New Hair

I have been contemplating cutting my hair short for like a year. I have been growing it longer and longer and finally, it was time for a change. I do like the end result but as I start working with it myself/styling it in different ways, I will decide if it will get shorter or if I'll add more layers. I also went really blonde for the summer.

Brynn also had her haircut yesterday and so did Baylen. (Baylen doesn't have much hair, but he needed a little trim on the top and around his ears and we're hoping it will grow even more).

FROM THIS:


TO THIS:

Gosh, it looks so much better. My hair is probably a little damaged from so much coloring over the years, oh well. But, I also have really "hay-like" textured hair, so it gets pretty "hayish" by the end of the day when that top picture was taken of me w/ the long hair...plus it was at that time when I needed to get it cut and re-foiled. All around, a much-needed improvement.

LFL

Do you know what that stands for? It's Lingerie Football League. That's right. I am NOT joking. How do I know about this? DJ was looking online at events for the next few months at a nearby arena to see if any family-friendly shows were coming (like Sesame Street or Disney on Ice) but no such luck. However, he made sure to point out that the LFL is coming to the arena nearby and the Seattle Mist will be playing all of their home games there. Seriously. It's girls wearing lingerie playing football vs. another team of girls wearing lingerie. What has this world come to?!

Mister n Mommy

This guy hung with me for just a couple seconds to get a picture.

all the kiddos

Here's a good pic of all the kiddos.

From Left: Tyler, Cade, Sofia, Brynna, Elsi and Baylen

30-licious

My Birthday celebration went well. Lots of people showed up and helped me ring in my 30th year of life. It was a good time. :)

One of my students brought me fresh flowers from her garden for my birthday yesterday morning b/f school started. They smelled soooo good. Dj and the kids bought me a "b" necklace from T&C that I have been wanting for a lonnnnnnnng time. Tonight A&A had some delicious cupcakes from a specialty store in W. S. and they were sooooooo good. Tami brought fun balloons and a cool party hat and Megan sent a cool 30 crown for me to wear. A friend of mine from school makes jewelry and she made me this really cool necklace on a black rope chain with a silver oval and 3 pearls that hang from it. She carved 30-licious on the silver oval. It's sooooo awesome! :) Eileen told me that for every decade you are turning, you get that many weeks to celebrate your birthday. That means 3 weeks of celebrating.. whooo hooo! Thank you everyone for a great weekend!

I had a wonderful bday! :)

A new chapter of my life

Today I turn 30 years old. I always told myself when I turned 30, I would really consider myself an adult. Responsible. Mature. Independent. But the truth is, I've been all of those things for a long time. Turning 30 has felt very overwhelming to me...it still does. Many have told me the 30's are great, and I believe them. But I just don't feel ready yet!! Maybe it's because I have two children now and I am seeing time fly before my very eyes and I can't do anything to slow it down or stop it. Maybe it's because I always feel like there are never enough hours in the day. Maybe it's because I look back at the last 30 years of my life and I feel like even though I have accomplished an amazing amount, I feel as if I have so much more to do now. Despite my apprehension, I know that the next decade of my life will be beautiful. There is so much goodness to look forward to.

Mister Mister 13 1/2 months old

Mister Baylen is really talking these days. Granted, he does not say even half the words his sister did at this age, but he's doing pretty well. I truly think this is one of the differences between girls and boys.

So far his vocabulary consists of: Dada, mama, hi, moo, baa, maoh (for meow), no, mine, nahnah for banana, shoe, go, Me (for his mimi/paci) and chee (for cheese) when he smiles for the camera :0

He also babbles all sorts of funny little baby talk and gives you that look like we should know exactly what he's saying. I love baby babble! It's so funny!

ETA: He will go over to Brynn and just take something she's playing with right out of her hand. She gets SO angry and cries and retaliates by hitting, pinching his face or biting his arm. We have had numerous talks about why we don't bite, pinch, or hit babies, but she is not getting it. She's even had time outs. And despite all of Baylen's battle wounds, he continues to go back for more.

He throws himself on the floor when he is having a tantrum.

He climbs on everything. I mean EVERYTHING.

He is stubborn as all get out.

He's been completely off the bottle for almost a month now.

He has some great nights of sleeping all night and others where he barely sleeps. I am blaming those nights on this awful teething. ETA: He still wakes up most nights at least once. We usually pull him in bed with us to avoid waking up Brynn and he'll sleep the rest of the a.m. with us. OR , once he's back asleep, we'll take him back to his bed. Some nights he fights bed so much so that he'll cry for 20 or more min. straight and will NOT give up. He'll cry so hard and so much that his face becomes really red and rashy.

He is trying to climb the stairs with his feet instead of on his hands and knees.

