Miss Peach

I tried my hand at making some bows the past weekend. This was the first one I tried to make and it wasn't so good... but we stuck it in Bry's hair and had a good laugh! When I showed it to Hank, he asked me to put it on my blog and ask my beautiful (and usually silent) sister's-in-law if they remembered Miss Peach? So do you ladies??

Here was another bow that I made that I liked! In fact, Sophie has been wearing it lately. It's sheer pink and a little bigger than the ones that she already had.

Reluctant CVS Gamer

I've been trying to figure out this whole CVS game lately with a couple of quick trips in to the store. But it's hard to do with three kids. I'm need a sitter so I can go and really think about what I'm getting. Plus I need to organize my coupons, I guess. It's a bit more work than I really have time for, but in the long run, it will save us money, so I'm willing to try. Maybe not the extent of others... like Mel who looks like she is stocking up for WW III!! Ha!! I only wish I had the time, space and money to do that... jealousy... Sigh! But I'm willing to go in and get what we need when it's on a good deal or something we use in order to get those covetted ECB's.

I'm not willing to go in a buy acne solutions products if I don't need them! Or buy the men's hair color just because it's free!

So this week, I got Hank a stick of deodarant ($3.99), myself some foundation ($9), and two bags of M&M's ($6.00)and earned $12.99 in ECB's! Plus I found a receipt in my buggy for $5 off a $15 purchase... so score one for me!

Then I went back in last night, got two EB lipglosses (for my nieces), and eyepencil sharpener, three CVS brand body washes, two Palmolive dishwash detergents, and a magazine. I paid $2.70, and they gave me back $5 in ECB.

It isn't that I don't love saving money... it's just that sometimes life seems really full. You know how people say, "My plate is full?" Well, sometimes, I feel like if I add one more thing to my to-do-list, my plate will crack!

Clothes Hound

Today, I spent the day going through the massive amount of clothing we have in this house intended for Ava Sophia. I mean, seriously... did I really think she would be able to wear all the stuff she had? I started a huge yard sale/ebay pile and it just keeps growing. And a lot of it is stuff that has tags on it or has just be washed and never worn! I got some bins set up and organized the rest and... then I labeled them with the hopes that no more clothes will slip through the cracks!

If I had one of the label guns from Dymo labels I bet I wouldn't be running into this problem again!

Volleyball

Last weekend, my volleyball girls participated in the Spring Bash tournament here in the Ham. We won first place!! Way to go girls! We are the champions... again!All my girls are so sweet. The season is almost over, and I'm gonna miss them even though I will be glad to get back to 'life as usual!'

An IKEA Adventure!

My sister, Tonnie, our friend Keri, Sophie and I got to take a short but very cool girl's trip last week! Any of you who know Tonnie, may know about her obsession with all things IKEA. I mean, her house could be there catalog for crying out loud! Everything from cabinets, to couches, to beds, to rugs... you name it, she has it. She's been just a couple of times (like TEN!) to the IKEA store located in Atlanta. And she's been dying to go again for a while, and wanted me and Keri to come. So we loaded up and headed out on Thursday night. Keri travels a bunch with her job, so she had enough rewards points so that we got to stay at a Courtyard Marriot FOR FREE! Sophie liked the beds! She tested them out while Tonnie and Keri......checked to see if they could see IKEA from our window since we were right down the road!

If you've never been to IKEA or heard about it... let me just tell you... the place is INCREDIBLE and HUGE! We spent the first 2-3 hours walking through the showroom and taking notes on what we wanted. Then we took a break, got a drink and a snack at their snackbar (all Swedish food), and decided what we wanted. I picked up a small toy box, a tv stand for our big screen tv, stools for the boy's computer, a magnetic bulletin board, some laundry sorter organizer, and curtains for my formal living room. Here are my new curtains! I saw them in the showroom, and they have such a WOW factor! This picture doesn't do them justice! And here is the computer area in the boys room. Keri got some window treatments, and Tonnie got some things to decorate her house with (she has a problem I tell ya!) It was such a retreat from ordinary for me. We went to IKEA on Friday and were back home by Friday night, so it wasn't a long trip, but it was much needed! I had so much fun ladies!! Aunt Tonnie with Sophie Girl! She was so good on the trip! She just laughed and cut up with us.Yes, they have LEGO headboards! But I didn't get them.Keri and Tonnie during our break!Me and my sis. We have very few pictures together!

