Dinnertime Antics

My boys were in rare form today! I assume it was a sugar-high carryover from Halloween and the Cinnamon Rolls they had for breakfast. When I left this morning for Yoga, they were bouncing off the walls (lucky daddy). It continued most of the day and well into the evening. Here are a couple snapshots of their playtime tonight at dinner...there was singing going along with it and A LOT of laughter!

Happy Halloween!

This is the first year that my boys have been talking non-stop about Halloween and counting down the days! They came home about a month ago requesting to be Transformers. They had no clue who they were...they just knew they were cool and everyone was going as them. To make things simple for me, I ordered them Transformer costumes (mortal enemy costumes at that). Mr. C went as Bumblebee and Mr. B went as Megatron. To give them some idea of what the Transformers are, I also got them their first Transformer toy.

Halloween finally arrived! The boys spent a quiet day at home before we headed out to Mimi's and Papa's for the first round of trick-or-treating. We visited a few houses in their neighborhood. We then stayed for our annual Halloween dinner before heading to Grandma D's and Papa's. We visited a few houses in their neighborhood and then decided we were done for the night. We stayed for a visit and desserts. As if we needed Brownies after loading up the bags with candy!

Considering the fact that the boys only went to about 10-12 houses, they ended up with a 1/2 a bag each. They were still a little shy this year about saying trick-or-treat until they got to my parents neighborhood. By then, Mr. B was saying "trick or treat, give me something good to eat" and Mr. C was in story-telling mode. He would say "Guess what or I have something to tell you" and if they entertained his question, he would proceed to tell them all about the train we saw on the way over and why trains don't have cabooses anymore. Yet again, we skipped our neighborhood and we missed all the trick-or-treaters. Guess that means more candy for us!

Happy Halloween!

Baby Bump

Okay, it's time to admit that the baby bump is making its appearance. The funny thing is that it is pretty high up, because I am still wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans with no problems and no button extenders. However, the shirts are making the bump known.

Everyone at work has obviously been very nice about making comments that I am not even showing yet (except for the one comment from my boob-envy friend). Last week, I ran into a lady I know that I haven't seen in 6-7 years. She glanced down at my belly, then looked at me and asked how my children were. When I proceeded to give her an update on Connor and Brady and then told her I was expecting, she exclaimed "I thought so". I went back to work and called my co-workers bluffs!

Time to get the maternity clothes out of storage....they just aren't that fun to wear!

Wordless Wednesday: Our Inventor

Why do you need a bean bag when you can invent your own TV watching pod?

Boys and Underwear

Every time I turn around, my boys are stripping down to their underwear (they would probably go all the way if I hadn't put a rule down somewhere along the way). It's like it is some prerequisite for being at home and playing games together. I constantly hear "Wait, we can't keep playing clothed, this game requires underwear only". I was even banned one time from playing in the office with them unless I was willing to get down to my panties - no thanks, guess I will pass this time.

Tonight, there was a new game and boy did I get some good footage for the future wives of my dear boys. They stripped down to their undies and then proceeded to take turns bending over into a V formation while the other popped a beach ball off the bottom. They felt like they got extra points if they managed to bounce it hard enough to hit twice....once on the bottom and then came right back to hit again.

On a side note, they do a pretty good job of taking their stripped clothes into the laundry room or hamper in their bathroom. Not always as I have found the occasional sock or shirt left somewhere random, but usually.

Wordless Wednesday

Tis the season for pumpkin patch fall fun....

Does this look like a sick kid to you?

What about contest-worthy kid?

One of the websites I follow, 5 Minutes for Mom (a great community for moms), is hosting a photo contest with Hasbro. After trying to decide if I had a picture of one of my boys that was contest worthy (since I ALWAYS think they are silly), I remembered I had the perfect picture of my youngest, Brady, from just last week.

He was sent home supposedly sick from school this day. I left the room and when I returned, here is what I found. Does this look like a sick kid to you? By the way, he was fully clothed when I left the room.

Happy Anniversary - 10 years down, many more to go!

Last weekend, hubby and I celebrated our 10-year wedding anniversary. We had the opportunity to go out for a nice dinner and then we went to see a hilarious movie. Since we hadn't been out in awhile, it was nice just to get out with just the two of us (while the boys had a sleepover at Grandma's).