His current favorite foods at home include: all fruit, french fries, Ritz crackers, noodles, Pirate's Booty, Mac and Cheese, and cheese slices.

He will sometimes try and put his sister's purse on his arm and push the baby around in Brynn's stroller. Maybe he will be a stay-at-home dad? LOL

He loves blocks and Cade's car racing track.

He still loves pushing his J. Deere tractor around and his popper as well.

He is getting more than attached to his lovey, which is a cute little football Taggie blanket Nikki and Klas sent hiim when he was born.

He loves to be outside and goes, goes, goes non-stop.

ETA: He is getting really good at eating with and using a spoon and even a fork.

Probably one of the messiest eaters I have EVER seen or known. Seriously. This kid loves to eat but wears everything that should go in his mouth. Brynna is no longer allowed to give him a granola bar in the car. (we pulled up to daycare yesterday and he had melted chocolate in his hair, all over his face, his fingers, all over the car seat, and all over his jeans. It looked like he had rolled in chocolate! :) )

He's ornery. If you ask him to come here, or give you something he shouldn't have, he'll look at you, grin, and run the opposite way.

ETA: He really understands a lot of what we are saying to him, asking him or telling him to do. It is harder for him to verbalize so he gets frustrated easily. (sometimes this frustrates mom too because I have no clue what he wants or why he's upset)

He likes to stomp his feet and march, as well as clap, sing, and dance.

He tries to do everything his sister does. He'll even go up to her from behind and just tackle her to the ground. She falls like a domino and he just goes after her and tries to roughhouse with her. It's pretty funny. She takes it well, but I know he's so strong and she knows it too.

He does some of the motions to the song, "The Itsy Bitsy Spider." It is absolutely hilarious...especially when he tries to make the spider with his hands! So funny!

ETA: He loves running around chasing the cats and pulling on their tails. The cats "take it" for a little bit and then they scamper off huffing and puffing.

He is throwing everything. Especially toys and food. SO not awesome.

Mister loves taking baths. He loves running around naked pre- and post- bath.

He loves brushing his teeth even more. He cries and throws a huge fit when we take away his toothbrush and refuses to let anyone help him brush his teeth.

ETA: He still signs and we've been working on teaching him more to help him communicate. He can sign: more, please, drink, eat, milk, all done. We need to work on thank you next.

Bull refuses to nap in his crib on the weekends. We finally got him to sleep in Brynn's bed for a nap. That is HUGE progress. Trust me!

He's slobbering like crazy! His eye teeth are really giving him a hard time. We can't wait until they poke through!

He enjoys tackling anyone who lays on the floor. He loves to wrestle, push, butt drop, and slam his head back into your body. Whatever he can do that is physical, he loves. BOY THING FOR SURE!

Mister gets into any drawer he can reach and simply pulls everything out, then messes with it just because he can.

ETA: He is wearing size 6 shoes/sandals/crocs. In tennis shoes, he has to wear double extra wide from Stride Rite...only place that we can find shoes to fit. He is wearing 18-24 months clothing.

He has this goofy little grin that he sports pretty much all the time, which is just hilarious.

American Idol

WTF???? I am so ticked that Adam lost last night on AI!!!!!! Holy cats that is just WRONG on all levels. Adam was in a league of his own. Ridic. Now I am convinced this show is rigged.

Having a hard time coping with this one...

I found out yesterday when I picked up the kids that both of Baylen's teachers from daycare were "let go." I won't go into details on the blog,and I have only heard one version of the story (which I have a difficult time believing actually happened) but the moment I found out, I was absolutely shocked and upset. These two teachers were also Brynn's teachers when she was in the Waddler room and I just LOVED these two ladies more than words can define. These women were very important in both of my children's lives, and now, in the blink of an eye, they have disappeared...no warning, no indicators, nothing. I am saddened by the fact that they will not be back. When I dropped Baylen off this morning, and as I was going through his classroom to drop off his coat, I just started tearing up. I know I am not a good person when it comes to certain kinds of changes, especially when my children and my heart are involved. It is just so upsetting to me knowing that Baylen will not get to finish out this month or the next few months in the fall with these two teachers. It breaks my heart knowing they are not returning...:( I was very attached to both M and S and it's going to be quite difficult to get past this for quite some time...

Need Your Feedback

I need some feedback from my readers.

