Getting Dressed.

Let's start with half of the story.

I have been teaching Jackson how to pick out his outfit for the day.  We went through the stage where I would tell him to get dressed and he would come out of his room wearing long sleeves and pants in the middle of summer.  We had to work on this for awhile, talk about the weather, and what clothing would be appropriate for the season.  

Once he understood this, we moved on to matching clothing.  This is typically easy because he has a lot of khaki shorts which match almost everything.  His plaid shorts are a challenge for him and as well as a pair of red shorts.

One night a few weeks ago, we were going outside and Jackson put on his red shorts with his red Texas Rangers shirt.  Okay, yes.....red and red.....it matches.....it REALLY matches.....job well done by Jackson and I praised him for his work.  Then I looked at Aaron when Jackson wasn't looking and smiled.  I guess Aaron didn't realize why I was smiling, because he replied to me with "That is really good!  That is an outfit I would have picked out for him!"  ...................... and at this point I couldn't control my laughter.

Fast forward to tonight.  Aaron was going outside to mow and I was cleaning up the kitchen from dinner, so I told the boys to get dressed and we could go outside and play.  Jackson gets dressed and I noticed Garrett could use some help, so I asked Jackson to help Garrett while I finished up in the kitchen.            

  

I really think I want to frame this picture because it makes me smile every time I look at it.

The Missing….

Before becoming a mom I really didn’t care what our house looked like. I cared about my classroom and everything had a spot, but when I got home from work I was done. I was done because home was basically a place to relax.

Now, three years later, my views have changed. Our house is far from a place where we just relax. We have 2 young, active boys. There are certain things that have a particular spot and they need to be in that particular spot in order to make it through our day and be able to function at our house. The adults in the house must be on top of things, because if it were up to our kids….. many things would be misplaced.

Yes, I tend to drive my husband nuts with my organization obsession.

This brings me to this morning. I had plans to meet my friend Kristin at Super Target. We wanted to go a little earlier in the morning so that the kids would be easier to shop with, so I told Kristin I just had to get myself dressed and the boys and we would be out the door.

I get ready really fast, straighten up the house incase it is shown while I am gone (yeah, right!), pack a little bag for the boys, throw Jackson his clothes to put on, tell Jackson 952 times to try to go potty before we leave, chase Garrett, get Garrett dressed, take Rigley out, put Rigley in his cage, assist Jackson in getting dressed and inform him like I do daily that even though he may think his underwear are on correctly, they are on backwards and he needs to turn them around, battle with Garrett to get his shoes and socks on, realized by the smell of Garrett, he needed his diaper changed again, brushed their teeth, go in Jackson’s room to grab his shoes and socks…………………………………………….no shoes.

Me: "JACKSON!!! WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES????”

Jackson: At the top of my closet Mommy!” (Yes, Jackson knows that’s where they go, however I don’t think every member of the household has caught on to that….)

Me: “No they’re not. Did Daddy put your shoes on you yesterday?”

Jackson: “Ummmmmmm…….”

Me: “Do you know where Daddy likes to put your shoes?”

Jackson: “He puts his shoes in his closet and his dirty shoes in the garage. Daddy needs to clean his dirty shoes”

Me: “No Jackson, do you know where YOUR shoes are?”

Jackson: “Ummmmm…..maybe they just blew away!!!”

……….And I realized that conversation was not going anywhere.

• Call my husband, right? Would be easy IF he was allowed to talk on the phone while driving a train. Not that that stopped me from calling him 1,000 times in hopes of him answering. Although I debated it, I didn’t think calling the Union Pacific family emergency 1-800 number that could get a hold of Aaron would be appropriate. “Your wife has a missing shoe emergency.”
• Put on a different pair of shoes. Let’s face it….he’s a boy…..there are not 100 cute pairs of shoes I see that he must have. It is one per season!!

I called Kristin and said I was going to take longer than I thought……..I have looked in every spot of our house and cannot find his shoes ANYWHERE…..I am sweating……..I am mad at Aaron right now (It’s always easier to blame your husband than to blame you kids or yourself)……..and I can’t let Jackson wear his Crocs in November!

After she informed me that the weather was actually warm today, I settled down some and put Jackson in his Crocs. However, wearing Crocs with jeans would be a fashion no-no, so I had to change his whole outfit. Then once Garrett saw that Jackson was wearing his Crocs, Garrett threw a huge fit because he wanted to wear his Crocs too. “Shooooooooz, Shoooooooz!!”

So…..I changed Garrett’s whole outfit, picked back up the mess that I created while trying to find the shoes, made Jackson go potty again, and finally left……..a really really long time after planned.

As of tonight, Aaron is still at work and the shoes are still missing. I have talked to Aaron but he doesn’t remember putting them anywhere……We will spend Wednesday searching for shoes!

I will probably regret typing this blog, because the shoes will probably end up being in a spot that I am overlooking and Aaron will laugh and say “Ohhhhhh……but you ALWAYS put his shoes on his closet shelf, huh?!” But for now, the mystery of the missing shoes continues and this is why everything must have a spot at our house in order to function properly. :) I do find it odd that both shoes are missing. If I could only find one shoe, I would blame one of the kids. But, both???

