Christmas excitement

Ok, so its December 31st. The christmas excitement is really over. But....I have been too slow at blogging. Now the new year is almost here and I still haven't posted about christmas. My partial excuse is that I left my camera over at my grandmas. So, when I get that back, I should have pictures galore to post and talk about.

The Kayelynn Distructive Christmas Count is as follows: 4 broken ornaments, 14 ornaments drowned in the toilet, one glass candle holder shattered, and 5 bows removed prematurely. Wait, bring that broken ornament count up to 5. She just broke another one as I am typing this. No joke. See why I don't get much blogging done these days!

Currently, I have pink eye, Kayelynn is recovering from pink eye and Trey still has a never ending runny nose which he is sharing with all of us. My sister laughs in the face of sickness and is having us all over to her house for a New Year's Eve get together. Should be fun, 4 kids and a wii.

That's all for now as Kayelynn is bringing ornament after ornament to me off of the tree............

Hope your new year makes you smile as much as Trey with a candy cane full of m&m's!

Naughty or Nice?

Funny Story....(on myself this time)

It was VERY cold yesterday. The weather made me hungry for soup beans. I sifted through my cabinets to see if I had everything I needed. I did. I pulled out a box of Jiffy cornbread mix too. This is somewhat of a staple at my house. I have been known to buy a dozen boxes at a time if it was on sale. We will never starve because there will always be a box of Jiffy on hand. So, I had to laugh when I pulled the last box out of the cabinet. I've gotta get this on the grocery list!

Trey helped me make the 'corn muffins'. He still has a thing with muffins. (If i knew how to link back to old posts, i would send you back to read about his muffin obsession. But, I haven't figured that out yet. So, on with the story.)
The muffins came out of the oven looking less poofy than normal. As I handed out muffins around the table, I noticed they seemed heavier than normal too. Something wasn't right. Kayelynn ate her muffin without hesitation but the rest of us noticed that the taste wasn't quite right. I reviewed making them in my head. How could I have messed them up? I added water and an egg as called for and a pinch of sugar as I always do. Trey stirred them very well.....

While I was cleaning up later, the cornbread box caught my eye. I laughed out loud and took it to Rex. I pointed out to him what I had noticed and he gave me a funny look of disbelief.

The expiration date was June of 2006!

Trey Saves the Day (well, kind of... i think)

I have been needing to go back to the mall for a few things. Rex had to work today. After naps I felt brave enough to pack the kids up and go out for a few things. I needed to pick up Trey's 4yr pictures. While I was out I figured I might as well look for a few more Christmas gifts. I am slowly chipping away at the Christmas list. I feel like I'm doing well for someone who has been shopping with a 4 yr old and a 1 yr old. I feel no holiday stress. At least not yet anyway.

Guess who we saw in the mall......if you guessed Santa you are absolutely right! I asked Trey if he felt like visiting Santa and telling him what he wanted for Christmas. Trey sighed, " I sometimes feel too shy to talk to Santa". He said it in a tone that made me imagine him adding, "I've told you a thousand times......" OK. So, no Santa. "Noooo!" Trey answered with irritation and aggravation showing in his voice. That was that. My kid has Santa issues. I guess I'll have to learn to deal with it.

I successfully got Trey's pictures, grabbed 3 other Christmas gifts, fed the kids, found 'polka dot' ice cream (aka Dippin' Dots), rode the carousel in the mall (the last two things were not originally on my to do list) and headed home all before 7 pm. Again, I felt good about this since I didn't start until close to 4.

The car ride home is where my story actually begins. I think most moms will agree that this has happened to them before.....The kid in the back seat says "Mom....I dropped such and such". And they continue to whine and "really need" what was dropped. In my case it was a sippy cup. The sippy cup was desperately needed to rinse down french fries. So, while driving, moms reach back with their 'extra' arm and start feeling around for the much needed object. While doing this, you, of course, are still watching the road and trying to be as cautious a driver as possible...of course.

Have you noticed that the further you reach to the back seat, the further your foot seems to press the gas pedal? Well, I noticed--- as the the lights from the hidden cop car lit up. I checked my speed. Yup, it was me he wanted.

Trey saw the lights too. He was excited. He was jabbering away. Did I see them? Did I see them? (How could I not) The officer pulled me over and gave me the speech about what my speed was, license and registration. I know the drill. (not that I get pulled over a lot but it has happened a few times...) As I'm digging for my registration, Trey pipes up from the back seat,

"Can I talk to that officer?"

"Ummm, sure Buddy" I mumbled. The officer shines his flashlight back towards Trey and tells him hi.

"I'm Trey Stroud!" Trey answers. "And this baby is Kayelynn. She is my sister. She is sleeping. She is very fussy today."

The officer didn't really answer him but seemed amused. Trey kept on without any prompting.

"Police Officers are our friends and they can shoot bad things that might hurt us. My daddy likes police officers and he goes to jail to help them."

I handed the officer my info. He still looked amused. Maybe a bit confused too. I'm not sure. He may not have been accustomed to 4 year old speech, but I had caught every word.

"What's registration?" I heard Trey ask from the back seat. I just gave the cop a weak smile. As the officer turned to go back to his car to run my information Trey announces. "I like your flashlight. My daddy has a flashlight too. I have one too but its not that bright."

I sat in my car and prayed that the police officer liked kids and would feel soft towards me. It seems that whenever I am pulled over, I ALWAYS get a ticket. My husband drives way faster and comes home with warnings. I get pulled over every two or three years and ALWAYS get a ticket. I was already feeling miffed about the situation. I've been trying to save here and there for Christmas gifts, now I'm going to be using everything I saved to pay a stupid ticket. I kept my fingers crossed for a warning but I knew there was a ticket in my future. While all of this is going through my head, Trey is still grilling me about what a registration is and what a license is and isn't my license on the back of my car.....

