Christmas and organizing!!!!

Christmas is so fun now that Olivia really gets it, and Logan is so sweet, he didn't even notice that Olivia had more presents to open. (That will change soon, I am sure!) The meaning of Christmas is so big now that the kids are here. When I think that Mary had baby Jesus and that he was the Son of God, it is overwhelming! I have always "appreciated" the Christmas story, but now that I am a mom (perhaps I can relate more) it means everything to me. Now we have the honor of sharing this story and the gift of Jesus with two little children who are seeing the world through big eyes, just taking it all in.

It really is so much fun to see their faces on Christmas morning, that is all the gift I need!

Olivia ready for Christmas Eve

At Grandma and Apu's, more cars and airplanes, which one is the kid?

This is just a random picture of Olivia hanging upside down on the bathroom sink. I used to do this at my house growing up. I think there is a story about some hallway pictures and a thermostat that came down once during a gymnastics in the hallway session....

Now, onto the organizing. Since it seems like we we put our tree up in August (not really, mid-November) I was ready for it to come down! So we took it down today and it felt so good to get the living room de-cluttered. I am usually a little bummed about putting Christmas away, it can make the house feel so bare, but this year it energized me to organize!!!! So of course, off to Target we went today for some more totes to organize all of the kids toys!!!! Its a start! Now if Tommy could just just dig a basement under our house I would really be on a roll!!!

Sleepless in Indianapolis

For that last few weeks, we have been awakened in the night (around 3 until about 4:30) by Logan practicing letters, playing with a word toy, and talking to his Jay Jay plane all while confined to his crib (thank you crib tent!). This is really all fine, I do enjoy hearing him play in his bed (for about 10 minutes, then I am off to dreamland), until last night. Last night it was fussing and crying for over an hour. I guess it is time to start altering nap time. He is CLEARLY not tired from 3-4:30, but guess what? Mommy IS. I fear that gone are the days of letting him sleep as long as he wants (2- 2/1 hours) in the afternoon, during which Olivia and I get our alone time to play "big kid games". I remember altering Olivia's nap schedule when she was nearing the end of her naps, but I didn't really think this time would come for Logan until he was about 14. (or maybe I was praying it wouldn't :))

Family Heirloom/Jungle Gym

We have been blessed with a family heirloom that I just love! This hutch has so much history, it came to Indiana on a covered wagon. I love to hear stories of all of the generations who have enjoyed it. I am sure one day the top will hold our china and other family treasures, but today it holds things we don't want little hands to touch. The bottom is a play gym for the kids. It is neat to hear stories about my mom playing in it as a child at her grandmother's house. Now its Olivia and Logan's turn.

(blurry picture of Logan, but I love that I captured his mischievous smile)

We decided to give Logan a turn at painting! His first time to make a huge mess with paints! He did not disappoint, and he had a great time.

Quote of the day:

After getting in trouble for not listening.

Olivia: "I love you mom, you are the best mom ever. God made a good choice."

Determination! and royal business

Most of my days seem to be centered around the kids, but on the rare occasion I have a project I want to do, I can get pretty determined to get it done! (Remember the chocolate wall). Today my project was making chocolate covered pretzels. I had some help from Olivia for awhile, then she was on to something else....

Making a homemade clothesline out of the sweeper cord.

After Logan's nap, he found the sweeper attachment amusing.

The kids lunched on popcorn, grapes and cereal bars in front of the TV, because I had momentum and didn't want to stop! Olivia is dressed and ready to take care of her "royal business" as she calls it, right after lunch!

So far, 6 bags of pretzels done. I will save the rest for after bedtime tonight! Whew!

Here is a picture of Olivia's foot while she was sleeping, I couldn't resist!

These pictures make me happy.

Recent Olivia quotes:

"I can't believe Babe Ruth is dead!" (Daddy taught her alot about the greatest baseball player ever!"

"Don't worry about it mom" (Wow, thanks for the reassurance sis!)

"Its hopeless!" (Trying to play, with Logan interrupting)

"Look mom, Rudolph the red nose" (for some reason she leaves of "reindeer")

Do you know the song that goes like this: "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand" Olivia's version is like this: "On Christ the solid rock I stand, mother brown is sinking sand" It is so hard not to laugh right out loud on this one!

Highlights from our week

To start, I didn't realize I had my pictures on this setting, but our computer is so slow tonight (running anti-spyware) that I don't want to try to fix it!

Here are some pictures from our week. Tommy ordered a surf board for a wine display and the kids had a ball with it!

I got some action shots of the kids "exercising" (my justification for letting them jump on and off of the bed)!

