Happy 4th of July!

We took the boys to the 4th of July parade this morning, stopped to see daddy after and had lunch. Just before nap I had the boys do a little decorating and of course Mommy joined in :)



I bought some pretzel rods, white dipping chocolate, and red, white, and blue sprinkles. I couldn't find any holiday sprinkles in the grocery store aisle, but they were plastered over every cake, cookie, and brownie in the bakery. I generally get my frosting from the grocery store bakery so I politely asked for some of their sprinkles. I got almost a pound of sprinkles for... $1.50!! In the grocery aisle, fully packaged, I would have paid triple that, if not more!

I melted the chocolate and set both the boys up with their own decoration station.

After I showed Jameson what to do... he grasped the concept pretty quickly.



Parker didn't hesitate to dig right in either!

Hoping all of you have a Happy and SAFE 4th of July!!



Ivory Soap Clouds

I found a pretty cool "science" project to do with Parker. I got the original idea from here. I ran out of milk this morning so we hit the grocery store quick. With this experiment in mind, I grabbed a few bars of Ivory soap. From what I have read this ONLY works with Ivory.

This is probably the easiest thing we've done in awhile. It literally only takes a couples minutes... which is about the attention soan of a 3 year old!

Throw down some parchment paper in the microwave, turn off the turn table, and place your bar of soap in the middle.

Set the microwave for about 3 minutes, however, you probably won't use all 3.

Time to WATCH!!

I did it 3 different times until the bar of soap was gone. Each time, it turned out a little bit different! Parker was astounded! To be honest, so was I!



Parker took it outside and had fun "making snow," as he called it! A super fun experiment to try with the kids!



Know Who's in There?

Yes, it's been awhile! Vacations and summer fun are the culprit, but I am hoping to be back :) I'll start off with a pretty darn cute video of Parker I took the other night. I just want to squeeze him when I see this!

Happy Mother's Day!

First of all, Happy Mother's Day to my mom and my mother-in-law! They are two of the most well-deserving women that exist!


Second, I had an amazing Mother's Day myself!


I woke up at 9:30am to see a note taped to the door. It stated I was to shower before beginning a treasure hunt. It was signed by Pirate Parker and Jameson. I admit, I had a tear. It was nice to feel remembered on such a day. We hadn't really discussed anything and who doesn't like a nice surprise? I headed out of the bedroom to find Clue #1 at the bathroom door. It reminded me to shower before starting our hunt and not to open the clue any earlier than that! I showered with a silly smile on my face. I hopped out, got dressed and was greated at the bedroom door by Preston, holding a camera, a chipper Parker and smiling Jameson.


Preston, the smart man that he is documented each clue that was found by taking a picture. Though, I was delighted to see his charm... the pictures weren't on the right setting for the first few. I don't expect him to know how to operate the camera, just to press that button-thingie ;)

Each clue led me across the house and forced me to use my inner child. Upstairs and downstairs, each room held a clue.

When it was all said and done, I found a final note that said Preston would be purchasing me some zumba classes (which I mentioned a few weeks ago), some tanning minutes (which he didn't know 'where'), and a Starbucks ;) A nice indulgent way to make me feel great!

I will say, I am impressed with his creativity. Probably, one of the BEST Mother's Day I've had in the last 4 years. Thanks to all 3 of my boys <3

Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes

Sometimes there are moments when you just LOVE being a mom. Last night, Parker asked me to sing the 'baby song'. So I sang my out of tune version of "Rock A-Bye Baby". Then he asked me "Mom, want to hear a song?" I, of course, said sure!!! I did not expect what followed in the slightest! I recorded him singing it this morning just to show you.

After he sang it the first time, I cheered him on, looked away and wiped my tears! Motherhood sure brings out the sap in you!

Boys Will Be Boys

As we close the door on infancy, I sit and think about how innocent, foofy haired, and porcelain skinned my babies are… were. These days they are far from that! They are innocent no more as they fight for toys, scream for attention, and undermine each other. Their hair is thicker and slicked with dirt and food. Their skin is battered in toddler mishaps and discoveries. Each bruise and scratch with a tale of adventure.

Jameson is still recovering from Hand Foot and Mouth. His skin is discolored from blisters, peeling and flaking as they heal. A few bumps from walking as he tailors and finesses his new skill. All are very minor penalties.