Notes:

**I know for a fact the shoes are at our house. I remember seeing them in the bathroom Sunday night after his bath and we didn’t leave the house on Monday.

**Mom, yes I know I am the world’s worst about leaving my own shoes in random places around the house. I can do this with my own shoes since I have many other pairs! So….don’t even start with the “Like Mother, Like Son” or would you say “Like Wife, Like Husband” in this situation? haha!! :)

**If you read this whole blog about missing shoes, THANKS! It was long and all about shoes….

MISSING

School Days.

When I log on to Facebook, I see status updates about teachers starting a new school year and I am so thankful I get to continue to stay home with Jackson and Garrett. However, this year my excitement seems different than last year. This year as I read those Facebook status updates, it's just not as easy to skip over the moms who are taking their child to kindergarten for the first time. This year get big knots in my stomach.

Luckily Jackson has an early birthday, September 27th, so he doesn't start kindergarten for three more years. It's not the whole separation issue that bothers me. I am fine taking the boys to Sunday School. I would be fine with putting them in a Mother's Day out program. When it is time, I will enroll them in a pre k program of our choice. However, those are the key words - our choice. If there were ever a problem and we were unhappy, we could remove them from the class as fast as we enrolled them in the class.

Lately I have had a lot on my mind. Aaron and I have known we wanted to move before Jackson started kindergarten. Crandall ISD is a wonderful district and our neighbors all have sweet kids, but we really want Jackson and Garrett to be in one school district from K-12 and Aaron and I never had plans of being here that long. For some reason, someone came up with the term "Starter Home" and that was our plan for this house. It was our starter home. The house we would have one child in and move out of in 5 years. Here we are five and a half years later with two kids. I would love for our house to sell any moment, but at the same time the thought of deciding where we are permanently moving to puts knots in my stomach. Decisions are much more intense now that our children are the heart of our decision.

I taught in public schools and there is so much to consider. It's really not a battle anyone can win. For me personally, a good school district is very important. The choice would be easy if that was the only thing to consider, but it's far from it. The people that fill that school is what matters. Teachers are extremely important, but Jackson and Garrett's peers are the most important. I've been there. I've taught at schools with WONDERFUL teachers with great TAKS scores, but I also had innocent 2nd and 4th graders that came from great families that were exposed to things that I would never want my child exposed to. Yes, the school can punish and take care of the behavior (after lots and lots and lots of documentation), but that doesn't erase it from those innocent eyes and ears. I wish I was referring to things as simple as a bad word, but things can be much worse than that. Many of you would be very surprised. Parents, both rich and poor, have kids that shouldn't have ever had kids in the first place. These kids, both low income and high income, see things they should have never seen. Then our kids, go to school with them at the age of 5. After hearing a story I heard today about what a kindergartener brought to school, we have a lot we have to teach Jackson about before he goes to kindergarten....and I wish it was as simple as his colors, shapes, and sounds.

Am I freaking out? Yes.

Do I need to relax? Yes.

Are there other teachers reading this that know exactly what I am talking about? Yes.

Would I be excited if my children had all great, organized, kind hearted teachers that graded their papers with cute stickers and big smiley faces? Yes.

But, I'm a little stressed about finding the perfect community, with the perfect school, filled with perfect families, because I KNOW that doesn't exist and in only three short years I will have to face that fact when I send my first set of innocent eyes to public school.

The Furry Monster.

Since the weather has been nice, the boys and I have been going for walks every morning. (well, don't give them credit for walking...I am the one pushing the double stroller plus 47 pounds of kids)

We live on a horseshoe off of a busy road, so I only have one route option. I have to stay on my street. Lately, when I get to the other side of our horseshoe, there has been this new dog that has started chasing us. Since we live kind of out in the country, we have the lovely stray dogs. I assumed that this particular dog was just a stray dog. It is ugly and mean like one. His eyeballs are red. You know, the mean looking dog? grrrrrrrrrrrrrr! I love dogs and I am not normally afraid of dogs, but this dog is ready to attack me.

Each day it seems like he hates me more and more. Well, today while walking I saw the dog in a backyard. I thought, "oh good, it is not a stray dog and he is now behind a fence so he can't get us." OH NO....that dog EASILY jumped right over the fence and ran at us. Today he was basically right at the back of my legs. It just scares me since I have Jackson and Garrett with me. He can attack me (I would rather him not), but it just scares me with the kids.

So, my question for you all is what do I do? The owners just moved into that house a few months ago. They may not even know how the dog is getting out. Do I send them a letter, have Aaron (not me!!!!!) knock on their door or try to catch them outside one day to tell them, call someone like animal control??? What is the law? Do your dogs have to be locked up? What do I do??? I know the easy answer would be to only walk when Aaron is with me, but it's my street for crying out loud! Plus, I have seen him in our front yard. I wouldn't do anything at all if I didn't think the dog could harm us....but this is a mean dog.

Tonight when Aaron got home, I made him go on a second walk with us just so that he could see the dog. AND what does the dog do...?...?... stays behind the fence and just looks at us. However, their teenage daughter was in the garage, so maybe the dog felt safe. Aaron looked at me and said "Kelli? THAT dog jumps THAT fence?" YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! One single jump. He didn't even need a running start.

