Cutie Pies!

I scream, You scream

Today Connor's class had an Ice Cream party at the end of the day. Parents and siblings were welcome to attend. It was a fun little party and Connor discovered gummy worms. GREAT! I have been trying to keep him away from super sticky candy, but he instantly became addicted to gummy worms. I am pretty sure he ate at least 10 when my back was turned. School ends next week. Now I just need to find something for the boys to do all summer long! They are both going to take swim lessons and Connor is going to take Ice Skating lessons. Plus we have a week of Vacation Bible School to look forward to. Brandon is going to be a teacher. He is pretty excited. Brandon's older brother and his family will be visiting for a week as well. So, I guess we will be pretty busy this summer.

Ducks name

Hudson has a little duck that he hugs at night. The other night we had the following conversation:

Me: Hudson, what's your ducks name?
Hudson: duckie
Me: That's ducks name?
Hudson: No, it's Ilene
Me: Ilene what?
Hudson: Ilene Keith

So, his ducks name is officially Ilene Keith. Too cute!

Memorial day weekend

We had a very nice Memorial Day weekend. I did not take the camera out once. I can't believe I did not capture one picture the entire weekend.

Friday: Brandon and Brett took Connor and Ryan to see Speed Racer at the movie theatre. It was Connor's first movie since Pops took him to see Cars for his 2ND birthday. So, it was a pretty big deal. They had popcorn AND candy, but I made them pack juice. Connor loved it. Erin and Olivia came over for a date with me & Hudson. We took the little ones for a walk and put them in my double stroller together. On the walk Hudson put his fingers in Olivia's hair and asked her "You gonna marry me?" She promptly said "No!" But, I really can't blame her, he had been sticking his feet in her face during almost the entire walk. His first proposal shot down!

Saturday: We got up early (cause that's what we do). Brandon made pancakes and french toast. The we headed over to Freddy & Katina's house. They live in a great community with a giant pool, clubhouse and even a restaurant. Brett, Erin & the kids went as well. The kids had fun swimming and Connor suddenly remembered everything from last year. He made it all the way across their pool!. Hudson jumped in and under about 50 times. That kid is a fish! It rained so we all went into the club house and had lunch. It was a great family fun! Then we sped home, got the kids a nap, got them fed and Brandon's parents came over so Brandon and I could head out to a party. We went to a friend from church's home for a beer and wine tasting party. The instructions were to bring something different to drink and an appetizer. I made my Aunt Carol's sausage bread. Though, maybe I should call it my cousin Joe's bread since he was the one who gave me the recipe. Anyway, it was a major hit. A few people asked me for the recipe. We brought a beer from Italy. I have no idea what it was called, but it tasted pretty good. I don't really drink beer anymore, but I had fun tasting all of the different kinds. The had a huge world map and put each bottle on the country where the beer came from. The you told the bartender what you wanted and she would pout you a little taste in a small cup. If you wanted a bottle you could have that as well. I think Brandon tasted every beer. Some were NASTY. But it was super fun. What a great idea for a party.

Sunday: We went to church and after lunch we took the kids to a local state park called Lake Lotus. It was beautiful. Wish I had my camera there. Lots of beautiful trees and wildlife. They had a ton of parks for the kids and a place to fish. We saw a bunch of turtles and even a wild gator. (go figure in Florida)

Monday: We got up and went for an early bike ride with Brett, Erin & the kids. Hudson rode over a mile before Brandon had to put him on the back of his bike. Connor did at least 3 miles and we all had a blast. Since Brett had to go to work that afternoon we invited Erin & the kids to come over and hang out with us. As usual the kids played great together.

We were all beat last night. I am still kind of tired. I think we need a few day of rest to recover from our nonstop weekend!

It's a hard knock life!

So, Connor had slacked on his chores a couple of days in a row. It is part my fault cause what 3 year old is diligent about their chores? Anyway, the playroom was a mess. So, when we got up I told him that we weren't having breakfast until he cleaned the playroom. I swear it took him 1.5 hours to do it!! It was the latest we have ever eaten breakfast. I totally felt like Ms. Hannigan "There won't be any food until this playroom shines like the top of the Chrysler building!"

Muddy Buddy

Last Saturday Brandon and our friend Sean competed in the local Muddy Buddy race. It is a 7 mile race with 2 person teams. One starts off on a bike and the other runs. Then you switch every mile. The final part of the race is through a mud obstacle course. They had a blast! There were 1250 teams and they came in 25Th! Next year they are so going to get top 10. Their team name was the Mud Brothers. But if you can think of a better one for next year, let me know!

