2+3=5

So, as you can quickly tell, these pics are a bit old...but still had to post something today :) The one above makes Dylan's head look a bit warped, but he's still a cutie...warped or not! :)
Here we are at our favorite ice cream place (Cold Stone)...yumm! This was Hailey's last day of school...so we were celebrating in style! As you can see Shelby was not yet healed from her nose-plant :) She's better now!
There is never any secret as to what's in Shelby's mouth :) :) She loves her cotton candy ice cream...as does Hailey :)

Well, we are back to being a family of five...back to the craziness...and bye bye to "just the two of us" :) And ya' know what...I'm completely happy with that. I've missed my sweet children and to have their vibrant energies back in our home...well, I know there has to be some old saying about the laughter of children in your home...and I guess sometimes I forget that or take advantage of that when they are here (and too loud)...but it is a most blessed event to have these little sweethearts back under our roof. It's good to be "back to normal"...don't get me wrong...it was awesome to have some alone time too, but I love our crazy bunch and there is just something about being together that makes me happy. Anyway, but by last night I was completely wiped out....those late nights in the basement and a couple late night movies that we watched...well, that just did me in. I was really hoping to sleep in a bit, but Shelby was up bright and early this a.m. (way earlier than normal...and mumbling something about "missing Nina" :))...go figure. So, it's back to being a mom again, I guess :) I guess the stay at Nina and Poppy's was all-around pretty awesome (and in Nina's words...our kids were "well-behaved and sweet"...really, our kids??? J/K :)). We returned from our "pirate movie" to find the whole group sitting in the car in our driveway. It was a welcome sight :) And from then on there was constant chattiness (by all the kids). Dylan was so excited he was crawling in circles on the floor or more specifically crawling back and forth really, really fast (he does this when he's VERY happy :)) and he was babbling about something important, I'm sure. It was so sweet....I missed my little guy...it was the first time we've ever been w/o him in his 16 mos of life :) And Shelby and Hailey...they were little jabbering fools...talking about everything they did and all the new clothes they got (yes, Nina and Poppy spoiled them as usual :)). So, it was a great time for all, I guess (and I never heard a peep about puke, pee or poop problems...oh my!). Kev's parents said the kids did great....all slept well, all napped well, ate well.....well, mostly...I guess the only incidence was, of course, on Shelby's part :) She apparently bit Hailey very hard on the arm. Now granted she was probably tired and I hear they were rough-housing, but still....she hasn't done that since she was little....and she got a whopping 10 minute time out for it...which is just what we would have done (good job, Nina and Poppy!). So, I guess that was it....all else went well. Hailey was the big helper as always and it sounds like all went smoothly. They went to a fun water park, took some fun bike-rides and walks, and (Hailey's favorite) they went shopping (looks like Hailey might be your power shopper, mom :))....They came home with a big ol' bag of clothes (for all of them)...what a blessing and such cute things (thank you so much!). Hailey could hardly contain herself...she was showing off everything right away. I guess she and Nina had gone to Limited Too, Children's Place and Old Navy while Poppy watched the little kids....what a fun outing for our Hailey....that was so special. So she got to pick out a bunch of different things...and even a reversable bag (she loved that!) Anyway...so I thought my mom would appreciate knowing that someday (or even now) you might have a fellow shopper in the family that'll give you a run for your money :)

So, now my babies are back and I feel complete again. I did miss them so much. Oh, I have to say....we showed them our basement and they went nuts. Dylan was crawling all around (yes, he can actually find floor to crawl on in our basement...it is a miracle :) Ha!) And Hailey and Shelby were so excited by their new playroom and started planning out just what they were gonna do down there (Hailey wants to watch movies and do her homework on the desk (she has always wanted desk in her own room but there is no room in there for more furniture)...so they have big dreams for our "new basement clearing" :) It was very cute.

Thank you again and again to Kev's parents for giving us 3 whole days to get some stuff done...and for offering to do it again in early August! Wow! We have the best parents in the world...they both give so much and are so thoughtful in every way! We love all four of you!

Well, it's back to the grindstone today and I need to get moving. Shelby has her eye appointment today so we shall see if she needs surgery soon. I'll post about that tomorrow hopefully. Adios! :)

Doubt....Breakdown...Success!

