Drummer WANTED

Miss Bee

This little girl is such a joy.

She talks my ear off all the way home from school each day, telling me about her day and how many times she pee-peed and poo-pooed in the potty, as well as who gets time outs and who was sick. She's full of information, let me tell you.

She does not want the Easter Bunny to come to our house. She refuses to even look at him when we drive by him at the mall. She won't give him a high five. Thus, no picture this year w/ the EB and Bee.

Sissy is very excited to color Easter eggs this week, for her Easter party on Thursday and the upcoming egg hunts.

She has been doing so well with the potty training. I would say we're 80-85% there and almost 90% of the mornings she wakes up and is dry. She wears big girl undies all day and for the past 2 weeks has refused the plastic pants altogether. We have accidents sometimes, but overall, she's doing great. Because of that, she received her Bitty Baby doll she has wanted and picked out from the magazine on Sunday. She named her Juna first, then it was Mary, then Noah, and now her name is Baby Addie. She LOVES this doll so much and won't let Baylen even breathe near her.

She talks our ear off constantly.

Brynn sings constantly and her favorite song is "The Wheels on the Bus" and "Good Morning..." She will sing entire verses of songs one after the other. Maybe she'll be the next American Idol in a few years. haha

She jumped 57 times today in the hop-a-thon at school.

Miss Bee watches TV probably about 3 times a week and her favorite shows are Barney, Calliou and the Mother Goose DVD.

Thanks to my parents, Bees and I are going to Elmo LIVE! in May and she is really excited about that.

I'm signing her up for pre-school for the fall. I can't believe it's that time already.

Brynnie can recognize the letters B, O, Y and J.

She has been having some issues sleeping in her own bed lately. She thinks its okay to sleep in our bed instead. While she is not horrible to sleep with, I just don't want to go down this road again. She comes in sometime between 12-2. We're trying to keep her in her own bed, but she's a persistent little girl. ANyone else have this issue? IF so, how did you handle it or get past it?

BeeBees knows how to spell her first name out loud.

She is constantly asking "Why?" or "What's that sound, mommy?" or "What's that letter, mommy?"

Brynna knows all her colors but still confuses brown and black occasionally.

Favorite books: Click, Clack Moo: Cows that Type , The Kissing Hand , and, Llama Llama Red Pajama

Can be very sweet and protective of her little brother but then other times, she'll shove him down, hit him or push him in the face when she doesn't want him in her things or when she's being feisty.

"Mommy, Chuck-E-Cheese is a mouse?"

Brynn met her boyfriend Cade at Chuck E Cheese last week during spring break. This was our first mommy and me day in a long time. We felt it was definitely necessary that she get some one-on-one attention especially since Baylen had been the center of attention after his surgery and she was starting to act up a bit the past couple of weeks, which we expected. At first, she was not a fan of the mouse singing on stage. She didn't even want me to carry her near him. Later, she would wave to him from a distance. Once she saw Cade riding the rides and playing the games, she got in on the action. She rode this little blue car about 15 times. She also rode a teletubbies ride with Cade quite a few times as well. She did climb up in the big "hamster tubes" but I had to lift her up inside and climb up 3 levels to get her up there. Good grief that is NOT mom-size friendly. They need a little trap door or a ladder the adults can climb to we can get the kids up there without having to squeeze into tiny ass spots. Yikes! Anyway, other fun games she enjoyed playing included a popcorn game where you tried catching popcorn in buckets, and a game where you throw a ping pong ball in the bucket (like they used to play on the Bozo show). She is still talking about Chuck-E-Cheese and all the fun she had with Cade. :) Thanks for a great day! We'll definitely be going back sometime soon!! :)

It all makes sense now

I know I don't usually write about things I'm about to write here, but this time, it was so necessary and couldn't be avoided. This was never intended to be a blog focused solely on my children or family life, but about things going on in my head that were appropriate enough to post and not too personal. Today, finally, is one of those days where I get to blog about something that's been on my mind that I have found to be an interesting realization. It's funny how now that I am about to turn 30, I have been trying to figure out what path I will take in my life and what kind of person I really want to be. I'm feeling philosophical all of a sudden. Maybe I am finally maturing. Or maybe I just "think" I need to feel more grown-up since 30 is that age where it's really about being more of an adult for REAL. ANyway...onto the recent-but-not-really-so recent-realization...more like something I knew all along and recent events have "sealed the deal."