Trip to Wal-Mart

I had to go to Wal-Mart today....just me and both boys. It isn't their behavior I stress out about, it is where to put them so that I still have room in the cart for the things I need to buy. Normally, Aaron and I try to go together or one of us will just go alone. Aaron is working today and doesn't think he will be home until around 7ish and I wasn't going to dare ask him to go on his way home from work.....the Cowboys play tonight! What kind of wife would I be?!?! Since we were out of things we HAD to have (diapers, wipes, shampoo, conditioner, laundry detergent, hand soap, etc. etc. etc.) I decided I would just go.

I thought I may be able to let Jackson walk with me, holding on to the cart, and put Garrett's carrier in the seat on the cart....but after seeing a man that looked like he had just escaped from prison, I decided that was probably not the best choice. So, I put Garrett's carrier inside the cart where the groceries go and Jackson sat in the seat. Our shopping trip went well. No stress. I had everything arranged in the cart just right so that it would all fit around Garrett's carrier. Checking out for the most part was stress free until Jackson decided he wanted to play with his favorite toy....the credit card machine thing that they have sitting on the counter for you to use. I HATE that thing! He always wants to mess with it. It is a battle every single time. So...we were off. I had to push the cart slowly to avoid the bags falling into Garrett's carrier. (The check out lady didn't help me arrange the bags perfectly like I would have liked for her to)

I hate parking lots when I have the boys with me. They scare me. I always make sure I have my keys out and stay alert. I look everyone in the eye...I read that a killer, robber, whoever they may be, will less likely hurt you if you have made eye contact with them. You can identify them in a line up better. ???? Who knows if it is true! I never park next to a big van. I throw my purse in the car before loading the boys up, so it is out of site. I don't even wear my wedding ring. I want them to think I am just a poor little white girl, which is kind of true! Does anyone else stress out about this? Do y'all have any more tips? I know I am a freak about it. Shut up to those of you that are laughing at me!

So.......we are out the doors of Wal-Mart and we are heading to the car. I CAN'T FIND IT! Where I THOUGHT it was, was an empty spot. I just knew that's where my car use to be. I was pushing the lock button on my keys in hopes of hearing my car honk. Nothing. I just knew someone stole my car. I didn't know what to do....I didn't bring a bottle for Garrett because we were just taking a quick trip to the store, so what would I do while I waited for someone to come pick us up. My car had the car seats.... who was I going to call? Everyone is at work today so it would be probably an hour before anyone could help us. And while having all these thoughts in my head, I have to remember to stay alert and watch for bad guys in the parking lot.

Finally, from a distance, I see my car! There it is! Really dirty just like I left it.
You know how Wal-Mart has 2 sides? I parked on the opposite side than I thought I did. My car was safe, nobody stole it. We were safe, nobody stole us!

Happy Monday! Go Cowboys! :)

Online Shopping Disappointment.

I have been on the look out for a laundry hamper for Garrett's nursery. If you remember from pictures I have posted in the past, his room is chocolate and blue. I have been looking for a chocolate colored hamper. I came across this picture in the Pottery Barn Kids catalog and I thought one of the floor totes would be perfect.
It was actually the chocolate with polka dots that caught my eye. His bedding has brown polka dots on it, so I thought it would be a great match. However, when I looked at all the color options (light blue, green, bright pink, chocolate, bright pink dot, chocolate dot) I thought just chocolate might be a better choice. I didn't want all the polka dots to be too busy. If you look at the picture there is a box that is solid chocolate, so I assumed the color pattern would be like that. Solid Chocolate with off white trim. So, I ordered the floor tote in solid chocolate.

I am one that tracks my online orders. I know the day my order is supposed to arrive. I open all my blinds that day and I am on the look out for the UPS truck to pull up. I love getting packages! I had errands to run today, but I called Aaron several times asking if the UPS man had arrived. It got later and later, and he still wasn't here. Tonight, I was sitting on the couch feeding Garrett his bed time bottle and someone knocked on the door. I could tell by the knock it was the UPS man. YEA!! My package was finally here!!! While feeding Garrett, I had thoughts in my head of cleaning his room, vacuuming, and putting the hamper in the perfect spot!! It was going to be so cute....

I opened it and it was not what I had expected. If I would have used my brain and looked only at the floor totes in the picture I wouldn't have been disappointed. The floor tote is like the pink floor tote you see with Brittany embroidered on it, but where there is pink in the picture, there is chocolate on mine. So, the majority of it is off white. I guess because the polka dot one is sitting next to that one, I thought it would look like that but without the dots.....I was wrong. Oh well...it still matches....it's just not what I had in mind.

On another note - people are so amazed with double strollers. I am not kidding you, you'd be so surprised at how many people stop and look at Jackson and Garrett when they are in their stroller. I admit, I look at other babies when we pass by other strollers. But, I look as I am walking. It doesn't interfere with my walking. Jackson and Garrett will be well behaved, not making a sound, and people will literally stop and look. People will say "wow, you have 2." Don't a lot of people have 2 kids? You would think by people questions and comments that I would have twins in the stroller. And sometimes by peoples looks, I think they may be trying to figure out if they are twins or not....there are some idiots out there.

