Spring break 2014 Kansas City, MO Legoland

Well we survived our first road trip as a family this past week! Since Bubba was on spring break we decided to make a little trip to Kansas City, MO for Legoland!! That was the main attraction... we also hit up Sea Life (which is right next door to Legoland) and the Kansas City Zoo.

Here are some details I wish I would have known before going!

LEGOLAND

All these pictures are from the "mini-city" inside Legoland. This was a big attraction for my boys ages 5 and 4 at the time. They had several displays to look at. Wizard of Oz was Bubba's favorite! Not only did they have these displays to look at but most of them were interactive. You could push buttons throughout to activate something! They had cars racing around a racetrack. Music played at a concert (complete with disco lights). A crane that you could operate, and even a boat "floating" in a little river! Bubba's favorite was making Dorothy's house lift up and away in the tornado...

Ceej really enjoyed racing the cars and making the witch melt! When you pushed a button she screamed and said "I'm melting, I'm melting!" and dissolved into a puddle. LOL

RIDES

Along with Mini-land they had a couple rides. The first one was my favorite! You were riding along in a little car of sorts with guns ready to shoot bad things that came your way.... like rats, and bats... and they had large screens with animated bad guys to shoot as well. The guns had little laser pointers so you could see where you were shooting. They took your picture on the ride and you even got to see your score at the end. Keep in mind that if you have small children (like Miss M who is not yet 1 year old) you will NOT be able to have her ride on your lap. The kids must be able to sit up on there own w/o a seatbelt. JDub missed out on the ride, having to stay with Miss M. 

The other ride was Merlin's something or other... Children must be 3 feet in order to ride accompanied by an adult. Otherwise if your child is 4 feet or taller they can ride by themselves. So once again JDub missed out b/c he had to stay with the baby. We probably could have taken turns... but the lines were quite long when we were leaving!

BUY TICKETS ONLINE

I am soooo glad I pre-ordered tickets online. We did a packaged deal with Sea Life and Legoland together for our family of 5. Since we had ordered our tickets online we were able to go to a separate ticket line when they opened up at 10:00 am. Keep in mind we were going on a Wednesday... you would think it wouldn't have been that busy... but it was during spring break... After waiting roughly 45 minutes in line we were finally able to get inside... while the other "general admission" people were still waiting in line. 

Go early! Legoland was so awesome the first hour we were there. It wasn't crowded... we had the place to ourselves pretty much... then the crowds came?! It was shoulder to shoulder in there. They didn't check my bags for anything... and I did have a couple snacks.. but man I wish I would have brought a lunch in there! I was not impressed with the food available (and it was expensive of course). Once you enter Legoland... if you leave you CAN'T go back in!? 

They also had a tube and Playstation like area. The boys were only able to go in there once. They really wanted to go again but it was so crowded and the line was very long. 

Legoland had a 4D movie playing every 15 minutes. It was kind of a nice quiet break. Bubba ended up going in once with me and once with JDub. There was a classroom area where a man (boy really... he looked young!) was teaching the kids some techniques and you were able to build a little building (and buy it for $5). Bubba really enjoyed that... Ceej and I were waiting in line for a ride at that time. I don't think he would have liked that very much though. Those boys are so different!

Legoland also had a cupcake station/kitchen if you will. Ceej really enjoyed that area... and he was sharing it with most of the girls there. They also had a "stage" area with kareoke and a microphone inside with the cupcakes.

Sea Life

Then we headed to our car for more snacks... then onto Sea Life! That place was pretty dead. But we liked that! Bubba's favorite part was the trivia questions. They had a scratch ticket with 10 different questions. You had to get a coin and scratch off the right answer. If it had a check-mark you were right! Then at the end you turned your ticket in to get a medal for getting all the trivia right. All the answers were written on the walls around the building. Bubba loved reading the questions and finding the answers. And of course getting money to scratch the right answer!

They had some pretty cool aquariums in there... a nice tunnel to go under and see sharks floating above your head... They didn't have flash photography so I didn't bring my nice camera in. I could have turned the flash off but we decided to fore-go the stroller so I was carrying a baby the entire time!

They also had a smaller tube/ playstation area. There's was less busy and no one was manning the gate so you could go in and out if you wanted. The boys loved playing on that and it was alot easier to see them than the LegoLand one. The gift shops were in the same area connected with a line down the middle. The thing about Sea Life if you could come and go as you please... 

