Retreating

Last weekend my mom came up to help me and keep the kids until Chris could get home from work Friday so that I could get away for our church womens retreat. We do it every other year and it is always a fun trip of fellowship, food, and spiritual "filling up". This weekend did not disappoint. The theme was walking with the Lord one day at a time. Completely applicable to me...and I would venture for most multitasking superwomen out there.

We had a fun room, though my friend Katie may have grown a little weary of giggles and whispers that first night. Megan, Leigh-Ann and I were so excited about a slumber party we just couldn't sleep. :) We also each brought tons of yummy snacks, and well, we all know that food is one of my love languages, so I was set. :)

My iphone failed me. It didn't come near capturing the beauty of our surroundings.

Katie, me, Leigh-Ann and Megan



I returned to a husband who had delighted in his children this weekend. He took them to a birthday party, out to dinner and to the Disney store to play. They weren't dressed as I would have dressed them, nor was their hair brushed, but they were well loved and had an awesome weekend with their amazing dad. I bragged on facebook that I also came home to mopped floors. He mopped! I didn't even ask! What a man!

It's November

So, let's just forget about that whole not-blogging-the-month-of-October thing, ok? Great. So, moving on.

Catch up time. I think I'll start current and work back through our busy month. So, Happy Halloween!

We've been planning a Toy Story theme all year. Thankfully, I was able to talk Anna-Kate into being Jessie instead of Bo Peep, her original choice {the only costume I could find was on etsy and was selling for...wait for it...$500. Yep, not a typo. Since I didn't want to embark on long petticoats and boning, we went for Jessie.}. Her one condition on being Jessie was that it not be pants. I thought I'd do a jean skirt and call it good. Nope, further stipulations stated dress. So, I began searching, and came up with, nada. Another etsy find, $65. Clearly, I'm too cheap for all that, so I copied the etsy one I found, with a little help from pinterest thrown in for good measure. So, despite this month being absolutely

c-a-r-azy, I eeked it out Saturday night before Halloween. She was very excited about it, which ultimately, made it all worth while. I found her boots at Gymboree on sale from last winter, with a coupon for $8 to complete the look! The boys' costumes I totally lucked in to! We had some money left on our Disney points card from our trip last year (a miracle in itself). When I got to the Disney store I found the pj's to be exact replicas of the costumes, for 1/4 the price! So, I got the boys jammies for $26 for both and they have been happily sleeping in them since. Ha! I found Jack's Woody boots at consignment for $3, borrowed his hat and Ryan's wings and noise thing were borrowed as well.

This picture makes me laugh. He didn't want his picture taken. He didn't want to be taken out of the wagon. He didn't want his hat on. But, the show must go on. So Daddy improvised...and handed him a lollipop.



My sweet littles. {post lollipop bribe}



Sadly, the best family picture we got. Amazingly hard to get 3 kids looking at the same place, at the same time, and smiling. Requires a perfect storm that did not happen that night. {Side note, I want credit for being guilted into, err, being a fun mom and dressing up. Well, I put cat ears on. ha!}



Our neighbors have an annual potluck, bounce house, pre trick-or-treating thing each year. It's grown. Ha! This is most of the kids preasent.



Anna-Kate with her sweet friend, Campbell, aka, the Statue of Liberty. Her brother was a "big apple". Brilliant.



"I got more candy!!!!"



Loading up on the loot...



Trick-or-treating. Jack really got in to it! He was so fun to watch, and the big kids, of course, knew what they were doing. Jack kept up right with them and when we got to houses that had a bowl of candy out front he walked right up and started loading up his basket. Lol. He carried it the whole time too, never tried to hand it off. I love this skill of my third child!



Buzz Lightyear. He was on cloud nine to be able to borrow wings and an arm band noisemaker thing. I'm not gonna lie, I'm not sad about giving that guy back to its owner. :)



After trick-or-treating, we let the kids help pass out candy. Ryan loved it, Jack just tried to put it in his own basket.



The girls



Jack eating his third (3rd!!! Shame on me!) lollipop of the night. Ryan was crying to go to bed. Haha.

Birthday {x 2}

Ryan's birthday is in February. Ok, now that we have that clear...