Ok...so that about sums up how our weekend went. I won't go into all the gorry details of how our basement clean-up went, but you can tell there were some small "issues" (on my part) along the way. Most of you know that I can be as pessimistic as they come and when it comes to clutter and "mounds of crap" I can get pretty stressed out and even brought to tears. Well, that all happened....first of all I must just begin by saying I was/am exhausted...completely worn out by a week of craftiness at VBX and a fun, but busy Fri. night at the closing VBX program and the carnival after (all of which was a great success and so, so fun).....so.....that being said...while I know I can't make excuses for myself I was VERY worn out to begin with and then to have 2 days of hard core basement cleaning to "look forward to" (plus, I admit...I missed my kids...going from a family of 5 back to 2 kind of depressed me momentarily)....well, I just kind of lost it on Saturday morning. I looked at all the HUGE piles of boxes and junk in the basement and I just broke down....I had to come upstairs and sit on the deck and just sob...pathetic I know, but there is just something about being faced with your life that is put in boxes and having to sort through that all and throw some of it away...it's just overwhelming to me. Maybe I'm just hormonal, which is a common occurance for all women, I think...but at the same time I just was so frustrated by the task at hand and was definitely a "doubting Thomas" at that point. I felt so badly for my dear hubby who is the ever wonderful optimist and who just wanted to plug away at each box. I was just completely overwhelmed. But, I picked myself up that afternoon after Kev rebuilt my spirit and I just went at it........and guess what people.........we did it!!!! We cleared out almost our entire main area of our basement! It's a little miracle in itself (and I know those few of you who have have seen our dungeon of a basement will agree when you see the new look). We worked our little hineys off for 2 whole days after having very little relaxation...but we did it...we actually have a little play area/open space down there. Granted...it is mostly "kitty space" since the basement is their home...but Syd and Sam deserved a little redecorated haven too, right?! Anyway...I didn't take a before picture because honestly I was embarrassed by the before sight and in all honesty I didn't think we'd have anything to show for our efforts by today. I was wrong and I admit it (gasp!)...and I thank my dear, sweet, patient and wonderful hubby for putting up with my meltdowns and putting so much heart and sweat into everything. I love you, Kev! Anyway...I will try to take an "after" picture of the basement later today so you can see our new little make-shift playroom. For now I'm still wallowing in my quietness of "no kids" for the third day in a row. I will say it's been eerily quiet as I knew it would be. It definetely was weird having all three of our babies gone all weekend. And although it wasn't a relaxing weekend it was a very productive one. We did take a few moments of time for ourselves for dinner and rented movies...and today we are even make a trek to the movie theater (gasp!)...we haven't done that in maybe a year?? I can't even remember. It's been wonderful sleeping in a bit too and not having to awaken during the night to cries and pee/poo issues. But, I'm ready for my babies to be home tonight and for the chaos to resume :) Anyway...so that's all I have for now...I need to clean the main part of my house before the rascals come home later. But, I'll end with some tidbits of info and some things I learned about myself and about my hubby this weekend:

• I am very emotionally attached to my things...I know there are worse packrats than me, but I am definitely up there with the best of them. But I am proud to say I detached myself a bit and got rid of some stuff that I've been hanging onto for too long .


• My hubby has me beat in the packrat department :) I was thrilled to learn this cuz it actually made me feel better about myself...he had waaaaaay more boxes of crap than I did! What's up with keeping ALL your toys from your childhood? He had boxes and boxes of legos, transformers, GI-Joes, matchbox car stuff...yikes! Good thing we have a boy to use them (or maybe that's bad cuz now we're keeping them even longer??)


• I am thankful for my mom who hopefully got rid of a lot of my old stuff from home...cuz it would overwhelm me to go through all my old toys and school papers like Kev had to do :)


• Luckily Kev does not get overwhelmed by stuff so he actually enjoyed going through his old stuff...and I had fun making fun of him and his old stuff :)


• Kev and I both agreed...it'd be awesome if our moms just came and cleared out our stuff for us....I've been told Kev's mom is great at that and I know my mom is too. Wouldn't that be fun, mom?!


• Kev and I both got some good laughs out of some old pics of ourselves (i.e....Kev as a young boy with buck teeth in an ugly plaid shirt and a tie...no wonder he never wears ties anymore...that memory must have scared him...it was hilarious! And Kev wearing a purple shirt and aqua plaid pants...he still loves those 80's colors :)) If I learn how to scan stuff I will have to copy some of these old pics of Kev and me and post them....you guys will totally crack up!


• Kev and I both agreed that we probably would not have been attracted to each other if we'd known each other in high school! :)


• We both agree...Dylan does NOT at all look like Kev as a child (you were right, Mom Stegs)...and I came across some old pics of me that I think completely resemble Dylan...so I guess he does have lots of my good ol' genes :)
• There were so, so many wonderful/emotional pics of me and all of my grandparents...one in particular that was so cute...my grandpa G pretending (or maybe really?) sleeping on the floor in our house in FL covered in my favorite sesame street blankie...and so, so many of me laughing and smiling with G&G F :) All great memories...but emotional to find and look through...