The Officer approached my window again. "Ok, here's what you're going to need to do..." My heart sunk. I knew this speech about court dates or paying a fine.....

The officer continued, "slow down some to keep those kids safe. Its always a good idea to pull over if you need to reach in the back for the kids." ( i had told him my story in case it would help show I wasn't just a speed demon) I could see Trey smiling at him from the back seat, hanging on his every word. All I could feel was relief. The officer reminded us to always wear our seat belts and be safe. Trey couldn't be still any longer. "We ALWAYS wear our seat belts! Its dangerous to not wear your seat belt, isn't it Mommy!?!" I nodded and smiled at the officer again. He said goodbye or told us to have a good evening or something to that affect. Trey waved wildly and yelled "Bye Officer. Good to meet you."

I had to smile. Its probably the first time I've ever smiled after being pulled over. I am thankful to that officer for having mercy on me. Maybe he could see I'd been Christmas shopping and was worn out and just wanted to get my little ones home. Maybe he felt a bit of the Christmas spirit. Maybe Trey's happiness was contagious. I'm not sure what it was that got me out of that ticket. But, thank God it wasn't Santa Claus that pulled us over.........things probably would've ended differently!

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

I am supposed to be cleaning the house but blogging thoughts keep running through my head. The kids have been full of energy the past week and have provided me with endless material to write about. So, I am going to put the housework on hold and see if I can give the recap of the happenings here in Stroudville.

First off, I got the tree put up and house decorated for Christmas with the help of two eager children. One was really eager to help the other just eager to be in the middle of things. For the first two days Kayelynn stopped dead in her tracks every time she saw the tree. She would stand and look at it in awe, her eyes wide sparkling reflections of the tree lights. She was adorable. I would stand and watch her as she looked at the tree with such wonder. Then after day two she was not quite as cute as she discovered that the ornaments would come off of the tree. I am sure I have redecorated the lower 1/3 of the tree at least a dozen times this past week.

Kayelynn is walking well now. In fact she can run. This is best demonstrated when I catch her taking an ornament off of the tree. Once she knows she is caught she runs (waddles quickly) down the hall - ornament in hand - laughing the whole way. Mommy doesn't find this game near as funny as Kayelynn. Also not funny is Kayelynn's latest discovery - opening the toilet lid. I found three of my tree ornaments settled in the bottom of the toilet a few days. Since then I have found Kayelynn headed towards the toilet carrying various items from around the house, remote controls, Trey's trains, combs, spoons..... Kayelynn must believe that the toilet is some sort of special hiding place for "treasures" she finds around the house. I am personally getting tired of sticking my hand in the toilet and am going to need a jumbo sized bottle of hand sanitizer from Santa this year. My sweet little Kayelynn is giving Trey a run for his money in the "who is most mischievous" category.

Trey is already bringing so much joy to my holiday. I love to talk to him and hear what he thinks about things. Or explain things to him about the season and watch as his eyes light up with understanding. There may not be any Treyisms this month because I'm not sure I can keep them til the end of the month.....

Picture Trey sitting on his potty seat with a book on his lap. (he has developed the habit of reading while on the potty) I over hear that he is "reading" his book aloud. I can tell he is reading the Nativity story....."Mary went to Bethlehem on a donkey. Mary and Joseph are in the stable with the Baby Jesus. Angels come to the shepards and sing to them.......jingle bells, jingle bells....."

This morning, Trey was overjoyed with the snow. He scuffed around in it while we were getting ready to leave. All through our car ride I heard "Whoa, look at the Trey's! They look awesome! Look at that house covered in snow! Look at that car covered in snow! Look at that fill in the blank!" Everything was "awesome" and "covered in snow". With all of his excitement, I couldn't help but smile as I cleaned the snow off of my car.

I could tell stories on the kids all morning but my housework is calling. Trey did tell me that he had a good birthday. I will try to post pictures of that later.

November Treyisms

1. Trey and I were looking at some cows the other day. He kept insisting that some of them were calves. I told him no, they were cows. He still disagreed. I asked him why he thought they were calves. He bent way over, his head almost touching the ground. He pointed to the cow and said, "See Mom, no udders!" I decided to leave that subject alone after that. I'm not ready to talk about bulls and cows....

2. " Do they call it fall because the leaves fall?"
I really don't know Trey. Maybe they do.

3. When returning from a walk, Trey started excitedly running/jumping up the lane asking "Has Santa been here? Has Santa been here?"

4. This is an older Treyism that has resurfaced... Trey will often inform people of something and then add the phrase "or you'll die" to the end of the statement. For example: "You must eat your vegetables.....or you'll die!", "We need to go for a walk....or we'll die!", "You shouldn't be sassy.... Or you'll die!", "Don't sit too close to the tv... Or you'll die!"
The list goes on and on. Sometimes I find it funny but then he will say it to a complete stranger and I wish I could 'die'.

Why Santa probably doesn't like us...

