I'm DONE and thoughts........

I am so over winter. I am over the rain too. What I am really over, though, is the constant change in temperature. Don't tease me with spring. Don't let me plant my poor tomatoes. Don't make my kids get their 28 millionth cold of the season because it was 70 degrees over the weekend and 38 degrees yesterday.

OK. Done complaining.

***

Now for my random thoughts on the week thus far.

As mentioned above, the kids have the cough again. Anna-Kate's is dry but pretty constant. Ryan's isn't too bad I guess. I just hate seeing them sick. Again. (I"ll just add here, Ryan didn't throw up today, but he did yesterday...)

We are supposed to have an Easter party tomorrow if the rain will hold off. I'm really hoping for it. I can't wait to see what Ryan will do at an egg hunt. :) ha! I'll be sure to get pictures. :) I cannot believe tomorrow is April! This year is absolutely flying by!

This weekend my in-laws are coming to town for my niece's baptism. My brother and sister in law and their kids are moving to Dallas Ft. Worth next week, so this is the last family weekend in Atlanta for a while. Should be a busy weekend with family!

Next week is spring break from Anna-Kate's (moms morning out) school and my parents are generously going to keep the kids from Tuesday to Saturday so we can get some projects done around the house. I cannot begin to tell you how long my 'to do' list is and how excited I am at the prospect of working for more than 2 hours in a row on something. Uninterupted!! Wow. :) Can you tell I'm near giddy? I am definately praying that Ryan will do well with the change of scenery (and, minus me). This is his first trip away from home. Anna-Kate and I have been talking about this for weeks and she wakes up most mornings asking if today is the day she is going to stay at Nana and Poppy's like a big girl (aka, all by herself). Sweet. She told me she was going to be brave and help Ryan be brave if he starts to miss Mommy. I have no doubt she will help him too--she is so sweet with him. She always wants to "hold" him and his hand, she earlier tried to dance with him (to U2--"daddy music" that she requested by saying, "umm Bono please")and just generally loves on him.

That's all I've got. Hopefully party pics tomorrow. :)

Saturday update

I almost posted earlier to say, "we're in the clear", but thought I'd wait until it was "official" that the whole Saturday had passed without a throw up incident.

At dinner we hear the familiar coughing, and sure enough, threw up all over everything. I can't even say I'm surprised at this point. It's kinda like, what would a Saturday be without Ryan throwing up (as that now brings our total to the last six weeks.). So, we'll stick with giving him smaller servings of milk, maybe this week will bring a change.

***

Anna-Kate and I went to a 1/2 price day consignment sale this morning. It wasn't spectacular, the only highlights being I got a precious smocked Christmas outfit for Ryan for $3 and a new with tags outfit from gymboree for $5.

The Southern dialect

Anna-Kate has gone Southern on me all of a sudden (not that I'm complaining, I LOVE it! Ha!).

A list of words you just thought were one syllable:

Help (you know, "hay-elp Mama!")
Wait
Eight
Four
Hair
Yes
Ow!
Ouch
Ear
Sick
Their, they're, there
Well
House

***

Looking forward to a relaxing day at home today. It's rainy and icky, but we are still in our jammies. :) Hopefully Ryan's (3!!) tantrums of the morning will not continue through the day.
Love the beginning of the toddler phase...oh, those sinful natures...

Update on the morning...going on 5 tantrums...

Seriously? I mean, seriously. Come on now!

So Ryan threw up again on Saturday (seriously?).

Then again today (I mean, seriously?).

Our total, for those of you keeping track, the last 2 Tuesdays and the last 5 Saturdays. (Come on now!)

I called the ped back again who assured me that for him without fever he wasn't sick (just covered in throw up...as was the car, his carseat etc etc. Again.). As we tried to talk through stuff to find any sort of answer she suggested that since he's so small his stomach might just be smaller and to not give him more than 4-5 oz of milk at a time. So, now we are to do a 4-5 oz cup at every meal and one snack. And trying not to put him in the car (in case he gets carsick) right after drinking milk. (Oh, so practical what with driving to church on Sunday mornings and to MMO on TR am's...) But, we'll see if that helps. His spirits are good, as always, as soon as he throws up he is his same sweet self walking around playing. Poor guy threw up on the way to school today, so had to just sit in it for about 15 minutes. Still didn't cry. What a good kid.

Again, prayers are much appreciated.

Quotables

Upon seeing a picture of me in my wedding dress:

"Oh Mommy, you a beautiful princess here...just like I am!"

***

When I told Ryan it was time for his nap and went to pick him up he made a noise.

"Mommy, Ryan says he needs oooooone more minute, OK?"

***

She recently has been learning her limits and learning to regulate herself. Imagine my surprise when we were playing...

AK: "Mommy, I need to go to time out now".
Me: "Ok..." (we don't really do "time out" so this is kinda out of nowhere).
AK: (about 5 minutes later) "I back! Now I ready to be sweet."