First of all, I have to say that Facebook has become this new "buzz" of gossip for me because I am connecting with all of my old friends from high school. It's crazy to catch up with people I haven't seen or heard from in years and feel like I know all about them know based on what they're posting on the forum or by looking at their photos on their profiles. It does make me feel re-connected to them b/c some of them were really good friends of mine in high school and I enjoy keeping up with them. But, as I continue to "find" people or they find me, I have been discovering that some of my friends have changed and grown up, while others are still the SAME and have not changed one bit.

Thus, EXAMPLE A:

You know how when something happens and you're in that moment and you think, "Why is this happening to me?" or "What did I do to deserve this?" Or, you think that something happens that is so tragic (especially when you were in high school) and you think your world is ending? Well, I remember feeling that way when I was 16 and my boyfriend at the time broke up with me on my freaking birthday. That sucked for many reasons I won't go into on this blog. But, I totally realized something again today. Of course after I moved on from that "tragic" event, (which took like a year, mind you) I knew it was for the best. We really stopped talking for many years until we became "friends" on Facebook. That thought I described earlier continued to come full circle each time I sign in on Facebook and read his asinine comments. Now I realize everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but this guy used to try and convince me that it was okay to use the "N" word, but only for certain people. WHAT? Seriously? (I bet if you asked him even today as a 30-year-old, he would still own that comment and still debate that was, indeed true) (I know...ridiculous and totally inappropriate and wrong on so many levels.)

And then I read his comments about what he thinks about Obama and calls him some terrible names, which isn't the worst part. The worst part is, he's making these horrible comments publicly AND he's in the military right now overseas in Iraq. That to me, is not okay. I understand if you have personal or political views, but to publicly put those out on FB as part of the armed forces? That is probably not the best thing to do in my opinion...Velo--can you speak to that? And now finally, after he writes on FB today and makes 2 comments about how Iowa is all "jacked up" because the Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional to not allow Same Sex Marriage by calling the Iowa Governor a dumba&& and then sending a message to his wife saying it was time to move out of state. Don't get me wrong, and I'll state this again: I think people are entitled to their own opinions, but he makes comments that are so far from the truth and based on no facts whatsoever. Seriously, this guy is more ignorant than I ever thought possible.

This was just another sign that God, indeed DOES have a plan for all of us and that things have a way of working out for the best. If I ran into him anywhere nowadays, I would SO give him a piece of my mind which was something I never would have done 14 years ago. And believe me, after I finished with him, it would probably cause him to call me many awful names, delete me as a friend from his FB account and never want to talk to me again. However, in all reality, it would probably be a waste of my breath to say two words to him about this, because I know it wouldn't change his mind. And I am not going to go out of my way just to confront him on this. Honestly, I'm sure that he is probably a good person. It's just sometimes things bother me and this was one of those times. So, for now, I'll just rant on this blog instead.

The final question to all of you is this: Have you ever had this realization where you discovered (even though you knew all along but it finally made REAL sense) that something was meant to be and really, it was the best thing that could have happened to you (at the time)? If so, I want to hear your story. :)

Iowa: one step ahead...who knew?!

Check this out:

http://www.kcci.com/news/19077125/detail.html


and that one.

http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20090403/NEWS/90403010


:) :) :) :) Way to go, Iowa. :)

One Year Old

*Sigh* Mister Mister is one year old. Sometimes I think back on this year and feel like it went so fast, and then other times I felt there were certain times that felt slow....like the many, MANY sleepless nights this child has had since the day he was born. Aside from being a not-so-great sleeper, which tends to be the story of our children's lives, he is such a goofy little guy. He makes us smile and giggle all the time.

Right after I posted his 11 month pic and info, he started nodding his head YES whenever we asked him certain questions, like, "Are you hungry?" or "Do you want more?" or "Do you want a bottle?" or "Do you want a drink?" It is soooo cute to see him nod his head up and down and he is starting to understand more and more as the days pass by. I always love this time after they turn one because it just seems like they learn a TON of stuff every single day. It's fun to watch and witness. He also shakes his head "NO" when he doesn't want something.