• I did not remember how large I was in my early college years. There are many pics of me in my first and second year of college and I had more than gained the freshman 15...I think I gained 30 (or more)...I remembered being slightly big (thank you, Calvin food), but had blocked most of that from my memory....and Kev was actually fairly skinny (which I remember also)...I think I need to post those pics....I'll work on that....


• I also came across some hilarious photos and notes from many of my old buds...Sulu, Stef, Wen, Cil, Hol, Lein, Laura V, Buffy oh my...some were hilarious! I have to admit...I've forgotten many of those old high school/college memories...but all the pictures brought the memories back
  
• I actually dumped old wedding stuff...that was a tough one to do....I even had old candy from 9 years ago from our wedding showers??!! What was I thinking?? Ewwww! But, I must say...I was a VERY organized bride...I was proud to learn that cuz I don't remember that.


• I have too many: Candles, frames, photo albums, vases, and crystal things (that must have been the "in thing" to give at weddings...or maybe it still is...but who really has room for crystal stuff (especially when they have kids)???) I guess it's a good "basement filler" for now :)
• In accordance with the last point...I've vowed to now burn a candle every day for the next 20 years cuz I think I have that much wax to burn! :)


• The number one thing I learned is to trust my husband and not get overwhelmed and just chill out...ok, so that's three things...the number one is to trust my hubby (which I do)...he could see the light at the end of the tunnel and I just could not. I basically told him Sat. morning that we were never gonna get that basement cleared out and I was just not going to even try (yes, I can be psycho sometimes as I you all know :))....so I need to learn to chill out....I guess that's why God gave me such a "chilled out" hubby :) I'm blessed! :)

Ok, so I know there is more stuff I learned about myself and my hubby, but I really do need to get my rear off this chair and get cleaning so I can be ready for an early viewing of the Pirate movie this afternoon. Hope you all had a great weekend.

P.S. How could I forget to thank Kev's awesome parents for taking ALL THREE of our kiddos for 3 whole days....wow, we are forever in debt to you and we sincerely hope you survived without too many "P" issues (aka pee/poo/puke :)). We actually only called Nina and Poppy once to check up on everything...and all seemed to be going well....I don't have many details...just they all seemed to sleep well and had fun at a water park yesterday. I'm sure I'll get more in dept info tonight from our chatty Hailey :) But, really, we can't thank you guys enough for letting us have this "alone time" to get stuff done (even though we didn't relax much I feel like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders...and that is a big thing for me!). So, thanks for taking on the task of corralling our 3 crazy kiddos all weekend. We love you guys!

Wonderful Weekend Ahead...Whohoo! :)

So, these are pics from last weekend...of our relaxing times at home...and in our new pool :)
Dylan was especially intrigued by the cup-holders in our "party pool"...he would fill them with water and drink the water like a dog...lapping it out and laughing with glee...too funny!
Even our neighbors, Hope and Ben, joined in the "party pool fun" :)
Then Shelby took a nice stroll down our driveway in her new Dora roller skates...we figured it was a good time to try them out with her skinned up face and all (just in case she did another face plant...which she did not :))
All smiles in her 3rd bathing suit of the day (we figured out later she had probably peed in the last one :)) Sneeky girl :)

And here is our "cat-loving" boy giving his feline friends some lovin'...believe it or not our cats actually LOVE Dylan and he is so gentle with them just laying his head on them and talking to them in his own kitty language. Can we say "future vet"??!!