It's hard to believe that it has already been 10 years, but then again, the years seem to have flown by. We are very lucky to have found each other and I am especially lucky to have him. He is very good to both me and the boys and plays a strong role in our family. We also have a lot to point to in the last 10 years...following are just a few! I look forward to many more years with my darling hubby and making memories with our family!

• Two wonderful, toddler boys and one baby on the way
• 3 houses - we survived the first fixer upper and survived not just building 1, but 2 different houses. We also survived the temporary residences in between (one of them with my parents).
• We each completed a 2nd college degree - I got my Master's and he got a 2nd Bachelor's degree (which he had to finish after the boys were born).
• We have went on three cruises - Bahamas, Eastern Caribbean, and Baja. We have also went on several family vacations and hope to go on several more with the kids. We didn't get to vacation much with our families, so we hope to experience vacationing and the various sites across the country through our kids.
  

Here's a reality dose...

The boys were asking if the new baby would go to their preschool, which then made us realize that they will both be gone from there before the baby is old enough to go there at age 3. That then made us think about where the kids will be at different stages of their education. Mr. C and Mr. B are only one year apart in school, so they will be closely following each other. The baby will be 5 years behind Mr C.

The result....

All three kids will be in school until 2031 (assuming 4-yr college) and we will be in our mid-50s.

We will have 3 schools to deal with in 2019 - one in HS, one in MS, and one still in Elementary.

The baby will still be in elementary for one more year when the boys are both in high school.

The good news is that Mr. C and Mr. B will both presumably be done with college before Baby #3 needs the college fund! BTW, the college fund is intended for the end of the schooling to prevent them from starting their post-college years with a huge college debt. Hubby and I strongly believe that there is a strong value and focus placed on the education if you have to help pay for it and work while going to school as we did.

Mr. B's Evil Laugh

My youngest, Mr. B, has this evil sounding laugh lately that we couldn't resist trying to capture on video...check out the added face at the end.

10 Great Things About Being Married so Long...

My husband and I are celebrating our 10-year wedding anniversary tomorrow. It has been a wonderful, action-packed 10-years with a great husband. Here is a little list that caught my attention and I thought I would share.

10. By now, you both have staked out your own territory (dibs on the remote, hands off my phone).

9. You have that "Who cooks tonight?" thing pretty well settled. (Hello, pizza delivery).

8. You're comfortable with the "give and take" of marriage. (I'll give you a back rub if you take out the trash).

7. You can have a whole conversation without actually saying anything. (Did you...Not yet because of the...oh right, what about the...taken care of).

6. You know when to bring up a subject delicately.

5. You try to help each other understand the mysteries of life.

4. You've developed a sixth sense about when it's your in-laws calling.

3. You know when NOT to be totally honest.

2. You share the same hopes and dreams.

1. The longer your marraige lasts, the better it gets.

Can't fool today's kids....

The other night my 4-year old was telling me a story about something that happened at school. I added to the story based on my knowledge of what he was talking about and he first asked me how I knew that. When I claimed my knowledge was due to Mommy Super Powers, he quickly responded with "Did Ms. Beth (his teacher) email you?". Busted....

Remember when we were kids and our parents had "super powers". They always were one step ahead of us and knew everything (until we got into high school and we knew everything and kept everything a secret from them). Kids of this generation are going to have knowledge at their fingertips with technology...and parents aren't going to be able to claim super powers and all knowing knowledge.

On a side note, this works well also for getting things out of him. I can ask him if something happened at school today (just randomly or because I know something) and more times than not he will admit to something because he thinks Ms. Beth emailed me. He he!

If I were to twitter...what would I say?

I was asked to venture over to the twitter world earlier this year for a project I was working on, but have never felt compelled to participate fully. I still have an account and occasionally I wander over there to see the random musings that are far more random that I ever imagined they could be. So, what would I say if I were to twitter?

• Jon and Kate - enough already, get off my People magazine!
• Finally finished the Twilight Series...kept me very engrossed and even entered my dreams (too bad it wasn't dreams of just me and Edward/Robert). Very much looking forward to the opening of New Moon in November.
• Anyone know when Eclipse and Breaking Dawn will be opening? I'm not sure I can wait until 2010 or later...
• Purchased MJ's greatest hits album after his death. I just don't get the obsession with the music and him. I can't get into it.
  