Swangin'

So we have been enjoying some amazing weather lately! And with the nice weather, we've also been enjoying our new yard! The kids have so much fun since there is more room to roam... we are next to an Alabama Power right-of-way, so there is also some 'exploring' and 'adventures' taking place.

Hank decided that the boys needed a swing in the back yard, so he went about the business of making sure they had one! He found two big trees at the right distance apart and hung a rope between the two with a swing right in the middle! The boys LOVE it!! They like the fact that they can swing in a circle and back and forth!

Boy's Day

Last week, Hank was able to switch shifts with one of his co-workers so he could accompany Tres on his class field trip to the zoo. The school has a policy about no siblings attending school field trips, so I stayed at home with Soph and Bry.


This was Tres's first trip to our local zoo, because, frankly... it's just not the best zoo in the world. There, I said it! But he had fun just the same.

Aggravation, Take 1

Ahhh, sweet sibling love! Sophie already gets so aggravated with the boys when they are trying to entertain her.

Just One Of Those Days...

...when everything seems a bit haphazard. You know what I mean?? Well, if you don't, let me give you a couple of examples.

EXAMPLE #1:
I felt I was doing pretty well with time management yesterday, so when I put Sophie down for her morning nap, I decided to jump in the shower and {GASP!} shave my legs! Now, I still try to get through it pretty quick so I can make the most of the nap time. So when I got out and started getting dressed, you can imagine my disappointment when I realized that I had shaved the same leg twice. So I'm half werewolf/half woman at the moment! :) And the part that's so aggrevating to me is that I will never get that time back! Hank says he is going to start shaving only half of his face. And this is NOT the first time I've pulled this stunt either.

EXAMPLE #2:
This one is a bit more embarrassing to me. Last night, the kids were sort of all pulling me in different directions. Bryant was still not acting like his normal self and was asking for medicine so he could go to bed. Tres wanted me to make him a pallet on the floor next to Bry (they like to do this occassionally, and I think it's because they like to be closer to each other), and Sophie needed her breathing treatment, a bath, to be fed, and put to bed. So I got Sophie bathed before Bry starts in again on how "me wants to go to bbbeeedddd!" Such words never pass his lips, so I'm guessing I just rushed through getting Sophie ready and in her sleeper. Then I went and got Bry his medicine and got him tucked in.... made Tres a pallet, and got him tucked in. Soph got her good night kisses and we headed into her room to get her fed and sleeping.
This morning, I couldn't beleive it when I woke up at 8:45!! Soph normally gets up around 6 or 7 to eat. Anyway, I was praising Jesus, and went in to get her. I picked her up and noticed she left damp. Not totally unusual, but I thought maybe I had not fastened her diaper tight enough. I unzipped her sleeper, and was astonished to find the child going commando!! Then I look at the bottom of her changing table, and there sitting as neat as you please was the diaper I had obviously not put on my child the night before. It seemed to be saying, "I've been waiting here all night." I went and checked her bed, only to discover it was saturated. Man did I feel like a loser, but I was laughing and already wording how I was going to share it with you guys.

Let's call that 'Documented Frazzled Mommy Moment #1.' I classify it as 'documented' because there are a ton more that will go with me to the grave!:)

Mother's Day Heads Up!

This year, I want to give my little men and their Daddy a head start on Mother's Day! I mean, I think that Tres is learning in his formative years that jewelry is a fail-safe gift! They got me a ring for my birthday, but I would love to have a mother's ring or some other piece of jewerly that is representative of my children. They have several fun ones like this one: I like this one, but my taste is a bit more traditional... I like the stackable one where I would have a band of that particular month's stone for each of my children. Something a little like this: But, of course, mine would be blue sapphire (Tres is September), diamond (Bryant is April), and peridot (Sophie is August). The one I wasn't too familiar with was peridot, but it's a light green colored jewel that blends nicely with the other two.

Previous Mother's Day gifts I've gotten have been a new digital camera last year, and a swing with a sun canapy the year before. So I think I'm about due a nice piece of jewelry. But not just any jewelry... I want it to mean something. And since God is the only thing in my life of greater importance than my family, I would love for it to represent them! The loves of my life!

