Lazy Weekend

Nothing like a lazy weekend to help clear the soul :) The kids and I literally did noting but play and bond all weekend. Nathan had to work Saturday, BOO!, but he was home with us all day Sunday! We watched cartoons, did puzzles, both kids napped at the same time both days (SUPER MOM here!) - so I was able to catch up on my DVR, cooked (Noah's favorite thing is to help us cook now), wrestled (Noah's other favorite thing to do), and loved!

Silly boy!

Puppy Noah (he is a dog a good 50% of the day)

 

SQUASH! She loves it!

My babies watching tv together :)

 I worked hard on Noah's potty training this weekend and I am just not sure how it is going. He just doesn't get it. I am not one to compare kids - but it is hard not to when it comes to potty training. Noah will go if I take him constantly but he rarely tells me he has to go. If I remind his of the rewards he will go, but just for the reward. I just don't think his brain is there yet, and until it is he is just doing it for the stickers! I am going to keep at it, but it is so frustrating! You can't punish them for something their body is not understanding and if you make it a negative experience they may start withholding and making themselves sick. He is not scared of the potty luckily, so I am just hoping it is going to click soon and he will take off. He has always been at the latter part of the acceptable ranges on things so he is just being Noah :)

Ryan started really enjoying her play mat this weekend. I bought this mat from a friend (Hey Jamie - you will be glad to know it is still getting used!) and Ryan loves to play with it and swing her legs up and pull the arch down! I forgot how amazing it is to watch a baby learn things! She almost rolled over this weekend and I literally got butterflies! Being a parent is awesome! I still get so excited when Noah learns new things and he is saying so many new things every day - I guess when his learning took off so much lately it got more common for him to be doing something new, where with a new baby they grow fast, but it seems their big milestones are father apart than an older child.

We cut Noah's hair again this year. We just shave it at home and for some reason Noah kept yelling for "momma do it - no dada, momma do it". So, I got to cut his hair! It is always a challenge to cut a 2 year olds hair, but I think it turned out pretty darn cute! Noah loves having his picture taken (by me anyway - sorry Ann and Meme Donna) and wanted me to keep taking his picture as he made different faces. He seriously keeps me laughing constantly. He is something else.

New haircut and new pj's!

He thought he needed to rearrange momma's face :)

Also - go check out my oldie but goodie friend Emily at her blog for a chance to win an awesome print painted by her sweet momma! Click here!

You Might Be a Redneck...

I am almost positive this is a true Jeff Foxworthy "You Might Be a Redneck" situation. Back in August Nathan won a new flat screen TV  He said he wanted to wait to use it until we got a new TV stand to use with it in our bedroom. After Noah knocked the TV box over twice he decided to go ahead and open it or it might not make it long enough for us to get a stand! So, we did the only logical thing we could do - we put our new TV on top of our old TV! I am pretty sure Jeff Foxworthy said "You might be a redneck if you have your new TV on top of your old TV". So, there it has set for 5 months now. I like how tall it is - don't like how it looks on top of the other TV though. I guess it is a good sign that it bothered me though!

Before

I saw a TV stand for sale on Facebook and it matched our furniture color and was the right size and was priced right so I got it. I am going to be sad to see our redneck set-up go, but it is time. I am going to miss my entertainment center though. This was my first big furniture purchase when I graduated college and bought a house. It is still in great shape, it is just impractical for the way TV's are made now. Flat screens are wider than they are tall, leaving a big gap in the top of the TV section. But, we are going to try to sell it and maybe someone out there can use it!

After

For Sale:  $75 or best offer

On a side note - while cleaning out the old entertainment center I found a ton of VHS tapes with my old shows recorded on them. That used to be the DVR back in the day. I remember setting the VCR to record at a certain time but you had to figure out how to set the time on the VCR first (very difficult) plus make sure the TV was on the right channel because it certainly wasn't going to go find a show for you like a DVR does. I remember getting so mad if shows ran long because the VCR wasn't smart enough to adjust for that! Or, when the tape would run out of room and not be able to record the whole show! That happened when I recorded the last episode ever of Dawson's Creek! My best friend Cassie and I were watching it and right when Joey was about to decide between Dawson and Pacey the tape ran out of room! We had to get online and find out who she picked! As much as I love TV I do not see how I survived that long with VCR tapes! I forgot all about that until I saw all these tapes - I forgot how good I have it now :)

Ryan Maelynn is 4 months!

1/3 of her first year already gone! Wow! Ryan is doing amazing, growing so fast, and just an all-around good baby! Here are this months highlights:

* She weighs around 13.5 pounds and is 23.5 inches long (my estimate - we go Friday for her 4 month check-up and I will get a better weight and height then)! She is still nursing when she is with me and I am barely keeping up with her. I am hoping to start her on some baby food now and that will help replace a little milk - the little piggy! She takes 5.5 oz. bottles every 3 hours with her sitter.