Where's the cake?

On Sunday we went to celebrate our friend Karen's graduation from Seminary. She graduated with her master's degree in Theology. They rented a bounce house for all the kids to enjoy. The best part of the party was when Hudson asked Karen's husband "where's the cake, where's my hat, are we singing?". He has only been to birthday parties and could not understand why we weren't going to be singing. There was a ton of yummy food and desserts, but all Hudson wanted was cake. I guess that's my fault for telling him we were going to a party!

Fun with Friends

Today Katina came over with Owen & Ella. The kids had a blast playing on the new water slide. The kids played so hard they took an awesome nap and then we took them out to dinner.

Owen & Ella's pictures look like I photo shopped them into the picture. But, I swear they actually jumped out that far!

Redemption!

The boys redeemed themselves. I have been avoiding returns for about 2 months now. I hate returning things. But when i say I am going to return things Brandon says "yeah right, why not just throw it out now". So, I had to return these things just so I could prove him wrong. I honestly had to go to 5 different stores to do returns. I thought about calling Pops to watch the boys but I was feeling brave today. I left about 11 am, even braver. We got to the first store & the boys said "were hungry". We left the first store and Connor said "Were we good? Can we get a special treat? I'm hungry." Next 2 stores were in the mall. The boys were so good I even took them out for pizza. Then I promised we could stop by the candy store for a special treat. Only problem was I could not find the candy store. It must have closed. I only go to the mall about 5 times a year so who knows when it closed. I went to the toy store & got each a Pez dispenser. They have never had one and I knew it would keep them busy, plus they would feel like they got a toy too. It worked like a charm. They were so good at the next two stores I even made a quick stop at the grocery store.

I honestly think that the boys usually behave so good that when they don't I am totally thrown for a loop. I can't imagine having kids who didn't listen on a regular basis. Though I am getting really great at talking through my teeth.

What a difference a day makes

Remember how last week I was so touched at the way the boys played together. Then yesterday I was beaming at how well behaved Hudson was all day. WELL..... This morning, before 7am they were both in bed with me. No problem. I love to cuddle with the kids in bed. Then they started to fight and kick each other. I banished them to their bedrooms. I like that word banished... makes me feel like a queen. I got my bearings, made the bed and they appeared again. It was pretty cute. They came up to me together and said they were sorry for fighting. I was happy to see them working together again. We had breakfast and then I started their laundry. Now let me start off by saying that I know this is really my fault as I just threw the laundry in hap hazardly without going through it. BUT.... I am going to blame this one on the kids anyway. While putting the laundry into the dryer I notice that the laundry is covered with this white stuff. At first I think someone has put a tissue in the laundry. Grumble Grumble. Then I think... what is a 3 year old doing with a tissue in his pocket? We all know they just let their noses run and if they do use something to wipe with it is usually their shirt. Then I get to the back of the washer and there it is... a pull-up. Instead of throwing out his morning pull-up Connor has thrown it in the laundry bin. I am not amused. I then had to clean out the washer, then the dryer, then rewash all of the clothes. Have you ever washed a diaper? I do not recommend it. All of the insides turn into a mushy gushy white mess and it is nearly impossible to get it all out of the washer. So, now the mess is gone I am going to take the boys for a walk. I need some fresh air. Hope this isn't an omen for how the rest of the day is going to go!

UPDATE>>> It was an Omen. The boys were less than good today. I want to use harsher words, but one day they will read this and one day the will decided which nursing home to put me in, so I am trying to be nice. I took them to the grocery store and they yelled, screamed, fought , begged and basically acted like those kids in the grocery store who you want to smack while you walk by. I threatened every punishment in my arsenal. Nothing worked. On the ride home they knew they were in trouble. The were SILENT until one little voice came from the back seat and said "Mommy, we are sorry and we love you". I hate when they are cute just before I am going to punish them. But, I promised time outs when we got home. So, there they sat in their chairs the entire time I emptied groceries.

Now they are watching cartoons (cause I'm a bad Mom like that) while I take a brain break. I am actually looking forward to my meeting at church tonight. Maybe they will make us stay late!