Parker on the other hand, is finding out that his recklessness and fearlessness has consequences! This week he has come home from Preschool with a few more severe, self-inflicted punishments of his robust little body. I can tell he is my son because upon pick up he has to tell me just how he injured himself that day. He shows me, tells me it hurts, what he did to cause it and quickly mentions that he needs a treat so he doesn’t cry (always with an ulterior motive). On Tuesday he came home with a band aid on his left index finger. He somehow cut it on a gate at school. It was deep enough to bleed and shred the skin a bit. On Wednesday, as Preston is putting him to bed, I am called into Parker’s room for an investigation. It’s pointed out to me that Parker’s left ear his deeply bruised at the top. I am holding his ear, looking inside and out of the slightly swollen area as Parker giggles. We ask how it happened and he comes up with “Peyton at school did it.” He’s 3 so who really knows? It doesn’t seem to bother him. Thursday’s injury was the most brutal of his wounds for the week. He didn’t show me until I was unbuckling him from his car seat in our garage. He had a wet paper towel in his hand and said his lip hurt. He puckers up and there I see 2 definitive teeth marks on the inside of his lip. It’s bruised and swollen. Ouch. He says he did it going down the slide. I pop a couple children’s Tylenol in him and send him off to play. The next day it was still swollen and looked rather gnarly. I forgot to look for an Ouch Report at Preschool, but talked to the director. Sure enough, he was trying to go down the slide head first. That one is going to take awhile to heal.

I do think I created a monster, that or pain relievers taste too good. Later that night, he had to go poop. He went, I helped finish up as any mom would. As he pulls his pants up, he promptly puts on his pouty face, looks down at the floor with a slight mischievous smirk and says “Mom, my poop hurts… I need some Tylenol”. Boys.

I did, however, sneak in a rare Mommy Moment with Parker that evening. Despite his exhaustion (from a field trip to the circus where he missed out on a nap) and overexertion I managed to do something I haven’t done in at least a year if not longer. He had cried through his whole bath (because he didn’t want a bath) and had cried the 10 minutes before bath (because he didn’t want a bath). I rinsed him, wrapped him in a towel and sat down in the recliner with him to calm him down. We rocked for probably 10-15 minutes. It was enough to quiet his whimpers. I looked down to see I had rocked my first born to sleep. All his newborn days flooded my memory. I found myself studying his small features; the roundness of his nose (how it imitated the first time I saw it on the ultrasound), the fullness of his cheeks, his long lashes and the peach fuzz that coated his face was glowing from the last remaining daylight coming through the windows. His laughter was now a warm breath and his smile now stillness. I sat in that moment thankful for the calm in a child that’s always on the go.

Balloons, Elephants, and Frosting Oh My!

Jameson’s birthday party went nearly perfect. He was flooded with love, gifts, and cake of course! There were a few flaws that only I would probably notice, but that’s a mother’s prerogative, right? I took the Friday off before the party to run errands, clean the house, and prep the food. Saturday I sent Preston on a balloon run for the final party touch. I frosted the cupcakes and set the table. The guests arrived and dug right in to all the yummy goodies. Jameson showed off his new walking skills to his adorners and shared smiles as he made his way through the room.

Though I made everything for his birthday as I generally do… I did make one purchase that completely made the cake. The cake toppers I found were a must! They completely set the theme and brought the whole thing together. The great thing about www.etsy.com is everything is handmade and custom ordered. Items there are relatively inexpensive and shipping isn’t bad. It’s a place vendors (typically moms with a creative bone) go to make a penny here and there all while using their skills. I buy the boys’ birthday shirts there as well!

Even one of Jameson’s gifts found its way to him from Etsty.

Overall the First Birthday went without a hitch. Guests with full bellies mingled while Jameson gnawed on wrapping paper.

A frosting covered high chair with torn streamers sit in the kitchen as Parker played with the new toys. I, of course, people watch from afar and think about where I was a year ago; snuggling in bed with this tiny little new person, smelling his hair, kissing his forehead. The only difference is now is he can kiss back. Life doesn’t get much better than this.

Jameson Michael Turns ONE!