I have pictures of myself sitting on Santa's lap as a child. I was smiling, or at least not crying! Things haven't gone so well for my own kids (and not from a lack of opportunities).
I have a picture of Trey from two years ago with Santa. Trey is sitting in a shopping cart that is parked as close to Santa as possible. Not exactly a scrapbooking mom's dream photo, but you take what you can get when kids are that little. This year Trey is almost 4, so my expectations are a bit higher.
However, I think I may need to lower the expectations again based on recent happenings. Two weeks ago, Trey and I were in the mall. I noticed Santa across the way. The mall was pretty empty on this weekday morning and Santa spotted us easily. Santa began to wave at us. "Look Trey, its Santa!" I whispered to Trey. I waved to our jolly friend. Trey stopped dead in his tracks. He covered his face with his hands and yelled "Don't wave to me Santa!".
Yup, that should have been my first clue. But, I am a slow learner or stubborn or something....
The next week I took the kids to "Breakfast with Santa". Sounds fun, right? Well, I thought so. My sister and her kids went too. We decided to stand in line to see Santa before getting something to eat. The kids were excited, pointing at decorations, talking, bouncing out of their skins. (That seemed positive)
My sister and I were talking about the picture options. I was leaning towards a photo cd so I could make copies to use on my christmas cards.
Then came the big moment...Trey's turn to sit on Santa's lap! Trey clung to my leg, hiding behind me. I gulped. The photographer sat ready to capture the moment when it presented itself. Don't you want to talk to Santa? I encouraged Trey. He only growled. I held Kayelynn close. See, sis will sit with Santa....only she wouldn't. She did grab his beard (which looked real) and she did not let go easily. But, she wasn't about to sit on Santa's lap either. Trey went as far as to throw himself onto the ground in front of Santa and make a grunty growling noise every time someone spoke to him. To say the least, we were holding up the line and making a scene. The picture lady then suggested that I sit in Santa's chair with the kids and Santa would stand behind us. We tried that, it didn't work. In hind site, I should've paid the $15 just to show people how hideous the picture was. Here's
a description: I am sitting in Santa's big chair. I have a stressed out, hopelessly fake smile on. Under my breath I am telling Trey to look at the camera. Instead, he has his head buried in my lap like an ostrich and his butt sticking out, pointed at the camera. Kayelynn is sitting on my lap but looking up curiously and suspiciously at Santa who looks like he is sneaking up on us.
Our breakfast fun was cut short because I was so irritated with Trey. When we got to the car Trey wanted to know if I had told Santa his Christmas list. I told him that I had not because that was something he needed to do himself. Trey cried most of the way home.
My mom gave me Santa's address so that we could send him a letter. Trey has made several drafts so far but not settled on exactly what he wants to say. He told me he thinks he should apologize to Santa too.
All that being said, I plan on going to the mall again tomorrow. I asked Trey if he'd like to try talking to Santa again. He thought for awhile on this. He tapped his finger to his chin, looking very contemplative. Finally he answered,
"Ummmmm, no thanks".

Lord help this baby....

......she is gonna have her momma's hair.

Accident waiting to happen....

The simple task of doing laundry has become a dangerous job. When clothes are finished drying I take them to my room to fold on my bed. On this particular day I went straight back to start reloading the dryer. I threw in a couple things and then heard a tiny giggle coming from my dryer.....

Let's climb a tree

The kids and I have been making the most of the last few warm fall days. We like to take walks down our gravel road that runs through the woods. It's quite an affair when we go for a walk. We all have to bundle up. Kayelynn rides in the big jogging stroller. Our 3 dogs like to follow along sniffing things out along the way. Our cat, Poco, (who thinks she is a dog) likes to follow along too. She will trot along with the dogs and explore things too.
I took this picture because Trey was so excited to "climb a tree". (Notice the tree is fallen and his feet are touching the ground). He told every one he saw for the rest of the day that he climbed up a tree!

Little Helpper

This is Trey helpping Grandma get rid of some sticks and leaves that were in the yard. He loves to 'help' around the farm.

"Stop saving turkeys and blog already..."

Trey and I have found a new way to pass the time. We are now "facebook gamers". In the past, I was against gaming. It seemed silly and I didn't want to be sucked in. The number of game related posts that came through on my newsfeed was sometimes annoying. My mom (avid fb junkie) had been urging me to give farmville a try. She needed new neighbors. So, to help mom, I gave it a whirl. Trey was watching me and was fascinated. He wanted to change my avitar to look like him, so we did and now he refers to it as "HIS" farm game. He can plow, plant and harvest with the best of them. He loves getting gifts and likes to give his animals love. It is sweet and charming and the perfect way to keep him out of my hair while I fix meals.....

But now I have turned to the dark side. I thought if he liked one online game, maybe he'd like others. So now we have two farms, a fish tank, and a roller coaster park. He loves them all. The fish tank is one of his favorites. I don't feel like I am totally frying his brain by doing this because I try (for the most part) to make it educational for him. Trey can tell you many of the fish names. My personal favorite is hearing him say "scooter blenny". We also count our fish and name their colors (in english and spanish). He has also learned an important lesson about pets. You must feed your fish on a regular basis or they will die. (yes, even imaginary internet fish will die with out the proper care)

So sorry, Jill, for all of the turkey saving lately. Trey and I have been busy little gamers. I think you may be one of the only people to miss my blog. No one comments on my posts anymore. : ( (hint, hint)

What's in your purse?

My sister and I recently took our grandma christmas shopping. While we were out she opened up her purse and pulled out a small bottle of water. (Just something to 'wet my lips' she said). Very hip, grandma, I thought. Later the occassion arose that I needed we needed scissors and I found some in my purse along with a tube of diaper rash cream (which we didn't need). That got me thinking about my mom. She has been known to carry a small bottle of her favorite salad dressing in her purse when going out to eat. It seems that the possibilities of what to carry in a woman's purse are endless.
So, here's my question.... what do you have in your purse?

Fun in the Park

Saturday was a gorgeous day! I love fall weather, especially the 70 degree kind. I met up with two friends from church and we took our kids to play at the park.

Trey and Kayelynn both enjoyed swinging. I'm not sure who liked it more. Trey did act like a nice big brother and push his sister for awhile.

This is Trey with his friend Avery. Does anybody remember swinging like this as a kid? I do. Pretty sure it wouldn't work for me now.

This is Trey, Avery, and Shelby. (they were on a "pirate ship")

This is Avery and Trey with the sticks they found. They played with their sticks all afternoon. Trey even declared his to be named Sticky, and they were best friends. At one point I heard Trey conversing with his stick at the top of a slide. It went something like this: "Isn't this fun Sticky? Do you wanna go slide? Should I go first or you? Okay, lets go together!"