Well, the week has quickly gone by thanks to the marvelous times at Vacation Bible School (or VBX as our church calls it these days :)). And it was a great ol' time for me being a craft "fairy" :) (BTW...we're called "faires" cuz often we take home the unfinished kid products and then miraculously they come back completely done...so we were labeled that lovely name years ago)...Anyway...so it was a crazy, but fun week in the world of crafts...there was lots of paintin' and colorin' and sand art and tye-dyin'...it was a craft haven in the fellowship hall of our church :) Today the kids made a craft to give to kids in Mexico...really cool and I loved how the theme today was "serve" and the craft was incoorperated in that. Anyway...so the fun REACTION VBX has almost come to a close. I say "almost" cuz we still have our closing program tonight (the kids sing and Hailey actually has a speaking part/verse to say)...and then we have a big carnival/science fair thingy after with free food and fun stuff for the kids. The whole shin dig was supposed to be outside, but the weather has been a bit crummy today, so we'll see. Either way it'll be fun (for the kids at least :)). Lil' Shelba has had a heck of a week this week. She doesn't take well to very busy schedules and takes even worse to "no nap" days...and then again even worse to days when daddy has to work very late. It has been one of "those weeks". Every morning was an early morning and a "get up and go" morning too, which is hard on her (and all of us)...and then half of the week we had places to go after VBX. Yesterday it was the pool....and that was just a big mistake waiting to happen...first we get there and some one had done their "do do" in the kiddie pool, so it was closed for the day. Well, that was bad news right away cuz that meant I had to take all three kids in the big pool by myself. Not cool. Anyway...long story short...both Dylan and Shelby were crying cuz both wanted one-on-one mommy time and neither wanted to be in the big pool so we ended up leaving...but this was after being there 2 1/2 hours...so I proud of us 4 making it that long in a VERY crowded pool with no "kiddie pool" to use. Anyway...but the week has been a long one for Shelby and even Dylan. They both had their moments of insanity, but who can blame them with a busier than normal schedule. Overall it was a good time this week. Shelby loved singing and dancing at VBS. Our church really goes all out...matching t-shirts and CD's and all kinds of free stuff....I took a few pics, but they are still on my camera so that'll have to wait. But, it's a spendid event...the whole thing is always awesome. I believe we had like 700 kids this year...and we raised like $5,000 for mission work. Hailey was so sweet...she even gave her own money out of her piggy bank...she has a very giving heart. Shelby on the other hand wanted to keep all the money we gave her to give in the "bucket" offering....I guess that's normal for a 3 yr old...can't blame her :) So, it's been a busy, but fun week...and the girls have come home with wonderful new knowledge of God wanting us to be servants in this world. Shelby was mostly fascinated by the robot and that the girls got to take off their shoes if they went on stage :) Ha! But, Hailey got a little deeper than that with her thoughts for the week. And the big news for VBX next year is that I (and another girl) will be leading the elementary crafts. I'm a little nervous about that (as I don't consider myself a crafty person), but I figure it can't be that hard to come up with some cute arsty stuff, right?! So, wish me luck! I guess I'll be a craft queen now instead of a fairy since I'm movin' up in the ranks :)

And onto other news....yay, yay, yay...the weekend is here and guess what??!!!! Kev and I are "getting rid of" ALL the kids this weekend (or for 3 whole days, I should say!) Whahoo!!!! (Ok, can you tell I'm excited??!!!) I can't wait for some quiet time with my hubby. He's had a long week this week with a project due so he must really be looking forward to relaxing too! Kev's wonderful parents (aka Nina and Poppy Stegs) are taking all three kiddos to their house til Monday night. So, not only will we have all weekend alone, but I'll have Monday to myself. Oh my! What will I do with myself! I'll will be wallowing in the aloneness I'm sure :) But, really...we are so thankful to Kev's parents for this time...it's not gonna be a real relaxing time (though we do hope to sleep in late and maybe go out to a movie...two things we haven't done in ages)...mostly we'll be organizing the dungeons of our basement, but it'll still be quieter than normal with less responsibility. I hope Kev's parents are up for the challenge of three kids. I think they'll do just fine and hopefully Shelby will keep her pee issues in check and Dylan will keep his diapers tidy and his mouth free from vomit :) It should be a wild-n-crazy time at Nina and Poppy's. Anyway...speaking of which I should get the kiddos packed and ready to go. So, hope you all have a spendid weekend. I know we will....though I know it'll be eerily quiet too and sometimes after a day of that I start to get weepy missing the craziness and chaos! :) I love you, my three sweet babies...I hope you have fun without mommy and daddy this weekend.

On a lil' sad side note. I just looked at the calendar and tomorrow would have been my grandpa F's 86th b-day. It makes me sad to think about his birthday because he had such big plans for this coming year of his life...he was hoping to visit WI and see some of his old stompin' grounds and my mom and I were even hoping he could see the cottage in MI and maybe take the ferry over Lake MI...it would have been neat and we were all looking forward to it. But it wasn't meant to be. So, I was just thinking about my grandpa a lot today and wondering how he's doing up in heaven. Maybe he and my grandma will have a party up there tomorrow in celebration of his life here on earth...he sure lived a good one, that's for sure! Love you, grandpa! :)

My New Look...

Well, I think the new spectacles are growing on me :) What do you think? (I think they make me look just like my mom...which is great, of course! :)) And, I think they make me look a bit distinguished...maybe even "intelligent" (and who doesn't want to look brilliant even when they really aren't...Ha! :)) Anyway...it's been a "growing experience" getting new glasses (and actually wearing them a little more) and I'm kinda liking it. Granted I still think I look better in contacts and I only sport these "babies" in the late night and early morning...but still...for once in my life I don't mind being a "little miss four eyes" :)

Goin' Nuts over Noodles :)

