Pumpkin patch

Sam, Hanna, Faye, Molly and I headed to the pumpkin patch the other day. It was a beautiful day out... mid 80's with the sun shining. The pumpkin patch was fun to run in (according to 2 year olds) Sam and Hanna took it upon themselves to take the pumpkins from the patch and place them upon the picnic tables. It was a LOT of hard work, but they had a grand time re-arranging everything for the owners.They both LOVED feeding the animals and were not scared or skittish at all. (thankfully the animals were gentle, well trained and used to little ones poking all over them!)

yes, Molly had a good day as well. She even allowed us to enjoy the day without her usual temper appearing.

I want a million!

Ok, another fun thing to do. Play the "who wants to be a millionaire" game on your computer. It is pretty fun and a little addicting as well. click HERE and have fun!

Photo session a success?!

It was that time again, the time I DREAD. Time to get the kids' pictures made. Molly has been in a good mood for almost 2 weeks now, so we definitely need to get the pictures (there was no 2 month and she will be 4 months in a week) Here are the events of the morning:

Sam is all dressed and ready to go. His hair is fixed and he is looking quite spiffy if I do say so myself. Then, he spots it... the hat I have that matches his outfit. It instantly goes on his head (bye-bye nice hair) It is a struggle and some tears fall, but eventually the hat is hidden, forgotten about and the hair is redone.

Molly, miss Molly. where do I begin? The outfit was not placed on her for good reason. (smart mommy) Even though she had not spit up in several days, she managed to spit several times prior to leaving the house. She leaked through her diaper and shortly after she was changed and cleaned up she messed the pants.
So, it is off to the photographer (Ma in tow in order to help with the fiasco I know is about to occur) We get there and Sam is very excited, he runs right to the (germ infested, filthy) lego table while I dress Miss Molly (as I place her dress upon her she spits up all over it. Thankfully I was able to clean it up)

It was a simple plan, (so I thought) no clothing changes, no elaborate scenes or poses, just a picture of the 2 of them together and each one individually. The (wonderfully patient, talented, relaxed) photographer sets up the scenery... 3 pumpkins and some leaves. The goal, Sam to sit and hold the baby---nope, won't work, plan B Sam to sit beside baby, nope,Sam leaves and decides to scoot the chair around the room, then the blocks, then stuffed animals etc I am sure you get the picture. On to plan C, D, E, F--- I think we actually go to like W (at least it seemed like it) The photographer was great, Molly was great, so while mom and I are trying to reason with Sam,(why? who in their right mind reasons with a 2 year old?) she takes some really good pictures of Molly. It was really hard to decide on just 1 pose of my smiling girl.
Sam on the other hand---- click picture to enlarge if you can't see his face
And finally... I don't know how she did it, (she is SUPER) but the photographer managed to actually get a half way decent picture...
phheeww, glad that ordeal is over... until next time

They're BAAACCKK!

My favorite flower-- the passion vine, such an unusual flower
Do you remember the crazy caterpillar/cocoon/butterfly ordeal of last year? I have seen several caterpillars as well as cocoons over the past couple of days. It is a lot of fun watching the whole cycle of life (right down to the spider webs that have been added around several of the cocoons) Guess the spiders need something good to munch on as well. Were you observant enough to see the caterpillar on the leaf in the above picture? (look closely to the right of the flower)we were able to watch this butterfly to the fianl exit from his cocoon (well, Sam saw, but still doesn't understand what he watched!)while we were outside today there were 4 butterflies flying all around the backyard. Samueal had a blast chasing them, I had a blast watching him knowing all the while that he will have a good nap afterward :)

Will I EVER learn?

Quiet plus Toddler = TROUBLE!!! have I not said this equation before?

I was on the phone, Kirk was calling to let me know that he was on his way home from work. We had been in the kitchen, I was working on food, Sam was playing in the pantry (for some reason the pantry has become a great place to play cars) I went into the family room, Sam remained in the pantry. I then hear him whimpering and ask what is wrong, he doesn't answer, but continues to whimper. Since Sam is good at whimpering when I am on the phone, I keep talking. Then the whimpering sounded different so I go to see what is going on. I discover Samuel covered in crystal light powder. He somehow managed to open one of the tubs and get the powder all over him. The flavor was strawberry, therefore the color was red. Somehow (don't know how) it stuck to his hands, arms, legs and feet. When I got to him, Samuel had the look of pure terror on his face. He continued to whimper, showed me his feet and then lunged to me. It was at this point that I realized he thought the kool aid was blood and that he was hurt! It took me quite a while to calm him and to show him that he was not hurt. Because he was so scared it took a while for the thought to pop into my head ("I need a picture of this!") This was the post drama picture
Notice his clothes are off, they too were covered in the powder and were removed at the scene of the crime.
I can see how a 2 year old would confuse this with blood... it really did look scary especially since he was covered in it!

How long will I live?

Want to predict your life span?
This is pretty interesting. Click here. Be sure to watch the age prediction on the top right of the screen change as you answer the various questions.