The Mommies and the kids had a good day. The Mommies enjoyed a few hours of adult conversation with relatively few kid emergencies. We also learned that we really didn't need to take the kids to the park. Give them a ditch and a few sticks and they'll play for hours!

Trey's Trip to the Fun Fair

This past Saturday was the elementary school's fall festival. When I was a child that was a very big to-do. My sister's and I went every year. I want to give Trey the same experience. He seemed to enjoy the festivities last year. So, we went again.
The night started with all you can eat pizza. (For Trey, this is one slice) Then Trey pulled me from the cafeteria to the gym "to play games". Playing games turned into repeated trips through the big, blow up, jumpy thing. (Sorry, my discriptive words fail me....its late). He played on this blow up obsticle course for over and hour. I finally convinced him that we should try out some other things before we had to leave. So, the next stop was at the big, blow up, bouncy cage. (Go figure). We did finally do a few things that did not involve blow ups or bouncing.
One of those things was letting him get his face painted. He waited patiently for his turn. When he got to go sit in the special chair he grinned shyly and told the face painter he wanted a turtle on his cheek. The lady glanced at me with a worried look and said she'd do her best. Trey was thrilled before he ever saw the turtle. When he did see it, he was amazed. "She made him look just like Oxley!" (His pet turtle) "How did she know him?"
He had a good time. When we left, I could tell he would sleep well that night. But, before we could get to the car he did something I knew he would eventually do to me. There was no way to avoid it. Every kid does this at least once to an adult. That night was my first experience with......'the loud questioning'. You know what I mean. (Don't you?)
There was an older gentleman walking ahead of us. He was using a cane. Trey says "Look Mommy, that man has broken legs". He didn't say it too loud. I felt like the man probably didn't hear. - gave Trey a weak acknowlegement and hoped he would drop it. "Mommy....his legs ARE broken! Look at him walk". (That was quite a bit louder. Pretty sure the man heard. Maybe he's deaf...) I tell Trey no, the man does not have broken legs. " But he is walking with a stick!". Trey announced even louder. (Why don't I just give him a microphone?). I squeeze Trey's hand a little tighter as we walk, trying to send him the secret signal to be quiet. But Trey is 3. He doesn't know secret signals yet. I tell him quietly but firmly that the man is just fine. Trey's still not buying it. He points out loudly again, "He walks funny with a stick. If his legs aren't broken why does he walk with a stick?!?".
At this point I'm ready to cover Trey's mouth with my hand and pick him up and run behind a shrub or something. The man had mercy on me and stopped walking. He turned to Trey and said, my legs aren't broke they just feel like it. He smiled and seemed friendly enough. I sighed, relieved. We walked by the man (but were still in ear shot) when Trey told me in a matter of fact way, "they FEEL broken, see Mommy, they FEEL broken!" I had to chuckle because Trey said this in a way that showed he thought he had been right. All I could do was shake my head and be glad the man didn't seem offended. It could have been worse. Somehow I feel that that was just a practice round for a more horrifying experience yet to come.

Trick or Treat (a bit late)......part two

I thought that this bunny costume was adorable when I saw it online (before Kayelynn was ever born). I still find it adorable. But with Kayelynn wearing it, this bunny has more attitude than it ever did in the catalog!

"Bows?!? Whose idea was it to add bows to this costume?!?"

"Sure, I can climb these steps. No problem!"

"Just Chillin' in my bunny suit."

"See that wounded rabbit behind me? I crushed him with this chair."

I just think she looks snide in this picture.

"I know I'm cute"

"I said, I don't want my picture taken with him!"

"This airplane game is fun. Wonder how long Nana can keep it up."

"So. Tired. Need. Candy."

My Lil Sis

Most of you know that my littlest sister is engaged. ( I blogged about the adorable way Ryan popped the question to her using their old movie ticket stubs.....) Well, they had their engagement pics done. I think they turned out wonderful. I do have a biased opinion but I think Ashley looks beautiful, so in love, so young, so vibrant.....I could go on and on. Please check out Ashley and Ryan's pictures: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bthorne/sets/72157622768873954/ (the pictures also contain some cool local sites around my hometown that Rex and I used to frequent when we were young and vibrant)

Trick or Treat (a bit late)

Trey told me quite a while back that he wanted to be Bugs Bunny.

I was surprised that he picked Bugs Bunny over a train, Bob the Builder, Clifford, or Curious George. Trey does like to watch old Bugs Bunny cartoons with Daddy. I figured that had a lot to do with his choice. I asked him anyway what made him want to be Bugs. Simple, he wanted to say, "What's up Doc?". Actually, in Trey talk, its sometimes, "What's up Duck". I wasn't thrilled with the 'head on top of your head costume'. I hate those. But, Bugs Bunny was hard to come by. Trey didn't care. He said he was the best Bugs Bunny ever. I have to agree.

Here we have Trey's cousin Caleb (the dinosaur) trying to eat Bugs Bunny. Things always turn violent when these two are together. Also, Cousin Leah as Bat Girl. I found that an interesting costume pick too. Then I was informed that the girl super heroes are very cool with the 6 yr. old crowd. I didn't know....

Kayelynn's 1 year photo shoot

The dreaded one year pictures......

I don't dread them because it means my baby is getting older. Reaching the one year mark does make me feel sentimental but dragging the kids in for pictures has proven to be nothing but exhausting. I remember Trey having some stranger anxiety around the one year mark. At 18mo. he cried during the whole session. Kayelynn seems to be a lot like her brother in this respect. She posed nicely for the first shot and it went down hill from there. There was not only crying but screaming and wailing too. By the end of the photo shoot she was minus several articles of clothing. See for yourself......

The first picture taken and the one I ended up ordering the most of. I could've saved me and Kayelynn a lot of stress by stopping after this shot.