What is annoying is when I have to take the stroller through a door. It is harder because it is longer than a single stroller and you have to get through the door before it closes on you, but I can do it. It would however be a lot easier if someone walking by would offer to help with the door. Oh no....9 out of 10 people would rather stand back and see how I do it. Then you have the people that say, "both boys?" Well, let's see.....Jackson is old enough to tell he is clearly a boy and Garrett is dressed in blue. Really? Can you not tell?

We did end up having cake and ice cream for Rigley's birthday. Jackson's birthday is in about 2 weeks, so I wanted him to practice blowing out candles and understanding it all. We bought Rigley a toy, but Jackson was on a sugar high from the cake and ice cream and thought he would run around the house with the toy in his own mouth acting like a dog. So, Rigley didn't get to play with his new toy until Jackson went to bed. I took pictures, but I still haven't bought a new camera cord. I promise I will soon!

Friday, the boys and I went down to my parent's house to spend the weekend. Aaron worked for the railroad Friday night, and then had irrigation work to do all weekend. He got down there on Saturday night, but worked on their neighbor's sprinkler all day Sunday. He is busy, but we are lucky and glad that he is! That's how I get to be home. :) When you ask Jackson where daddy is he says "Daddy, Choo Choo!"

The boys, my mom, and I drove to a bakery in Athens on Saturday to order Jackson's Elmo birthday cake. Yep....Elmo. I wish when I planned his 1st birthday party I would have known that would be the last "theme" that was up to me. I have been trying to show Jackson everything. "Jackson, let's have a YEE-HAW party!!!!"....."Elmo." "Jackson, let's have a baseball party!!!"...."Elmo." So...I have accepted Elmo. Good ole' Elmo. I can't believe he is going to be 2! He has been making so many sentences lately. It is so much fun!

Here are some videos and pictures of the boys swinging at my parent's-






As we were sitting in the backyard watching the boys swing a storm started blowing in. The wind picked up like crazy and it look like rain was coming, so we quickly gathered everything up and moved to the porch. (there is a reason why I am telling you this....keep reading)

The storm was gone. We took some pictures. As always, Rigley chased birds, squirrels, ducks,etc.

Rigley wondered off to the next door neighbors yard, so my mom walked over to get him. My mom watched Rigley as he was acting weird and doing circles around something. Mom was trying to get Rigley to listen (which he isn't good at) but Rigley was intensely doing circles around what appeared to be leaves. Then....I heard my mom make the sound and do the motions she does when she finds something gross. You know - rubbing her arms, jumping around...ewww,ewww,ewww. She said "There is an animal over there." We ran over there to find this -
Do you know what this is? We didn't.
I know, I know...you are probably thinking a baby dinosaur. I thought the same thing. Although it does look like a dinosaur, I'm afraid that is not what it is. Maybe a puppy? Someones dog had a litter of puppies and instead of trying to sell them in a box at the local Wal-Mart, they decided to just throw them out? The tail looks like a mouse, but not the feet. Maybe an opossum? About this time, we started hearing a loud animal sound. We realized they were baby squirrels when the mother squirrel was up in the tree wanting to attack us. We think the strong wind knocked the babies out of the nest.

We quietly moved to the porch and watched. The momma squirrel came down and picked up one baby.....licked it off and carried it up the tree....came back down for the 2nd baby.... licked it off and carried it up the tree.....came down for the 3rd baby....looked around........... We knew where is was, but it was away from the other two. It was closer to where Rigley plays. We wonder if Rigley picked one up when he found them and moved it to the other location. ewwww.yuck.
The momma looked and looked, but never found it. She went back up the tree. I told my dad to get a shovel and move the squirrel closer to the tree so she would find it when she came back down. But she never came back down. :(

I spent the night searching on the internet "How to take care of a baby squirrel." It was sad to watch a helpless, alive, little thing. Ugly or not - it was sad. I however, never took action. I left it in the yard.

The next morning, I was excited to wake up and had hopes the little baby would still be laying in the grass so the momma squirrel could find it. My dad however, informed me that the neighbor threw it away because it was dead. ????????? I wish I had a chance to say goodbye. haha!
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Aaron was mowing the yard this afternoon, so I let Jackson go outside with his lawn mower to "help."



Garrett started eating rice cereal and now he is trying out veggies. Last week was squash and today he started green beans. He LOVES green beans. At one point I was playing airplane with the spoon and he yanked my hand down to his face and opened his mouth really big. I couldn't get it into his mouth fast enough.


Jackson is forming a new habit. He sticks his tongue out when he is really concentrating. He needs to stop or his lips are going to start getting chapped, but I know if I draw attention to it he will think it is funny and do it more. The odd thing is, I still remember when I was in 4th grade and my best friend Kristin would laugh at me in class because everything time I was focused on my work I would lick my lips. So...I understand!

You have to enlarge this picture to see, but his tongue is out while he is mowing as well.

Happy Back to School to you all! It feels good to be at home this year, but I am thinking about all of you who had to leave your little ones to go to work or those of you that have to drop your little ones off at school. My day will come. I wish I could protect them forever, but I know that is not the case.

Our night....

YEA!! Garrett slept from 8PM-8AM! That's 12 hours!! YEA YEA YEA!!!