Bunny tails

Sam found the bunny that Ma had given him for Easter and was enjoying making it sing so that he could "dance" He had it up on the couch beside Molly and I didn't think anything of it. He then be-bopped around the family room with his singing bunny. I looked over at Molly and noticed an unusual addition to her backside... can you see it? Poor bunny... had to give up his TAIL! It looks cute on her now, just so long as she doesn't want to be a "bunny" as an adult--- playboy that is!

Look what I did

I am so proud of myself.... I have had the mom-mobile for 11 months and this is the first tire I have had to replace!!
Those of you who know me well know that I have a tendency to go through tires like water. I can't even remember how many tires I had to buy for my last car--- and of course it had "special, hard to find, expensive" tires UGH.
When I get a nail, screw, razor blade or whatever else that will puncture the tire I have quite the knack of placing it in areas that are non-fixable. Notice the picture above, how in the world did I get a nail there? ARGH! at least we only had to purchase 1 tire and it was over $100 less than my previous car's tires!!!

Sweet baby!

I don't know who she is, but I hope she stays around a while. This is our (hopefully) new daughter Molly. She is actually awake and not screaming (very rare occurrence) this week has been soo much better. When she smiles her whole face lights up. I love to see her smile, and thankfully we have seen her do a lot more of it this week. Last Thursday she started rolling over from her tummy to her back. I think it surprised her at first, but now it makes her mad as she prefers her tummy. She has also started scooting across the floor. She won't win any races yet, but she sure can move a couple of feet away. She tries pretty hard to get those legs bent and under her body, I don't think it will be too terribly long before she figures it out. I am not ready for her to be mobile yet, if I swaddle her really tight will it help?! She is not as strong as Sam was at this age yet, but I think she wants to match him in his crawling (he was crawling at 4 months 1 week!)

Grandparents day

Happy Grandparents Day!We LOVE You!!
xoxox Sam and Molly

the ZOO

What a BIG day! Kirk was off and so we took Samuel on his first Zoo trip. Of course the trip started with a ride on the "choo choo" rail system in our city. Sam was so excited-- he is in awe of anything train related.
The first animals we saw were "boblos". (His FAVORITE thing in the whole world is his penguin Pablo from the backyardigans. ) He had fun watching these guys, they had just as much fun watching him I think!
The gorilla (gaw-key) was next. It was so neat that it was right there in front of the window for us. Too bad the lady would not move an inch to let Sam get right in front! (and we were there for quite a while)
They have this neat children's area where you can play with the birds. Sam went right in and tried to pick them up and put them on his own shoulder. You would have thought that he had been there before or that we had told him he could do this... He had no fear whatsoever.
It was a BIG day and a lot of fun, but then a RARE, RARE event happened. Sam put on his shades, put his arms behind his head actually CLOSED HIS EYES!!! He was asleep within 5 minutes of getting into the car.

Sam had a lot of fun seeing all of the animals and loved repeating all of the funny names of the unusual ones. We enjoyed seeing him explore the wonderful world of animals!

Bye-Bye eye-urrr

Does anyone remember our newest addition to the family?
Sam really enjoyed her- everyday he would run over to the window to see her, say "Hi eye-urr" and just watch her. (ok-- as I type that I realize how pathetic it sounds- Sam might just need a pet!)
well, She had to go.... she decided to add more friends /family to the fold.
I decided these friends were just too much , therefore they and their mother had to leave. Too bad they couldn't just find another happy place to stay, but when it is time to go, it is time to go.

The Picture game

Ok here is a fun "get to know your friends" post, as my friend SARAH put it, when she tagged me to do it! Here are the rules: Take all the pictures right away (no cleaning up first!!!), and then tag three friends to do it too!

1. Favorite destination:
St. Croix. This is where Kirk and I went on our honeymoon. It was absolutely Beautiful!

2. Self-Portrait
yes, I had just taken a shower and washed my hair

3. What the kids are doing:
well, Miss Molly finally fell asleep and I placed her beside me on her blanket.
Sam is asleep as well. This one (very unusual site) that I took last month. If you think I am going to snap a picture of my very light sleeper when he is finally asleep you are CRAZY!
4. My closet
yes, it is messy, but also has molly and Samuel clothes in it. I know, it does look like a lot of clothes huh? It has many sizes in it my dear friends... pre-pregnancy, pregnancy, post pregnancy, skinny pants, fat pants you name it. (My goal is to go through everything and donate to good will or some place, but am waiting to see if maybe I can lose a few pounds first etc... so for now it must be this way!)
5. My laundry room
i just got done washing several loads (in fact the dryer is going as we speak). I just got done washing the high chair cover- that is what you see air drying. Underneath it are a couple of shirts and a pair of pants waiting for me to iron them. No, the pile is not as high as it looks--- everything is sitting on top of a laundry basket!