This picture is much like the one above but I love the way she is holding her hands. Her expression tells the story though. This was only the second picture taken and she is working up to a cry already!

This picture actually reflects a common look that she gets. Although it is very thoughtful.

Oh, and did I mention that after we were finished, Kayelynn laughed, smiled, waved and said bye-bye to the picture lady.

October Treyisms

1. We were getting ready to eat and Trey pointed his fingers at me like a gun. "Say you're prayers" he drawled. He was being a bit hyper so I lectured him a little on proper dinner table manners. He kept on. In his best old west show down voice he said again " say your prayers, mommy". Turns out he really wanted to pray for the food!

2. After a long day of chasing Kayelynn around and taking things away from her that she shouldn't have, I finally raised my voice to her to try to get my message across. Trey praised me, "Good yellin' at Sissy, Mommy." He has since approved of my discipline of Kayelynn several times. Once he was even cheering me on " Spank her, mommy! Spank her!"

3. I randomly reached over to give Trey a hug and a kiss. "I love you soooo much", I told him. He hugged me back. "Mommy," he said, " I love you ten million loves!"

humpty dumpty recitation

My Extra Hour....

Let me just say that I do not like day light savings time. I will always want things to be put back the way they were in my childhood (meaning: clocks tell time, they don't hop back and forth all willy nilly.) All that said, I was really looking forward to the extra hour of sleep I had coming my way.
The kids were exhausted from a full day of trick or treating. They both went to bed easily. I was hoping Kayelynn would sleep all night (occasionally she does).
At 2:30, I heard Kayelynn crying and got up with her. At 2:00 I went back to bed. I wish it always worked like that. Or I did, until...
I was back up again at 2:30 with a screaming baby. Then I was feeling cheated out of my extra hour. Kayelynn did go back to sleep by 3. I put her back to bed. I stubbed my toe getting back into my bed. And while I laid in bed with my toe throbbing, Rex decided to start snoring. I did drift back off to sleep before the clock said 4. But around 5, some terrible fiend must have come into the yard ( maybe a oppossum or raccoon) because the dogs went into orbit and stood by my window and barked for 15 minutes or so. Nobody reset Trey's clock, so around 6:30 he ran to my room and jumped up into bed between Rex and I. I got him tucked in and thought he was convinced to sleep a bit longer. However, I felt him poke me several times, honk my nose and trace pictures on my face before my alarm went off at 7am.
So, why am I so tired after getting an extra hour of sleep?

The Yellow Paint Disaster

Several people have been asking about how my paint disaster turned out, so here's the story.

I had been painting a shelf for Kayelynn's room. This shelf is really more like a bookshelf. It is as tall as I am and built to look like a dollhouse. I had finally gotten it finished and left it sitting on the plastic drop cloth in the center of Kayelynn's room. I was well aware of its location. I had walked around it all evening and during the night when I was up with Kayelynn. Around 7 or 8 am (I don't remember which) I was changing a diaper. I picked Kayelynn up from the changing table and took a step backwards, right into the shelf! I nearly lost my balance and my biggest concern was not dropping the baby. Anyone who knows my agility and grace can easily imagine what a sight this was!

Everything happened so quickly yet I felt like I was watching it in slow motion. I knocked the shelf over. The shelf came crashing down onto a small plastic shelf where I had left my paint can. As I stumbled into the side of Kayelynn's crib I saw the plastic shelf snap in two and literally catapult the paint can into the air. The paint can hit the wall which jarred off the lid which I (apparently) hadn't put on very well. The paint can hit the wall. Almost the whole gallon had poured out before I could get the baby sat down and hop over the fallen shelf. The puddle kept oozing out, expanding its borders across the doorway of Kayelynn's room.

I learned very quickly that paint doesn't soak up well. The more I tried to clean it up, the bigger the mess became. I had on brand new pajamas that are now splattered with yellow here and there. I was ready to cry as I looked at the puddle and tried to decide what to do. The yellow mess had expanded to about a 3 ft. by 3 ft. mass with small splotches all around it. Luckily, it was latex paint. I think that helped with the clean up. (eventually)

The first thing I did was pour a bucket of water over the spot. My theory was that keeping it wet would keep it from drying and setting up permanent residence in my carpet. (I don't know if it really helped or not.)

I pondered as quickly as I could how I should go about getting the paint out. I know nothing about paint besides the obvious - it stains! Then I recalled how about a week ago a door to door salesman had sold my mother in law a Kirby vaccum. One of the selling points was that it could clean virtually anything. So, here was a chance to test that claim.
After lugging the vaccum to my house and down the stairs, I got down to work. At first it appeared that shampooing the carpet was making things worse because the vaccum itself was dragging the stain around to clean bits of carpet. After three rounds of shampoo and a lot of towel blotting I was starting to see a difference. After another couple of shampoos, I needed a break or I was going to pull my hair out. Plus, I had stared at the stain for so long, I couldn't really tell if it was there or if I just saw a yellow glow everywhere I looked.
I went over to a friend's house (about 4 hours later than had been planned for). She gave me a bottle of Goo Gone and told be to give it a try. Sure, why not.
Back home, the stain was definately still there. So I read the directions on the Goo Gone. "Mist lightly over area, blot with clean, dry, cloth. Repeat as needed". I did. To my surprise, it seemed to help a little. But it was a large area to "mist". So, instead I mixed the entire bottle into the shampooer and did the carpets again. Miracle! Miracle! The entire stain was gone. I was quite proud of myself and relieved to be done with that task, seeing how it was now about 8 pm. I set about picking up the rags and towels I'd been using and setting up a fan to dry the floor. While doing that, I accidently knocked over the paint can (which in my haste that morning hadn't sealed the lid on)and spilled that paint again! This time, I admit, there was some foul language. The mess wasn't near as bad as the first spill. But still, there was a bright yellow pancake staring up at me from the floor. The first thing I did was pick up the paint can and carry it to the trash. I did not care that there was still enough paint left to use on some other small project. I was quite positive I would NEVER paint anything "glad yellow" again.
Luckily, I still had some of my Goo Gone solution and after another hour or so of scrubbing, that stain left too.
So, that is my yellow paint story. Here is my advice: stock up on Goo Gone, never turn away a Kirby vaccum salesman, and most importantly, don't paint in the house, ever.