I however didn't have such a pleasant night. Before going to bed, I opened the back door to make sure the garage was closed. As I was shutting the back door, it hit my toe and ripped my toe nail off of my big toe. It is not very pretty or comfortable. Lovely....

I hate Onions!

My eyes water very easily, therefore I HATE cutting onions. It seemed like it took me FOREVER to cut this one onion for a recipe I was making. After doing all the "onion tricks" they say to do and taking many breaks, I simply couldn't take it any longer. I told Aaron I wish I had a big pair of goggles to protect my eyes! Much to my surprise, he told me he did have a pair from when he swam a lot a few years ago. ummmmmmm????????? Does anyone else recall this event? I'm sorry, but I don't remember Aaron swimming a lot a few years ago.

Anyways, the goggles worked perfectly! Every woman should have a pair of goggles in their kitchen! Maybe since Aaron isn't currently swimming (I can't help but laugh as I type that) I can keep his in the kitchen.


Jackson liked my goggles! Garrett was sitting at the table with Aaron, but started rubbing his eyes, so they moved to the living room.
We are trying to find Jackson a wood swing set for his birthday. Some catalogs came in the mail today. He thought he would take a moment to look through them all to figure out what he would like.

The Olympics.

What do the Chinese eat? I can't help but wonder....if I lived in China, would I look like that too? Maybe if I start wearing bright blue eye shadow I will be as skinny as them. It won't hurt to try.

Why are all the good events on so late at night? I would like to get in bed at a reasonable time, but this is too intense!

So I use to be in gymnastics...I was on my way to the Olympics but decided to eat instead (okay, I made that part up...well, not the eating part) I had a few kids since then, but something about watching gymnastics makes me want to run across my living room and pretend I am in the Olympics. Although I don't dare try to do a flip flop, I did do a back bend for Jackson tonight. You should have heard the cracking of my back. Wow. Even doing a front roll - did my head get harder over time? Those hurt!

Is there anyway we could get a little more coverage than a Speedo for the male divers? The male swimmers don't bother me. They are actually easy on the eyes. I don't know how the divers fit into those little things....however, they are like Granny Panties on the Chinese!

I think I am going to start training Jackson and Garrett to be swimmers. I want to be like Michael Phelps' mom one day cheering from the stands and crying as he wins. My kids have some skills. You should see them splash. (and not to mention, we are related to an Olympic gold medalist in swimming!) See...it is totally possible.

We started our morning by taking the boys to have their pictures taken at Cupcake's Quick N' Painless Beach Day. I can't wait to see the picture!! It is tricky getting a good picture of BOTH boys in the SAME picture (not to mention the fact that Garrett can't sit yet and Jackson can be a stubborn toddler every now and then:) But, I think she was able to get a good one! ;)
If anyone uses Cupcake Photography, be sure to check out her kitchen and bathroom. I was so tickled to see Jackson's picture in both of these places. The picture in her bathroom may mysteriously disappear one day...(HAHA, just kidding Karen)! It is huge!!! I want it for my own bathroom!!!!

After pictures we headed to the "place of germs"....Chuck E' Cheese. Randy and Dianne had Carissa's girls for the weekend, so we met them so the kids could play together.

Jackson LOVED this little carousel. Loved, Loved, Loved it....until.....
..............
until.... the real Chuck E' Cheese appeared. This picture was taken right before the cry of fear happened. OH...MY....GOSH!!! Jackson saw Chuck E' Cheese from far away and was okay, but something about going around the carousel and then Chuck E' Cheese being so unexpectedly close (Look at Chuck E' Cheese's face in the mirror, he is a little freaky looking) Jackson's cry was horrible. Jackson immediately grabbed the pole to his horse as tight as he could. Aaron ran over to him as fast as he could. It was one of those moments when we were comforting him, but cracking up inside. I WISH I had that moment recorded. Chuck E' Cheese handled it well. He put his head down real fast and ran away from Jackson.
Garrett thought it was funny! (not really, he was smiling at Nana)
"Hey....that scary guy is looking at me again."

Garrett and G-Mom

Jackson and Nana....he is sharing his napkin with her.

Aaron didn't know I could see him, but look how focused he is on this game. I know he is trying his very best to beat the little kid next to him (who we don't know by the way). Aaron is NOT a good loser...at all! If I had to guess, I would say the little kid probably won the game though.

So, now when you ask Jackson....

"Do you love Mommy?" "Uh-huh!"

"Do you love Daddy?" "Uh-huh!"

"Do you love your brother?" "Uh-huh!"

"Do you love Chuck E' Cheese?" "Unt-Ugh"

On a different note, I didn't have to turn on Garrett's mobile for him tonight, instead he got to hear other music such as "Cheeseburger in Paradise," "If our house is a rockin, don't come a knocking," etc. Our freaken neighbors across the street have their radio playing just as loud as can be. They are driving me nuts. Our houses are on acres, so they are close...but not THAT close.

Rumor has it that last Saturday she ran down the street naked. Isn't that just lovely? Rumor also has it that they are letting their house go to foreclosure. That makes me mad, but at this point...can it get any worse? (Yeah, I am sure it still can...)