I picked up Ryan from carpool today and as he climbed in he said, "MOM it's my birthday today!" His teacher had a big grin and was nodding and wishing him a happy birthday weekend. I was a bit perplexed and informed her of his actual birthday, in February {wondering what horrible things she had thought of me for not sending cupcakes in on my childs' birthday!}. She said, "Oh, well that's what I had on my schedule from the office. We made him a card in class, pulled him up on stage during chapel to sing to him and everything." {Ryan is nodding gleefully as she is saying all of this.} I said, "well, lucky Ryan, I guess he will get to be celebrated twice this year." Ryan jumps up and says, "YES! I love having two birthdays!"

Crazy kid.

So, per usual, I asked him the best part and worst part of his day. The best was going on stage, (so my "performer" non-shy kid) then he started fake crying/whining and said, "but the sad part was when ____ {boy who is always naughty/mean in his class} wouldn't even sing happy birthday to me with everyone. It was the birthday song and he wouldn't sing!" I said, "Ryan, it really isn't your birthday today." Quite displeased with the outcome of his day he said he just wished today was February. I told him he would miss Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas if that was the case. He said, "well, I wish it was all of those days today."

He's a dreamer. :)

He's not a baby anymore.

Sniff, sniff.

I took Jack to his 18 month old well baby {ya, ya, poor 3rd kid, it only took me a few weeks to post it...}. OK, he is 23.15 lbs (22%) and 31 inches (13%). His head is 48.5 (69%--lol, that's all of my kids' highest percentage, but he has the smallest head of all....Anna-Kate is in the 80's and Ryan is near chart topping around 97% ha!). She was completely happy with all of his milestones, (speech included, praise the Lord!) gave him his last round of shots until age four and sent us merrily on our way.

My sweet "baby" who goes with me to the chiropractor 3 x's a week. While I lie on the adjustment table he always lies down next to me on the pregnancy adjustment thing. Hilarious.



I hesitate to share these, terrified to jinx it, but I will continue. We took Jacks paci away on Friday night. If you need a refresher on how it went for Anna-Kate, check HERE, and Ryan, check HERE.

Clearly, I was anticipating the worst. It took me a while to get him to throw them away (he sucked on one for about 5 minutes, spit it in the trash can, then moved to the next and next. Funny. I finally took the last from his mouth and threw it away. No tears, but his lower lip came out and began quivering. I had tears in my eyes. When I put him in the bed he continued with the quivering lip, but snuggled up with his bunny, he cried (not hysterical at all, just fussy) for about 15-20 minutes, then went to sleep. He woke once with a dirty diaper, but otherwise, slept through until morning. I was on cloud none, but holding my breath for naptime (typically the worst part for us). He went down fine and work up at 4. Last night, no tears, it just took him about 20 minutes to fall asleep. Still napping now. He is truly awesome! :) Love this boy and so proud of him!

The moment I stopped breathing

Today we went to Target after Ryans' soccer game. He was sitting under the buggy as we went out to the car. I had just stopped pushing and was reaching to open the trunk when I happened to see Ryan hop out just as the car next to us was backing up. I screamed "STOP!". Ryan instantly froze. The woman slammed on her brakes, missing him by maybe two inches. I was absolutely shaking. She leaned out of her window, almost in hysterics herself, and just kept saying, "I'm so sorry, I have children, I'm so sorry.". I was holding both big kids' hands and motioned her to back up. She said she would wait that she would feel more comfortable knowing they were in the car. She waited for 5 minutes as I buckled everyone. She then apologized again. Of course I wasn't angry with her, but I really couldn't speak I was so shaken.

Chris had been on the other side of the car and had missed it, except for my scream. As I explained the situation to him I was overcome by how truly blessed and protected we were today. I nightly pray over my children that the Lord would preserve them for His glory and put his angels to surround them. Today, I witnessed the protection of my son, and truly, an answer to my many prayers.

If I had turned my head one second earlier...if Ryan had not instantly obeyed me and frozen...if that woman's window hadn't been rolled down for her to hear me...my day, my life could look very different.

Tonight, I hugged my kids a bit tighter, will echo my prayer of many nights before, and will praise the Lord for his protection and faithfulness.