Ok, so this will be a brief post today, but I wanted you all to see proof of what we're dealing with here with our little "fussy eater". I took this picture last night as he was was being force fed a piece of noodle. All day yesterday he caused quite a commotion over food. He would even go hysterical at the sight of the unwanted food in his bowl sitting on the counter (yes, pretty sad). So you can imagine the horrendous fight it was to get a noodle in his mouth at dinner...cuz he is a strong boy as ya' know. But, daddy Kev helped and we made two successful attempts and swallows of pieces of noodle. Granted it was quite an ordeal, but just the same it was a "baby step" of success :) And we'll take all we can get for now. So, while I'm not completely satisfied with our little fuss-bucket...I am trying to keep an open mind that in his "own time" he will eat good food. And I must say the "extra praise" helped a lot (thanks for reminding me, Sulu!)...he started to gag a few times while the noodle went down and we quick started yelping and hollering "whohoo, Dylan...good boy...big boy...way to go!!!" And he was so surprised at our outburst that he swallowed those slippery lil' noodles! Yippee! So, while I know it's a very small hurdle and that he could very well puke today with the same process of events...it's still a baby step that I would like to relish for at least a few more hours :)

Anyway...I hope you all are having a great week. It's been crazy this week for us with VBX (aka VBS) at our church. I've been labeled a "craft fairy" and today was tye dye day so my hands are covered in dye (lovely)...oh well...it's been fun and the kids have loved being busy every morning...but I am looking forward to our quiet weekend ahead (more details on that later :)).

And on a lil' side note...I do want to say....I hope none of you read my blog and all my rants and raves and think I've completely lost it or I've gone over the edge....cuz that's totally not the case with my life and my kids (or Kev either). I think we all have our "moments of insanity" and I just find it nice to post about many of mine and make part of our lives "an open book" of sorts. I think it helps me. But, I must say for all the complaining I do I truly am doing just fine with life and with my kids. As I told my mom today...I'm only overwhelmed maybe 5% of the time...the rest of the days/hours/minutes/seconds, I'm doing just fine (which I think is pretty good for a mama of three young ones...yes, I am patting myself on the back a bit :)). So, I hope none of you worry about my sanity or the effects it may have on my 3 sweet kids. We really are livin' a good ol' life and while we're not perfect we have a pretty good control over things and we really do enjoy our family (as crazy as some days may be and usually are :)). Kev and I often joke that we may as well add another dozen to our brood (that's a word, right??) :) We really do enjoy the chaos and I definitely must say the good outweighs the bad by far! Love ya'll! And have no fear...I am as sane as I ever was (which may not have been much to begin with :))

Issues...

As usual these pics have nothing to do with the post today, but just wanted to post them anyway...I love this one of Dylan sitting in Shelby's chair...doesn't he look like such a big boy watching Hailey play tennis...he sat in this chair for a loooong time (which is odd cuz he never sits anymore :))
I know I posted a pic like this before, but how sweet does our Shelby look (pre-face plant)...BTW...the scratches and bruises are almost gone already! :)
Some awesome tennis moves by Hailey :)
Nina in FL would be so proud of her fellow lefty tennis playing granddaughter :) Look at that follow-through! And then me and the kids on Memorial day below...

All right...it's gonna be "honesty day" today and instead of a bright cheery post I'm gonna talk about the "issues" of our household. So, I really don't try to hide that fact that 3 kiddos can be somewhat overwhelming somedays...we all know even having one child is no easy walk in the park. But, I also try to focus on the positives cuz all-in-all being a mama of three is pretty awesome and I wouldn't change a thing about my life right now. And with the good comes some bad and with the happiness comes some tears and with the craziness...well, comes more craziness...so here's the lowdown on our household issues at the moment...

1) Shelby issues: (and believe me....there are more than I am just writing down :))....all right...so we were doing soooo good on the potty thing...I really thought we were on the home stretch as far as panties and all that....she was dry as a bone all day...no accidents...efficient trips to the potty, and no complaints from anyone...well, then this weekend hit. I don't know what set her off onto a differrent track, but she's been peeing all over our floors all weekend...and that's not the worst part of it...the worst part is we had no clue til last night (so, yes, that was two days she was peeing on our floors and not telling us). You would think the wadded up wet toilet paper on the floor would have clued us in (she likes to clean up her messes :))...but we all actually thought she had dripped water from our pool outing (on Sat.) and was just using toilet paper to clean that up (she has an obsession with toilet paper...it's a multi-purpose cleaning tool for her...she much prefers it to paper towel or actual towels :))...Anyway...sooo....last night we finally figured out that the wet "water" we had slipped and slided on the day before in the bathroom was indeed urine :) LOVELY! :( We only figured this out cuz last night we found her secretly changing her wet pants upstairs and saw water (urine) foot prints all over our upstairs (we knew it was not water this time due to "no pool use that day") :( Not cool! Kev was pretty furious at her cuz if he hadn't discovered it we would have never known she even did that. Ugh....so, now what. I really have no clue why she's reverted back to accidental urination, but she has......today was fine (and I worried cuz she was at VBS all morning...but no accidents thankfully...phew!). But, I was pretty bummed about the "bad weekend of pee"....we were getting so close to even wearing just panties to sleep at night...now we've backtracked again. I know this is all normal with "potty-trainers"...but with Hailey...once she was potty trained (22 mos) she was even potty-trained at night (or maybe that's just the way I chose to remember it for our child prodigy :))...for now we'll just keep trucking along and doing our best with the little "urinator".