Realities of Being a Stay at Home Mom

1. You will not get around to that list of things you've been wanting to do.

2. You will at some point in time think that your worst day at work wasn't really all that bad.

3. Your husband (no matter who he is) will come home one day, look around the house and then ask you what you did all day.

4. There are no bon-bons.

5. There is no Oprah (Dr. Phil, Ellen, ect.) time (in which you had planned to eat above bon-bons)

6. You will begin to believe that your given name is Mommy. (You may answer to this name regardless of who says it)

7. You may start to believe you have super powers (if I kiss this everything will be okay)

8. Staying hip with music and movies means knowing when the next Thomas dvd or Veggie Tales cd comes out.

9. Your ideal vehicle suddenly has less sport and more seating.

10. Sleeping in every day...............ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

There are probably more realities but these were in the front of my mind today.

Happy Fall

Forwards or backwards

Tractors are fun!

Princess Pickle is ONE !

This is old news really. Her birthday was on the 6th. We had a princess party which my husband had suggested was the only sensible thing to do seeing how she is a princess! I had fun doing the party and took lots of pictures. Which I guess is good because Kayelynn really didn't care much about the party.
As all mothers say, I can't believe that she is one. Time really does pass quickly when you are watching your children grow. It doesn't seem like that long ago that Rex was holding her in the hospital and decided she looked like a pickle. I'm not sure what made him think this but we have called her pickle ever since. It didn't take long until Daddy had added princess to her nickname too. A lot of my enjoyment this year has come from watching the special father/daughter bond grow between Rex and his princess. ( I joke that the two of them can be rather sickening. But, really, I don't care)
Kayelynn has been to the doctor and had her big one year check up. She weighed 22 pounds putting her in the 50th percentile. She was almost 30 in tall which put her in the 75th percentile. And her big noggin measured in at the 90th percentile. (Trey always had a big head too. I joke that the big heads are necessary for their exceptional brains)
Kayelynn believes that she can do anything Trey can do. To prove this point she often follows him all over the house and she has an unusual love of trains. She will pick a toy train over the best of the baby toys. She started taking a few cautious steps a few weeks before her birthday. Now she shuffles from room to room, laughing and jabbering as she goes.
Kayelynn is a very happy girl. Her two little teeth shine when she smiles. She wakes up with a big smile for me every morning. She likes to play peek-a-boo and also tries to get involved in Rex and Trey's tickle games.
Kayelynn doesn't say very much yet but she somehow always gets her point across. She says the standard Da-Da and Ma-Ma. She can do a charming hi and bye. She has an adorable uh-oh. To my mom's delight, she makes a noise that sounds like Nana.
Her days of wearing adorable hair bows are winding down. She has taken to pulling them out of her (still nonexistent) hair and throwing them at me while laughing. I think she mocks me often. To soften her dislike of hair bows, she has been agreeable to adorable footware. She often brings me shoes and wants me to put them on her. She will lift her little foot up to me and squeal with delight. Sometimes she will hug her shoe close to her and coo "Awww".
She is simply a joy. I loved her the moment I knew she was growing inside of me. That love doubled the day of her birth when I held her close to my breast and my love for her has grown every day since then.
Kayelynn, if you ever read this: I love you dearly. One day, when you hold your own child, you will understand just what I am feeling today as I hold you in my arms.

Bonus Treyism

This picture reminded me of another Treyism. Trey will often spend time trying to build "the hugest train track ever". Much to his dismay, Kayelynn often tries to get in on this fun. I heard Trey yelling, "no", at his sister. I went to check on them. Kayelynn was grinning while holding a big section of track in her hands. Trey scolded her sharply, "Sister! You're causing confusion and delay on my railway!"
(That is thomas the train talk for those of you who aren't familiar)

Ooops....Sept. Treyisms

I have a thousand other things I should be doing. But, I just realized that September came and went without any Treyisms. So, here are a few........

1. "For goodness sake Sister!! All I do is clean up your messes!" (This is what I over heard him saying to himself before I took this picture)

2. We were eating at a restaurant. When the waitress left me the bill, Trey asked "Mommy why did she just leave you a note?"

3. A few weeks ago it was very foggy. When we first walked outside, I could tell Trey was taking it all in. Then he asked, "What is this wedder? Did the wedder man tell you it was gonna do dis?"

4. Trey was all snuggled up on the couch one evening with blankets and pillows everywhere. His little head was about the only thing I could see in the mound of covers. He looked at me and said, "Sometimes I feel fragile".