First problem: As you know, Baylen is the size of a 2-year old. Therefore, he is outgrowing his carseat AGAIN. Currently, we have two Britax carseats...one is the Marathon and the other is the Roundabout. Baylen is getting TOO tall and is too broad for the Roundabout. Brynn is taller than Baylen, so she is also technically too tall for the R. seat. However, we have had to switch their seating arrangements b/c Brynn is smaller and can fit beter in the Roundabout than Baylen. Anyway, we are trying to decide if we should:

A. Get another Marathon seat so we'll have 2 and each child gets their own.

Or

B. Get the Britax Frontier that is one of the biggest ones with the fold out cup holders and it is good for 9 years, it converts into a booster seat, and can hold up to a 100-lb. child. While 100 pounds seems extreme, I am wondering if the fact that it doesn't expire for 9 years would be a good investment. The Marathon holds up to 60 lbs. The Frontier is good for children 2 years and older, so Brynn would get that seat and Bay would move to the Marathon. Is it smart to get the bigger seat like the Frontier?

Those of you with older children: do you use those boosters? is it worth it?


I know that it really makes the most sense to go with Option B, but I am interested to hear what would be best. I am not a fan of having to buy another expensive car seat, but my monstrous son requires it. :)

Problem #2:

Brynn has a tricycle she loves riding. We have been taking little walks around our place outside so she can ride her bike and Baylen either walks with a monkey backpack attached to him OR rides in the Quinny. The problem is that I know he wants to ride something too...so what do I get for him?

A. A little scooter he can ride and push with his feet?
B. A Little Tikes Coupe car that he can sit in and push with his feet?
C. Keep him in the wagon or stroller?

I just feel so bad that he can't ride something and I know he wants to so bad. Any ideas/suggestions or even toys with wheels he could ride would be most appreciated.
He's too young to pedal yet.

Fun in the Sun

We had beautiful weather ALL weekend and took advantage on Sat. night. The kids wanted to go out and blow some bubbles before dinner, so we went out on the deck and enjoyed some sun. Baylen's idea of blowing a bubble meant tasting the bubbles several times, tried spitting it out and created more bubbles all over his face, and tried eating the wand. But, he did try to blow a few times, and I"ll post a video soon...hilarious! Brynn worked SO hard to teach him how to blow a bubble, but eventually gave up and worked on her own. In all of these pictures I have to giggle every time I see Baylen's sunglasses. Either he bent them (this would be the 2nd pair he's done this to), or they're too small, or he has crooked ears...hmmmm :0)

Chuck E Cheese's Part II

We took the kids together to Chuck E Cheese's over the weekend. They both had a blast! This was Brynn's second time going and Baylen's first time. Baylen just LOVED going on all the rides, especially those he could ride with his big sister. Brynn was running around showing her bro all the cool rides and she knew how to put the coin in the slot to make the ride start. She even rode the horse this time, which she would not do last time we visited. Baylen was grinning from ear-to-ear the entire time we were there. It was a lot of fun. Dj went with us this time, too, so he was able to see how much fun the kids (and both of us) were having. The only weird thing was that Chuck E Cheese did not come out on stage and "sing" and perform like he did last time we were there. I don't know if he only comes out on certain times during the weekend, or if he was broken, or what...?? I thought that was weird though.







Baylen playing Whack-a-Mole

This cat...

is one of the sweetest cats I have ever owned and loved. BUT, she has been sick ever since we adopted her from the shelter some 5 years ago. Cammy (named after one of our favorite ex-Mariners baseball players, Mike Cameron), is a doll. But, she hacks all over the place...literally. She sneezes, she coughs up numerous hairballs, throws up, and she has horrible breath. She makes a mess constantly. But we just can't get rid of her. She's just too cute.

P.S. Dj took this pic with his new lens. She is such a little model.

Rock On!

Brynn loves making the "rock on" sign and I finally captured it on film. :0 She'll say, "Rock on, mommy!" and hold up her sign.

Elmo's Green Thumb!

Us getting ready to go to the show

Brynn is SO excited!



Last night, I took Brynn to see a Sesame Street Live production called Elmo's Green Thumb. My parents sent Bee $ to go see the show as part of her Easter present. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised to see how awesome this show was. Brynn knew that she was going to the show and the night before, she was so excited that she could not get to sleep! When we left for the show, she was sure she was going to see Ernie. "Mommy, I see Ernie tonight!" I kept telling her that we should wait and see who was there because I didn't want her to get her hopes up if only some of the characters were in the show.

Once we arrived, we stopped to look at the venders and she asked to buy an Elmo spin toy that lit up and spun when she pushed the button. She was playing with that thing on and off while watching the performance. We also purchased a program. As soon as the show started, her eyes were glued to the stage. She danced and clapped and kept pointing at all the different SS characters shouting, "Look mommy, there's Elmo! Look mommy, there's Big Bird! Look, there's Ernie!" It was so cute. At intermission, I asked her if she needed to go to the bathroom and she said, "Nooooo I don't have to go potty!" and started crying thinking I was going to make her go and she was so afraid she was going to miss the show. :) (I didn't take her.) I kept asking her if she wanted a drink or some popcorn and she'd take a bite or a drink but often told me, "Mommmm I'm fiiiiine!' She acts so grown up these days it kills me.