2) Another Shelby Issue: This one kind of goes along with the last one....LYING :( I don't know where she picked this up or why all of sudden she's doing it...but she's been lying like crazy the last few days. It's weird cuz her lies are totally believable so now I wonder if she's been lying for a long time. Like today she told me she was so mad she just threw her shirt in the garbage (well, she wasn't wearing a shirt and she's been known to throw things away on her own and we all know she has a little temper on her)...so I really thought she did. Nope...it was in her room on her bed?? Now, I know that's not really a bad lie...but still...come on! The worst lies lately have been to blame things on Hailey...oh boy...now the fun sibling rivalry is really starting. Hailey is getting pretty fired up about it too (can't blame her)...so this should get interesting :) I just can't see my "sweet" little Shelby maliciously lying...so I'm perplexed by all this. She's also been saying she's "pooping" with many of her "potty breaks"...and I fear that is a lie too just to get an extra treat...but how can I say, "I don't believe you pooped" when she's already flushed the evidence down the toilet? :) I really want to nip this in the bud now...it's just not cool to lie :( Ugh!

And on a funny/side note...the little "pee on the floor/lier" is now calling herself "Shelba"....it's actually pretty funny and she even refers to herself in the first person (i.e...Shelba doesn't like that, Shelba wants this, Shelba wants that...blah, blah)...I laugh cuz it's kind of like she has an alter ego or a second personality...I think "Shelba" is the crazy/psycho personality which has reared it's ugly head a lot this weekend :) Nothing like having two personalities in your child to make life more "fun"...I guess it's appropriate for our wild child though :)

3) Ok...so beyond Shelby we are having some Dylan issues. I've not really wanted to admit to this, but this boy of ours is still not eating normally. And even worse...I know he CAN, but he WON'T...he is a little "mental" when it comes to what goes in his oral cavity :( So, I was pretty laid back with him here for awhile...I didn't want to force the issue being as he's been a "non-vomiter" for only a couple months. Well, now it's June and it's time to bite the bullet and get our 16 month old to be a man and eat some real/good food. So, the issue at hand is this: He can and will eat ANY type of snack (goldfish, crackers, cheerios, etc)...he can bite/chew/swallow anything really (as he should be with 12 teeth!)...no issues anymore with chewing stuff...but once you put anything remotely nutricious in front of him he either smashes it into smithereens on his tray or he hurls it at you with great glee in his eyes (as if to say...I'm not eating that healthy crap!) So, what to do??? This weekend we buckled down and "force fed" him...and by that I mean...I held his hands and his face and actually opened his mouth while Kev forced veggies/chicken/rice in him....it was not a pretty sight...not only did he scream like a girl (yes, he can beat any girl in a screaming match)...but he cried like a little baby (which I guess is normal for a toddler) with HUGE tears coming down his big red cheeks...and he went completely ballistic...then he reverted to his "ol' vomiter ways"....gagging, choking and then (you guessed it)...big ol' barfest! :( Ugh...I guess I've gotten spoiled the last few months with no pukin', cuz I just about lost it....I stripped him down to his diaper and would not put clothes back on him or feed him anything else for an hour. So, now what do we do? I wish I had some advice on this one. This is truly all a big mental thing for him...cuz I know he can eat good stuff...he just won't...all he eats all day is yogurt, applesauce, and pureed sweet potatoes (and the applesause and potatoes you have to hold his hands down and semi-force feed)...I'm just tired of it. Plus he'll eat any snack under the sun...just nothing with real nutritional value. What is wrong with this picture and can anyone suggest how to get healthier foods in our boy? We've really not had this issue with the girls. If he's not eating better in 2 mos he has to go back to therapy and I just don't want to go that route again :( I'm frustrated to say the least and just wanting him to snap out of this kind of like he did before...but I fear this will be a real battle on a daily basis...God give me strength!

4) Dylan's second issue (and one that might be influencing this last issue)...is his teeth. The poor boy has been up screaming bloody murder the last two nights. It's been awful. I believe he's getting three molars at once and I can't blame him for being beside himself with "molar" pain...but he's almost been inconsoleable at times. It's so unlike him really...we've gotten very spoiled with Dylan...he actually got a whole mouthful of teeth and never complained. We know what the reverse is like thanks to Shelby and her constant crying about everything in the past and present :) But, having Dylan complain is a new concept. I just feel badly for the boy. So, maybe that is aiding in his "eating healthy" issues...but I highly doubt it...I just think he's gonna be like his daddy...one who loves junk (and who and I'm kidding...I'm a junk-o-holic too :)).