I Miss Riding Horses

My childhood was full of a lot of fun things that I now realize a lot of children didn't get to experience. Riding horses and growing up on a farm is one of them. I remember getting to take riding lessons, and when I had gone through enough and my parent's felt that I knew what I was doing, I was allowed to saddle up and ride around our farm. I couldn't find a picture of me on my horse, but here is my sister Tonnie riding our buckskin pony, Turkey.Now we always preferred riding Western style... you know with the chaps, big cowboy hat, and boots. But when we went to horse shows, we would see people entered in the English style and they would be all decked out in their equestrian clothing. Black jackets, tan pants, just a sleeker look altogether. I also enjoyed watching some of the dressage stuff at shows. I wish I had more pictures to help my memory of that time. I remember specific stuff... like the fact that the vet had a cute son. Or that the first show I did, I won first prize! I know I have a picture of that somewhere.

The Heart of the Home

Since we've moved into our new home, we've discovered that we, as a family, spend a lot more time in the master bedroom. Watching tv, telling stories... and at least one child ends up in our bed every two or three days it seems! So I'm very thankful for our king sized bed. We got this mattress not long ago, and I've begun to notice that Hank and I are creating Jamie and Hank sized burrows on our respective sides of the bed! It's not like we got a memory foam mattress!! It's a pillow top mattress and very comfy, but I guess I'm beginning to see why people will spend so much for a mattress!! My sister and her husband went and bought a Bed in a Box, memory foam mattress
not long ago, and she said that they absolutely love it! It definitely has my wheels turning. I want to know (and by know, I mean experience) what the big deal is.

Gotta Wear Shades

When I was playing the 5 things game, and I was looking in my van to see what was in there, I found my sunglasses. I had been looking for them for a while, and they were tucked safely into the pocket behind the driver seat. My SIL, Jackie gave them to me when Hank and I were first married. She had bought them for herself just before she found out she needed prescription glasses and couldn't wear them. So I got a brand new pair of sunglasses! I've been so thankful for them over the years. And I've even been impressed with how I've managed to keep up with them (mostly) since I got them. But now, one of the nose pieces scratches my nose and the one of the lens is scratched, so I've been thinking about investing in another really good pair.

I ran across a website that advertises that they sell vintage sunglasses. And they don't seem too pricey, but I'm thinking I'll stick with the more classical and therefor timeless looks out there!

To the Doctor We Go

Yesterday I took Sophie and Bry to see our pediatrician again. Sophie has a rattle when she breaths. I mean, when I'm just holding her I can feel her breathing. That plus a very wet cough, and it was getting a little scary. Bryant never complains much, but I saw him pulling at his ear on Sunday, and he has been looking like he just didn't feel a hundred percent (you know how they get that droopy look around their eyes?).
Well, the doc listened to Soph first and wanted to do a breathing treatment on her to see if that would help her breathing. While we waited on a nurse to bring in the nebulizer, Sophie entertained herself with the paper on the table.

Then the pediatrician took a peek into Bryant's ears and sure enough... bam... another double infection. His last one was a month ago, so the doc recommended seeing an ENT again. Bry has had two sets of tubes, so I'm not sure if that's what we headed for again or not... but man I'm ready for my little boy to NOT have to deal with pain in his ears.

Funny story... when the doctor looked in Bryant's ears, he said, "There's fluid in there. There are definitely bubbles." When he said that, Bryant cut his big, brown eyes over to me really quick and gave me this guilty little smile. When the doctor left to go get Sophie Girl her breathing treatment, here was the conversation:

Tres: Mom, I know why Bryant has bubbles in his ears.
Mom: Why, Tres? [I was already trying not to smile]
Tres: Cause when we were at Grandma's, he ate some of the bubble stuff.
Mom: [Turning to Bryant] Did you do that?
Bry: Yes. But it didn't taste good!
Mom: Well thank God they're non-toxic.
Tres: What does that mean?

The fun never ends, I suppose!
The nurse brought in the nebulizer and we did a 15 minute treatment on Little Miss A-boo. At first, she wasn't excited at all about having something over her nose and mouth. But once she realized she could breath and that Momma was with her (awww!) she relaxed and went with it. It also helped that I got Tres to grab my camera and take some pictures. You guys know I love you when I let my 5 1/2 year old handle my camera. Here she is close to end of the treatment. I think she was watching Bryant break dance here. I really need to get some video of that for you guys. It's a treat... take it from me.

The doctor checked out Tres's ears too while we were there, but he was fine.However, as the day went by, Tres's eyes got redder and redder, and this morning he woke up with a cough. Allergies seem to be kicking my families perverbial bottom right now!