Hudson's Perfect Day

This morning Hudson was in our bed at 5:45 AM. Yes I said AM! He is usually in our bed before 7am, but not before 6. Brandon put him back down and must have performed some sort of magic spell. Both boys slept until 7:45. Yeah me! After Hudson and I dropped Connor off at school we went straight to IKEA for a couple of things. We got there about 1/2 hour early and had no where to go. Everything was closed. So we went to the Mall and walked for a while until things were open. I was terrified that Hudson would start to get bored / tired / hungry...in other words CRANKY. I really had a bunch of things to do and I needed him to be good. So we left the mall and went over to Old Navy for some shorts for Connor... Hudson behaved. Then off to IKEA for some BPA free plastic plates & cups for the boys, and a picnic table for them . Not exactly on the list, but cheap and oh so cute! I broke out my secret weapon while shopping, a lolly pop. It works every time. Keeps him quiet and keeps at least one hand busy. He was so well behaved I even dared to go over to the outlets and get his feet measured, bought him shoes and PJ's for both. He was good ALL DAY. I mean it, he really was. Then when we got home he pooped on the toilet. Yeah!

We all ate dinner at the picnic table. That was a mistake. Maybe one day i will have the strength to write about it.

Mother's Day

How cute is this project that Connor made for me at Home Depot? It is all made out of wood and the front says Happy Mother's Day. So, I have had some requests for the list of my Mother's day gifts from the boys. You may know already that Brandon lets the boys pick out their own card and gifts for me. This year they got me a very cute card with a dog on it. (hey, at least this one said Mom) The boys also picked out hair clips, a poof for the shower, foot cream, a slinky, and a balloon. The promptly asked if they could play with the slinky & the balloon. Oh, they also got me a dozen roses, but I think Brandon helped with that part of the gift. He also made me breakfast in bed on Sunday morning. It was very sweet. He always makes my favorite, french toast. I am a good cook, but i make horrible french toast. He makes great french toast. HE didn't know how to make coffee, so he served breakfast with Yoo Hoo. Yummy! I can't remember the last time I had a Yoo Hoo. After church we spent the day with Brandon's family. Justin & Erin made a great lunch for the whole family. The boys even liked it!! It was another great Mother's Day!

The Winds of Change

Yesterday there was a change in our household. The boys actually played together. Wait, lets clarify. They play "together" all the time. This time there wasn't any fighting. They were actually interacting like friends. It was so cool. I just snuck up on them and stayed there hidden for 5 minutes until they noticed me. It was such an awesome moment. I wanted to get the video camera, but I was afraid to move.

Adult Time

No, not that kind of adult time. Last night Brandon and I were invited to dinner at the home of some friends from church. They also invited Paul (our minister) and Marci. It was such a great night. We tried seared Ahi Tuna for the first time. It was great. I was a little scared at first as I had an allergic reaction to sushi once. Brandon loved it too. Dinner was great. We had an evening filled with great wine, great food and great friends... not in that order. We even had fun playing Outburst. And thanks to Marci's vast Star Trek knowledge (who knew?), the girls won!

What a great night.

Who needs a kite

Yesterday we were searching for something to do. We were playing outside when I remembered a silly idea I read about from another Mom. So, we grabbed some garbage bags and pretended they were kites and ran around the backyard like crazies! The boys love it when Mommy is crazy.

No Gravy Boats

So I registered Connor at Target for his birthday. You know the way you register for a wedding or a new baby (duh, all babies are new). Anyway, I'm not sure how I feel about this. Part of me feels like it is a good idea. Everyone always asks what to get him for his birthday and I either have to be very vague and say "transformers". Then he ends up with doubles and I have to run around town returning things. Or I get very specific and expect that the person is going to get that toy, so I don't buy it & then sometimes they change their mind and I wish I had got him that toy. Anyway, I registered him. It feels kind of snobby to me. I guess it is OK as long as I don't tell anyone unless they ask what to get him.

Broken for you...

We went to church Wednesday night and completed our cross project. Connor had so much fun pushing the grout in between the pieces of mosaic. Hudson had fun eating Cheetos. He even tried to get into reception hall to get a cookie. I had to assure him that they only had cookies on Sunday morning. Only problem is he knows where they keep the stash in the kitchen and wanted to go there next. He is a real Cookie Monster!

They ate my brain!

We all know what pregnant brain is. When your pregnant you forget things. But, you are so cute and round people forgive you. Then you get new Mommy brain. You forget things and lose 10% of your I.Q. But, you have this cute new baby and you actually let other people hold it, so people forgive you. Then your kids get older and you lose more brain cells, but you aren't as cute anymore and your kids do not want people to hold them , so now you are just dumb and forgetful. I went back and read some previous posts and I am officially stupid. I am appalled at my grammar and spelling. The worst part is, I use spell check. Most of the time. I guess I should explain that most times I am blogging with about 5 minutes until the kids wake up from their nap or 3 minutes until their cartoon is over or with one or both of them on my lap and I have my phone headset on and I am talking to the Doctors office / insurance office/ making an appointment, etc. So, loyal readers, please forgive my grammar / spelling / rambling ways. I can't help it... I've had 2 kids so I am working with about 57 brain cells left. With that in mind I think I am doing quite well. (FYI, just did spell check and I spelled grammar wrong....one more kid and they take away my degree)

Our Own Water Park!