• Need to find a new book obsession...I was really enjoying reading over the constant glare of the TV lights.
• I can't believe that sushi is not a normal part of pregnancy cravings - what am I going to do without my sushi?
• At least I don't work next to a McDonald's like I did with my first pregnancy - Sausage McGriddles were a daily staple.
  
• Two rambunctious toddlers and a third on the way...what were we thinking?
• Should I be concerned that my oldest would rather be a cheerleader on the sidelines instead of participate with his brother and 2 best friends in Soccer?
• Could I ever leave the Accounting career for something really exciting? Oh yeah, what are some exciting careers?
• Why do so many people I work with obsess over exercise? Between a co-worker that works out 6 hours just on Saturdays (and more throughout the week) and one that runs 25+ miles, it's exhausting just thinking about it.
  
• I hope I can keep doing my Hot Yoga through most of my pregnancy...that's my only exercise obsession.
• Husband is giving me that look...get off the computer and come watch TV with me.
  

Apparently, I like to ask a lot of questions as opposed to making a lot of statements. Interesting!

My family (before we become five)

Our news...and what is it with Mothers?

My family has big news to share...we are expecting our third baby next Spring. My oldest is almost 5 and my youngest just turned 3. We finally got both the boys out of diapers and they are both at the same school (effective this August). For a couple years, we have debated whether or not we wanted to add a third to our family. It was hard to see the appeal when we still had two young ones...the memories of babyhood were still too fresh. Sleepless nights, bottles, pacis, diapers, ear infections, etc. I would constantly remind my husband that it is all short-lived as evidenced by our two boys.

So, what changed our minds? In May, when we thought we were pregnant and turned out we were not, it was a perfect opportunity to finally make a decision. Would it have been that bad if we were having a third? Are we ready for it? The boys are getting easier to take care of - that could be a good thing that you don't want to interfere with or a good thing to make room for a new baby. How much time should we give it? Okay, we will give it until the end of the year right before our oldest has his 5th birthday. My husband was very excited as you know what this means...guaranteed time together for the next 7 months.

We were successful in month 2 (TMI, I know). We waited 3 weeks after we found out before we told anyone. My mother's first reaction was not congratulations as would be expected. It was.."I thought you weren't going to have anymore", "I didn't think your husband was going to allow that", "I thought you wanted to get a different house (not sure how that one fits in)". Then, it went to, "You better have a girl, I have too many grandsons". Okay, thanks mom and now you know why you were almost the last to know!

Regardless, we are excited to welcome a new addition to the family next spring!

Food, Fun, and Friendships

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I reconnected with my girlfriends from Alabama awhile back. In May, our family scheduled some of our vacation in the area where my friends are located so that we could meet each other's families. In June, I went down there for the weekend to be part of my friend's wedding. In July, one of my friends was celebrating her wedding anniversary without her husband. He is overseas as he has been for several of their 5 years of marriage, so we all decided it was the perfect weekend for girlfriends. Coming from 5 different cities (I was the only one from the North), we all met up in Nashville for a day of shopping, a nice dinner, and a night on the town.

Included in the group were my four close friends from Middle School and two new friends that I really enjoyed meeting. It was a great group of women at various stages of their lives to spend 24+ hours with. We spent all day shopping at Opry Mills outlet mall. Do you know how hard it is to shop with 7 women? We would spend at least an hour plus in each clothing shop...lots of selections and modeling the results.

My splurge (or waste) of the day was my adventure into the Oxygen Bar. Yes, I paid for a 30 minute session of pure oxygen! Actually, I justified the price since it also included a chair massage, gentle music, and an energy shot at the end. Where my waste came in was when I purchased my own personal oxygen tank to try at home! I continue to believe (blame) the high of the oxygen for that purchasing decision.

Later in the day, we were joined by a Nashville native that had been shooting an impromptu film all day. It was really great to meet her and hear about her day after our thrill-seeking day of shopping. We ate dinner at the Aquarium restaurant...highly recommended for the atmosphere and the food. After dinner, we headed to the Hotel to "gussy" up as my friend refers to it.