***

Her new thing that I thought was way in our past is taking her socks and shoes off in the car (urgh.). She likes to put her socks on her hands as puppets and talk with them. Whatever. I told her to put her shoes back on since we were about to Publix. I hear her talking to her shoe, struggling to get it back on.

"Come on shoe! Come oooooon shoey, come on now!"

Doctor, doctor

So in our special time (after Ryan goes down for nap, before she does) we were playing doctor. She announced this by saying, "you so sick Mom, lie down". "You too Daddy, lie down". As the doctor kit was in the playroom, and we were in her room, she improvised to use a big book (about 10x12) as a thermometer on our heads and as a stethoscope to listen to our bellys (to which she says, "I hear your heart-beep"). She said, "mommy, you so sick with fever". I asked her what she was going to do to make me better. She held out her hand under my mouth and said, "spit it out". I said, "what? spit what out?" She said, "your fever, then it all gone".

Ahhh, the secret has been revealed. It really is so simple. :)

The doctor's appointment ended rather abruptly when she said, "wait right here, I go poo-poo real quick and be back". We stood up and she said, "No! Lay down and wait riiiiiight here."

Update

Well, I took Ryan to the pediatrician yesterday. She said as weird as it was that he throws up every Saturday, that isn't techinically a "pattern" and that he's 100% fine. She also said that if he throws up next Saturday and there isn't fever to assume he isn't sick and go on to church. Sooo, I guess that's good?

***

Anna-Kate thinks it is hysterical to sing "and many moooooore" (like, after the birthday song) often throughout the day. She gets all broadway on me and leans in does the hands out thing--it's pretty cute. Anyway, we were at dinner last night and she totally ripped a huge toot, smiled, and instead of saying "excuse me" sang, "and many moooooooore"! The little toot. :)

***

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. We are all dressed in green and while Anna-Kate was in school today I took Ryan to the park for the first time in his life without Anna-Kate. It was like he didn't know what to do with all the attention. Poor second child. We've had a fun day so far!

Well, it's Saturday

So, it was Ryan's weekly appointed (evidently) time to throw up...again. As I wrote the other day, Ryan has thrown up very Saturday, today makes 4 weeks in a row.

We were out getting pizza and all was going well. He wasn't eating any pizza, but was eating his weight in grapes (and guzzling his milk). We should have known it was coming. All of a sudden there it was. You should have seen the looks of irritation from the dad at the table next to us. Like I knew he was gonna be sick and brought him anyway! He literally stared at us the whole time Chris grabbed Ryan and took him out and I cleaned the floor and table, the whole time thinking, you have got to be kidding me, again???

So, I will call the ped on Monday first thing. At this point we are thinking there has to be an allergy or sensitivity to some kind of food that's just slowly built over time. He's obviously not sick, so something else is wrong.

Stay tuned and, if I were you, I wouldn't eat dinner with us next Saturday.

Just sayin'.

Consignment pics

After a couple of requests, I took pics of my favorite things I bought at consignment last week. Of course there are things not pictured like pj's, polo shirts, shorts etc--this is just the "fun" stuff. :) I should add, I paid no more than $10 (usually significantly less) for any outfit--except the smocked dresses, I paid $12 each for those.

The pink swimsuit.



I love the angel wings sleeves on these smocked dresses!



I got Anna-Kate 4 pairs of shoes. Blue mary-jane style crocs (not shown), 2 pairs of stride rites, and another boutique brand shoe--all looked never worn and they were wides!! (any mother of a kid with wide feet will realize just how exciting and rare this is--a total find for me!!)



Some play clothes for Anna-Kate:



These are dresses I've made and monogrammed for Anna-Kate. Not what I bought, but thought I'd share. :)



Ryan's playclothes :



And Ryan's jon-jon's:



Finally, Ryan's sweet Sunday clothes. I got these sweet smocked outfits for $7, $8, and $10:



I'll leave you with a sweet picture of Anna-Kate. I was taking pics of all the clothes and she said, "You take picture of me too Mommy, ready, CHEEEEEEESE!" Just had to share:

Consignment sale goodies.

I did great at the consignment sale. All I'm missing for the kids is a pair of white sandals for Anna-Kate and some pj's for Ryan. Super! I love to come home and show Chris (who dutifully nods and tries to feign interest) all of my finds.

So the following morning, (hoping to get a little more excitement out of my finds than Chris gave me) I was showing Anna-Kate all of the clothes I bought for her at the consignment sale. Her favorite, hands down, is a pink swimsuit with a skirt that looks kinda like a fairy (costume) skirt. Her response, "OHHHH! I will look so beautiful in this!".

Modesty, it's a good quality, ya know?

As we continued looking through she would make little comments, "that's so pretty too Mommy" or "that be beautiful on me, I try it on now?". (Not quite understanding that summer clothes won't work in 50 degree weather. Soon though...)

All girl she is.

It has begun already...

When Anna-Kate poops she gets two gummy treats (her gummy bear vitamins).