Shopping with Gigi, Brad, Kerri and the kids!
Logan and Silas, Olivia and Isabel (I didn't get a picture of Nolan! sorry buddy!)

Olivia looking at toys (I love the outfit she picked for shopping! a swim suit cover-up, pink poofy skirt, tights and tap shoes. She was sliding all over the place!)

And Logan kissing the mama!

Tommy and the kids making a birdhouse out of a cardboard box. Olivia amazes me with her creativity! I will have to post an after picture soon.

Sorry this post is so choppy, I don't think I do well with the pictures like this. Everyone have a great week before Christmas!!!!


Also! Notice the big boy underwear!!!! Logan is using the potty now (just at home)! I know this is hardly newsworthy but for this momma it is huge!!!

Stumped

I am having a little bit of a hard time with Olivia's Christmas gift ideas. She is ever changing in her interests and I am having a hard time keeping up! She has entire drawer full of barbies, polly pockets, etc that we aren't really playing with right now. An entire drawer of dress-up princess stuff, some of which is new from her birthday. She dresses up now mainly when she has friends over. She hasn't played with her Little Tykes kitchen in ages, so I volunteered to give it to a family at church for their little girl, and then yesterday Olivia asked for a grocery cart and groceries! ugh! She is really into crafts right now, making something all day long. So lots of markers and paper will do just fine. However, my big ebay find for her was a big lot of princess stuff, puzzles, books, pretend make-up, and some other things for $10 plus shipping. I wanted to wrap everything up separately and it would be 8 gifts! So hopefully she will be into princess stuff in 2 weeks, we will see! The other things on her list includes: a magnifying glass, camera, and stickers. Wonderful and totally random.



Logan is much easier at this stage, cars, trucks, trains, balls. Easy.



Is anyone else finding it hard to keep up with their childs current interest?

Pick-me-up

I was in need of a pick-me-up today and luck would have it that I have a friend who is GREAT at cutting hair and charges less than HALF of what I paid in a salon. Her name is Laurie and she cuts hair on the side in her home. She is a stay at home mom, which means that when I feel like a pick-me-up (like today) and needed a trim and some layers, she says "come right over!" I can even take the kids, they love to play at her house while I get pampered! If anyone is interested in getting a great cut at a great price email me and I will give you her number! (She is on the southside of Indianapolis).

Swim in the water!!!!

This is a very unhappy Logan. He found the swim diapers today and wanted to wear one. Then he stood at the back door and cried: "Swim in the water!" Poor guy, its going to be awhile punkin!

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I am really missing my grandmas this time of year. It stinks that we lost them both this year. I was reading over a recipe recently that made me think of Grandma W.'s oatmeal cookies. She was a GREAT cook! I cleaned and rearranged the kids rooms today. That makes me miss Grandma M. She gave me the gene that LOVES change in my home! All I have to do is move some furniture around and I am giddy! I am so thankful for my many memories of my grandmas.

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This picture just makes me happy. :)

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Sidenote: I think I have an ebay addiction. I have recently purchased the kids christmas gifts (for $22 total), a refurbished camera, shoes for Tommy ($7.99 compared to $90 in the store!) among other things... I get so excited to find bargains! Anyone else on the ebay bandwagon?

They forgot to tell the mall...

Driving by the mall in our area that is PACKED with cars ALL the time, you would NEVER know that the country is in an economic recession or downturn, or whatever term we are using today. Our gas is $1.41 today compared to $4.15 earlier this fall. While I think this is good, economists are telling me it is bad. Interesting. Just some random thoughts on the economy. Praise God He is our provider! He never goes into recession!

Ballerina Diva... and parental miscommunication

Tommy loves playing baseball with the kids, and who needs to be outside to play? Olivia has to pick out her baseball outfit and this is what she chose today!

She got alot of ballerina outfits for her birthday. So she has been playing fashion show alot lately. Here is one of her creations..

Cartwheels on the bed, with Logan in the background getting ready to touch the picture! NO LOGAN! (wonder how many times a day I say that?)

Our sweeties pausing for just a second.

We traveled a little with Tommy this week. While stopping in a Krispy Kreme in Lafayette for coffee for the super-tired momma, Tommy and I had some parental miscommunication. He admitted to me afterwards that he doesn't always hear what I say. WHAT? I am shocked! :)

Stacey: "Can we please stop for coffee and a potty break for me."

Tommy: "Sure, not sure what you have been saying to me for the past 10 years but I did hear that you need coffee" (I inserted the last part after I learned he doesn't always listen. shocker).