Let's Build-a-Bear

What do you get your daughter, who doesn't really need anything, for her 1st birthday?
I came up with the idea of Rex and I going to the Build-A-Bear Workshop and making her a special Teddy Bear. I thought it might turn into a special keepsake for her if it was made by her Daddy.
I ran the idea by Rex. I waited for his response, cringing a little. I expected him to balk at the idea. Instead, he said "sure, whatever".
Hmmmm. That was easy. Maybe he hadn't heard me right. Then again, when it comes to his little girl, I think he would do almost anything. For those of you who know Rex, I think you'd agree, the thought of him in the Build-A-Bear Workshop doesn't seem quite right.
I continued to think about the bear project. It was going to be a good gift. We could even dress the bear as a princess and display it at Kayelynn's princess birthday bash. My plan was coming together.
So, on Saturday we made a quick trip to Evansville to make this bear. Rex was a very good sport. I think he was glad to be doing something special for Kayelynn. I handed the reins to Rex and let him choose everything. (For those of you who haven't been to Build-A-Bear, its quite a process!)
First, is the picking of the bear body. There were probably 20 bears to choose from. Rex chose a beige colored one with scruffy fur that looked sort of old fashioned (but cute).
Then we came to the audio section. Here, (after listening to every single option) Rex put a giggle box in the bear's paw. After that Rex helped put the stuffing in the little bear. We each added a heart for Kayelynn. Rex kissed his heart before placing it in the bear. (Melted my heart) We even added a beating heart. This bear is totally loaded! Only the best for Daddy's princess.
So, once the bear was stuffed and sewn up, it was time to find just the right outfit. Right away I saw a cute little princess outfit, with tiara and all. I pointed it out to Rex who seemed to be a little overwhelmed with all of the clothing options. Rex gave me a funny look. "He's a boy. " Rex said. He held the bear out where we could both see it. (As if I was going to look and say," oh yeah, I see it now, it is a boy")
So there we stood there, in the middle of the store, staring at a naked bear. I felt my cute princess idea evaporating. But, I did want this bear to be from Rex, what HE wanted to give to our daughter. "Okay", I said. "He's a boy. We'll just find some boy clothes then."
I got another strange look then. I sighed. "What?"
"He's a teddy bear. He doesn't need clothes" Rex seemed pretty adamant.
"But this is Build-A-Bear! The bears here wear clothes." I explained.
I think a sales lady had over heard us and she intervened, showing Rex oodles of other options for our bear. I went to work on the bear's birth certificate. Rex joined me a few minutes later with a still naked bear. I just shook my head and smiled.
"We need a name for the birth certificate" I told him. Without missing a beat he told me the name.
"You're kidding, right?" One look told me he wasn't. Oh well. Its a naked bear anyway. I finished typing and headed to the counter. Rex met me there with a tiny, bear sized shirt in his hand. We both grinned. "I still don't see what's wrong with the way he is" Rex mumbled.
So, we don't have a princess bear. But, Kayelynn is going to get a bear that no one can deny is 100% her Daddy's creation........

I present to you................ Biff the Bear !

For Jill and Marcy

Just yesterday I was driving to Jasper. Its been a while since I've gone to Jasper for any reason but I found that I slipped back into the drive very easily. You see, I was driving the same route I used to take to and from work. It just so happened that I was also driving at the same time I would have been headed to work (back in the day). The kids were both being very quiet in the back seat (which is very unusual). But, it allowed my mind to drift. I thought mostly about all of my Jasper friends. I wondered how work was going, who was on their way to work, were they dreading their drive, what was waiting for them at the hospital when they got there? I thought also to experiences I've had with my (ex) co-workers. I seem to have a vivid memory. Flashes of patients who made me laugh or cry went through my head. All in all, as I glanced in my rear view mirror to check the kids, I had an overwhelming feeling of peace with my decision to leave my job. The comfort in my decision doesn't make me miss my friends any less. It doesn't make the desire to run in to the hospital and deliver a baby go away. But, I know I am doing what is right for me and my family and that brings a smile to my face as I drive by the hospital.

The time I have had with my kids is already priceless. I have been able to help my husband with his dream of having an independent medical practice. And even though there are no babies to deliver at Stroud Medical, I still find myself enjoying my work. I feel satisfaction as I look at the 5 (soon to be 8), crisp, blue charts sitting in their box. Anyone who follows my facebook rantings knows that I am also enjoying our jail endeavor. Opportunities for work keep finding us (almost falling into our laps) and we are grateful. I am part of something. I am nurturing a dream. It isn't always easy. I don't always see eye to eye with "my boss". But still, it is a good job and I am happy.

Now, what have I been doing lately? It has been almost a month since I blogged. (Shame on me) I have had ups and downs during the last couple of months. I tried not to let outside circumstances affect my blogging but none the less I found myself uninspired. I still feel somewhat uninspired. But, if I'm going to be a professional blogger, I figured that I might as well get back on the horse. Thus, we have this post without a point.

I can tell you how I've spent the last month....

September started with shopping (which is always good in my book). My sisters, my mom, my mother in law and me (with both kids) headed to Edinburgh for some outlet fun. I had a good time and got lots of clothes for the kids but I don't think that I ever want to take both kids to the outlet mall again as long as I live. Kayelynn was a total grouch. Trey ended up soiling his pants due to his fear of automatic flushing toilets. Kayelynn cried to be out of the stroller. Trey cried because he didn't want to try on clothes. I almost cried because of the above statements. I think my brain turned to mush after only a few short hours of shopping. Oh, and on the second day, it rained.

I have seen many friends in the last few weeks that I hadn't seen for a very long time. I started out by spending a few days with my friend Lindsay. She has just moved in to a (beautiful) new house. We swam in her pool one day. The next day we tried to do some scrapbooking but found that it doesn't work well with 4 kids under the age of 4 in the house with you! (Lindsay, can I tell the peeing story????)

I spent some time in Texas too. This was one of the most ultimate surprises I have ever been involved in. One of my girlfriends from high school lives there now with her husband and kids. She gets home to Indiana to visit with family but doesn't see too many of her Indiana friends during short visits. Her birthday is in September. Her husband decided to surprise her by flying her closest high school friends out for a visit. Out of 10 of us, 8 were able to go. We flew from several different locations and met in Dallas. Her husband had everything arranged to pick us up and take us back to their place. He called to tell Michelle to go wait in their bedroom because he had a surprise. The eight of us girls (plus miscellaneous children) filed into their home and waited anxiously. (we were all about to bust!) Chris led his wife out to where we were waiting. We heard her say, "this better not be another dog...", then she saw us!!! We had a wonderful visit. There is nothing to compare to old friends.