The rest of our day went by pretty quickly. I took the kids to get some food, and Hank was able to meet us since he works close to their pediatrician's office. Then we headed to get haircuts and stopped by to see Grandma at the shop. Grandma let them head home with her to jump on the trampoline, while I got Sophie home for a real nap (complete with humidifier!). Then volleyball and home. Once I got home, I had to get Tres's lunch packed for his class field trip to the zoo. Hank was able to switch shifts with someone and go with him, since they don't allow siblings. That worked out for the best, because this morning Bry woke up with a hot little body! And his promptly threw up on my bed. I bathed him and he is watching Bob the Builder and drinking Sprite.

Welcome to My House

So Mel wanted me to send her pics of my house, and that made me realize that I haven't really posted many pictures. Here are a few. Other areas of the house you will see as we begin doing projects on... ex. Hall bath getting tile floor and cabinets painted soon! So although some of you may not care, I thought instead of just emailing Mel, you all get the pleasure of seeing our home!So, welcome!! You enter our lovely home and encounter a split foyer. The lovely hardwood floors are one of my favorite features. As you look at the picture, to your left, you will notice the back of our new red couch. As you head up the stairs, you will walk straight into our kitchen. Which most of you have seen... if not, got back several posts. To the right is our 'formal' living room. This is one of my favorite rooms! It's so homey and comfortable. We play games with the boys in here a lot, and when we have company, this is where we visit. I love that their is no television in this room. We added the red couch after we moved in. We already had the large chair and a half. The console radio was Hank's Father's Day gift a while back. The trunks throughout the room are our memory boxes. This room feels like a mix of contemporary and vintage to me. On the other side of the chair is our 'formal' dining area. I can't tell you how nice it is to have a place for adults to eat and for kids to eat!! When we have company, the kids eat in the kitchen and we eat here! We leave the leaf in our table continuously now! And I'm planning to sell that high chair at our yard sale in a couple of weekends! I just don't want anything else on the floor. I want to attach one of those seats to a chair like I did with Bry. If you take a left at the top of the stairs and head to the end of the hall you walk straight into the boys' room. Hank sanded and stained his old bunkbeds from his fraternity/college days, and the boys are LOVING them!! He installed a safety bar and a small table for Tres up top too. We decorated the walls with pictures of the boys from our trips to Disney.They also have a computer in the corner where they can play computer games with us. They share a large walk-in closet. They each get a side. Tres has the big dresser with the television on it. Bryant has a dresser in the closet.Our bedroom hasn't changed much. It's a little smaller at this house, as is the master bath. But we have plans to convert the downstairs playroom into a master suite, and what is currently a storage room in the basement into a master bath/spa! But that will be in a couple of years when I'm okay with not being on the same level as my kids!

Well, that has to be enough for now. I've spent entirely too much time on the computer today! I will post Ava Sophia's room, the bathrooms, and the playroom another day... but be content with what you got (MEL!) and don't hold your breath! :)

I have an announcement...

Princess Leia is no longer with us. After 6 months surviving the torture that belonging to active little boys brings about, Princess Leia finally gave up, and decided to give it up. May the force be with you. I don't have any pictures of her, but she was a blue beta fish. Any pictures at the kitchen table you might catch a glimpse of her bowl!

5 Things Game

My friend Melanie is doing a game on her blog. I told her I would do it the other night, and I lied! :) I got busy being a parent, Mel! Anyway, I did this the last time she played but I lived in another house, so there's new stuff to see now. :)

So the game is basically this: Show us your purse, your pantry, your vehicle, your fridge, etc. and tell us five things that are in it! Let me know if you play, so I can come and see! :)

I. My pantry!!
1. A Chocolate Factory with which the boys like to make us 'bissert!'
2. 15+ unopened and uneaten jars of baby food.
3. Three varying sizes of crock pots
4. Bread Maker
5. Whole wheat flour (Hank makes his own pizza dough!)

II. The Hall Closet
1. Our coats and jackets
2. A shoe organizer that hangs over the door that we use to keep our chargers and cords organized! (I can't remember whose blog I got that from.)
3. Games
4. A wire drawer organizer with hats and gloves in first two drawers. The bottom two drawers hold gift bags, tissue paper, tape, scissors, gift tags, etc.
5. A snow suit (see it in the top?) that I've been meaning to send to Staci for a while now.