Pulling into Krispy Kreme

Stacey (whispering): Please don't tell Olivia we are at the "donut store""

Olivia: "This looks like Papa Johns"

Tommy: "It looks like Papa Johns, but it is actually the donut store" (What did I JUST say?)

Olivia: "Please mommy, will you get me something. Daddy, are you serious? Is this really the donut store?"

Stacey : "Good one babe, way to listen."

I was laughing so hard, and then when Tommy admitted he doesn't always hear me, I was rolling on the floor. Really? Like I didn't notice this after 10 years? It feels so good to have a good laugh.

Double Delicious Cookie Bars

I think this recipe has been around for awhile, but this was my first time making it. It was a hit at Thanksgiving yesterday! (I think it is very similar to Magic Cookie Bars without the coconut).




1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 c graham cracker crumbs (I used Oreo cookies crumbs)
1 14oz can of sweetened condensed milk
1 12oz bag chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350degrees. In a 13x9 inch pan, melt butter in oven on low heat. Sprinkle crumbs evenly over margarine. (I used a little more Oreo crumbs than called for to make more of a crust). Pour milk evenly over crumbs. Top with chocolate chips, press down firmly. Bake 25-30 mins or until lightly browned. Cool, cut into bars.

SOOOO easy and yummy!!!

One of those days, Thanksgiving style....

Why is it, that the day before the day of the year when we are supposed to be SO thankful, I have a bad day. I am just having one of those frustrating days. I wouldn't trade my life for ANYTHING! and as I tried to explain my frustration to Tommy, I just felt guilty. The thing is, other jobs in the world, allow for sick days, vacation days and paid time off. AND if someone is just plain having a bad day, they can even lie and call in sick. I tried that, the stay-at-home mom HR line was busy this morning.

Homemade Ornaments

This year the kids have been very involved in our Christmas tree, from arranging the garland, to rearranging the garland and rearranging the garland some more! Now we are making homemade snowman ornaments! I have really enjoyed watching Olivia have so much fun with this and I love that she has a lot of pride in what she is making! She loves to put them on the tree and I can tell she has a real feeling of accomplishment. I am so blessed that Tommy has an un-ending bucket of patience he brings with him to the craft table!

Tommy's Ornament

Olivia's ornament

Logan's contribution: dumping all of the stickers. Thanks Logan! As I was walking away I heard Tommy say "Don't do that Logan, now mommy has to pick them up!" (Excuse me????)

And then Logan locked himself in Olivia's room AND this am he ran out of the front door and was half way down the cul-de-sac before I could catch him! While in his jammies. This has been a rough day of being in a lot of trouble for our little guy!

Olivia's picture: "Mom, this is a picture of my bones, these are my hands, my arm and my jaw!

My baking tip of the day (better write this one down, I don't have many baking/cooking tips!): When a recipe calls for a 9x13 pan, you really should use a 9x13 pan. I wouldn't recommend using a smaller pan while trying to adjust the ingredients. It didn't work for me today! I will post my yummy recipe (it still tastes good, but looks terrible) when I get a new pan.

Olivia is 4!

Today is Olivia's actual birthday, but she is taking after her mommy and we have been celebrating all week!

Happy Birthday Sweet Girl!

Please tell me no one saw that!!!

Do you ever have one of those moments where your reaction to a situation is so embarrassing, at least you think it was, because you really had an out of body experience? Today I noticed a tear in a garbage bag full of garbage in our garage. So I got another bag to double-bag. While I was in the process of placing the first bag in the second, a MOUSE jumped out of the bag! I was screaming and doing some sort of jitter-bug dance. Olivia was mortified. I pray that no one else saw my reaction, but how can I ever be sure? I am still not over it! EWWWW!!!!

LOVING this time of year!!

Last night we kicked off our week-long celebration of Olivia for her birthday (but really don't we celebrate the kids EVERYDAY???) by putting up the Christmas tree, having a fire in the fireplace and snuggling up all together to watch Charlie Brown Christmas. I put the tree and the lights up and Olivia decorated with the garland she picked out herself! Today she has been adding more garland-type decorations and re-arranging them over and over. I am thinking we should leave the tree up forever and just use it as entertainment!

Olivia is also busy saving the world today as Kimpossible (sp?). Running from couch to ottoman to chair, yelling "I am saving the world!!!" Whew, we can all rest easy tonight. Does anyone recognize the dress? This is the dress from last year that Olivia literally wore EVERYDAY for about 4 months, I washed it almost every day and when it got cold she would layer. She found it the other day (I must keep it to show her when she gets older) and has been wearing it as a short dress with pants.