Overall I'd say buying the joint ticket was a good idea... we definitely spent more time in LegoLand than Sea Life... but it was a nice quiet time after the chaos of LegoLand!

I would recommend LegoLand for smaller children... there were a few older kids... like ages 10 and up... but I'd say its better for ages 8 on down :) I could see the older ones being annoyed with all the little kids around.

Kansas City Zoo

I was not very impressed with the Zoo... I was however impressed with the 70 degree weather we had that day! We were going to go to Union Station... but with the weather being so great (and seeing how when we got back to Iowa it was snowing.....) we wanted to be outside!

All the water fountains were still closed from winter.... therefor there was NO WHERE to get a drink. Pretty pitiful. I think they had one concession stand... maybe two... open for the day. And seeing as how there were so many people (everyone else had the same idea as me.... wanting to be outside on a gorgeous day) the lines were insane. Thankfully I had brought in the boys water bottles (with filters) so we filled them up in the bathrooms along the way. Even the vending machines were all sold out! I found a Diet Dr. Pepper in one... otherwise they were all out. And any other "stands" to buy food were not being manned by anyone. That zoo is huge...and we didn't see anyone working... I think we ran into a group of 5 employees just standing there.. and one other random worker... otherwise we didn't see any staff the entire time. 

I know it was the beginning of spring... but really they could have made alot more money that day if they would have had some other concessions open. Everyone was constantly stopping at a vending machine and then getting disappointed when they saw the "sold out" scroll across. 

Residence Inn

We ended up staying in Independence, MO, outside of Kansas City in terms of the hotel. The boys absolutely loved the pool! And we pretty much had it to ourselves which was nice. The staff was very nice and friendly. Even when I made 2 huge messes... they were nice enough to clean them up and not get mad at me! I spilled cheerios everywhere.... and then my coffee one morning... I couldn't even blame it on the kids!

They had complimentary breakfast, and they even had dinner there Tues-Thurs nights! That was a nice little bonus :). We ended up checking out late (with no problems) on Friday just so the boys could swim again.

All in all we had a fabulous spring break.... I'm so glad we chose Missouri over Chicago Legoland..... it was much warmer!!

crochet vs knitting

Well honestly... I haven't taken any professional classes... I just happened to stumble across some you tube videos and tutorials online... but after having some MAJOR issues trying to knit... I think I like crocheting
better?!

here is something i knitted... started out being a head band..
then i tried to morph it into a coffee cup sleeve... it just didn't work out.

And here's the kicker... I bet crocheting all of these things took about the same amount of time as me trying to knit that tiny strip?! Now I did the whole arm-knitting thing and I finished that scarf in 40 minutes... but I dunno... I 'm just not very good with the 2 needles thing.

If you are wanting to try and learn how to crochet... check out this awesome lady's website! http://www.craftyminx.com/2011/11/crochet-school-.html

I'm working on a pot-holder (crocheting) right now... its looking pretty sweet! The heart from above was actually a pattern I found online! I am still working on the whole deciphering the crochet patterns though... It is like a foreign language to me.

Otherwise there's not much new on the home front... same ol same ol'. I sure am getting tired of this snow; Wish it would hurry up and melt. My boys are getting antsy around here :) Oh and JDub just had a birthday. Check out his Green Bay Packers cake!

All about Ceej 2014

Oh Ceej.... my 2nd born... fire-y red head! You are the feistiest one of the bunch. You have such a fun personality. You are always making friends everywhere we go?! Of all ages as well... girls, boys... teenagers... grandmas... they all love you. You are a cutie so that doesn't surprise me.

I'm wondering how you are going to do once your brother isn't around all the time next year. You two have so much fun playing each morning. I'm sure you and Miss M will have fun when your brother is away though. You are my best eater! You will try anything w/o hesitation, and you even love salad :) You are the best greeter when we return home! You are always running to the door when you hear it open yelling "DADDY! YOU'RE HOME!!!" and giving great hugs and even kisses sometimes.

Out of the blue you will come up and say "I love you Mommy" and hug me. It is so sweet. You are still such a loving brother. If Miss M is upset you will sing her songs or be silly and try to make her laugh. She loves you so much! And you feel great sympathy when we hurt ourselves... you'll be like "Mommy I'm sorry you hurt your lip are you ok?"