He is starting to say a few more words and sounds. He can moo when I ask him what a cow says and he says "baa" when I ask him what a sheep says. We're working on kitty cat, dog and duck next. He can say "Mo" for more, and mama, dada, papa, Me (which stands for Mi-mi/his pacifier) and nah-nah which most of the time means food. He still signs for milk, all done, more and drink. The way he signs "all done" is so cute and he's so serious when he's done. Once he makes that sign clear, we have about 10 seconds to get that washcloth wet and wipe him off. He's very impatient. :0)

Since he's had his tubes surgery, he has been much happier. This has been so nice. When he's happy, he is just this ball of energy and all smiles. He giggles and laughs quite often, sporting that big old mouth of growing teeth. Speaking of teeth, he has 4 on top and now 4 on the bottom. His two bottom teeth (next to the middle 2) came in within the last 2 weeks. Finally. He looks so goofy with teeth but I always think that about babies until I get used to them having a full mouth of white.

He weighs 24 lbs and has been pretty steady at this weight for about 1-2 months. Baylen has slimmed down a so much since he started walking. He really started walking a few short days after I posed his 11 month info on here, and hasn't looked back since. He loves being upright and walking all over this house. He gets into everything and then some and now is trying to climb on everything, using toys like a stepping stool, or trying his hardest to climb up on the footstool (which he can't possibly do), the table, the couch, whatever. He is fearless. He thinks he is tall enough and big enough to scale any piece of furniture. He even tries to climb into the bathtub himself. He has definitely slimmed down, but pick him up and you'll feel like he weighs 50 pounds. He is toned but solid. This must be a boy thing. :)

Mister can also eat like a champ. He refused baby food around 10.5 months or so and it was a hard month to figure out what to feed the guy. He did eat some table food at the time, but there were several nights around the 11.5 month mark that he barely ate a thing that was put in front of him. But right around the 12 month mark, he just started eating any table food we put in front of him. Ever since then, he eats pretty much whatever we're eating. And he eats it ALL. Everyday when I pick him up from daycare, they'll have lentil soup or tuna boats for lunch and each time it's marked on his little sheet that he eats it ALL. He even ate corn-beef cabbage on St. Patty's Day. I couldn't believe it!!! He loves Pirate's Booty and those low-fat Cheetos from Trader Joe's. One of his most favorite foods is french fries. He also loves strawberries and freaks out if everyone else is eating them and he's not. He continues to love bananas, most any fruit and all veggies. Dj often jokes that he is going to be a vegetarian. Tonight he put down 1 1/2 grilled cheese sandwiches. He kept telling me he wanted more. Additionally, he continues to be the messiest little eater, but it's often hilarious to see how he'll look after each meal. He will find a way to get food on his face, in his hair, and on his clothes even when wearing a bib.

Bay doesn't have a favorite toy right now, but does enjoy carrying around the Swiffer when we're cleaning and likes to dust. He also loves messing with Dj's DVD's and now, walking around with that darn Popper toy. He enjoys riding the Zebra/Horse and bouncing on that, and also likes stacking bowls, plates and pans from Brynn's kitchen. He also likes carrying around her mop and broom. Perhaps he will be a cleaner like his dad. :)

Sizes: still in a lot of 12-18 month clothes and 18-24 depending on the brand. I did put a pair of 24 month pj's on him tonight. That kid goes through pajamas faster than most children, I swear. I feel like we're always buying him pajamas. He's wearing a size 6 shoe and wears the Stride Rite XXW b/c his feet are still really wide. Thanks to Tami and Cade, we have some shoes for his little chubby feet to last us awhile! :) I still cannot BELIEVE he wears a size 6 as a one-year-old. Brynn wears the same size he does. She was barely in a size 3 at age one. Yikes!!!!

To match his ginormous feet, Mister also has huge hands. This kid HAS to be a football player--seriously. At least we hope he's tall because to be short with big feet and big hands--now that's just not something you see everyday.

He still has this thing for checking out his boy parts and does it every single time he is naked. I hear this occurs for many years. I guess I should not be surprised about that. But I had no idea until it started happening.every.day. haha

He still has a pacifier and often uses it at night. He has been using it more since we have taken most of his bottles away.