III. My purse
1. My dandy dandy digital camera
2. Hand sanitizer
3. An emergency pack of crackers
4. A back-up pacifier
5. An extra stylus (for the boys' DS games)

IV. My refrigerator (original to the house and soon to be replaced!)
1. Turkey bacon
2. A pre-made chicken casserole for dinner
3. Super glue
4. A bottle of sparkling grape juice (the boys love that stuff!)
5. Sweet Tea (sweetened half sugar, half splenda)

V. Our Kia Sedona
1. A Buzz Lightyear lunchbox with snacks
2. Flashlight in glove compartment
3. Alvin and the Chipmunks CD
4. Hand Sanitizer
5. Atlas

VI. The Computer Desk! (One to grow on)
1. A bag of pens and pencils
2. Calculator
3. Envelopes
4. Headphones
5. Our computer notebook!

Eight is Great

Oh my goodness! In all this 4th birthday,6th anniversary, new nephew madness, I forgot to update you guys on Sophie girl! She turned 8 months all on the 8th!

*The last time she was weighed was when I took her in for her cold/breathing thing and she was 14 pounds or so then. I think she's definitely grown now.
*Her eyes are green/brown and I just love them! I don't want them to change!
*Her hair is coming in thick and slightly curly!
*She has three teeth now... and two more swollen spots in her mouth (Dear Lord, this is your faithful servant, Jamie. Can we please request a break from teething for just a few weeks?).
*She is pulling up on anything she can reach up to.
*She gets up on her knees and rocks back and forth, but no real crawling yet. She can wiggle, twist, and roll around and get anywhere she wants to go though.
*She laughs and it's infectious! It stops me and my boys in our tracks on a daily basis!
*About two weeks ago, she started refusing baby foods. She literally clamps her mouth shut and twists her head away from it. So I've started steaming veggies and mashing them, and buying regular apple sauce. She loves baked potatos and she still really loves her Ritz crackers!
*She's taking a sippy cup. She likes the ones with straws best.

*She is so vocal about wanting food when we are eating. She DEMANDS it LOUDLY. And won't stop until you give her some. But I've been doing the signs for more, all gone, etc with her and when I do 'all done' she calms down.
*She says dada, mama, and what sounds to me like Bry sometimes.
*She waves! So cute... she lifts her hand and wiggles her fingers.
*She is out of most 3-6 month clothes now. Six months works perfectly right now. And some 6-9 work too.
*She can push around in her walker like a champ now! If you come over to my house, watch your shins! Ouch!
*She likes to stand up (assisted of course!) more than anything.
*She will play in the boys room, in the toy room, or in her room as long as her brothers are around her.
*She gets good-night kisses from her brothers every night!
*She pinches while she eats and when she is going to sleep. It seems to be a soothing thing for her. She has even bruised my arm from pinching it in the same place over and over again! And I have to keep those nails short or the torture would be unbearable! I've tried replacing my face, arm, etc with a silkie or blanket, but that just isn't the same apparently!
*Every time Hank sings to her, she just smiles so sweet and goofy at him, like they have a private joke!
*Her eyes light up when she sees her momma, and I love it.

BIG NEWS!

Wednesday night, but lovely sister-in-law Kayla was getting ready for bed when her water broke. She and my brother headed to the hospital and didn't have to wait long before Brody was born! I tried my best to get there before he came, but getting three children up, dressed, and fed before they are ready can be pretty challenging! Here he is!Brody Alexander
April 10, 2008
8:37 am
7 lbs. 14 oz.
21 in. long

Isn't he pretty?? Right now, it looks like he has Kayla's mouth and Matt's nose. But you know how easily that can change over the next few months! I could not be happier for my little brother! I'm so proud of what an awesome father he is and can't wait to see him with his two boys! Kayla did so well, too! She only had to push for about 30 minutes, and out he came. That's why he looks so pretty and not so much like a newborn!

I got to hold him and admire him for a while, while my mom corralled my kids in the waiting room. And I gotta say, for just a split second... holding that little bit of nothing and smelling his baby sweetness made me ALMOST wish I could have another one. Then I helped my brother change the first Brody-poo and the shine started to go out of my eyes! It was gone completely when I got back to waiting room and had to rescue my mom from my kids... and when I took Sophie to nurse her and she promptly bit me with all three of her little teeth! HA! Yes, sirree. My baby factory is definitely closed down, folks.

Sophie's thrilled to get a new playmate, and can't wait to push him around... oops! I mean, play with him! Wink!