So, yes, I was just now "that neighbor," the one who calls the cops to complain. I am sorry, but if I can hear your music and your voice from my son's monitor....things are probably a little too loud. Why can't they just move their party to the inside of their house? Shouldn't they enjoy their last few days in their house before it is foreclosed on? A few weeks ago this was still going on at 5 A.M.

ugggghhh, some people! Why can't everyone just be normal like me!

Ice Cream and Pee Pee

Tonight was a family fun night. We didn't plan for it to be any different than any other night, but it was just a fun night. (For once, Aaron was home and not working!!!!)

This afternoon, my Dad brought by the plastic pool the boys had swam in the other day at their house. Around 4ish, I put Garrett down for a nap in his crib, Aaron and I took the portable monitor in the backyard, and let Jackson swim in his pool. Aaron and I rocked in our rocking chairs (I felt like a little old married couple) enjoyed nature (did I just say that!?!) and watched Jackson swim. Then Aaron started grilling and I played with Jackson in the pool. Jackson is such a funny kid....the things he does just crack me up. He has such a little sense of humor.

About the time Aaron was done grilling, Garrett woke up from his nap...so we all went in and ate dinner. After dinner we decided we would take a little "road trip" to Coldstone. We have been trying to eat somewhat healthy, but it was just one of those nights I felt like it was appropriate to "break the rules." In the car, we asked Jackson what kind of ice cream he wanted and he said "B-nanananana i eam" (also known as: Banana Ice Cream) However, being the "budget lady" that I have been lately, Jackson shared with us. I seriously doubt he would actually eat banana ice cream. Garrett just stared at Jackson as he took every bite. He has really been watching every bite we take lately. I think he would be very thrilled if I let him start cereal, but I just don't want to take on an extra task yet when I don't have to. Our pediatrician says between 4-6 months, with 6 months being the best time....so right now I am perfectly happy with just feeding him a bottle. I know they say once they eat solids they sleep better, but that's a bunch of crap!! Jackson showed me that was a myth.

So after we ate our fill of calories, yummy, ice cream...we came home and all played on the floor. At this point, it was about 45 minutes past Jackson's bed time, but I didn't care....we were having fun! Even Rigley was getting some positive, non-abusive attention. (non-abusive = Jackson was being gentle with Rigley)

Since Aaron was home, I decided I wanted to try to give the boys a bath at the same time. So, I put Garrett's infant tub inside the bath tub and filled the bath tub with water as well. Yes, this only gave Jackson about 1/4 of the bath tub since Garrett's tub took up about 3/4 of the tub, but Jackson didn't mind one bit. He thought it was the silliest thing that Garrett was in the tub with him. Everything was going fabulously, but in my mind I had a feeling someone was about to pee on someone. If Jackson stood up he may pee inside of Garrett's tub, and if Garrett was to pee it would shoot right at Jackson's head. So who's sprinkler came on first..............GARRETT'S....and for those of you who have never had the pleasure of having a boy.....infants have a REALLY FAR AIM....like a rocket. Where was Jackson? Looking right towards Garrett's feet. It would have hit Jackson right in the face, but luckily my quick mommy hands shielded the pee and blocked it from hitting Jackson. Yes, I am saying my hand got peed on, but that is much better than Jackson's face.

I loved them taking a bath together. It was a lot faster, but there is no way I could do that all by myself yet. It did make me realize that once Garrett is a little older and out of his infant tub, bath & bed time will be a lot faster! Even though we can't give them a bath together every night yet, I do want to do that every now and then to help Jackson with "change" in our bed time routine.

Speaking of "pee," I ordered Jackson a potty chair today. He is about to be 22 months. He is still a little young for potty training, but he is showing signs. A friend of mine said to go ahead and put a potty chair in the bathroom for him. If he wants to use it, great....but if not, that is fine too. Just don't make it a big deal yet. That way when I start actual potty training, the potty chair will not be so scary for him. My goal is to have him potty trained by the age of 2 and a half, which would be March. (around Garrett's 1st birthday)....but I know they say girls are normally around 2 1/2 and boys are closer to 3 1/2. Gosh, that seems forever! I know never say never, but THREE AND A HALF???????? That's TWO more years!?!?!!?! No way....
To all you mothers, when were your kids trained? Dianne, don't even tell me what age you think Aaron was potty trained at....he is still peeing on the seat and forgetting to put the toilet seat down! haha, jk!

For the record - Jackson did this to himself. Promise! This kind of shows you his sense of humor. Looking at these make me laugh so hard!

Universal Naptime?

This is one of those things that I need to gripe about, but since I no longer have the teacher's lounge to vent to...I will just vent here since my friends read this...

The freaken kids riding their 4 wheelers up and down the street during naptime are driving me nuts!!! I have both boys down for a nap and this is supposed to be my peaceful time of day, but instead every 20 seconds I hear stupid 4 wheelers flying down the street. [might I add that the kids are not wearing helmets and Aaron witnessed one flipping a 4 wheeler a few weeks ago] Last week it was 2 girls riding their golf cart around the street honking at their friend (who lives next door to us) every time they passed her house.

Parents....Naptime is from 1:00 to 3:00...please pass on the memo!

