momma got an upgrade

we traded my equinox in for this beast.



i've always wanted a truck. and the husband has missed having a truck.
he just went to the dealership to look last wednesday. he came home and told me that we needed to go test drive one truck in particular. we came home with that 'one truck' on thursday night.
i pretty much love it. there are tons of bells and whistles that came with it that i'm still trying to figure out, but give me time.
today, while the kids napped, i practiced pulling in and out of the garage. i thought it was going to be more difficult than it was. now i just need to get comfortable in parking lots. i feel like the bed hangs out way far.

wordless wednesday-mommy photographer

missing something

i've been a horrible blogger this summer.

i think about doing it, and then something happens and i forget to come back to it.

over the last few weeks, i've been missing something, and it's blogger. it actually makes me feel better and completes my day when i read the things going on in the lives of others. i also like to have the things in our life documented so i can have it to reference in the future.

give me two weeks and i'll be back with a summer to catch up on and other fun things happening in the lives of 4 micks.

join me, it'll be fun!

To Honor. To Remember. To Cure.

Early last month, Adam, the kids and I joined Camryn and her court for the annual Cure Search Walk. The organization raises money and awareness for childhood cancers.
We arrived that gloomy morning all happy to see one another and to honor Camryn. As the opening ceremony began, tears were filling my eyes as the lady was reading all the names of the kids we would walk in memory of that morning. Soon, the happy tears took over as Camryn and all the other cancer survivors walked across the stage as their names was called, to receive a medal of honor.

                                                      receiving her medal from dr. schwalm

showing off her medal

We began the walk, about a mile, which took us around Principle Park. We walked as a group and chatted along the way. Celebrating the happy, healthy five year old that we love so much.

At the end of the walk, we all got together for a group photo. Of course all the kids had to get in one also.
It was a morning of mixed emotions, knowing there were so many kids that didn't make it, but also knowing that there are so many that did and are. I know that the money I raised will benefit all of those children and many more that will be diagnosed in the future. Hopefully one day, there will be a cure. Until then, I'll keep raising money and walking to raise awareness.

princess camryn's court

the back of the 'princess camryn' shirts

meal planning monday-vol. 2, wk. 17

monday-grilled pork chops, pasta salad, spinach salad
tuesday-adam's in charge...sushi and bingo for me~it's girls night
wednesday-just me and the kids~pbj, veggie straws and fruit...maybe ice cream too
thursday-grilled chicken, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe
friday-pizza

Check back later today for a review on the braided spaghetti bread we had on Friday.

wordless wednesday-practicing

wordless wednesday-reading

big boy!

it's been over a month that this little guy has been potty trained. the first time i attempted, i read the books and i followed what they said. i made sure to do it over the weekend so i had adam to assist in the task. the first morning, we talked it up. undies. potty. snacks and juice. we set the timer. we watched movies. we read books. all little boy wanted was his daddy to take him on the potty. this was not going to work with a mommy who stays home with him 5 days out of the week. the weekend went well, aside from only wanting daddy and a few accidents. monday came and i was frustrated. he didn't want to go potty when the timer went off. he had too many accidents in one day and i was dealing with a sick baby and daycare boy...I GAVE UP!!!!

adam came home that monday night and i think he was disappointed in me. i had to tell him my side and what i wanted to do was the best choice for me and that's all that mattered.

deep down, i was disappointed in myself and i knew that little boy could do it, i just had to have patience. or more than i was showing anyway. the next two weeks he got to decide when he wanted to go on the potty and whether he wore a diaper or undies that day. there was no pushing one way or another by me...it was all his decision. throughout those two weeks, i discovered that when i attempted the first time, i was making him go potty more than he really needed to. it wasn't him deciding, it was me. his body was letting him know how full his bladder could be, before he needed to go. with the discovery, i thought i would go for it again.

one morning when i was getting little boy dressed for the day, i told him that he got to wear undies that day and made it a super, big deal. i reminded him that they needed to stay dry and that he needed to tell me when he had to go potty. i asked him every once in awhile and made him check to see if his undies were still try. about every two hours he would go potty...much longer span than the every 30 minutes the first go-around. after a lot of praise and very few accidents, i claimed little boy potty trained after four days. i still put a pull-up on him at nap and at bedtime, but he was doing super. we even left the house with him in undies. that there says a lot.

