Anticipation!

She's coming home today!
She's coming home this afternoon!
She's coming home - within the hour!

Can you tell how much we have missed Tater? She has been at Papa and Mimi's since Easter and we know she had a blast. I mean, who's better than Papa in her eyes? And we had great time with one less child. It was great to give more attention to Bruiser and G-Baby - we discovered so much about them!

But, all that said, WE CAN'T WAIT FOR TATER TO GET HERE!!!! We have so many hugs and cuddles for her...and I think even Bruiser might have missed her a little bit (even though when I asked him just now his response was "Nawwww!").

What I Learned This Week

1. I learned (or maybe was reminded!) that it is very hard to think when its this nice outside - I just want to play outside and go to the beach! I just can't be as creative as some other Mommy Bloggers - not today anyway!

2. I learned that even though no one can understand your two-year-old, he doesn't neccessarily qulify for services (more to come on this frustrating topic!).

3. I'm learning that I am just a character in God's story...and I will share more as I learn more about that role!

4. I learned that giving a baby shots is just mean and that older siblings don't like to watch or hear the screaming that comes with it!

5. I learned that organization never lasts!

6. I learned that disappointment is still rotten even to a mommy. In honor of Teacher Appreciation Week (which I think is actually next week), our PTA arranged for all the teachers to get 15 minute chair massages today. Then about an hour before my scheduled time they announced that they are being postponed until next week - so disappointing!

7. I learned that you can miss your four-year-old so bad it actually makes your heart hurt! Two more "stucks" until Tater returns to the House of Sprout - Mommy and Daddy are counting the hours!

8. I learned that a baby can eat and eat and be a total munch and still not gain enough weight to even be on the growth chart - don't the rolls on G-Baby's legs mean anything?

9. I remembered that even though spring flowers and trees are beautiful, they still make me itch and feel miserable!

10. And the biggest revelation that my husband and I had this weekend was...we have outgrown our house and we can't think about moving anytime soon! Too many kids, too much stuff, and not enough money to fix it!

Six Months!

G-Baby turns six months old in just a few days! Today she had her well-baby check up and all went well! She is meeting all her milestones - even though she's a bit lazy and doesn't want to roll over (although she tried her hardest on the exam table!). She only gained one pound in the past two months - up to 13 pounds from 12 pounds a few months ago. Even though she is the biggest munch I can imagine, the doctor expressed concern that she is almost off the growth chart...for being too small! Who knew! Luckily her height is average so he's not to worried - as long as she gains consistently, she's considered to be on her own growth curve. Now we just have to wait until her next appointment to see what she's up to!

The visit ended with three shots :(. G-Baby was not happy! And neither was Bruiser Boy - he kept saying "bye-bye! bye-bye!" to the nurse - what a good big brother! I'm going with him being protective not just annoyed that that thing was crying again - we'll never know!

Our Day With The Kids!

Make a Smilebox postcard

Press play to run the Smilebox and then click on the flowers to change the pictures. Make sure you have your speakers on the hear the music!

Sweet, Sweet Boy!

It is beautiful outside today - we can't wait to get outside! Daddy went to Home Depot with our friend N to buy the lumber for our deck project that will commence next week (watch for the photo journal of the big weekend!) so we are waiting for him to get home so we can head out yet another zoo we are anxious to check out (also more to follow!)

So, on to the point of this post! While Daddy was gone and both kids were still sleeping, I got ready, put laundry away, started another load, swapped out G-Baby's clothes for spring/summer (and she has some really cute things!), and began to wonder how long Bruiser was going to sleep. I realized he had had a busy day yesterday - a short nap at the neighbors', a trip to the playground (where he wore his hat backwards and really looked like a bruiser - too bad I forgot my camera!), and Family Night at our church (also more to follow!). So at 10:00 - yes that is "a.m."! - I woke him. He popped up with a smile, happy to get up and get dressed so he'll be ready to help Daddy in the yard! I picked out his clothes and told him we would go downstairs and get dressed. He nodded his head and turned back into his bedroom "Bye-bye, taggies! Bye-bye, Momas!" Then he headed down the stairs to get his day started - guess he needed closure from his long night!

Photo Op!

I was making dinner and realized that it was a bit too quiet! This is where I found Bruiser secretly sneaking snacks by shoving fistfuls of goldfish (cheddar and chocolate, no less!) into his mouth!
G-Baby is learning how to sit - she's just a bit top-heavy yet!

