Sometimes, you just gotta laugh...

Like when you are taking your son to preschool - with baby girl, and toddler niece in tow. And after you have unbelievably managed to buckle 3 children under 3, in their car seats, in the back seat of your SUV - and then managed to unbuckle them, and put two babies in double stroller, and grab your young sons hand (picture boy in unfortunately too small Monkey costume - Halloween party day) - and then just as the teachers open the door of the preschool room to let the children in, you smell something awful. Praying it is your sweet 1 year old niece, who you are now holding (strollers are not a place a one-year-old new walker really want to be!), you discover - it is indeed the 2 year old.....oh crap. (pun intended). One year old niece gets plopped back into stroller. You wheel the stroller down the two stairs to the entrance of the school, and tell the teacher the situation. Leaving babies in the stroller just outside the door, and running boy off to bathroom. Monkey costume off, and down to the dirty business (that wasn't very dirty.) Good thing - because you don't have wipes. Oh, and just a size 3 diaper. That tore when frantically trying to be placed on crazy 2.5 year old boy. It wasn't a really bad tear - so it managed to stay on.


Boy is dealt with, off to his party, and you back to the babies - wheel them back up the stairs, unbuckled, re-buckled into car seats, stroller put away.....


KEYS?? (you gave them to your one-year old niece in a desperate moment - did I leave that part out?) And then you remember her cutely saying "uh oh" all the way back to the car....you retrace the steps, at least 3 times. The teacher comes out and asks if you have lost something, "yes. my keys" (and marbles...). She finds them inside the classroom, and you run back to the car, and drive the not-so-happy babies home.



Thank goodness once home, little baby goes to sleep - and adorable little niece plays, and dances and claps.



Yup. I'm still laughing....

How was your morning?

Wordless Wednesday.

2.5

We are halfway through the 2 year mark with C. He continues to be a super energetic, mostly happy, sometimes stubborn, very loving, and fun kid! His talking just continues to improve, and almost everyday I am shocked and amazed by some phrase or word that he uses!

Earlier this month we were going through lots of "growing pains". C was having lots of tantrums - including ones in the middle of the night that would sometimes last over an hour. Screaming - throwing - completely irrational tantrums. At 3am. It was hard - but after he told me that "tigers were coming to take him away"....I realized we were definitely dealing with nightmares. And since he told me, and we promoted some positive thoughts at night time, and reassure him that tigers only live at the zoo - he has not been waking up! (well, barely) I am so happy he can now communicate!

He is now settled into his new routine at preschool, and enjoying it very much! It seems as though we are past the worst of these growing pains - and my fairly typical 2.5 year old is back. finally.

There it is - an update on my always running, usually talking, sometimes singing, very affectionate 2.5 year old. I love him!

Hotsling

Sorry for my lack of blogging....

So yesterday in the mail came my.....HOTSLING! It is super cute, very girly, feminine fabric, and I love it! And more importantly, baby girl LOVES it! I have taken her out in it two times to some big box stores, and she was happy as a clam. (not sure where that expression came from?!). She kept looking up at me like "wow! this is so wonderful! My mommy is holding me this whole time!" because it really does give the feeling of being held on your hip - but, most importantly hands free. This means big boy is in the top of cart, groceries are in the big part of cart, and baby N is having the time of her life cuddling up to me. Yup. It was pretty awesome.

Now I know you are thinking - what about your BabyHawk? Wasn't that the same idea? Well you see - kind of, not really....it was also a baby carrier - but it had to be tied up. What I love about the hotsling, is it takes approx. 2 min. to get it on, and baby in it. No fussing with ties, straps, or adjustments. You buy it in your size.

I found the only time I really needed a baby carrier was for preschool pick-up and drop-off. Dilemma was I had to carry this huge baby seat with me, and try to hold on to my 2.5 year olds hand at the same time, also find a place to set down huge baby seat! OR I would take her out of her seat and carry her, but this made me useless in the shoes off, coat off, slippers on procedures. So I am super excited to give the hotsling its trial run on Tuesday morning. Maybe I'll let you know how it goes! Or, maybe not =) (not beacuse I won't want to, just because, I'm horrible at the follow up.....)

Until next time.

Bookshelves

I love these wood bookshelves. Doesn't this remind you of elementary school? Having books displayed like this definitely gets kids more enticed to pick up a book - the covers all out!

Well - they don't give these away for free =)

So I found a pretty cool & afforadable alternative.....

Can you guess what these display shelves are made of?

How about now??

Check it out! Definitely want to make these for the kids playroom!!

cute?!

lets go fly a kite.....

We had fun kite flying (well the kids and John did) on the windiest, coldest day this year! Up on the mountain....burrr......but they loved it!

....and now I have had that song stuck in my head ever since........"and send it soaring...."

Two of the reasons I am so thankful
Life is good...

another new blog....

My friend Teresa (hello) sent me a link for a new (to me) blog! Thought I would share with you - it is a good one =)

Lots of babywearing, and drool over photography of her 4 boys...and 2twin girls!!

Enjoy =)

Just for fun.....

N around 5months

C around 5-6 months.....

They look soooooo different =)

movin'

The day is actually coming, and soon, that we will be moving. And the house that we have (almost) bought will have a ...................drum roll please...................... PLAYROOM.

Can you tell I am just a little excited?? So now my thoughts are consumed in decorating ideas. Here are a few pieces of inspirational prints I just found on etsy.

I love etsy.


Love the birds.....

baby girl

6 months old! (tomorrow). She has been with us for half a year already..... and she is such a blessing to our family. Smiley, cute, and sweet. Those are the words I would use to describe baby Nana. She is so loved by her big brother, it is so much fun to see them "interact" more and more.

She is getting very adjusted to her crib - and pulled a 7 hour stretch in there last night =) I ran in checking at about 5 hours though....

Our little man is off to his Opa and Oma's for a few days, and little N is not sure what to do with the silence around here. She is used to constant entertainment/talking/wining/crying/laughing, etc. with him around. And as soon as he's gone....she gets loud!!

We keep letting her know that growing a little hair wouldn't be a bad thing - so I think she might try to work on that this fall.....you know, for winter.

Well, guess we should go buy some rice cereal to celebrate the big event =)

Photos

UPDATE: photos are up =)

Kids had photos done today! In the next few days they should be up on the Stacey Malleck photography blog..... =)

Goals.

Ok - so I have a few goals.....like, finish my degree before I'm 30.....and pay off our mortgage in the next 10-15 years....go on a week long vacation with my husband sans children in the next few years....but I have a new goal. Not quite as, well responsible =)

My goal - fit into my wedding dress by my 5 year wedding anniversary (10 months away) and do a trash the dress photo shoot. I love the trash the dress thing. Every since my SIL blogged about it, probably about a year ago? I forget...but it is becoming quite popular (you can see over at Revival Arts Study blog, they just did a shoot).

SO - what do I have to do to realize this goal?? Hmmm.....I currently weigh 14 lbs. more than I did at my wedding. So I guess I know what I need to do....lol.....A pound a month doesn't sound too bad...right? Oh but that last 10 lbs. just never wants to come off!! ......thank goodness I took the zipper out of my dress and made it lace up........