So, this morning she had pooped and said she wanted a lollipop instead (it is fruit juice, no added sugar and has calcium and zinc added...it is what she gets if she poops a second time in a day). I said no, you get bear treats now, lollipop later if you poop again. She flipped out crying. I told her tantrums were not allowed, to pull herself together and then walked away. A moment later she walks up to me (I was sitting) gave me a huge hug and said, "please mommy. Please may I have a lollipop" then gave me a huge kiss. Well, now I couldn't oblige her because that is straight up manipulation! Hoping it was a fluke, I stuck to my guns and gave her the bear treats.

A moment ago I was putting her down for her nap. Ryan goes down at 12:45 and she goes down at 1:30, so we have special "girl time" every afternoon before nap. She had chosen to spend it playing outside (flipping out every time a real or imaginary bug made it's presence known!!) and then reading stories. I told her I would read two stories from her Bible book. I read about creation and about Noah. She then said she wanted to read one to me. I said OK. She turned to the story about Moses taking the Israelites to the Promised Land and God giving them manna. Unfortunately, she said, "umm, I forgot the words. You need to read to me instead." I said no, that I had read two stories already and it was time for bed. "Please mommy, Pleeeease read me story about Moses!" then planted a huge kiss on me. Had to look away because I was laughing.

She just doesn't understand that blatant manipulation like that can't be obliged or I lose and things get harder the next day. Oh well, she'll learn. :)

Funnies and update

Anna-Kate woke up this morning and said she wanted to go wake up Daddy. I said Daddy was already at work.
AK: "That makes me so sad."
Me: "why?"
AK: "Cause Daddy is gone. But, he [is] make [ing] me pennies?"
Me: "well, yes I guess so."
AK: "Oh, I so happy mommy."

Tonight I went in to kiss her goodnight (Chris and I switch off putting the kids to bed, we each do one a night, then just do a quick kiss with the other). She asked me to sing her a song, so I did. I said goodnight and she immediately burst into tears (yes, she's good...) and said, "please Mommy! Don't leave me!" I have never witnessed such drama.

***

So, for the past 3 Saturdays Ryan has thrown up. That's it. No fever, no fussiness, no other days is he sick. It's annoying, but I feel so bad for him too. Honestly, I'd be worried, but since he's so underweight we just had his blood tested for everything under the sun, so I *know* he's fine. But, please be praying for him. I don't understand what the deal is, but it's hard to see him sick (especially when I'm trying so hard to help him gain weight).

That's about it. We've spent most of our days outside recently in the 75-80 degree weather. I love spring, and I love having light longer in the evenings. Only other interesting news is that my big bi-annual consignment sale is tomorrow so I'll be sure to update with my goodies!! So excited to get new clothes for the kids...they are hurting for warm weather clothes to wear!

He walks!

So, Ryan has been pulling up and cruising since October. Surely, I thought, he would be walking by Thanksgiving. Nope. Certainly Christmas. Nope. My goodness, his birthday? Nope. (granted, poor guy is at a disadvantage as his sister walked 4 days before her 7 month birthday...so I've been waiting for this for forever). I should also add that since January he's been able to take about 4 steps in between me and Chris and walk while holding only one hand. But, on Tuesday, March 3 he took 12 steps in a row. He's now crawling to things, pulling up then pivoting around (no hands! my little basketball player) then walking back to me.

YAY Ryan!! I'm so proud (and glad to get you off the dirty floor!)

Anna-Kate now has her babies "walking" to her, and when she pretends to be a baby she takes a few steps and collapses in my lap. Always needing that attention. It's precious to hear her say, "Ryan come see me, come walk to me, he wants to walk to me Mama". Today I swear Ryan said, "Ana" while he walked to her!

While I'm bragging on my boys achievements, I'll also say that he's signing "please" (to add to "more", "all done", and "up") as well as speaking "mama", "dada", "ba" (ball), and "daw" (you know, dog. :)).

Snow in Atlanta!

Well, we got our annual snow in Atlanta yesterday and it was beautiful. I know my northern friends and family are rolling their eyes at the weenie amount of snow that is causing such a stir down here! However, I like once a year snow. It melts the next day and on Friday it will be in the high 60's...yep, that's one of many reasons why I live in the South. :)

I forced the kids to bundle up and go outside to partake in this rare fun. Neither were excited about it (Chris either, for that matter). But, memories and pictures were made. :) Anna-Kate was miserable until I put her mittens on, then she agreed to touch the snow. "it too cold Mommy".

"throwing snowballs" (more like flinging a few pieces of snow...)



Chris and Anna-Kate:



Me and Anna-Kate:



Me and sweet (freezing) Ryan:



Our snowman. Yes, he's about 1 1/2 feet tall. :) Copper ate 1/2 of his (baby) carrot nose...Chris was laughing hysterically.



Anna-Kate and the snowman holding hands. "pleased to meet ya" she said to him.