Well, so there ya' have it...a few "simple" issues that we're going through. I was racking my brains thinking of some Hailey issues, but she's pretty stable right now. And we all know I have some major issues, but that could take a month to post about so I won't put that out on the table today :) And, Kev...he's just a man of little confict or issue....I'm sure he would disagree...but that's how I see it. For now, that's all I got. I will end on a cute note though. Shelby has been so funny lately (as she usually is) with her little comments and phrases. Last week she told us a whole list of things she wants to be when she grows up....my favorites were "a police car" (yes, she said CAR...she could care less about being the police officer...she just wants to be the car :)...she's got obvious priorities...and who can blame her...their cars are cool!). Ok, and this one gave Kev and I good chuckle....she also wants to be a "player" when she grows up. So, she was probably referring to being a tennis player or some other great sport's athlete, but Kev and I just died laughing thinking that our daughter wanted to be a "player" (a nice "slang" way of defining a person who has more than one romantic interest at a time...I'm sure you can think of another name for that :)) Now what parent wouldn't be proud of their daughter that aspired to be that! :) Ha, Ha! Ok, so I just had to share that with you and share some of our "woes" too :) :( I must say we had a delightful weekend of just loafing off and doing nothing! It was glorious! I even got a 2 hour nap in yesterday (blissful!) I love lazy weekends...they are the best! The kids just played around the house, made tents, played in our lil' pool and hung out with neighbors...life is good! Love ya'll!

Hello Summer Vacation! :)

The Award winning 1st grader on her last day of school! :)
Hailey and her awesome teacher (and her baby Gabriel-in utero) :) We love you, Mrs. T and we'll miss you next year! :)
Hailey and her best 1st grade buddy, Jennifer...gotta love those goofy (aka scary) faces...and, of course, lil' Shelby had to join in the fun...she's all about crazy faces :)
My handsome little man...don't you just want to reach out and kiss his sweet cheeks!
Hailey in the vine maze at Wonderlab (she's actually at the top here and we are on the second floor taking the picture)...it's so cool!

The fun parachute contraption at Wonderlab...Shelby and Hailey loved this (much to Dylan's dismay who would scream at the sight of the parachutes falling from the sky...I guess our boy won't be a daredevil :))
Shelby LOVED looking at the beehive...yes, they are real bees....if you could actually see more of her expression it IS priceless :)
This was also a big hit with the girls (and a big screamfest for Dylan)...it's like a vacuum system that spits out hankies and balls :) Too funny...but not to Dylan who was beside himself in hysterics over it :( And then below is our "bug loving girl" gazing lovingly at hissing cockroaches...she was fascinated by them :) That's our Shelby girl! Gotta love a girl that has a heart for bugs :)

Well, it's been a crazy little week for our normally crazy little gang...so many things have happened and I'm ready for the weekend to be here...yay! We actually have NOTHING planned again for this weekend (oh my!)...I'm looking forward to having nothing to do and the kids are hoping daddy will break out the pool (it's a new one that we've never used which is always extra exciting)...so we'll see how that goes....anyway....because I'm kinda feeling lazy I think I'm gonna turn this post into bullet points cuz they are a good way to put a hodge-podge of info in one post w/o making it seem horribly menotenous :) So here it goes....

• Hailey said bye bye to 1st grade on Wed. It was bittersweet really. It was sad leaving her teacher (we LOVE Mrs. T. and she actually said she wants to "hang out" with us this summer...wow, we feel special!)...and as always Hailey left many friends in the hopes of making new ones next year in 2nd grade (oh the joys of public school). I did attend the Honor's Day awards ceremony...I was so proud of Hailey for her attendance award (for missing less than 3 days this year) and citizenship award (didn't quite get how she got that or what it was about...but it's nice to know she's a good citizen...who wouldn't want that said about them :)). The ceremony was crazy for me as Shelby decided she had to go pee right as Hailey was gonna get her awards and then Dylan decided he'd cry the whole time (not like him, but it was nap time in his defense). I vowed not to attempt to go to a school function again w/o help (Mom...I soooo wished you were there with me!)
  