For some reason I have much more patience with you than your older brother (some think its b/c Bubba and I are so much alike). Even though you can be a stubborn little thing at times... refusing to go potty before we leave the house, or wear your coat... in general I can make you see why you need to listen to us w/o coming unglued.

You fall asleep in the weirdest places... at the craziest times... you almost always fall asleep in the car when picking Bubba up from school. I could put together a 15 minute slide-show of pictures of you passed out in various places :)

You LOVE taking baths. It is probably your favorite thing to do (besides playing Lego Star Wars). Even when the water turns cold you are still playing in there, not wanting to get out. Speaking of Lego Star Wars.... you are VERY good at it?! Especially at being R2-D2 and flying around. I'm impressed!

You really like girl toys (and I'm ok with that). You stole your (girl) cousin's princess slippers b/c they fit you better than her at the time. You enjoy "taking care of the babies" and are easily fascinated looking at pretty princesses. You really enjoyed the Tinkerbell movie too!

You are a sweet heart and I am proud of the little man you are becoming. You are pretty self-sufficient; you get dressed, brush you teeth, go potty, get a snack, all by yourself most of the time! And when you do need help you are usually good about asking nicely after trying first :)

You are a cutie and I can't believe you are going to be 4 in a few months?! I love you!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Well the holidays came and went this year! It was quite a blur...

We had holiday parties..... fun food... ugly sweaters... family gatherings... quite the abundance of blessings around here! All I really wanted for Christmas was a Silent Night... and that didn't happen. But I'm ok with that too. I got a funny Christmas card that said "We traded in our Silent Nights for a bundle of Joy..." and that seems pretty appropriate around here as well.

by the way i am breastfeeding in this photo....

Miss M has finally gotten a tooth! After months and months of gnawing on anything and everything it broke through the other day. Little stinker was screaming like a banshee again... so I'm sure we'll be having lots of fun when the other teeth come in. She really is cute though... so that helps :)

crescent roll, cream cheese, broccoli and red pepper Christmas wreath!

We had an ugly Christmas sweater party for our small group! And guess who won a prize..... oh yea baby... ME!

A special thanks to my mother who held on to that "gem" since the 80's. The judge was a nice neighbor of the hosts of the party... he appreciated a vintage ugly sweater :). I made JDub's sweater... I don't think he appreciated it that much... but he was a good sport!

I decided to make a few Christmas presents this year... something that is really in and fairly easy to do. I thought the first one was going to kill me!!! But then I finally figured it out and made a few more pretty easily. The infinity scarf! They are all the rage right?!

this is 1/2 gray sweatshirt material and 1/2 material from my bridesmaid dress

this is mostly gray sweatshirt material and a little dash of purple t-shirt added for some color!

JDub's aunt is very crafty and over Christmas she decided to teach us how to arm-knit! It's pretty easy... I'm kind of thinking of getting some knitting needles and trying that out now!

this was me in the process.... but I totally messed it up the 1st time and had to undo the whole thing and start from scratch!

And here's the final product. Not too shabby... second time around went MUCH MUCH better :) It took me about 40 minutes!

Overall I've had a great holiday. JDub's been on vacation since Christmas (goes back to work tomorrow) so that's been nice. Back to the "Real World" tomorrow though...... had to do it sometime right?! Any who, I hope you all are having a fabulous 2014. I myself need to get a new calendar b/c I can't remember what day it is!? Love to all.

On another note... I am still working on living for God and not others... It's a hard thing to do... but I can slowly see myself making progress in the right direction. I know I'm not going to change overnight... but some days are better than others. Keep me in your prayers if you think of it! And if you ever want to arm knit I'd love to join you!?

Thank you, God

Ya know when you go to your drawer and there are clean clothes. You know how you left your room a mess but now its clean?! You had toys all over the place, your sheets were hanging off your bed, your dirty clothes were laying on the floor... Ya know that meal you just ate. It didn't just appear on a clean plate from no where. That backpack you just brought to school with you. Did it pack itself? Did your water bottle and snow pants jump in there? No.....

What about those times you go to your drawer and you have no clean underwear... You are hungry and there is no snack prepared on the table. You want yogurt but there isn't any left in the fridge. You get to school only to find out you have no library book to return to the library....

Are you grateful? Are you mad? Are you disappointed?