The day has come! My little baby is no longer a little baby, but rather my big baby :) His toes are no longer tiny, just small. His newborn smell is now gone, but filled with the lingering baby shampoo fragrance. You would think that with him being my 2^nd baby boy that this would be old hat. I must say when babies grow there is never enough time to soak it up! The first year is full of “I can’t waits”. I can’t wait for him to sleep all night. I can’t wait for him to crawl, eat solids, and walk! Then suddenly its one year later and you have no idea how he grew so fast!! There were so many similar experiences, but overall what a completely different journey we took.

My 9lb 0oz, 20.75” roly poly
April 11, 2011 at 9:17pm

These two boys are so different!! Jameson was breastfed; Parker wasn’t. Jameson didn’t take a pacifier; Parker did. Jameson didn’t like to nap; Parker always loved them. Jameson has zero patience; Parker seemingly does. Jameson looks like me! Parker looks like Daddy! Jameson was a picky eater; Parker wasn’t. I suppose you could almost compare pregnancies too. Jameson’s first trimester was a breeze; Parker’s was spent hugging a toilet. Jameson’s last few weeks were a bit treacherous with an ER visit, an MRI, high blood pressure, swelling, and protein, unlike Parker who made is early entrance a piece of cake. Yet, Jameson’s beautiful birth was easier than Parker’s long drawn out arrival day. These boys were destined to be apart of our family. They compliment each other marvelously. I suppose many of their differences lie in their birth order, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

That’s not to go without our fair share of struggles this last year. Despite him being breastfed, it was not through nursing, but via pump. That’s a story for another day, but exclusively pumping made us a successful breastfeeding pair for one full year. Definitely, the road less travelled, but we made it out alive, healthy, and goal obtained. We also switched daycares in between, found some car trouble along the way, and clung together as a family to get through. Our unit of four, though not complete yet ,has hit the ground running.

With that said, as I look back one year from today… I realize how far we have come as a family, as individuals and thank God that I have the gift of watching my family grow and blossom right in front of my eyes. I watch Jameson begin to walk and develop his language and I can’t help but feel overwhelmed with love. I appreciate all the offerings God has given our family. Today is one more.

To Jameson, my fun loving, smiling mirror of a child, you have brought our family unit even closer than before. You have added more laughs and giggles than we ever imagined. Your smile brightens my day. Your growing personality makes me excited to see the man you will be some day. You have the whole world in the palm of your dimply hands. My heart grew even more the day I held you in my arms for the first time. Your first breath, your first cry all memories I will hold with me for the rest of my life. I am so proud to be your mommy. Thank you for all that you have taught me in your first year of life. I wish you the Happiest First Birthday and am anxious to celebrate many more with you. I adore you, Baby J. With all the love I can offer, your Mommy.

My One Year Old

Busy Little Bees

Wow! What a crazy month! We have been so busy redecorating and party planning that so many things fell by the wayside. We spent some time redoing Parker's nursery into a big boy room. A fresh new coat of paint and a brand new bunk bed was just what he needed.

Way Before:

Before:

(not the best quality photo)

After:

I did my best to match his room details to his new bedding.

And what is a football diagram of play without the... Packer Sweep



more to come....



Magic Milk

I am always on the look out for easy activities Parker can enjoy. I think I found this on Pinterest (my obsession) when sifting through things to do with a 3 year old. I thought I would try out this version of magic milk and try to recreate it!

Here is how ours turned out...

All the items we needed I had on hand and most everyone will!

Milk - I saved what Parker didn't drink from earlier that morning.

Food Colors

Dish soap

I poured the milk into a pie dish and added a few squirts of food coloring.

We dipped a toothpick into the dish soap and VOILA!

Parker (and even I) thought it was so cool! We went through 3 or 4 dishes of milk and different ways of dragging the toothpick through the colors.

 We tried this a few times without dish soap and did not have these amazing swirly results. Dish soap is the key to making this successful!

Once the colors started to all melt together we would start a new dish. Each time we created something unique and fun! Finally, a way to use the left over milk Parker leaves behind!

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

I stumbled upon a recipe at Kitchen Simplicity that I had to try! White Chocolate Lemon Truffles sounds so smooth and fresh. It turned out to be so easy too.