[I can't wait for summer to be over]

Sincerely,
The Mean Neighbor

P.S.
To the lovely neighbor across the street [owner of the 4 wheeler] who I have called the cops on for basing their music at all hours of the night [until 5 am] a few weeks ago [I have sleeping babies people!] ....since when did we start parking our truck in the front yard??? I know your house is not very cute and you might be trying to hide it behind your truck, but can you park your truck in the driveway or garage?

I don't mind, you can stay up all night long and drink beer outside. You can even put your tailgate down to sit on (or just use the lovely lawn chairs you have in your front yard already) but if you could just keep the music down and the truck parked in the drive way I would greatly appreciate it!

(For the record - for those that don't know me, I am kidding!....but they are getting on my nerves today!!:)

Mommy won't be my hero forever....

Every week I get an e-mail from babycenter.com that tells me what Jackson and Garrett should be doing and things to look for. Here is part of what Jackson's said this week:

New this month: More self-assurance

You may notice that your toddler is a little more comfortable being away from you than he used to be. He may be willing to sit with a familiar adult, such as a grandparent, and listen to a story or try to tell one about himself. And his alternating demands for attention and autonomy may be less dramatic. In part, that's because his improving language skills give him a sense of control that he's lacked until now. He's more willing to attempt to master certain tasks on his own and might not need you to help her figure out how everything works, including his toys.

Maybe it just made me sad because I had the David Cook song "Time of My Life" playing in the background as I was reading it.....but this little boy of mine is growing up to darn fast. It seems like just yesterday he was the size Garrett is now....learning how to roll over. Now, he understands everything we say, he repeats everything we say (Red Flag for Aaron)...he wants to be rough and tough like a big boy.

The other day I sat on the floor to join him while he was playing with his blocks, and he just looked at me like "I am fine, Mommy." He enjoyed me playing with him, but it hit me that one day it won't be cool to play with Mommy....and then I got this weekly e-mail from babycenter.com and it just put it in writing that he will not always need me. What the heck!?

The other day, Aaron was playing with the boys while I was getting ready. Jackson said something (Now I can't remember what it was...) But, Aaron was excited about it and came to tell me and I said "Oh, I know, he has been saying that all day." After saying that I felt so bad. Aaron didn't think anything of it, but I felt awful! Aaron does miss things because he is always at work. I should have acted like I had never heard Jackson say that before. I remember going to work and getting upset because I knew I was missing so much. I am so thankful I am able to be home with the boys. Garrett is no longer this little bitty baby. He is growing like a weed. In a few more months, he won't even want me to hold him so he can take a little cat nap. I know how it works. Once he learns to crawl, all that snuggling baby stuff is out the window. He will want to get down and explore. It all goes by so fast.....

Naptime = The time you can actually sit down and reflect on how crazy your life is!

Both boys are asleep. Garrett is starting to get on a schedule. About a month ago, in my blog I talked about starting sleep training for Garrett. (Putting him down awake...) After talking with my sister in law, who is a pediatrician, I decided to wait until he was 3 months old to start it. She said 3-4 months is the best time for sleep training.

On June 21, Garrett turned 3 months. That night I fed him his bottle (this is when he will normally fall asleep), changed his diaper to wake him up, swaddled him, Aaron and I told him good night, and I laid him down in his crib WIDE awake. We NEVER heard a sound from him. He slept until 7:00!!!!!!!! I knew this was good, but I also knew not to get too excited because the next night could be different. And it was...but it is okay....he is learning how to fall asleep on his own! Even though he is waking up during the night right now hungry, in a few months he will be physically able to sleep through the night without a bottle...which means when he cries in the middle of the night, I can ignore it and he will go back to sleep. He won't need my help.

Three months is when they say habits start forming. This means, no more napping on his play mat, no more napping on the couch, no more napping in the swing, no more napping on mommy (well, maybe a little..:) So, today Jackson ate his lunch and Garrett had his bottle. I changed both diapers. I swaddled Garrett up just like I do at night, told him good night, and put him in his crib. He cried. I tried to ignore it. I read to Jackson, told him good night, and put him to bed. Went back in Garrett's room, patted his belly, told him it was okay, and left the room. I sat in the living room and listened to a few minutes of Jackson singing some type of song and Garrett crying....then it was silent. They were both asleep and both in their cribs.

As Garrett is getting a little older, my days are becoming more normal, but things are still crazy! I was thinking the other day about how different my life is now than it was two years ago. Everything changes. Going to get gas - I keep the car running so the boys have air conditioning....lock the doors, but roll down the passenger window (the side of my gas tank) so I can unlock the door to get back in. Going to the grocery store - this was already hard with one baby....I haven't tried it with two. How would this even work?? Put Garrett's carrier on the top part and Jackson would go where? You know how long the shopping trip would take if I let him walk. I either go when Aaron gets home from work or Aaron goes on his way home from work. Cooking dinner - I have to give Jackson things to help me with and sing and dance to keep Garrett happy. Going to the bathroom - "Yes Jackson, that is Mommy's pee-pee!" Taking a shower - Thank God for the swing. Going out to eat - we need a loud place, Garrett would prefer somewhere with cool lights to look at, we order as soon as we sit down, and ask for the bill as soon as they bring our food out. Going to the mall - uggggh, the workers who want to talk to you forever about their sales drive me nuts! Listen buddy, I have a baby that is going to cry any second and a toddler that will want out of the stroller any minute. I am in a hurry. I know what I need, so leave me alone! However, thanks to the cashiers that hold one end of the receipt so you can sign it while holding a baby on your hip. Y'all really are a big help!