Sunday morning after church we went to Costco & while we were there Brandon & the boys wanted to go look at the giant water slide that they have been admiring for about a month now. Last time they wanted to buy it I said NO. It is huge and expensive and I just couldn't imagine us using it very often. Well, this time I had a moment of weakness and said they could buy it and if it fit in the backyard they could keep it. It fit. And I must say it was FUN!!! Brandon will have to be home when we use it as I can not lift it, but I know we are going to get tons of enjoyment out of it.

When we got home I called Erin to tell her that I caved and let the boys buy the slide. She was on her way home from shopping so I told them to stop by since a water slide is always more fun with friends! The kids had a blast! Poor Hudson & Olivia had to work so hard to get up the ladder. They were both exhausted that afternoon.

Party, or should I say Partido!

On Saturday Brandon had to work so Pops came over & took Connor to Home Depot for the monthly project. It was an adorable vase filled with wooden flowers. I will post a picture when I do my mother's day post. I spent the morning getting the house ready. We had a realtor come over and take pics. As of today our house is for sale... again. So, we will see what happens this time. We don't really know where we are going to move, we just know what we really want out of a house this time.

After the realtor left we went to a friends house to celebrate their daughters college graduation. We met Krystin when she was 15 years old and now she is heading out into the real world. Kinda makes me feel old, but I am very proud of her. Plus, now I can take her out for a beer!

We left that party, had a quick dinner and went to a neighbors for another party. It was Sophia's 4th birthday. Connor & Sophia play together about 4 times a week. Only problem is Sophia's Mom doesn't really speak English. Her Dad speaks a little, but not much. This made the party very interesting. All of the adults spoke Spanish. A couple spoke some English. But, somehow it worked out. They had a bounce house and a pinata. In their culture the kids do not hit the pinata, they just pull a string. Sophia's mother made an awesome cake. One of the best I have ever had. She even made home made caramel filling for the cake. By the time bedtime came around the kids were wired!

yeah for play dates!

This morning we met some kids from Connor's class at a local park. It was the park where Connor fell on New Years Day and needed stitches. We haven't been back since. I was happy to see the structure he fell on was gone and there was a new, much safer structure in its place.

We got there a couple of minutes early and since we were meeting in the morning I didn't think to pack lunch. Some Mom's didn't show up for another hour, so they of course packed lunch. But that was fine as Connor wasn't into playing in the big group. He is much better one on one. So we stayed about 1 1/2 hours & then headed home for lunch.

Tomorrow we have a graduation party and a birthday party. Plus, Brandon is working, we have a realtor coming to take pictures of our house (yes, again!) and I need to get Connor up to Home Depot for their monthly project. Maybe on Sunday we will just relax! I doubt it. Brandon will probably have us out on a 10 mile bike ride. Isn't it amazing how our weekends change after having kids?

The best 10 minutes of my day

Today Pops picked up Connor from school and they went to Perkins & split a brownie sundae. I wanted Hudson to have a treat too. So, I took out some chocolate chip cookies & milk. I taught him how to dunk his cookie until it got mushy. He loved it. Then he smothered me with cookie kisses & said "I wuv you Mommy". Best 10 minutes of my day.

I did have to change his clothes, wipe the table & mop the floor when he was done. Not the best 10 minutes, but well worth it.

just some fun

The boys flew their kite on a windy day

Hudson got the hang of the fun house
Connor got to ride a "horse" at the fair

Just realized I hadn't posted pics in a while. I'll take some this weekend.

Family, Faith & Fun

Last night we went to the Family, Faith & Fun event at church. It was our first time attending one of these events. I was so happy to see that even people without small children attended.

Together as a family we made a mosaic cross. Connor really enjoyed picking out the pieces of broken pottery. It took EVERYTHING I had to just sit back and let him create the design. OK, I confess I moved some pieces around to make more room. But, I did not try to make anything match or make anything symmetrical. I am growing as a person. I really wanted to go back and make my own, all one color with exactly the same number of pieces on each side, but I resisted. See, people can change.