at this point, he has very few accidents, and when he does, it's usually because of me (not remembering to send him potty before we leave the house, or him being too busy playing with friends outside). he doesn't wear a pull-up at naptime anymore and he usually wakes up dry in the mornings. he goes on his own now and the only times he lets us know is if we are outside or if he needs help opening a door to get to the bathroom. he never had a problem going poo in the pot, which i'm thankful of. i always hear stories that that is the hardest part of potty training.  he is very helpful and thinks he needs to dump his pot and wipe his bum if i'm not around. i'm glad he's willing to do both of those things, however, the little mess usually becomes a big mess when he wants to be helpful.

i'm way overdue with this update, but i'm super proud of my little man. so glad we have tackled that potty.

wordless wednesday-sometimes life isn't fair

professional

fletcher and i both got new cameras for christmas. since we now have a good camera that takes great photos, we decided that a family photo op was in order. adam went down to get the tripod and we did our photo session. however, the tripod stayed in sight of a little boy for a day too long. he thought he would test his skills and see what great talent he has. amazing how he can see something done once and he's perfecting it on his own a day later. glad he's getting use out of his camera. i'm kind of afraid to see the work he's done...it's probably better than what i do. 

wordless wednesday-stinky

pinterest dids-vol. 3

so, pinterest is still one of my favorite time wasters. i don't even want to admit how long often i was 'pinning' today. there are so many good ideas, recipes and diy projects that i want to do. if only i actually accomplished 1/8th of what i pin, i would be happy. anyway, here are some of the latest things i've done/attempted/made/etc. 

*i have been on a smoothie kick lately. i made this and even made a few of these to put in the freezer for quick smoothie making. 

*one of the hubs new favorites. here are a few other recipes that have made a regular showing in the kitchen.

*going to make these for baby girl's birthday party, only with cupcake picks instead of the hearts.
*the theme for baby girl's party. brother's was the same, but blue and green. 

*saw this and am so going to make it for little boy. i think he may have to wear it on the first day of preschool. 

*been doing this a few times a day, along with my kettle ball/bell workouts. ugh!

*in december i made these advent calendars with the boys. we also made these, these and these. 

*these are little 'tips' i've found. they work. spoon  berries  makeup  hair

*i made two of these that will hang above the tv once the rest of the walls are painted. 

happy pinning!

one more month

my baby is going to be one! this makes me sad, but, i'm having fun trying to plan her birthday party.
here's the monthly update on my 11 month old...and a few weeks at the time of posting.

~personality~
brynlee is still a pretty happy baby. she likes to be in the action of things. lately, she loves to be held and does NOT like to be put down unless she has something fun to play with in her hands. she recently became a fussy pants if i am out of sight. she's full of smiles if she knows she's not suppose to have something or is doing something naughty. she just looks at you and grins. she's been talking for a while now. mostly with the da-da, but has stretched to the ga-ga, some M and H sounds and she growls-super funny.

~sleep~
sleep has never been a strong point for the girl. she had been sleeping through the night, but the last three weeks, she has been waking in the night at different times...thank you teething and ear infection. she usually goes down for bed around 8pm and would when she wakes, i go get her and put her in bed with us. its easier that way, however, adam and i don't get much sleep when she's in bed with us. she likes to take a morning snooze around 10am that only lasts about 30-45 minutes and then won't take a longer nap until 3pm. i am currently trying to get rid of the morning snooze so she will nap the same time the boys do, and sleep for a longer period of time.

~eating~
she loves food. baby girl has been off of baby food for about 2-3 months. she pretty much eats what the other three of us eat. she loves bread and cheese. not a huge fan of meats or veggies but will eat them and usually eats most fruit placed in front of her. she has a 5oz. bottle in the morning and afternoon and at bedtime she gets an 8oz bottle. she has been getting a multivitamin with iron supplement in her morning bottle because she doesn't get as much formula as she's suppose to be getting-she'll continue getting it once she switches to milk. she gets a sippy cup of water or way diluted juice and snacks a few times a day. she's good enough drinking out of her sippy that when the current can of formula is gone, so are the bottles.