We were only a few blocks from the Nashville night scene, so we set out on foot for a night of dancing, music, and fun! We spent the beginning of the evening at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge, a country-rock bar. It was jam packed, but we lucked out in our arrival because when we left around 1am to venture to the next bar, their was a line (one left, one can go in). We managed to meander our way from the front of the place to the second story directly in front of the band. Leslie Craig was playing that night - if you ever get to Nashville, check out her performance. Awesome!

My friend celebrating her anniversary decided the best way to do that was knock a couple items off her bucket list. She joined Leslie Craig on the bar at Tootsie's for a performance...it was so Coyote Ugly. When we left Tootsie's, we headed to Cadillac Ranch where she could go bull-riding. She was the only one who was brave enough to try it and she held her record for quite some time. After several hilarious buckings, a guy from England wiped her record. She was excited to have accomplished those two things on her list.

The evening was great....we stayed out until well past 3am, so most of us slept in the next morning and took our time checking out of the hotel. Some had went home that morning and for those of us still together, we went for a quick lunch before saying our goodbyes. It was a great weekend, I got to meet some new friends while reconnecting with old friends, and I got a break from the kiddos. I think the best part about a weekend getaway like that is you get your appreciation back for what you have back home.

I apologize for my negligence

So, I am a little delinquent on my "personal" blog postings. I started this blog almost a year ago in hopes of having a safe avenue to post WHATEVER was on my mind that wasn't family related or should I say part of the "family" blog theme. I reserve that for what is going on with our boys and our family adventures and would not want to bore family with my random musings. When I have the chance to make a blog posting, I tend to venture over there easier since - well let's face it - that is my life.

That is not to say that I don't have those random thoughts or adventures that I would love to share with whatever audience has stumbled over to my personal blog. On a side note, as I was preparing to devote some time to this, I ventured over to some of the blogs that I follow and realized that I am not the only delinquent one in this party. I think that is clear evidence that this year has definitely flown by...months are going by before any of us are making our thoughts known.

What have I been up to these last few months you ask? Lots...heavy workload at my job (of course); family adventures to zoos and caverns; continuing to connect with my Alabama girlfriends including a Nashville weekend; attending a rock concert featuring 4 awesome bands (Stimulate This concert) with a couple concert novices; finishing all 4 books in the Twilight series and the author's other book, The Host; my youngest moving from daycare to a formal preschool where now both boys are at the same school; rambunctious toddler boys (oh wait, that isn't new); and plans for a new arrival to our family next spring. All of these things that were worthy of sharing.

I apologize for my negligence..and hope to make up for it. Now, what should I share....

Wordless Wednesday...Daddy playing with the boys!

Reward System...Potential Bust?

We decided to pull out another tool in our effort to potty-train Mr. B in time to change schools in August. I know..he will make this decision on his own just like Mr. C did. Doesn't hurt for us to throw a little encouragement his way. However, Mr. B has a different plan in mind AND is a little too smart and stubborn for his own good.

We decided to introduce a reward chart that would earn him a trip to Chuck E Cheese (his idea one day as we passed by CC). I found out that CC had reward charts on their site, so I printed one for both boys. A little brotherly competition is always good, especially since they already create their fair share (with EVERYTHING).

I explained to the boys what the reward was and then explained that Mr. B would earn stickers for potty-training and Mr. C would earn stickers for getting dressed (something he needed to start doing). They thought that was a great idea, was really excited about it, and kept talking about how they were going to get stickers.

Okay, let's see some action! Mr. C started out good. He quickly realized that his brother was not playing along, so to up the ante, we told him that if he got his stickers first that he would not have to wait and could go with a friend. On Monday, he declared that he was only working on his chart on Sat and Sun, which we quickly pointed out it would be 7 weeks before he would be rewarded. He has made up some of that time since with counting the morning and the evening (PJs).

So, what about Mr. B, you ask? He gets himself dressed now and thinks he should be able to earn stickers for that because he just can't go potty. I made the mistake of giving him a sticker for that in hopes it would motivate him to get more stickers on his chart with his "real" goal. Nope, not a chance! He tells everyone that he is earning stickers for getting dressed, not potty training.

Toddler Artwork

Gotta love toddler artwork..luckily, Mr. C can tell us what he "intended" this drawing to be so we aren't left to our own imaginations. Can you guess what it is??