The chunk-a-monk loves her food!

Chatter Bug!

(Retold by D)

Bruiser was playing with the kitchen set this morning. Mixed in with the dishes are several play phones as well as real phones that don't work anymore - I figured it would encourage great creative play...and was I ever right (patting myself on my back right now!). Bruiser picked up one of the phones, put it to his ear and immediately said "Hi, Papa! Hi, Mimi! Hi, Sissy! Hi, Mimi! Hi, Mimi! Hi, Mimi!" It was then followed by tons of unintelligable babble and lots of giggles from D! Can you tell that everyone in this family spends a lot of time on the phone?

Boys Really Are From Mars!

Yesterday, Bruiser was doing something strange - as usual! We frequently look at him at him and question where he comes from! So this day, I looked at him and asked "Bruiser, what planet are you from?" and he very seriously looked at me a responded with something that sounded just like "Mars"! And I didn't imagine it - D was here and heard it too!

What I Learned This Week

I have been reading this weekly posting on several blogs I visit and finally decided to jump on board - here goes!

This week I learned that needing a break from your children doesn't mean you are a bad mommy - it makes you a better mommy!

I learned that as much as you enjoy those rare breaks, you miss your little ones the entire time!

I learned that you can transition your toddler into a big boy bed without sleepless nights - way to go, Bruiser Boy!

I learned that G-Baby knows all about food and doesn't want to be left out - even at six months!

I learned that it is awesome to have other moms to share trials, tribulations, and praises with!

Poor Third Child! :(

I promise that I never did this with other two - I always found the time to sit and feed each of them and give them that special time! Everyone told me that things would change with the third - and they were right! We got home from Bruiser's movement (aka "dance") class and I needed to make dinner just as G-Baby began to fuss. I looked at the chicken frying on the stove and I looked at her in her car seat and I made a decision. I filled her bottled, folded up the car seat cover, and popped the bottle in her mouth - and she did awesome! I did chat with her as she ate and I cooked - so it was almost as good as me holding her while she ate! And, no, I don't feel guilty!

Bruiser Being the "Only Child"

Bruiser is enjoying his time as an almost only child -

G-Baby doesn't seem to interfere with all the attention he is getting with Tater

at Mimi and Papa's!

Watching "Momas"

There is were we found him after an hour of playing - there was no one to interrupt him!

Hoppity, Hoppity, Hopscotch!

Tater loves to play hopscotch but struggles to draw one with the correct ratio! So, Daddy and I took advantage of the nice weather yesterday and created a permanent one in our play area. Shhh! If you see Tater while she's visiting Papa and Mimi, don't tell her - it's a surprise!

I'm a Big Boy Now!

Bruiser transitioned into his big boy bed this weekend and did wonderfully! I put him in for nap yesterday and he slept for 2 hours without getting up. Then last night he went to bed without a problem and slept until 9:30 this morning. In fact, he loves his new bed so much that he doesn't want to get out of it! If you ask him what he thinks of his big boy bed, always answers "It's fast!"

Meet the Newest Member of the Family!

Since our laptop decided to quit on us this week, we went shopping for a newer, smaller toy that would allow me to blog and Facebook. Meet our new HP netbook! It's small and light and new and shiny! I love it!

Happy (early) Mother's Day to me!

We Went to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo!

Today was such a nice spring day that Daddy decided to take the afternoon off and we headed to the zoo for the afternoon. Usually we go to the large zoo close to our house but today we decided to travel a bit farther and explore a smaller zoo. It definitely was smaller but that's what made it so great! The animals were exhibited wonderfully - Bruiser could get right up to them. It wasn't very crowded so he could get out of the stroller and walk around on his own - a freedom that he rarely enjoys! He loved seeing all the animals and having one-on-one time with Mommy and Daddy - but we can't wait for Tater to come home and go with us. In June the zoo is opening a Splash Pad that sounds amazing - the kids in this house love water play! Combine that with animals and you have a recipe for some good times!

Watching the ring-tailed lemurs

Watching the ocelot.

Being a bear!

Snack time at Friendly's!

All ready for night-nights - Thank you, Dana and Nicholas!

Our Little Engineer!

You Get What You Pay (Or Don't Pay) For!