~play~
playtime is all the time around here. she loves anything that isn't a toy or isn't hers. magazines and empty water bottles are favorites. she loves her brother's fisher-price farm and his trio blocks. when i make supper in the evenings, she gets put in the jumperoo and seems to enjoy it again. if i need to get things done around the house and she's not content 'playing' she gets put in the walker and she roams around the house. when we go outside, she also goes in the walker and i can contain her that way without having to hold her or by putting her in the stroller. she likes the freedom to roam on her own.

~random~
she now has 4 teeth.
her hair is coming in pretty thick, like mine and adam's.
she has mastered going up stairs.
she wants to play with my phone, the computer and the remote all.the.time.
she can climb onto the ottoman and couch if she has a 'step' to get a little higher.
she hates headbands. and will let me put a barrette in her hair for a few minutes before she pulls it out.
wearing mostly 12 month clothes, but some pants are too small because the girl's got a butt.
preparing to be one-trying hard to walk by her first birthday. she's oh so close.
loves her brother. wrestling with him, climbing on him, making him mad, stealing his toys. being a baby sister.

~stats~
and because we had to make a trip to the doctor last week, i have accurate weight.
height- 28in.
weight- 20lbs 12 oz.
head- 46cm.

wordless wednesday-climbing fool

wordless wednesday-peek*a*boo

a week late

so here is the quick list of resolutions i have for 2012. i would like to stay with them all year, but really, most of us quite at some point. if i make it through the year, following through with one of these, i'll call it a successful year.

*exercise more-this won't be hard since there was pretty much NO exercise in 2011. the only thing is sticking to it.

*make wise(r) choices-mostly regarding food/drink. little-no pop. smaller portions. healthier snacks.

*get organized and stay organized-i can already tell this is going to be a hard one. trying to get organized causes a mess with everything that needs to be organized. i hope i can tackle this organized things my mid-march and stay there. 

*learn to drink wine and like it-i'm a beer girl at heart. i'm loyal, but i'm not against stepping away from my go-to alcoholic drink.

*go on more dates with my husband, kid free-i just need to find a sitter that lives close and that i trust. 

*spend less, donate more-i'm thinking about making all of those homemade cleaners that are floating around pinterest to save money. i want to plant a garden and grow my own produce. spending less time at target would help too, i'm sure.  i have tons of totes in the basement full of clothes that are begging to be donated. i just need to load 'em and get 'em out of here. 

*pray more-i know this is doable, but i also know that there were a lot of prayers said last year for one particular little girl, close to my hear, to be healthy again. my prayers were answered. i have no reason to stop now. i know God follows through!

*be patient and breathe-the kids really get me with this one. i've gone so far as to have it permanently placed on my wrist. since having it (late september) it has done its job.

getting organized

 the week between christmas and new years, adam took off work and i didn't have daycare boy, so we decided to get a few home projects completed since we could easily get rid of the kids for a few days. we delivered the kids to my parents' on wednesday evening and bright and early thursday morning, we were tackling the to-do list already. i cleaned/organized the kitchen counter and cupboards while adam started on the livingroom paint job. this is what it looked like before he started, after the first coat of paint and then finished.

i also needed to attack the toy situation. we had too many in the first place, plus all the toys the kids got for christmas made it hard to find a home for all of them. i also needed to get rid of the ones that were no longer being played with, but i didn't want all the new ones to be out for daycare boy to have access to. is that mean? anyway, target had these shelving units on sale so we went and bought two different ones and some of the canvas bins to put toys in. one of the units is in the kids' room and stores toys and other miscellaneous  stuff. if you look passed the mess of toys on the floor, this is the set-up we came up with. the big toys have a place and most of the remaining toys on the floor went in the diaper box and will eventually be taken to the salvation army to be donated. i am happy with the way it turned out and the lack of mess the kids end up making. 

we have two hall closets that store our shoes and coats, but we rarely used them because they were jam packed full of stuff and weren't organized. i went through my closet and got rid of some shoes and coats that i rarely wear. adam did the same, plus bought a shoe rack that he stacked in the front closet that now holds all of his shoes nicely.

so, one of our new year's resolutions is to get organized and stay organized. we are on our way, but we still need to tackle a few more things before we can officially say we are where we want to be.