Boy talk

Every morning as we pull into preschool I turn to unbuckle Ryan, and as he stands up he asks me to "blow down the window please Mommy?". {he loves to stick his head out the window and wave at his friends as we get close to the drop off area. Social butterfly, that one is.} I can hardly stand to correct him.

At the dinner table tonight Ryan looked at Chris and said, "Daddy, I've changed my name. I am now Captain America."

Ryan came in my room early this morning and said, (in that loud whisper that could wake the dead) "Mommy, I have bad news. I'm awake!" {why yes, that is bad news...}

He is into the bad news thing. At lunch with friends today he came up to the table of Mamas and said, "Mama, I have bad news." I asked what was wrong. He pointed to a little girl and said, "I don't remember her name." Ha.

***

So, Jack is finally "talking". :) I am choosing to forget the fact that a mommy friend just told me her daughter, who is 1.5 months older than Jack is speaking in sentences...I know he has more than this, but this is all that is coming to mind at the moment.

He still signs more, please {"peez"}, milk, all done, up and thank you {"ank ew"} and he has finally learned to differentiate between yes and no. For example, a month ago, if I asked him if he wanted a cookie, he would emphatically shake his head no, then run to the pantry. Now, he puts his hand on the nearest chair for support and, bending at the waist, with a straight neck, rocks his whole body back and forth to "nod" yes. Hilarious.

"OW-KE-SIGH!!!" {with banging on window/door} That's Jack for "Mommy dearest, I would love it if you would please take me outside."

"Bzz-Bzz" {Buzz Lightyear}

"uhsairs/ouwsairs" {upstairs/downstairs}

"chuzzz" {cheese. aka, the thing he would eat forever}

"Nana"

(he's finally added to Dada, Mama, and Ah-Kay,(Anna-Kate). He tries so hard to say Ryan, it is just indistinguishable. And animal noises for monkey, cow, dog, duck...he has others, but those are favorites/the most comical.)

Ripped from Facebook

Alternate title: "My kids are hilarious."

Alternate, alternate title: "What did I do for entertainment before I had kids?"


Me: "Let's grab a granola bar for breakfast since we're late."
AK: "No! A granola bar is too short for me!"
Me: "Huh?"
AK: "It isn't tall enough to fill me up and I get hungry too quickly."

***

AK: "I'm scared of getting lost in the maid!" (aka, the corn maze on her field trip today.)

***

Ryan and Anna-Kate: "SURFABUNGA!!!" {while balancing on upside down xylophones}

***

Ryan: "Why did Darth Vaders mom name him such a silly name?"
Me: "Wanna know his real name? Anakin."
Ryan: "That's a silly middle name. Darth Anakin Vader. Crazy."

***

Anna-Kate: "Wanna know my favorite kind of bread? SHORTBREAD! It's so delicious!"

***

AK: "Mom, you aren't gonna believe this. If you go on your computer and push disneyjunior.com a whole bunch of shows comes on even quicker than tv! My friend Grace told me all about it. Can you even believe it?"

***

Anna-Kate: "Um, is 'just a second' as long as 'just a minute'?"

***

Anna-Kate: "I know where Robin Hood and Maid Miriam live".
Me "where?" (expecting either Sherwood Forest or England)
AK: "well mom, the rooster tells us, in Animal Kingdom and I want to go visit them next time we go to Disneyworld" (you know the rooster narrator who says "we here in the animal kingdom know how the story really happened..." LOL).

***

Ryan: "Look at that guy over there who brought his belly with him!" (on seeing our neighbor mowing his grass without his shirt on.)

***

Ryan: "I am full of it." Though true, he actually meant that his tummy was full. Ironic, no?

***

At church Ryan looked up, his eyes got huge and he pointed at our Pastor and whispered, "Mommy, LOOK! It's JESUS!"

***

Me:"Ryan when you do xyz you get a spanking. Why did you choose to disobey?"
Ryan:" oh. I LOVE spankings mama."
(in my head...I know you didn't just say that.)

***

Anna Kate told me Snow White was her favorite princess. When I asked her why she said, "well her prince is definitely the most handsome!".