The guesses I received from friends were "Mommy and Daddy", "Two Cars at Demolition Derby", "Orange Dog getting hit by a Blue Buffalo". The final answer is....

A blue whale and a yellow school bus. Not sure why those two belong in a picture together....

Wordless Wednesday (Sort of)...Friendships

This weekend, I attended a girlfriend from Alabama's wedding and had the opportunity to spend time with a great group of friends from my Middle School years. My parents moved our family back home to Indiana the summer before my high school year. A couple weekends ago, I was able to introduce my family to my friends when we passed through the area for vacation. I am amazed how we can pick up our friendships like 20 years never passed...



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Mr. B's 3 Year Picture Slideshow

This Saturday, Mr. B will be turning 3 years old (always goes by so fast)...here is our picture session where he did a great job (as usual)! You will notice pictures with a Soccer ball...this is his latest activity that he really enjoys. Afterwards, Mr. C jumped in for some fun brother pictures.

Revenge of the GPS..not my Saviour!

After a long weekend with girlfriends for a friend's wedding, I was anxious to get home to my family (4 states away). When I realized that the wedding and all celebrations were going to be done no later than 8pm Saturday night, I debated just driving on home. I could drive 1 1/2 hours to stay with the friend that was closest to my route home and then continue driving 4 hours in the morning. Or I could drive 4 1/2-5 hours straight through!

I decided that I would drive straight home since it was early enough, I was well-caffeinated and still had a sugar high from all the sodas and punch I drank during the day, and I had more Mt. Dews to get me home. I programmed the GPS for home. I totally expected to be going back home the way I came...a couple small Hwys to get me over to the major interstate and then 3 interstates at 70 mph home. NOOOOO...instead it decides to take some form of a direct route through the backroads of TN. Not having an Atlas to visualize the overall route home (and question it) and not feeling any more comfortable with a couple alternative routes I tried, I put my faith in the GPS original desired route. I mean, it is smarter than me in knowing the fastest way to get home. However, it was not smart enough to realize that it was a late and dark evening and that a female was driving this route alone. It also made the assumption that I wanted to drive a scenic route through the forest, the Natchez Trace forest to be exact! (Side note: I may regret saying this since I have always considered myself an independent woman, but I think that should be added to the GPS programming to ensure that we are taken on a safer route.)

I started my treacherous drive through the thick, dense forest land at 50 mph around 9pm. The only light was that of the moonlit sky that bounced off my interior chrome from time to time forcing me to take a quick glance in my rearview mirror hopeful for proof that I was not alone on this road. The only sound was that coming from my novel on audiobook which was thankfully keeping me company and helping pass by the time. I was on this scary stretch of road for 65 miles (of my 260 mile route)...that was over an hour. The only inhabitants anywhere close to me were the random deer and rabbits that would be spotted along the side of the road ready to sprint out in front of me. I had SEVERAL adrenaline rushes from the fear of hitting a deer in the middle of nowhere. After the first spotting of a deer running towards the road and the quick glance in my mirror to see him cross right behind me, I then spent the remainder of the drive along this parkway with a death grip on the steering wheel, back in a tense upright position, and my eyes darting back and forth between the two sides of the road. I kept running alternate routes on the GPS in a futile attempt to find a way to the major interstate (it was always 45 minutes extra to my route). I just wanted to get home...so I continued the route on high-alert. Thank goodness I still have my free subscription to OnStar..they would save me in the event of an accident. It wasn't anymore comforting to learn that the nature site along this parkway were named Devil's Backbone, Fall Hollow, Swan Dive Overlook.

Finally, the GPS lady announced that I would be departing this area. Thank goodness...please let it be a highway with lighting, with traffic, and a gas station. I ended up on Hwy 7 in Tennessee and waited until I saw my first commercial gas station, Shell. I pulled into the gas station about a little after 10pm and still high on adrenaline, immediately started regretting the stop. I realized that it was 10pm on a Saturday evening, I am at a gas station in the middle of nowhere, this Shell has a liquor license so it was not lacking in it's share of traffic, and I am standing here pumping gas in the dress and high heels I wore to the wedding. Stupid, Stupid...but I needed the gas! No harm done...only thoughts of "what could". With some relief, I did notice a sheriff less than a mile from where I stopped.