I try ya know... I try to keep up with everything. The laundry, playing, cleaning, shopping, bathing... I try to remember when things are due, what's coming up on the calendar. Really I do. Do I get praise and applause when I actually do remember all of these things? No... not usually.... Do I get attitude and disappointment when I forget.... Yes... most of the time. I try, but I am human, I make mistakes, I sin....

Then there's God. Who is ALWAYS there for me. When I am feeling under-appreciated I try to remember God sees me. And he cares about the (good) things I am doing... And of course its God who is giving me the ability to do all of these things...  Thank you, God! So here's living my life for God.... not for people telling me what a good (or bad) job I am doing... not for the almost non-existent praise I receive for a job well done... not for the condescending tones I receive when I mess up. But for God who loves me no matter what, who is proud of me even when I fall, and who thinks I am truly special.

1 Peter 4

7 The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. 8 Above all love each other deeply, because love covers cover a multitude of sins. 9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 11 If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

All about Bubba November 2013

Oh Bubba... my 5 year old, first-born son. You are something else! You are a joy and a headache every day.... You showed up a month early..... You could sing your ABC's at 18 months... you were potty-trained by your 2nd birthday! You are reading at the age of 5 right now?! I am so proud of the little man you are becoming.

Bubba dressed up for Star Wars day at the local library!

You love all things Star Wars.... You sing the theme song when you are eating... when you are going to the bathroom... in the car... and at night when you are going to bed. You know more about the characters than I can ever remember.

You know how to turn the TV on and how to start the Xbox to play video games.... you can even make your own oatmeal in the morning... (which is much appreciated!!)

You love your siblings... most of the time anyway! Miss M just loves when you talk to her and smile at her. You and Ceej are best buddies (and worst enemies..). You are always playing together and laughing (and hitting and crying).

You are allergic to Mango :(  (and dust mites and ragweed) We still aren't sure what we are going to do about that one..... We are trying several things right now.... bed and pillow covers, keeping Mango out of your room, changing sheets more often, and zyrtec. So far you are still up coughing most of the night.....

You are constantly asking questions and soaking in new knowledge every day.... which is a blessing and an annoyance! You can remember so many things.... so you obviously inherited that from your mommy...and NOT your daddy (he can't even remember what he did yesterday).

I am looking forward to the parent-teacher conference at school coming up in a couple weeks! I can't wait to hear what your teacher has to say about you :) I have a feeling you will receive high remarks when it comes to academics... and maybe some room for improvement when it comes to following directions and doing things in a timely manner....

It was a Super Halloween 2013

I have to admit this Halloween was pretty much epic.... I mean how freaking cute are we?! Just in case you need clarification..... that's Wario, Princess Peach, a toadstool, Mario and Luigi baby!!! JDub was such a good sport about it all. I made Miss M's outfit all by hand!! Then there was my outfit... at first it looked like this....

Let's just say as an almost 30-something mom of three.... I wasn't looking to be hoochie-mama... so little mini-dress wasn't going to do! I needed to add some poofy sleeves as well... 

Thank goodness for a friend who is a sewing genius!!! She helped me made sleeves out of some extra lace I had... I just attached them to a tank top and wore that underneath the sleeveless dress after I added some extra length of course....

It was super fun dressing up... I'm leaning towards and all Star-wars themed family affair next Halloween...

mini zippered pouch

All of the materials I already had for this little ditty.... while I was working on my Iowa patch I was also making something for this nice mom from my MOPS group. To be honest I don't know her that well... but while I was facebook stalking her I saw her in a Cubs shirt a few times so I figured she must be a fan!

I  made her a little "patch"... I was going to do the whole Cubs thing in a circle... but the thought of having to cut out each little letter and sew that on was a bit much... I went with the cute little cubbie bear instead! I used white fleece, red sweatshirt material, and just some blue cotton/polyester I had from making dinosaurs. I had to use fray check on the end of the blue b/c it was unraveling otherwise!

Then I was trying to figure out what to make with it! I thought of doing a key-chain for her keys... but it was rather large for that... then I figured I had bought a 10 inch zipper a while back.... maybe I should try to make a cute pouch with it! Honestly... the whole zipper foot attachment on my sewing machine kind of scared me. I had no idea what I was doing... but after researching online a bit I found a few videos and decided to dive in!

My mother had given me some fake leather looking, black material and I made this!