• I think we've already covered more than half the "things to do on summer vacation" in the last two days....yesterday we spent almost all day at Wonderlab (it's Bloomy's Children's science museum)...the kids had a ball and it actually wasn't too stressful for me trying to keep track of three kids on my own (I think I'm gettin' the hang of it finally!) :) Anyway...it was a fun time (thanks to our church who gave me some free tickets!) Hailey's fav. thing was climbing the vine thingy all the way up to the ceiling (almost) and Shelby loved the "freezing shadows" and the parashute machine (which scared Dylan to death and made him scream hysterically) :) And Dylan...he was just happy to go up and down stairs for 3 hours...go figure :)


• Today we braved the sun and went to our community pool...it was crazy, but still fun. I admit today I felt a little overwhelmed. It's one thing to watch 3 kids on your own, but it's an entirely different thing to do it around a pool and fear for their safety and try to keep track of them in the midst of hundreds of crazy wet people. But, we stayed for 3 hours and Hailey hung out with her buddy from school that thankfully showed up and Shelby just ran around doing her own thing. Even Dylan made a friend with an 11 month old boy and they threw the ball back and forth :) Now we're all whipped...something about the pool and sun and chasing 3 kids around that takes it all out of you! I admit I did let Dylan "go under" once...I turned my head for just a sec. to look for Shelby and under he went on the steps...he was bobbing only for a second, but it scared him and me....phew :( But, I will say he is like a little fishy in the water...I knew he loved water from bathtub experiences...but he has no fear in the pool...jumping off the side and splashing all around like a crazy man...he'll be a hoot in swimming lessons next month!


• And I think I mentioned in a previous post how our girls almost never fight...well, I take that back...ever since school's been out they've been bickering like there's no tomorrow...what is up with that?! Not cool! Maybe Shelby's not used to Hailey being here all day and Hailey just wants to rile Shelby up...but it's getting on my last nerve! Why can't we all just get along.


• The girls are still snoozin' in tents. Ok...maybe I didn't mention that last weekend...but the girls both decided last Sat. to break out their tents....Hailey has been sleeping in her bed tent every day and lovin' it...and Shelby was sleeping in her tent on the floor until 2 nights of sleepless nights forced us to make her move back into her bed :) Hmmm....maybe we might have to try outdoor camping one of these days...I hear my buddy, Amanda, did it with her 4 kids...if she can do it so can I! :)


• 2 years ago today we found out we were expecting Dylan...no I don't actually have that on my calendar, but I just remember it cuz it was also the day Kevin's grandmother passed away from cancer. Hard to believe 2 years have gone by since all that. I remember it like it was yesterday...Kevin's parent's called early in the morning to tell us the sad news, then later in the day our doctor's office called and told us the exciting HCG news...it was a bittersweet day...a life ending and a life beginning.


• We're bracing ourselves for VBS (Vacation Bible School) coming up next week at our church...only at SOCC it's called VBX (they did away with the school part :))...I will be aiding in elementary crafts and it's pretty darn fun actually. I can't even remember the theme this year...something with chemical Reactions (I'm sure it's more biblically based, but I'm drawing a blank)? We'll see how Dylan does with his first VBX experience :) It's always a week of fun and a busy time too...so it'll be early (cranky) mornings for us all week...yay :)


• Dylan finally injured one of us (namely his biggest sis) yesterday. He threw one of the good ol' matchbox cars at her head and now she has a big blue bump to show it. Way to go, Brother! :) He does have an awesome arm for a 16 month old!


• Sad to say but we had another "run-in" with the pavement today for poor Shelby Gracie. This time was not as bad as last where we left part of her face on the ground (ouch!)...but this one could have been worse cuz she fell flat on her face in the middle of the grocery store parking lot (as cars were whizzing by no less)...ugh! And, yes, I admit I let her wear the "bad flip flips" again...am I a glutten for punishment??!! I guess so. But, I'm thinking the "flip flops" might need to mysteriously disappear this weekend...we'll see what wise Daddy Kev says about that :) I fear we might be in for more face planting if we don't dispose of the nasty footwear :(


• Well, I've got some sad/bad news, friends :( We did indeed get the slip-n-slide out last weekend and I was almost gonna go on it (even in less than favorable temps), but the then I saw the BIG warning on it that said "you cannot be over like 5 foot tall or 110lbs)...well, let's just say I am "over the limit" for both of those"...so I'm not sure I can legally/safely go on the slide :) Ha, Ha...ok...lame excuse I know...but I would feel really, really bad if I went on it and busted the whole things to smithereens :( What kind of mom would do that?! That would be very traumatic for the children to watch :) So, I'm not sure you'll ever get to see those pics of my flying through the air/water (and I know you've all been waiting on pins and needles :)). So, I'm not saying "never"...but it will have to be very enticing to me (aka a VERY HOT day) to "break the slip-n-slide law". We shall see!
  

Well, that's all I got for today, folks. I really thought I had some more exciting things to say, but I guess the sun fried my brain today and I just can't think of anything more. Hope you all have a super relaxing and warm, sunny weekend. I'm praying for that for us! I'll try to post next week in the midst of VBS mahem, but who knows! Until then...