The fridge:
speaks for it's self

7. Favorite room in the house:
guess this would have to be the room that I basically live in... the family room. (nice- you can see seinfeld on the tv) yes, it has that well lived in look to it don't you think? baby bibs and burp cloths in the couch arm (we go thru a lot of these lately-- and as I said earlier, I just got done folding the laundry) toys, baby swing, diapers,computer and of course my papers (coupons, grocery adds, recipe magazines and recipe books) have I mentioned that we are reclaiming our house? I am in the process right now so stay tuned for pictures of the new grown ups area and kiddo's area :)

8. The bathroom:
well here is our guest bath aka Molly's newest room. The bath room is directly across from our room and therefore a perfect spot for her to sleep. (I am not comfortable with her being upstairs yet- too far away and she makes too much noise for her to be in our room, so the logical place for her to be is the bathroom right?!)
9. The kitchen sink:
My goal over that past few weeks was to not go to bed with a dirty sink unless absolutely necessary. so yes, this is what it really looks like :)
10. Favorite pair of shoes:
well, since I am not one who likes to wear shoes this is my favorite--- bare feet
but if I really have to pick a pair it would be these:

I am now tagging Michelle, Kelly, Jenny and Alison (if you want to do it that is :) )

WHY?!

Why....

• is the best thing thriving in my flower beds the grass?
• does Sam know the letters S, R, P, T, O, but refuses to learn A,B,and C?
• is it so easy to gain weight and so hard to lose it?
• do I need the front yard to be mowed at a diagonal pattern?
• is it that the baby seems to really spit up when a friend holds her, or she or I have on good clothes?
• does my husband want it noted that he "cooked a meal" when he picks up fast food on the way home from work?
• does Samuel remember that I promised him a special treat when he gets up in the morning, but can't remember that I told him not to play in the trash 30 secs prior?
• can you gain 29 pounds and only have a 6 pound 13 ounce baby?
• does Samuel always want "baby up" but gets upset when we address her issues?
• do I bother picking up toys?
• can my 2 year old out lap me when running around in the backyard?
• do I get excited and call people when I see gas for $3.47/gallon?
• will Sam go and sit in the stroller all by himself when it is in the entryway, but always wants out when we use it to go shopping?
• do I feel like nothing gets done during the day?
• does Sam watch the dog intently so that he can "nab" a dog treat from her, but won't eat any good people food?
• does the baby decide to 'mess her pants" as soon as she is all buckled into her car seat in the car?
• does dust appear on the coffee table etc 30 mins after I dust?
• does the baby enjoy the noise of the vacuum cleaner, but the 2 year old shrieks when he hears it?
• do I put picture frames around the house without putting pictures in them?

What begins with "T"?

Thursday
Trouble
Two-year old
Toddler
Terrible
Talented artist
Too quiet
Try to clean
Tile floor
Table
Now, what do all of these have in common?


Well, I was feeding the baby, it was a Thursday, when my Toddler became Too quiet. I noticed him coming over to the baby wipes as if he were Trying to clean something. It only took me a second to think about what I was seeing. I had left this Two year old at the kitchen table coloring with crayons. I get up, walk over to the table and this is what I saw:


Apparently Samuel decided he wanted to use his favorite color (boo) and show off his artistic Talent. He successfully colored on the Table, the Tile floor and the wall.


After seeing the beautiful art work I looked over at the electrical outlet. Something was different about it, but I couldn't quite figure it out.
Upon further examination, I realized that Samuel had shoved his pretzel sticks into the hole.





HMMMM< is this why they call it the TERRIBLE TWO'S?!?!?!?

GO USA!

In honor of the Olympics I thought I would get the kids to hold the flag and wear their patriotic clothes. I did not count on Sam's refusal of having his picture taken. or the fact that he thought he should "cover" Molly with the flag instead of just holding it next to her.

"No mama, no icur" (no mama, no picture) aka--- I am done now, put that camera away!!!

well, at least molly understood what I was trying to do!

Happy Olympics everyone!

Olympic mania

Wow! I have it this go around! I have really been into the Olympics. Normally it is hit or miss for me, but I have enjoyed everything -- even the running has starting to grow on me. I have simply been amazed by this man: Wow, talk about the greatest Olympian EVER!
but then there is this amazing woman. Phelps has taken all of the news, but she has done some great feats herself. Natalie Coughlin was in 6 events and won 6 medals. This is the most medals won by any American woman ever! great job Natalie
Then, Dara Torres... what can I say~she's 41 years old! That takes some skill. Plus, she has a 2 year old at home. I look at myself, then look at her, yeah there is no comparison. (guess I need to lay off the blue bell ice cream)

Then on to my FAVORITE summer sport, Women's gymnastics. I have really enjoyed watching Shawn and Nastia give it their all (and then be cheated out of it) Sam has been enjoying watching them as well (gaw-key is his word, not sure where that comes from... doesn't even sort of sound like gymnastics). He especially liked watching the floor exercise. All of the sudden, out of the blue I hear him yell "nun, nun, nun, go go! yay!" then clap with a huge smile upon his face. (nun = run)I am so glad Shawn finally got her GOLDEver had an "off" night (unfortunately I have them often) Poor Alicia had just one of those days. It is always sad to see them miss. A medal just out of reach too-- fourth place is a hard place to be!Well, on to "eye-ye baa" (volleyball) and what ever else I get hook on!