Happy birthday to my amazing, comical, smiley sometimes whiney but always lovable big boy! Three is going to be a great year with lots to learn and explore! In just 3 short years, I have seen D. grow, learn and changed so much. From learning to walk, bed time fights to the struggle we had with his vocab (although sometimes, I really he would be quiet for just 5 minutes during a 12 hour day), D had never ceased to amaze me. One minutes he can be a brave tough boy who is powing his sister and the next he's whispering in my ear that he loves me and wants to keep me forever! One second jumping on the couch with no fear to seeing a spider and screaming in a higher pitch then any soprano that I've heard. From telling me he wants a new momma to saying please and thank you to complete strangers in a store. He's got personality, that's for sure, and even on days I would like to lock him in a closet for 15 minutes or 45, he's my little man!

3 years and 3 days (because I'm late in posting this)ago, after 27 hours of being hooked up to monitors, I became a momma for the 2nd time. As I held my baby boy D. in my arms and brushed my fingers across his tiny face, I realized at that moment, just how big my heart was and that I could, in fact, love 2 children with all my heart.

I can remember being wheeled into the recovery room after having him and seeing the smile on R's face as she was waiting there, about to burst from the seams, to meet her little brother for the first time. She brought the baby blanket she had helped pick out and insisted that the nurse wrap him up in it before she held him. I love seeing they way they interact with each other. Okay, I'll be honest, most of the time. Sure, I hear the fights, but it all gets canceled out when I hear laughter coming from the next room as they build blanket tents and play Ring-Around-the Rosy.


On Sunday (D's actual birthday), we invited my parents and siblings over for a pancake and eggs brunch. And while we had a great time, I am eagerly waiting for the J.J and D combined birthday party in two weeks.

This is the very yummy cake Aunt Nee Nee made. He loved it and even blew out the candles before we had finished singing "Happy Birthday"!

Yep, that's a frog. He told his Aunt Nee Nee he wanted a frog for his birthday...and that's what he got. Although, he is afraid to touch it, and I doubt he'll be the one feeding it...actually, that's a job I saved for J. I don't blame him. And, I have to admit, it's kinda creepy knowing there is a jar of live crickets on my kitchen counter.


And from here on out, you will see that my son has quite the obsession for Toy Story!

Humor of a Child

Picture this...D, morning eyed and grogy, slide bumps down the stairs, calling "Mamay, my day is back...wake up!"
I go to the bottom of the stairs, "Morning bud! How did you sleep?"
One track mind D, points to him stomach and says, "Kurur! Hear that Mamay, here that."
"Yes, what was that?"
"That's my belly growling Mamay...my belly's hungry!"

It's those moments when your smile slowly creeps up your face that every parent lives for. When you want nothing more than to scoop up your child in your arms and squeeze them until they pop (not literally of course!). That keep me going every day.

Earlier in the week, J was planning on grabbing some wings with some of his work buddies after hours and forgot his change of clothes on the dinning room table. The boys and I were headed out of the house for the day so we were going to drop them off to daddy. As I'm handing J his jeans and shirt, D asks a great question, "Why does Daddy need need new clothes". Before I could explain that Daddy needed them for after work, my sweet little guy came up with his own answer..."Daddy pee in his pants?". I swear, I don't think I laughed so hard all day. And, to a almost 3-year-old whose getting the potty training do's and dont's shoved down his throat, it makes sense, right?!

And pictures of my little comedian:

Life Lessons

On of the most important jobs we have as parents is to teach our kids the little life lessons of the world. We do this yearly, monthly, weekly, daily and sometimes, in the case of "We do not lick the T.V.": hourly. In addition to not licking the T.V., I find myself teaching the lessons of going potty in the toilet instead of our underwear, not kicking our brother, sharing toys, and why the word "crap" in not a word I want to hear out of an eight-year-olds mouth.
At times, some of these little life lessons are ones in which I never ever, in my wildest dreams thought I would be teaching...take our Sunday cleaning session of R's room. She had been sent to her room an hour early with the directive to clean clean clean, and I would be up shortly to help put her new sheets on her bed. As I pull her bed away from the wall, I find, to my dismay junk smashed between the two. Among the candy wrappers, pencils and littlest pet shop toys...a pair of underwear. I'm not sure if they were dirty or clean, but never the less, not a place they belong. R, of course finds this hilarious! Me, not so much. So I proceed in making this a life lesson on how to properly clean your bedroom. This does not include pushing everything off to the sides of the room, under rugs or behind furniture.

Later that night, while enjoying a rare family dinner, J had opportunity to teach a life lesson of his own, in a way only a dad can. ****This, I will try to describe to the best of my ability through tears of laughter****
R: "EWWW, what's that smell?"
Dad: "Sorry, excuse me."
R: "Daddy, your supposed to say excuse me as soon as you toot."
Dad: Only if it's a loud one. Then you say excuse me. If it's a silent one, then just ignore it...if it's stinky, just point to the person next to you. No one will ever know.

So, this led me to realize just how different the roles are we have as Momma and Dad...and how the lessons of life falls to each of us.

What are the life lessons you have taught your kids this week? What are the lessons you never thought you would have to teach? Please tell me I'm not alone in this!

Where we have been

I've been gone a long time...nothing really exciting has happened in the 2+ months. Just day to day living. Hanging out with the kiddies, working, cooking, cleaning...blah blah blah.
As I looked around the house today, after spending a couple of hours cleaning yesterday, it dawned on me that I can spot who has been where rather easily.

R, recently won her second reflections award for art at school. She's following in her aunt Nee Nee's footsteps to became an aspiring artist. Her art supplies are usually close at hand.

We have been potty training D here lately. And let's be real, that can take up alot of any parents time. He's doing pretty good at a 50% rate. The tell tale sign he's been somewhere...his blankets. Granted, he doesn't carry them around non-stop, but they are usually somewhere eye sight of him.

J.J. is growing fast. We took him for his first hair cut 2 weeks ago. Long story short, it was NOT the best experience. He has also developed a fascination with shoes. I'm not sure what it's all about, but always has a pair in grasp. His favorite pair? D.'s Lightening McQueen snow boots.


As for J and I, He's been working and making plans for his performance mods on his regal. I started selling Avon, and usually have my laptop close by doing meal plannings, work or just staying in touch with my friends round the country.
This is J.'s pop cup. It's usually filled with Pepsi and Ice.