As we all know, money's tight and we are always looking for ways to save a bit here and there. Another blog (which I can't remember the name to give credit because it's saved under my favorites on my laptop which is no longer working!) directed me to Walmart's site which provides many different free samples that you can order and have shipped to your home. Along with the free samples, you usually get a great coupon. So I got busy filling out sample request forms and sat back to wait for the samples to arrive - according to the site, it could take up to a month or more. Well, last week I opened my mailbox and was please to see that my first free sample had arrived...until I opened the box! Can anyone tell me what good this sample would do? Oh, yes, that's toilet paper!

Thomas LIVE

Tonight we took Bruiser to see his most favorite thing in the whole entire world - "Momas" (aka Thomas the Train)! He sat and was mesmerized throughout the entire show and was very happy to leave with his new train hat - pics to follow!

Many thanks to Papa and Mimi for having Tater to visit and to D for watching G-Baby so that this evening could be all about Bruiser - he loved the one-on-one time!

When we first arrived in our nose-bleed seats

The stage as we waited for the show to begin

Bruiser seeing "Momas" for the first time!

Thomas, Gordon, and Percy

Percy, Gordon, and James

Thomas and the circus performers

Bruiser watching the show - he was mesmerized!

Percy at the farm

Getting ready for the circus

Party Time!

Wordless Wednesday

G-Baby Smiles!

Easter 2009

Leaving carrots for the Easter Bunny

Tater singing with the Children's Choir at church

There is so much I could say about this picture but I'll leave it at - This is our life!

Just Like Daddy!

Family Visit!

Uncle J did it!

Exhausted!

This is what happens when you decide to not sleep at night!

Babies get to pass out and sleep all day - through the crib moving and through the vacuum while Mommy and Daddy still have to get and go to work!

Wordless Wednesday

You tell the story!

Rookie Mama in the House!

G-Baby has reached that magical age when those sharp little teeth have begun to push against her tender little gums and cause that intense pain that turns a sweet, happy baby into every parents nightmare! Last night we slept about an hour - and that was with her glued to my side in my bed. Then this afternoon she woke from her nap screaming and couldn't be consoled. I changed her, I fed her, I walked her, I patted her, I rocked her - NOTHING WORKED! She screamed so loud that she woke Tater from her nap. Finally, out of desperation, I called Daddy at work and let him hear her cry. He figured out the solution ... from 20 miles away!

Daddy: "Did you feed her, change her...?"
Me: "YES! I DID EVERYTHING! NOTHING WORKING! I CAN'T TAKE IT!"
Daddy: "How about Tylenol?"
Me: "Oh, I didn't think of that - maybe I should try some."

So, in went the Tylenol and off went the crying. I felt like such a rookie! I've been through this two other times (Never mind that Bruiser Boy popped five teeth without a peep and the doctor had to tell me about them!). I should know what to do - I'm going with "it was the heat of the moment!" and I'm putting the Tylenol by my bed tonight!

Cousins!

"She was gonna leave us all alone!"

I will admit it - I don't believe everything that comes out of Tater's mouth! She does have an incredible memory and does understand much more than your average four-year-old, but she is still just a child! That said, here is the story I decoded this week:

Wednesday was D's birthday and since she had just been away the week before, I couldn't make it work for her to have the day off. But I did make arrangements for her to leave a bit early so she could enjoy some time with her hubby - our amazing neighbor step in again! So, when I got home on Wednesday, D had already left and I had to wait until the next day for the update on how the morning went. Tater decided that I needed to know about the morning sooner and proceeded to fill me in. She told me that D walked out the door and was going to leave them all alone. Tater even went into details of how she couldn't make lunch by herself - she can't use a knife, you know - and who was going to feed G-Baby? I took this to mean that D was leaving and our neighbor was arriving so I kind of blew her comments off. I mean, who believes a four-year-old when they say their sitter was going to leave them?

Well, D arrived the next morning and asked me if Tater told me about her going outside and closing the door. Things began to click as I asked what she meant. Before long I had the true tale! As I understand it, all three kids were crying and D couldn't take it another second. So she walked out the door and closed it to give herself a few moments of sanity (I've been there and done the exact same thing!). Well, I guess Tater took it to mean that D was leaving them all and she was going to have to live up to the role of big sister and take care of everyone - and she was worried! Of course, D returned and the day continued as normal - but what a lesson.

If nothing else, the tale gave us all a good laugh that we are still giggling about almost a week later!

Welcome to Hollywood!