It is wild and crazy...but I love it and I love my boys!!

You were right...I have my hands full!

Last night was our first night to try to make Garrett fall asleep on his own. I remember doing this for Jackson. The first night he cried for 30 minutes, next night about 15, and each night got better and better. I loved it once Jackson knew how to fall asleep on his own. We can just lay him down awake, and he knows how to fall asleep on his own. He didn't need to be rocked, or fall asleep with a bottle...he just went to sleep.

We started this last night with Garrett. The crying is the hardest thing to listen to. At first Garrett just laid in his crib for about 10 minutes...Aaron and I thought "WOW! He is going to be easy!" But then, he cried for 5 minutes, I went in patted his back, calmed him down, left the room....we did this pattern for about 30 minutes. Then he finally fell asleep on his own. It was great! But, Aaron was home to keep me company and keep me sane during the crying.

So....Naptime. Just me, Jackson, and Garrett. It is time for Garrett's nap and I can't rock him to sleep because that would go against everything we worked on the night before. I laid him down awake. Of course he cries and I do the whole cycle just like I did from the night before, however...during all of this Jackson decided he is going to cry too!!!!!!! He decided this would be a good time to throw a fit. As if hearing your infant cry isn't stressful and heartbreaking enough, there is Jackson crying just as much. This lasted about 30 minutes, but it seemed like forever. I wanted to cry and throw a fit with them. Would it be okay if I laid on the floor too and kicked my feet? Finally, Garrett fell asleep....Grumpy Jackson ate lunch....put Jackson down for his nap....shut his bedroom door.....AND THEN the garage door opens...Aaron walks in and the house is peaceful. Not a cry...just silence. Why couldn't he have walked in about 20 minutes ago to see what it is REALLY like to be a stay at home mom.

With having two boys 18 months apart, going to work would be so much easier....but I am so glad I get to be home with them. Even though it can be extremely stressful, it is all worth it! But, I do understand why that new study said that stay at home moms should make $117,000 a year....completely true!!...I need a raise! All of you were right...I have my hands full!...but I really would not want it any other way!

Tomorrow, the 4 of us are going to the zoo! We practiced our animal noises tonight. Jackson is pretty good at his monkey, lion, and tiger sounds! The lion and tiger sound kind of evil though!

Jackson said his first sentence tonight! Daddy Open. YEA!!!!

Time for bed!! (which means - wash bottles, put the towels in the dryer, pick the toys up off of the floor, give Garrett a bath, feed Garrett, swaddle Garrett, do the whole "teaching Garrett to go bed on his own," wash my face, brush my teeth, take the dog out, set the alarm, check on Jackson, and then get in bed....:) Night Night!!

Newborns Cry; Toddlers Learn Their Middle Name

We always thought Jackson had colic, but now I am coming to the conclusion that newborns just cry and need comfort. At times Garrett is very calm and laid back, but at other times (especially in the evenings) he just cries. It doesn't stress me out that much because I know the crying will get better over time, but I am starting to wonder if Jackson really had colic or were we just "stressed out first time parents." I don't know....

Garrett is a little sweetie though! I just love him! I know it sounds silly, but I enjoy waking up with him at night for feedings. Everyone else in the house is sleeping, and there is Garrett just looking at me. Even though I am dead tired waking up all through the night, it is sometimes the only peaceful time I have with him...one on one. (but don't get me wrong, I still love it when Aaron gets up with him and lets me sleep a little...that's nice too)

Jackson is still being a really good big brother, but we find ourselves saying JACKSON REECE a whole lot more than we use to. He is definitely a toddler. He wants to do what he wants to do when he wants to do it. Mommy and Daddy are just the meanest people. ;)

I went to the doctor today for my checkup. Everything is well and don't you all worry...I am on the pill this time....so there should not be any surprises! I have to be careful around my mom though. She may hide my pills from me in hope for one more baby!

I got a new cookbook called The Toddler Cafe (Thanks Mom!) It is "fast, healthy, and fun ways to feed even the pickiest eater." I made Jackson Minty Pea Pops! They are like a popsicle/ice cream with PEAS!! You use cream cheese, peas, sugar, peppermint extract, and chocolate chips. Freeze it and then you have yourself a Minty Pea Pop!! Sounds delicious huh?! (if you would like the exact recipe, let me know!) The peas are blended in and it really does just taste like mint chocolate ice cream.
Here are a few pictures of Jackson enjoying his yummy treat...next thing on the menu - Pumpkin Pockets!

I think Jackson is a little O.C.D. He doesn't like things to be messy. The ice cream on his tray is stressing him out. "uhhh-oooo, uhhh-oooo, uhhh-ooo!!!"

Helping to get Garrett's bath ready.
Jackson found the spray bottle, so we had a little fun in the kitchen!

Sweet babies!
Jackson found Grammy's diet chocolate bar.

Garrett looks bigger in this picture than he really is. It is still so hard to get a picture of him with his wobbly head!