After another 45 minutes on highways that ran through some major cities, so lots of buildings, traffic, and lights, I was finally routed to a major interstate where I would cruise at 70 mph the remainder of the drive home. I was finally arrived home at 1am...and told hubby that I would recreate the route the GPS took me on to show him how insane it was. As I expected, mapquest and google maps did not take me the same route and the most I could get them to do was 13 miles of Forest before departing me to a major road. I think the GPS had something against me or just really felt like saving those 20 miles was important...in the future, I will not leave home without my atlas for due diligence.

List Obsession....I know I am not alone!

Inspired by my friend's recent Facebook posting regarding her list-making, I thought I would evaluate the status of my own list-making obsession. I have lists for everything from personal, work, and the imaginary. We believe in list-making! It allows for us to remember what we need to or want to accomplish and then there is that sense of accomplishment achieved when you get to cross an item off the list. Does laundry make it to the list...hell yes it does because I know I will have at least one weekend accomplishment!

To illustrate my obsession, following is a LIST of all the lists currently being maintained.... I didn't even realize how "excessive" it was until I started thinking about the list.

On the personal front of TO DOs...

• I have a dry erase magnetic board on the fridge where we keep a running list of all the things to be done around the house...maintenance items, projects, or issues with a particular item (like my computer sound issue). Some items finally just get taken off the list, like develop pictures or work on scrapbooks, because they just continue to inflict guilt for not making the time to get to them. (Don't worry...they got moved to another list).


• I then usually have a sublist on the island for things to try to accomplish during the week or weekend...some of these are pulled off the dry erase magnetic board and some of them are the obvious things like laundry, recycling, etc. (see above for the need to guarantee at least one accomplishment). That list then may get further broken down to post-it notes that get sent with the hubby or with me.


• I then have a calendar appointment in Outlook (and on my blackberry) that is titled Errands/Calls to Make/Shopping. It is a running list of all those items that are outside of the home that I can refer to, add to, or accomplish from anywhere. Every once in awhile, if the item is important enough, it gets broken out into its very own calendar appointment or task with reminders.


• I almost forgot...all the shopping lists. We have one for the grocery store, one for Sam's Club, one for Target, and one for the home improvement store.

On the personal front of miscellaneous reminders...

• As I read through a magazine or Internet sites, I usually pick up on things I want to take note of like books to read, movies to watch, Internet sites to check out, vacation ideas. All of those make it to some list somewhere...I am not very organized in this area. Some are in an Outlook Task while others are on an Internet site like Amazon or Netflix. I love using Amazon wish lists as a tool for CDs, books, and movies that I am interested in.


• At one point in my life, I also took the time to make a list, or inventory in this case, of all my books, cds, and dvds. I mean what else am I going to refer to when I am making the other list of things I may be interested in?

On the work front...

• This is an area where I am organized, but disorganized. I have a notebook of things to do by person, including myself that I continue to review daily/weekly as we are evaluating priorities and having workload discussions.
  
• That list then usually has some sublists in various places (notebook and/or post-it notes) to show what I hope to accomplish today or this week.
  
• I then have a listing in excel of all the projects we hope to accomplish over the next 6 months or so that I update from time to time.

So, the question is, is my list-making over the top? Is it an effective organizational tool or could it be crippling me? If effective, is there a better solution that someone has found for keeping it all together? Did you know that there are tons of books on this topic? Oops, did I forget the imaginary list...I have started making lists of ideas that could be used to write a short story or novel if I ever got enough confidence to believe I was creative enough to pull it off.

Aww...he apologized!

Tonight was a rough night for Mr. C...without boring you with the specifics, he was demanding, whiny, and had attitude. He earned himself 2 timeouts all before 7pm. This was one of those evenings that the behavior frayed our nerves quicker than usual. We finally just ignored him and started a cartoon show. The rest of the evening was quiet.

Later that evening, Mr. C jumped up announcing he was tired, ready for bed, and should have went to bed early (that would have been nice). As I was tucking him in, he said "Mommy, I'm sorry that I wasn't behaving at dinner tonight and had to go to timeout two times. I won't do that again."

He apologized to me without any mention of the earlier part of the evening. I will take that as a good sign that he understands his behavior impacts the family!