He has grown to like whole milk. That took awhile, but he's doing much better with it now. He also is down to just one bottle a day: the dreaded night bottle. This will be the hardest one to break for him, I'm afraid. This kid is totally attached to his bottle. He is so much more attached than Brynn was. We are going to work on trying to take it away this next month. Baby steps...baby steps. He did so much better than I thought he would when we stopped giving his a.m. bottle. So hopefully he'll adjust the same for the ridding of the p.m. one when the time comes.

He likes to hit. He hits Brynn. He hits me. He hits his dad. This doesn't happen all the time and he mostly saves his hits for his sister. She is not a fan at all. Even though we explain to her that he's a baby and doesn't understand that hitting hurts people, she becomes so upset and gets angry at him, and often times, retaliates. We have had to work really hard with her and make her realize that he's not doing it on purpose. She gets it sometimes but other times, the temptation to fight back is just too hard to resist.

Despite his tough exterior, Baylen is still a sensitive little guy. If I raise my voice at Brynn or at him, he gets upset and he'll cry. He doesn't like to be told NO at all. Telling him NO brings instant tears. He has a quick temper but gets over whatever he was upset about quickly.

He loves to watch the vacuum when it's on. It's one of his most favorite things in the world.

He loves to open and shut doors/cupboards/drawers, etc.

He loves to wrestle and rough-house. He will run over and just tackle Brynn sometimes if she's in the middle of the floor. She is usually not a fan of this. Dj and I find it quite hilarious and so does he.

He has just started learning how to run. I was wondering how long it would take him to figure that one out. But, because of his new discovery, he has many bumps and bruises on his face, head and legs.

He loves to ride in the car.

He loves his new classroom at daycare. He's pooped by the time he gets home. Those waddlers sure wear him out.

There are nights he'll sleep through the night and others where he wakes up and refuses to go back to sleep in his crib. This is frustrating. Some nights he ends up in our room. After his surgery, he was with us the first couple of nights b/c he was waking up a little more than normal and we didn't want him waking Brynn so she could get a little sleep too.

He loves to cuddle and gives really good kisses and hugs. He has been giving open-mouth kisses for like 3 months now and loves loves loves to kiss whoever wants one. He also knows how to give a kiss when you ask him to do it in Spanish. We can thank his baby room teacher for that one. :) He also blows kisses, waves bye-bye and "hi" and, of course, enters any and all situations loud and in your face. Thus, the nickname "Bull" is still in full force.

Last weekend was nice...

We have had a bit of wacky weather around our parts lately. Snow in April? Unheard of here, but, yesterday, it actually snowed. It didn't stick, but still, it gives us this feeling that spring is still so far away. Usually in March we have a few nice, warmer-ish days, but so far, we've had maybe 1 or 2 that have been nice. The kids become stir-crazy when we cannot go outside and run off some energy. Sunday was a sunny but brisk day. We promised Brynn some "slide" and "trike" time so we bundled up the kiddos and went outside for awhile. Baylen decided to max and relax in the wagon ride, as you'll see in one or two of the pictures. That was really funny to watch. Anyway, Brynn has recently learned to pedal her trike and it's so cute to watch. I tried to get it on tape, but I don't know if I did a very good job of that. Her feet finally reach the pedals, so it is exciting to see her moving that trike on her own. Sometimes Dj has to help her steer it in our little parking lot area b/c there are some dips and the bike easily tips when it's on a decline. But, for the most part, she did really well pedaling. :)

Brynn was kind enough to let Baylen wear her bike helmet and ride her tricycle for a bit after she was done. Baylen was so excited to try out the bike and didn't mind wearing a helmet one bit. That was also cute to see him get so excited, since he loves doing everything Brynn does. What was interesting is when we pulled them in the wagon to the little playground, she did not want to do anything Baylen was doing. If he was swinging, she wanted to be on the slide. If he was sliding, she wanted to swing. Separation already? I was so not ready for that!!!

You know another thing I was not ready for so soon? Her talking back. Now when I ask her to do something and she doesn't do it, I'll start counting 1, 2, (1, 2, 3 Magic) and then by the time I get to 2 she says really snappy "Okayyyyy I willllllll!" I'm like...what? that's starting already? I can't imagine how bad it will be by the time she's 16. Yikes. She's as stubborn and emotional as me...we are in trouble. Big Time.