I have to say trying to figure out the zipper and what part to sew on when was a little tricky.... but I think it turned out pretty well! I want to go buy a bunch of zippers now!!

Don't be hatin' (Iowa fans)

I'm an avid believer that just because you are not a fan of something... it doesn't mean you have to be a hater... There are several people out there that just do not understand that concept! If you can't say something nice... than keep your mouth shut! No I'm j/k.... but there are some Iowa Hawkeye fans out there that are just obnoxious right?!

Yes I like Iowa State... I am a cyclone fan. I would prefer that they win... but that doesn't mean I have to put your team down, and make fun of you... And honestly, UNI whooped ISU earlier this year... did I rub it in JDub's face?! NO! I just said sweet... go get me some dinner since UNI won... LOL.

We have some friends of ours who are pretty hard-core Iowa fans... they are decked out in Iowa gear quite often... and they have 2 little boys that are similar in age to my our boys.  So they have that same holey pants problem that you get when you have little boys. Or big boys probably too... You've seen some work I've done with patches on the knee.....

So when my friend was saying how her son had NO PANTS b/c they all had holes I said give me some pants and I'll figure something out....

So even though I don't "like" the Iowa Hawkeyes.... I hope he likes them!!!

Come on Over Kids!!

If you are ever in need of getting your toddlers' attention here's a few ideas....

1. Buy them transformers that are too difficult to transform themselves... they'll need you to make them a "guy" and then make them a "car" and then back again several times!

2. Sweep.... make sure the pile of dirt and debris is right in the middle where they'll be sure to step in it.

3. Clean under the couches... you'll be sure to find lots of toys they had been looking for.

4. Go to the bathroom.... they always find me when I do!

5. Make a phone call.... they seem to have something more important to tell you than whoever you are
talking to.

6. Get on your laptop... especially while trying to type emails so you can lose your train of thought and type the same thing over and over  and over again.

7. Get a snack.... make sure it has a really noisy wrapper.... they'll recognize the noise and want some too.

8. Organize the toys... they'll think you are just making a mess and "help" or that its some kind of game...

9. Go start the laundry... by the time you get downstairs and stain treat everything they'll realize you've been gone for 5 minutes and think you are lost.

10. Sit down and read a magazine... you'll find yourself reading the same line over and over again!

Just a few tips in case you need them :)

It's Hot Hot Hot!!

Bubba's school has been cancelled 7 days so far this year due to the heat.... see he meets in the afternoon for Junior Kindergarten. When they have an early dismissal... due to the heat... he doesn't have class?! Its really hard to get into a routine when school keeps getting cancelled!!!

It is also hard to get up and get moving when you only get 2 hours of sleep too... Ok so maybe I got 2 hours the night before...and about 5 last night... but still. Ugh.

Miss M had decided that instead of crying when she is awake... she is going to screech a high pitched squeal! It was kinda funny the first time. I was like what is that noise?! But I'm over it now... I guess it is kind of better than crying... but eh. It is VERY loud... and sharp and high pitched. It echos especially well in a house full of hard wood floors! She is now eating food and loving it! Just like her mommy!! She's eaten carrots and sweet potatoes. And rice cereal of course. She's doing pretty good these days. She went from sleeping great to being back up alot of the night... but I know it won't last forever...

In other news I am working on filling up all my kids baby books?! OMG who invented those?! I hate you! No I'm just kidding... but honestly who fills in all the "what milk cost when you were born"... "How much was gas when you were born"... blah blah. Who cares? I'd have to say Miss M's book is by far my favorite. Its short and sweet... none of this... the first day you walked.... how we celebrated... um how we celebrated? I said "yay!!! good job buddy!" Does everything deserve some big huge celebration? Maybe I'm a cynic... but I don't need some prize or celebration everytime I do something good... and I don't want my kids to expect that either... I swear they're already expecting everything in the world. How do you teach your kids to be grateful? To be thankful for all the blessing's God has given us? Not to just destroy a toy and expect us to go to the store and just buy a new one.... ugh..

Bubba is enjoying school. I am not enjoying trying to get him there on time... but I'm working on it. All I can say is I believe our decision to keep him in Junior Kindergarten instead of going on to Kindergarten has proved to be a good one... That kid moves like molasses... hopefully he'll be able to last all day next year! He's been up coughing all night lately... I'm not sure what it is that is triggering it... so we are headed to an allergist.. but not for a month. I hope its not Mango causing his allergies!!! But hopefully we'll find out some answers soon. He is doing better with his new glasses... but still has days where he does not want to wear them.  He's good at wearing them at school at least... which is the most important time to wear them.

