRST Zumba class. Im so nervous, but I know that I need to do this for myself. Get that ol' ticker pumpking. Im prepared.....sneakers, workout clothes, (look like a cow), bottled water, $5, and my open attitude!!! MINUS the big BOOBS! ha ha ha Should be able to move a little better!

Kiddos wearing their nice towels from aunt Elaine. (thanks,elaine!)

Mother-in-law & father-in-law newest addition....mindy!