Last weekend, I went with my little sis, Ashley, wedding dress shopping. My mom, other sister (Erica), niece, and friend of Ashley's went too. We let her rule the roost that day. She tried on lots of dresses that day. It was the first dress she tried on that caught my eye, (and Erica's and my mom's). The dress was beautiful. It looked like it had been made just for Ashley. And besides that, Ashley lit up when she walked out in it. She was almost as giddy as she had been on the night of her engagement. "That's the dress!" I whispered to Erica. "I know." Erica answered, "but remember, we have no opinion today. Its whatever she wants." We had a fun day of looking at dresses. We had a nice lunch together too. And when the day was over, Ashley admitted she thought she had found her dress. Which one? Big sisters' pick, of course!

Trey and Kayelynn continue to provide me with endless stories to tell. Just this morning Trey and I were outside working in my flower garden (since the flood finally seems to be over!) Trey picked a Marigold and took it in the house. I didn't think anything of it. He likes to pick flowers. Trey came back out later and I asked him what he'd done with his flower. " I gave it to Daddy. And he was quite delighted to get it!" I laughed. My little man is something. Kayelynn is in to EVERYTHING!!! If I leave her alone for a few minutes, I'm usually scared to see what she has gotten into. The biggest news is...... she's walking! Right now, she only takes a few steps at a time and then crumbles to the ground but I know one step leads to another. Her days as my baby are numbered. I am extremely proud of her but a little saddened that yet another baby has grown up (too quickly) right before my eyes.

Well, now you are caught up with the happenings here on the (funny) farm. I vow to do better at keeping Jill, Marcy, and all other readers up to date on the stories of my life. (although there's probably something similar, or better playing on Lifetime.)

August Treyisms

1. Every morning when Trey gets up we sit in the recliner for a while together having snuggles. One morning he informed me, "Mommy! I'm too big for snuggles!" I couldn't believe my ears. "Well, when did this happen?" I asked.
"Yesterday".

2. Trey was asking about freckles one day but couldn't quite say the word right. It sounded more like "reckle". The next day he was looking at his arms closely. I asked what he was doing. He said " I can't find my frankle."

3. Trey still has to wear a pull up at night time. One morning while we were changing his pants I said " Oh Trey, how much longer are you gonna have wet pants?" I could tell he was thinking up an answer for me. In his most adult like voice he told me " just 1000 more days til dry pants".
Hmmm, that will put him in kindergarten....

4. Trey has noticed that the corn is starting to dry out and the stalks are looking brown. On the way to town one day he excitedly told me, "the corn has turned to wheat and its time to be combined!"

An example of unsafe sleeping

Disclaimer: do not do as I do, do as I say....back is best in an empty crib to prevent SIDS.

But that aside, isn't she hilarious?!
She is beyond the point of nursing and going to sleep like a little angel. Now there is much tossing and turning and whining until she finally "sings" herself to sleep. Then I sneak in and check on her before I go to bed. She is usually in a strange position but tonight was one of the craziest so far. (And yes, Mom, I uncovered her face and tucked her in snug as a bug. No worries. )

Lazy blogging

This is Trey walking home from Grandma's house. The real life action shot was more entertaining. Visualize his little doggie backpack bouncing this way and that. There was also his real life doggie entourage following behind him. Take my word for it, it was cute.

Silly Trey

Trey was all dressed up for a night on the town with Grandma. I snapped this first picture. Then Trey insisted I take a picture of him with his eyes closed. I thought that was funny, with the sun glasses and all.

I'm getting a brother!!!

No, my mom is not pregnant. My baby sister is getting married!
I felt a little sentimental on the day she came to show me her ring. I wasn't shocked. She's been dating Ryan since high school. And they are perfect together. But I kept thinking, is she really this old? How can it be?
But all of the mushy big sister feelings have been overtaken by Ashley's happiness. She is plain giddy. (I mean, really, look at the smile on her face. Its huge!) I love to see her so happy. And her happiness is contagious. My other sister, Erica and I are happily becoming overwhelmed with wedding plans. The big day is May 29. I can almost guarantee this is not the last wedding story you will hear.
By the way, Ryan (the groom to be) gets major style points for his proposal. As you see in the picture, he saved their movie ticket stubs from various dates. He used those tickets to "pop the question" or in this case, spell the question. The question mark was finished with a little box holding a diamond ring. How awesome is that?! That's the stuff movie are made of.
Anyway, here's to a long happy life for Ryan and Ashley.

Safety first

I had to take a break from my mommy chores to blog this picture.
Trey came to me for help putting on his police helmet. He said " I need to wear this helmet so I don't break my neck riding my train". Where does he get this stuff? I couldn't argue with his logic so now he's racing around the house on his train with police sirens blaring. Life is fun (and sometimes noisy).

No time for blogging

I am alive and well. I'm buried in kids clothes and baby things trying to get ready for a yard sale. I'm hoping to make some cash and head to the outlet malls to buy the kids some new clothes.
Rex and I did a home visit last night and tonight we go to jail. I am really enjoying being home with kids by day and helping Rex in the evenings. There's just no time for blogging!

makin' mater juice

Trey was amazed at the juice making process. He tried his hand at turning the crank and did pretty good. Grandma says that used to always captivate Daddy too when he was little. We had a good day and filled the cupboard some more with our canning. I love my little helper!

A Lesson in Socialization

Trey went to his friend Avery's birthday party today. He played and had a great time. But when it came time for lunch he wouldn't sit with the other kids. He didn't want them to see him eat. Don't ask me why. (Some sort of strange toddler problem.) Can you even find him in the picture? Its like "Where's Waldo".

In this picture, notice how friendly Trey became when the cake was brought out. Apparently, cake can be a powerful tool in conquering social anxiety.