Ceej is missing his brother when he has to leave for school everyday. So the whole not having school lately has been kind of a hard on him as well. He gets pretty upset... they are best buds (even when they fight). He is such a stinker.... but can be so sweet sometimes too. He really looks out for Miss M and entertains her and holds her hand still. He's a very good big brother.

Well I have been struggling lately...the sleep deprivation is not helping... I have a short fuse these days... I'm supposed to be a loving mother but I find myself being selfish and patronizing. It's a good thing children are forgiving...

Taking the Higher Road

Psalm 15

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
    Who may live on your holy mountain?

2 The one whose walk is blameless,
    who does what is righteous,
    who speaks the truth from their heart;
3 whose tongue utters no slander,
    who does no wrong to a neighbor,
    and casts no slur on others;
4 who despises a vile person
    but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
    and does not change their mind;
5 who lends money to the poor without interest;
    who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.

Whoever does these things
    will never be shaken.

There was a time when I would be the one to "take the higher road." I would listen to the insistent whining of my child and I would calmly tell them to take a nap, or adjust their attitude, take a deep breath... whatever. But that time has come and gone. I am NOT righteous these day. To tell you the truth; JDub is way more righteous than I am lately. And I'm not gonna lie... it bothers me?!

Ok... so maybe JDub has ALWAYS been more righteous than I am.

Reasons why JDub is a better person than I am....

1. A few months back we were at Target. We pulled in and I noticed there was a cart in the corral that had a case of beer in the under carriage part. I thought "Free beer lets get it!" When I pointed it out to JDub... he grabbed it and took it into customer service and told them someone had left it in the cart...

2. In the car the other day Bubba and Ceej decided they wanted to play the quiet game.. they played while I sang along with the radio.. Bubba kept telling me (quite rudely by the way) to be quiet... and I was losing the quiet game... I ignored him and kept singing. Then Bubba repeatedly yelled at me to stop singing over and over... and finally I yelled back that I wanted to sing and to leave me alone! To which JDub says "Take the high road honey!"

3. Bubba and I have been butting heads like crazy lately... he has been extremely disrespectful and rude telling me he's going to shoot me, or he can't wait til he grows up and can play star wars whenever he wants.. etc... sometimes I put him in time out or say he can't talk to me in that way... or sometimes I say things like "Good, I can't wait til you grow up and get out of my house either! How does that make you feel?!"  (and then Bubba will start crying..) JDub usually hears this and pulls Bubba aside telling him he can't talk to me that way and to apologize. I apologize too...

I have to admit I am embarrassed by my behavior as of late. There's no excuse really. I am the adult; I should behave like one. I guess its a good thing God gives us things like grace. It's also a good thing God gives us people in our lives who remind us of it (even when it makes us want to punch them in the face sometimes!! Love you honey! :) )

Ephesians 2:8-9

New International Version (NIV)

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

So here's to taking the higher road... or at least to trying a little harder at it!

Thar she blows!!!

So here's the thing... I know this is going to sound ALOT like complaining... but really I'm not. There could be far worse things going on in my daily like than a little spit up... but it is a constant thing... so if you're wondering what's going on in my life... this is it...

So the good news is... wood floors make and easy clean up for this mess... but bad news is.... I've been doing a crazy amount of laundry. I mean JDub thinks I have too many clothes (which I do..) but I would probably be naked most days with the amount of costume changes I have to do!

So Miss M likes to eat about every 2 hours during the day.... sometimes she will spread it out a little further if she's napping or something... but yea pretty much every 2 hours. Then in between the 2 hours she is spitting up... and its not just a little tiny bit. It's a massive amount. And while you think oh ok... she just spit up a ton.. she's gotta be done right?! Yea, not so much. The other day at church she went through 3 bibs and 4 burp clothes..... and that was in like an hour.

So when people witness Miss M (or Ms. Mount Vesuvius...) erupting I often hear "Is that normal?"