White Chocolate Lemon Truffles

1 cup white chocolate
5 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp heavy cream
pinch of salt
1 tsp lemon extract
icing sugar for dusting

Directions:

Melt chocolate, butter and cream over a double boiler or in a microwave. Stir until smooth.

Stir in salt and extract. Allow to cool slightly before covering with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for two hours or until firm enough to handle.

With a melon baller or small spoon scoop out mixture and form into 1 inch balls. Toss with icing sugar to coat.

Store covered in the fridge for up to one week. Freeze for longer storage.

I have considered using this recipe with different flavors to change it up a bit. I think next time I will try chocolate with raspberry or orange extract. Yum!







To Greener Pastures

Have you ever had to make a hard family decision? One that would change things for the better long term, but may have been a painful transition?

We finally decided to find Milo a new home. It was a year-long decision. We will miss him, but in the end everyone will be happier.

Milo came to us at 9 weeks old. We had no kids, a new house, a new marriage and like many newlyweds we were looking for something to call "ours". We found him at Spring Valley Cavaliers. We did our research on Cavalier King Charles Spaniels; great with kids, loving, sweet, gentle, relaxed, and 50/50 on shedding (they will or won't). I saw his puppy photo and he melted my heart.

He trained quickly, loved fetch and was so snuggly. He desired all our attention which he got until... Parker came home from the hospital. Milo growled at him, but quickly learned to be gentle. He understood what Parker was to us and soon watched Parker grow as we did. All was well.

Things took a turn when our next baby, Jameson, was welcomed home. With us working full time jobs, entertaining two kids, errands on the weekends, Milo started acting out and with reason. He nabbed food off the table, snuck entire meals when Parker wasn't looking, scratched a crater into our deck, chipped off the paint from the window trim, and began shedding to the extreme unlike he had ever done.

All were fairly small offences. I, now, was prepareing Parker's meals twice at times, pulling gobs of dog hair from both boys' mouths, and we found ourselves constantly getting after Milo for one thing or another. It wasn't his fault. He was bored! We had hardly paid attention to him.

This combination of things led us to make the decision to find Milo a new home. One where he would receive all the attention he deserved. He had to be so lonely since we were rarely home. We asked family, friends, and tried Facebook. No one seemed too interested in taking on the responsibility. A coworker mentioned finding a rescue club and gave me a name. I did some googling and found the Cavalier Rescue. They take on Cavaliers, find a foster home, and wait for an adoptive family. What better way to find a new home? No one is doing us a "favor" by taking him, no pound, no shelter. He goes to a family that wants HIM just as he had been found as a pup. One family will fall in love with him just like we did.

We feel comfortable with our decision. My only concern is the transition Milo must take. My heart breaks pondering about his thoughts, "where is mom and dad? and Parker? and that baby?" However, he is so loving he will quickly attach to his new family.

Milo, you were the perfect dog. You deserve better. We are sorry to have you leave us, but you will be so much happier with all the attention you are about to receive. We love you, pup.

Frosty Thumpetty Thump Thump

We have had such a mild winter this year! I have thouroghly enjoyed the lack of slippery roads and bitterly cold winds. I am guessing we have only had about two snow "storms" that resulted in measureable amounts. Yesterday was one of them. The best part? The temps! It was just warm enough for six inches of snow to fall in a wet, fluffy mess... which means it created the perfect conditions for building a snowman.

I hurried home from work with one intention. Get Parker outside with mommy! I am usually cooking supper right after work and rarely get the one on one time we deserve. Luckily, Preston and I have started "Daddy cooks on Thursdays". With Preston cooking dinner it allowed me to take Parker out into the winter wonderland and create it very FIRST snowman!

While I rolled out the body, Parker was learning the technique of rolling out the head. 30 minutes later the head had not changed in size so mommy offered her help ;) We found some sticks, rocks, and a pine cone nose to address our snowman's features.

To be completely honest, we had so much fun and I am sure we made Daddy jealous. I think Parker and I really deserved the time together. He loved adding "hair" to the snowman and investigating the rocks that were placed on him.

It didn't take long before dark emerged and dinner was ready. Parker happily posed next to our snowman, White. He was pretty proud of our cold creation, but he was more happy to just be outside, in his element.

I think we can all agree that Mission: First Snowman was a complete success!