* Her sleeping is still awesome! Goes to sleep around 10:00 and snores (literally) until 8:00 the next morning! She is still in her nap nanny beside our bed for now, but the move to her room will be soon - once I get it all set up!

* She is moving into mostly 3-6 month clothes now. She just keeps getting longer and more chubby! I love chubby babies!

* She is now in size two diapers - she can fit in ones still but was leaking out at night (I don't think they were meant for such good sleepers in that size).

* She is definitely a TV baby like Noah - I can put her in a vibrating rocking chair in front of the TV and she will watch cartoons with Noah - it is so cute to see!

* She can hold her head up very good and we are working on rolling over - she mainly just looks at me like I am crazy when I try to get her to roll over!

* This month I plan to start introducing her to baby food and some rice cereal in her bottles. She sleeps fine so I won't do it at night, but a little during the day. It will be good to help her replace some of the iron she is losing now that she is older and losing some of the stuff she had stored up from birth.

Glamour shot pose!

Painting With Laughter

I recently saw that a friend of mine was starting painting classes and I couldn't wait to sign up! I am not the best painter by far but I don't mind giving it a try! I was even more excited to hear that my mom and brother Eli were going too! The trash talk started then! Ha!

This class was called Snow Buddies, here is what we were supposed to paint:

It was not hard at all and I did learn alot and some tricks on making things easier - like using a pencil and chalk on parts of it. I had so much fun - it was a nice break and just what I needed.

Mom working on her masterpiece

The master at work ;)

Family bonding :)

Painting Eli :)

Eli showing off his painting skills :)

I opted out of the Snow Buddies wording and went with my family name instead. I also opted out of the pink cheeks on the snowmen - what can I say, I am a rebel :)


I loved how everyone had the same tools and instructions but they all turned out different. I was very happy with my finished product. Nathan said it looked better than he thought it would - oh ye of little faith!

Eli's finished product

My work of art!

Mom's all finished!

Eli had already left to go to the razorback game, so it was just me and mom in our family finished picture!

Group shot minus 2 that were still painting and Eli who left already

The next class is a razorback but I can't go because I have Ryan's 4 month pictures that day (yes she is already 4 months, I know, crazy), but Belinda offers a make up class every few months and that is the one I plan to do! It would look awesome in Noah's room. The next one I plan to go to is this one

 - Aspen Trees - it looks intimidating, but I am going to give it a try!

If you are interested in a class contact Belinda Kendrick at 479-214-3526 or click here for the Painting with Laughter Facebook page!

Our New Years

We are officially old. We never even tried to make new year's eve plans. The thought never really crossed my mind. I guess kids will do that to you - as it should. Like I have said before, I feel guilty leaving them with people to go out, I should be there taking care of them and before I know it they are going to be out with their friends and I will wish I spent more time with them, even on new year's eve.

We were hosting the annual January birthday party at our house this year so we spent alot of Monday cleaning and organizing. We put away what little Christmas decorations I got out and made room for the 15 family members coming the next day (15 is not alot, but our house is small).

That night we went over to a hotel to swim with my brother. Ever since he was little he has gotten a hotel room on new years eve since his birthday is on January 1st. Noah loved it! He hasn't been swimming in a long time! He liked getting in the hot tub with Nathan while Ryan and I hung out and had girl talk on the side. Noah kept telling me there were sharks in the water trying to eat him - oh the imagination of a child, I love it!

My brother Eli and his daughter Savannah (who obviously loves having her picture taken)

Sweet Ryan just hanging out while Noah swims :)

Licking - just like he does his bathwater - GROSS!

Noah and Savannah

I did manage to stay up until midnight, but I watched the Hard Rock hotel guitar drop and fell asleep right after that. I didn't make it to the New York ball drop - no way I was staying up that late. No matter how late I stay up, my kids will be up at the same time the next morning!

I am not much on hosting parties at my house. It stresses me out and you don't get to visit and enjoy it because you are running around helping people. Every now and then I volunteer to take the burden off the rest of my family (since we celebrate everyones birthdays with a party every few months) and so that I am forced to give my house a good cleaning! The party went good - plenty of food (chili cook-off between me and my brother Eli -  I totally won) and Noah had more than enough toys to share with all the kids there and with the exception of him not wanting to share slinky dog (a current favorite of his) he did very well sharing all his stuff.

The January birthdays!

After the party we did nothing but watch cartoons and hang out together. It was a nice relaxing way to spend the first day of 2013. Back to work today - no rest for the weary ;)