Hmm... is that "normal"... Do you mean is Miss M spitting up all over me, the floor, my dress, my bra, herself... normal? Do you mean is the amount normal? Psssh I don't know. I mean yes she normally spits up all over the place. Yes her spit up is normally that color, that consistency, that odor... Yes that amount is "normally" what comes out. 

The doctor always says as long as the babe is gaining weight the spit up isn't an issue.... oh and "it always looks like a larger amount that it really is."

I also hear "Maybe it's something you ate?" Hmm... yep. Could be... Some days I eat greasy pizza... does she spit up then? Yes. Some days I eat a nice salad.... does she spit up then? Yes. Some days I drink milk..... does she spit up then? Yes. Some days I don't drink milk... I drink water, or tea, or coffee... does she spit up then? Yes. She does. This baby spits up. Yes I know its a lot. Yes it is frequent. If you hold Miss M BEWARE!!!! I'm not saying that to brag but just to warn you. If you don't want the possibility of spit up on your person... steer clear folks!

Breastfeeding is the form of food I choose for my baby. Is breastfeeding easy? No... I mean its been fairly easy for me. It's worked out rather well seeing as its cheap and my baby's took to it fairly well. It is convenient? I think so... no bottles can be easy clean up. Some mom's like to watch what they eat... I don't. That's too much work. I'm already irritable from lack of sleep and being surrounded by little "terrorists" all day. (Don't get me wrong I love my children... but their demands are something else some days!) I'm not going to add in trying to keep track of the things I eat and how it effects Miss M's tummy. I'm lazy!! For now I'll just deal with the spit up.

She has gotten better if you can believe it!? There were times those first couple of months that I couldn't even burp her or it would all come flying out! There is a light at the end of this tunnel. She's 4 months now... and if I recall around 6 months is when Ceej quit spitting so much. So here's hoping it'll be over soon. Here's hoping she'll be able to go all day staying in one specific outfit! Here's hoping I only need 1 extra bib in the diaper bag (and not 4). Like I said... there could be worse things I'm dealing with.... a little spit up never killed anyone.

Kitchen Decor

So what can you do with a sweet old calendar and cheap frames from the Dollar General?!!

This is where this is funny... b/c I have literally been meaning to post this for a year?! Ok maybe not a year... but it feels like forever. I took these pictures forever ago (we have since gotten a new fabulous kitchen table and this one, which I thought was ruined, has been restored beautifully by my Father-in-law!) and kept meaning to post and here they are... months later..

But I finally got around to it b/c I added something else recently.....

So my mom bought this quote a while back..... she didn't end up using it so she gave it to me! I thought oh cool, when she brought it. But I have to be honest I was side-tracked and didn't even read what it said. Then I came across it the other day and thought I'm gonna put it up! Then... I read it... and pretty much laughed out loud!

See... mealtimes are NOT fun for me most days... I mean do children really have to eat 3 meals a day... along with snacks... jeez... its a little excessive! (I jest.... kind of...) Ugh. I mean can I be real for a minute? Wait what am I saying... of course I CAN!! IT'S MY BLOG!!

There are days where I'm laying in bed tired in the morning and they run back "Mommy can you fix me food?!" And I'm like "In a minute....." then they proceed to watch 30 more minutes of TV while I snooze... then I wake to crinkling in the pantry and they've found the pop-tarts! SWEET! That'll give me some more time to sleep.... Then I eventually come out of my bedroom looking like a homeless cave woman to find crumbs EVERYWHERE. Not just on the floor, or in their chair... but in EVERY chair, all over the table.. somehow they crumbs have migrated into my shoes?! Jeez....

Then there are mornings where I actually get my butt out of bed! I cook up some bacon, eggs, toast... make coffee, get their juice... I have each plate made to their qualifications (Bubba wants honey on his toast while Ceej prefers jelly..... Bubba gets yogurt with strawberries on the side... Ceej gets yogurt with blueberries and strawberries in it) but what do I hear instead of a "Thanks Mommy!"........." I don't want bacon.... WHAAA" "I wanted apple juice, NOT orange juice." Then there's the spilling of the sticky juice (which happens at least once a week) or the feet on the table. Or the throwing of the food... and the eating with their hands instead of utensils... wiping their dirty little faces all over their clothes... Oh and my favorite (this is sarcasm if you can't tell...) is when they're standing up in their chairs messing around and they end up falling somehow, either out of the chair onto the floor or bumping into the marble table top or toppling their chair over all together and crying.... ugh. I have to deal with that 3+ times a day?! By myself majority of the time?! All while trying to shove food down my throat and breastfeed a baby at the same time because of course everyone else is eating why can't Miss M join in too?! Oh jeez... this just does not make for my fondest memories.