Our seats were awesome--we had a nice view and we were close enough to the stage but far enough away that no characters came close enough to "greet" us as they did many others who sat in the front. She would not have cared to meet them face-to-face...but from our seats, she was waving at all of them. :) There were, of course, a lot of kids there, mostly around ages 2-4. If the show comes again next year, we'll definitely take both of the kids...but I am glad I didn't take Baylen this year. He just would not have really paid attention to it and would not have lasted sitting that long.

after the show was over, she kept telling me, "Mommy, I love ELmo. I saw him in stage. I loved the show, mom!" Very cute. We had a blast! Thank you Gramma Cindy and Papa Kevin! She just LOVED the show and asked me today when we're going back. :)



a pic of the show

another pic of the show...best I could get in the dark

Being a Mother...

These are my favorite stanzas/lines from a poem I'm sure many have heard called, "Before I was a Mom"

Before I was a Mom
I never held a sleeping baby just because I didn't want to
put them down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I
couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my life so
much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so
important and happy.



In a nutshell:

Motherhood has morphed me into a better person...a crazier person who sometimes feels like I'm losing my mind...with more patience than I ever thought possible, and it has caused my heart to grow and love immensely.

Thank you B & B for a wonderful Mother's Day. I am so blessed to have two amazing, beautiful, and loving children.

Happy Mother's Day!

My mom means more to me than words could ever express. She is truly one of the most important people in my life and I would not be who I am today without her love, strength, support and guidance.

Thank you, mom! I love you and miss you SO much.



Here's a special message from Miss Bee.

get out the way!

Dear stupid girl on 128th,
you are not supposed to walk across the street when my light was green and you had a red hand. Yet you walked across the busy intersection anyway because you don't answer to anyone. Thanks for flipping me off, that was extra ghetto.




Dear stupid girl who drives a big boat car,
next time you want to pull out, wait for the cars to pass on the right side before you decide to park in the intersection. I could not drive in my lane because your big ass car was blocking it. Oh, and the "Talk to the hand" gesture you gave me when I honked at you was super neat.

Sincerely,
a mom who's about to go loco on yo' ass

Welcome Mister Tyler!

if you know me, you know I LOVE babies....always have. I could not wait to go see Mister Tyler Dean and his mommy and daddy. We went down around 7 to the hospital b/c I had First Aid training after school today. It was so fun to see the newest addition to the M. family. He is such a little sweet dude and so handsome. Tyler has a lot of dark hair and even though he was nearly 9 lbs. at birth, he felt so tiny. That could be b/c I tote around a 26 pound child consistently. Baylen seemed even bigger tonight as we're oooing and ahhhing over the little babe. Brynn could not wait to go see him and wanted to hold him. Once she held him, she became a little nervous b/c he was moving a little bit, started to squeak a little, and I think she just knew he was so fragile and tiny to her, so that lasted about a minute or two before she was done. Who does he look like? Well, he definitely has B's nose, that is certain.
We loved meeting you, Tyler. "Welcome to the world, little one...it's been waiting for you." :)

This little girl

is really into princesses right now. :)

Cade came over to play

A week or so ago, we invited Cade over to our house so his mom and dad could go out and have a nice date sans child. We had a lot of fun and Cade brought over his neat, new costume. It was cute to hear Brynn and Cade argue over the movie, Cars. He kept saying it was called "Racing Cars" and Brynn kept telling him it was called "Cars" and that Lightning McQueen was in it. This is all so funny b/c Brynn has only heard her cousin Parker talk about this movie b/c for awhile there, he was obsessed with it. Our power went out around 8:00, but we rolled with it and everything turned out fine. Cade and Brynn played well together and Baylen just loves Caden and followed him around all over. We enjoyed having him and he was so good. We'll have to do it again soon and take the new babe when he's a little bit older.

Congrats!

To Tami and Brian and their newest edition: baby BOY M.! :) No name news yet, but he was born this morning and weighed in at a whopping 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 20 inches long. Can't wait to meet him!

bike rides have returned!

I've been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks now, but we are now able to go on bike rides again. We bought a bike trailer a couple of weeks ago and tested it out most of last week when the weather was nice. The kids enjoyed the ride and one night we parked by the lake so Brynn could feed the ducks. Baylen loves the ride, but has fallen asleep a couple of times. He is not so sure about his bike helmet yet. We used to go on 7 mile rides pre-kids riding all of the trails we have around our house, but when I became pregnant with Brynn, we didn't do much riding and haven't done much until now. It sure was nice to start riding again. I really missed it.