Some of This and That, More Like A Lot of This and A Lot of That :)

Jamie taking apart the screen on our front porch. Pete comes running, "No, no, no sissy! Uh oh!"Pete enjoying his 31 cent scoop from Baskin Robbins. How do kids get sooo messy eating food? Do they miss their mouth? Do they stick their hand in it when you are not looking and rub it all over? How does it happen?
The kids are playing together more and more these days. Pete still expects more out of her than she can give right now but I can see them being the best of friends, and the worst of enemies, very soon.
Had to post this sweet, sweet picture of my baby girl. If she isn't the closest thing to an angel from heaven I don't know what is.
Watching the rain.
Planting a tree with dad on earth day.
Figuring out a sippy cup.
Bulldozing cars under the chair.
Exercising under the exersaucer.
Playing outside, eating a Cheeto, and wearing the pink sunglasses that were handed down to Jamie but fit Pete much better right now.
Park near our house. I just loved how grown up Pete looked in this cute get-up he is wearing. Hat from friend Erin in CO. It's a blue Life is Good hat that says Peanut on it and has a picture of a little peanut. Shirt from Disneyland. Shorts from friend Ling. Very cool shorts and if it wasn't for the elastic adjustable straps inside would be around his ankles. And Stride Rite leather sandals from a garage sale for $.50. Yes, 50 cents. They are my favorite garage sale buy of the season so far.
Jamie discovers the fun of a balloon. The video of this discovery is great too.
Ok, that's a lot of this and that. Do I take too many pictures? Don't answer that.

Museum

It has been a long time since I have been to the Children's Museum. I used to go a lot when it was just Pete and I but now a trip to the museum with both kids sounds daunting. The annual pass I bought last year is still good and P. takes Pete down there a lot. One Sunday a week or two ago we all went together. It's a great place. So great. We are going to renew our pass and I am sure by the end of the summer Jamie will enjoy the museum as much as the rest of us do.

Here are some pics of our last trip. P. is really good at the bubbles.

Favorite Pastime

Jamie's favorite thing to do is pull the books off the coffee table. All the books. All the time.

Bad Mom, Bad Mom

No, it wasn't that cold. But it was wet and windy and that's what snow suits are good for too right? Keeping things dry. Pete came in from playing outside and was drenched with sweat. Bad mom. Bad overprotective, over reactive mom. I laughed hysterically as I dressed him and sent him out the door. I knew it was just ridiculous to send him outside looking like this......At least I let him go out in bad weather right?

Hand-Me-Downs

I can't even explain how much I appreciate all the hand-me-downs we receive. The kids have beautiful clothes and toys that have been given to us by sweet, generous friends and family. Every time we use a toy or I dress the kids I think about how lucky we are to have all these gifts.

Last week PJ brought home a bunch of wonderful stuff from our friend Anne. She has a boy and girl just a bit older than Pete and Jamie. I won't list everything we received from her but let's just say the kids enjoy the kitchen oven/stove and the Little People toys a lot. And I now have a nice tupperware of Girls 2T clothes started for Jamie.

Here are a couple of pictures of the kids on "Christmas morning" checking out their new stuff.
Someday I will pay it forward. I have appreciated and enjoyed everything that was ever given to us and I plan to hand it all down to another family someday.

Admittance

Ok, I admit it. Michigan can be beautiful.

I love this picture. Beautiful. Maybe I should say handsome....

Excellent Stander

This is my little expert stander. Boy is she good at it now and she can stand there for a long, long time. Sometimes I go save her to give her a rest.

Had to throw a pic with my little man in it too on here. Didn't want him to feel left out. Lately he has been feeling like that. I say, "Look, sissy is standing up!" He says, "Mommy, me up, me up!" Or I say, "Look at sissy!" He says, "Look me, look me!"

Cheetos

My dog loves Cheetos Puffs. She comes running when she hears the bag, not just any bag, Cheetos Puffs bags. They were on sale this week and I had a $1.00 off coupon. I bought two bags Monday night. We (Abby and I) are down to one bag. This is a snag. I love snags. They are hilarious. Abby's long canine teeth get caught on her long jowls and this is what happens.

Right Now

Right now I am at Panera Bread, by myself! Yes, by myself. No kids. Not even one of them. How did this happen? Well, a very sweet friend of mine from my bible study came over this morning to watch the kids so I could go out, run some errands and have a little "me" time. You don't realize how much you need it until you have it and think, boy, I really needed this.

I have been blessed with an amazing group of girls in my bible study. They bring me food when we are sick, they stop by so I can take a shower, they watch the kids so I can stay sane. And most of all they pray for me and my family. God blessed me with this group of friends and I am so thankful for it.

But my time is up now and I have to go home. That's ok, because I have two sweetie pies at home waiting to see me and as much as I liked my alone time, I am ready to be back with my babies.

Pete The Photographer....and Poop

I rarely let Pete play with my camera but I let him snap a few pics for the fun of it Sunday. I wonder if he will take as many pictures as I do someday. I already know he loves to look at them. We sit and look at pictures on my laptop for hours at least a couple times a week and if I stop he says, "More, more!"