But alas... I digress.... I put this up kind of as a joke, and kind of as a goal. I want those times gathered around the table to be something I am fond of.... or more fond of. So here goes... I am going to try to take it one meal at a time... But honestly... when is the right age to let you child use the microwave... cause oatmeal really isn't that hard to make right?! :)

Life with 3 kiddos

Ya know... life with three kids really isn't too bad :) I've heard people saying going from 1 to 2 kids is difficult, but going from 2 to 3 kids is not too hard. I tend to agree.

Bubba and Ceej are very fond of Miss M. They try to comfort her when she's crying. They grab me burp rags when I need them. Ceej sits by her in the car and he's always holding her hand (its sooo sweet!) They often fall asleep together... still holding hands!

I am no longer a hermit crab. I used to think it was such a pain to go anywhere with kids... so I rarely did.... but since Bubba was in preschool all year long... I had to get out! So while he was at school I would run errands with just Ceej. And then Miss M came along! So it was back to running errands with 2 kiddos at the same time. And then summer came... and its a new adventure of running errands with 3 kiddos. But thank God for the Snugli.... y'all know what that is?!

This bad boy has saved my life... I'm not even exaggerating. I slap her in this baby when I'm shopping.... when we are at the library... when I go for walks sometimes... she's even sung on the praise team with me at church! It is awesome!! She usually just falls asleep while I'm walking around in it.

So there you'll see me... baby strapped to my chest and my little boys holding each hand. I almost always get someone saying "you have your hands full." Why yes... I do... but its pretty great most days.

Bubba:

Well we just found out he needs glasses! I figured he was so smart; being able to read words and knowing all his letters and what not. What I thought was going to be a quick eye appointment turned into an ordeal (b/c I had 3 kids in tow)... I just know he's going to look so handsome in them! Personally I always wanted glasses growing up. I thought they were pretty cool. I ended up just getting the glasses at the eye doctor (my kids were tired enough of being there...) But I think we'll have to go somewhere that has red glasses next time (his favorite color!)

He is testing my limits lately... little stinker... he is too smart for his own good and I find him constantly correcting me (which is what I do to him ALL THE TIME). He does so well listening and being good some days... and then I wonder if he listens at all the next day. He can be so naughty sometimes!

Ceej:

I find I have much more patience with this kid. I'm not quite sure why. He really is cute. And I think that helps. He's still my little baby boy too! I know he's not a baby anymore... but he just seems so sweet and innocent still. (Not like the big bro who's manipulative already!) Don't get me wrong he's naughty..... and still a little destruct-or (he broke our Green Lantern guy in half the other day... took a play knife and cut into a leather storage bin lid.... and I'm pretty sure he scratched JDub's truck while playing in the garage...) but there's something about his personality that makes you forget he was just being naughty 2 seconds ago!

Bubba and Ceej often get mistaken for twins... I have a feeling Bubba's new glasses might change that.

Miss M:

Oh goodness she is already a little diva... If she doesn't get what she wants quick enough she just cries like a little banshee. (what is a banshee anyway... oh wait its some folklore thing that is always depicted wailing... I guess I should stop saying that though b/c its a premonition of death! hmm...) She is a momma's girl. She does NOT like to be held sitting down... its more of a constant motion she enjoys. She rarely even likes being held by other people! Its kind of exhausting... but I know it won't last forever. I do feel like I have the most patience with her. I mean she is just a baby!

She's getting bigger and bigger everyday. She's been so many more places and done so many more things at her age than her brothers did when they were babies. I guess its just b/c you have to get going and do things the older your kids get. She's been to the splash pad, the library, the movies, the Children's Museum... lots of places. We are even headed to a zoo today!

So that's life right now... seems like summer is already almost over! We've had relatives from TN come up to see everyone (and meet Miss M) so that has been lots of fun. We still have more relatives to come too! Miss M. slept from 9:00 pm- 5:00 am!! She was up for another hour spitting up all over me and my bed... but hey.. at least I got a good chunk of sleep before our busy day. I feel overwhelmed quite a bit... but still feel blessed as well :)