Pete's pictures.
And poop. Poop, poop, poop. Pete likes poop. Is it a boy thing? Mommy, me poop. Mommy, sissy poop? Abby poop, poop on the walk, poop in a diaper, poop in the yard. He is the best little pooper scooper around.

And She's Up!

Jamie stood up today! She is 8 months and 11 days and she is standing. She pulls herself up by a piece of furniture and still has to hold onto something to stay up but holy cow, she is standing. I had to put the side of her crib up today.

This is why I stay home with our kids. So I can see things like this, the first time she does them and I can get them on video to show dad when he gets home and show Jamie when she gets older.

Holy cow, Jamie is standing! Time to have another baby. No, j/k. A big just kidding.

Everything is Messy

My house is messy, my kids are messy and my life is messy, well, my life is not messy just really disorganized. But that's ok because my family is happy and the mess can wait. It will still be there for me tomorrow right? Never in a million years did I think I would live in a messy house. The toys, oh the toys. And the magazine pile from unread magazines I plan to read has taken over a corner of my kitchen counter. The kitchen table, the closets, the living room floor, all messy. I should be cleaning but I am blogging. But that makes me happy and the mess will still be there for me tomorrow, right?

I found a couple of pictures that show the messiness. Yikes!


Messiest lemon bars I have ever made.Watch this girl closely! I spend much of my day fishing things out of her mouth, pulling her out from behind the desk or couch, putting things back in drawers and cabinets she empties, working up a sweat trying to change her diaper, and trying to keep her out of the bathroom (her favorite place to explore). And yesterday she stood up. 8 1/2 months, stood up (while holding onto something). Ahhhh! Would post a picture of it but she was naked so it's not going to make it to the blog.
Cuteness under the blanket. Ok, this picture is not messy but the room behind her is, I am sure of it. Yes, the messiness bothers me, can you tell? But at the end of the day I know my kids were well cared for, well played with, well fed and well loved. Now, off to clean. Bye.

So Fast!

Video of Jamie feeding herself.

I didn't get the first time she fed herself on video but I did get the third time. And I did see the first two times! Not bad for the second baby I have to say so myself!

Diapers

Size 4 Target brand diapers on the left, size 4 Target brand diapers on the right. Difference? Left ones bought in CA, right ones bought here in MI. They are completely different. The ones on the left that we bought in CA were thicker, had more elastic around the waist but smaller. The ones on the right that we buy in MI are not as thick, not as form fitting but fit better and the kids will be in them longer. If we lived in CA we would have had to move into size 5. Weird how the same brand, same diaper, same size could be so different from one state to another.

You Gave Her What????

Last night I went to a friend's house for a get together with all the ladies in my bible study. P. was going to have to get Jamie fed because I wasn't going to be home until late. When I got home I asked P. what Jamie ate thinking he was going to say something like sweet potatoes, peas, maybe peaches but instead he said, "She ate a whole bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios!" And he was so proud of her......and himself.

"She ate what??????!!!!!!!"

Week of Firsts

Within a week I did a bunch of "firsts". Here is my list.

I can sit up on my own.
I can eat Cheerios/puffs on my own.
I took my first ride in the stroller without my car seat.
I took my first ride on daddy's shoulders.
I went to my first garage sale.
And I have my first diaper rash because I am pooping so much. It's all of mom's good food!

Unfortunate Incident

Poor, poor Pete.

On My Mind

About me and what's going on in my mind these days....

Sex and the City 2 coming out May 27th!

I went shopping this week and used some gift cards I received for my birthday to get myself some clothes. I wore one of the shirts yesterday and it felt great. Amazing what a cute new shirt can do for your "mommy" self esteem.

I am still growing my hair out and I still hate it. But, I am going to stick with it and hopefully when it gets longer I will love it. If not, it's coming off immediately!

Abby has visited the Vet once a week for three weeks in a row now. That equals $300. While we were in CA she got a scratch on her eye which turned into an ulcer that didn't heal. And it still hasn't healed after many procedures and eye drops. 8 eye drops a day that is. There was a week there where I was applying 16 eye drops a day into Pete, Jamie and Abby. P. said if Abby's eye doesn't heal this time we are just going to put a patch on it and move on.

I am back to my pre-baby weight. Pre-Jamie weight that is. Not pre-Pete weight but that's ok. I have no idea how this has happened! It's almost ridiculous that I can eat this much, not work-out and lose weight. Don't hate me but understand it is either the excellent nursing I am doing or there is seriously something wrong with me.

Pete's new cute word this week is money. He says "nemmy" and he loves to play with coins.

We went out garage sale shopping yesterday for the first time this "garage sale season". It was so much fun. We took the kids in the double stroller and walked around a neighborhood sale close to our house. I think we spent $6 and got a load of stuff. Love it! Even got a picture of Jamie at her first garage sale ever. Get used to it sweetie, you will visit a lot of these.
Me, my new shirt and my kinda long hair.First Cheerios.First shoulder ride on daddy.Sex and the City 2 out May 27th! Like!