Tommy surprised the kids and came home for lunch! Logan got a new "Jay, Jay" as he calls airplanes and couldn't wait to show dad!

A good love story

Tommy was gone tonight for a work function, so I put the kids to bed early and watched Made of Honor. CUTE movie! Good chick-flick for all of you with husbands like mine who ROLLED their eyes when this particular movie came in the mail (Netflix). I love a good love story, makes me remember the early years of my own love story. (Wow, apparently they also make me sappy!) OK, back to real life, where a kiss with my hubby involves two little people pulling on our legs, asking for a "bubby and sissy sandwich" (We hold them in the middle and have a family hug). Right now this stage of my love story is perfect.

New dance!

I know most of my posts have been about the kids lately, but that is what I am into right now! HA! Tommy and Olivia made up a new dance one night while I was working at church. One thing I LOVE about Tommy is that he PLAYS with our kids! Olivia IS very persistent, she will ask and ask and ask, and he RARELY says no.

One a side note, I can NOT wait to put up our Christmas tree! I get so excited every year! Olivia's birthday is next Friday and I think we will put it up as part of our birthday celebration! Please let me know I am not alone in wanting to rush this process! We have several small birthday celebrations with family around Olivia's birthday and Thanksgiving. HOWEVER, she informed me today that we will be inviting everyone we know and everyone we don't know. Wonder if she will notice that it is just us!

This is it...

I think today maybe the last warm day of the season. I can't believe it is November and I am saying that! We have really enjoyed playing outside in the leaves in sweatshirts instead of winter coats!

Quote of the day:

Olivia: "Mom, will you ever be as big as dad?"

Me: "I hope not."

(She thinks when you are as big as daddy, you can do ANYTHING! So apparently I fall short. :))

Noises in our house...

Oh my! Olivia "heard" a noise and is scared in our house. She hasn't left my side for over an hour!!! Here is her explaination (I am typing as she tells me):

"I'll tell you about the noise and you will know why I am scared. I will tell you what it looks like. It went "googgellyy mooogeelly" and it is big and purple and bigger than a bear. And it jumps really high into outer space and it is super-duper real. Its real mom. It is in this world. I heard it and it went (wierd expression and even wierder noise) and I heard it! It is really strange and that is why I need to stay by you. What I am talking about is in Indianecklace (Indianapolis)! I am not kidding, I am serious mom. Can you help me solve the mystery?"

Ah HAH! Now I think she just wants to keep playing. I was seriously getting worried, wondering what had her so spooked!

We went to Sam's today and have alot of boxes (diapers, wipes, tp, etc) and she has them strewn all over the living room, and then pillows and it is path and we were solving a mystery. I set the timer and played with her, full attention! Now that the timer has gone off and I am working around the house, she is scared... hmmm... Pretty sneaky, but good creativity, sis!

Halloween and a fort?

Here is our ballerina trick or treating! She picked out her own ballerina outfit and I thought she looked cute in the black! She had a ball going from house to house and seeing all of the other kids in their costumes. Logan got out for a little while, not in costume, but LOVED saying "TRICK OR TREAT!!!"

AND then this morning, I took a shower while Tommy watched the kids. This is what happened to the living room while he was supervising.... hmmm.... now the kids say I can't put it back because it is a fort? and Daddy left for work!

Thanks for being such a fun daddy, babe, the kids LOVE playing with you!

Just what they are doing these days...

I took just a little video of the kids today, Olivia is dressed in her everyday..., I mean, Halloween outfit, a ballerina! She did her disappearing thumb trick and some cart-wheels for the camera.

Logan's video is of what he likes to do best, besides playing with cars. He stands and the fridge and plays letters alot.

We are going trick-or-treating soon, this is the first time for our kids and one of the few times for me! Hope everyone is having a great fall!

Olivia's traumatic day....

After mom's group today we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch with some friends. Olivia was playing in the play area and fell on something sharp that really cut up her little finger! It was bleeding everywhere and she was hysterical.

It is in those moments when my heart is truly outside my body. I think at times like those we hurt FAR more than our children could ever hurt. Although it will heal nicely and she is really doing fine, the look on her face and the tears are something I know I will never forget. She said "I wish we never went here, it is going to bleed forever!" (her verbiage of course, :)) We came home, cleaned her up, got a new band-aid on, munched on some pink m&m's (they make ANYTHING better!), made a pact to go buy some pink marshmallows, and now she is off to sleep. No doubt exhausted from the whole event. In the car and again before she drifted off to sleep, we said a prayer, thanking God for healing her and making her all better, and able to climb trees again (her request).

I wanted to document this so that we can go back and remember times when God brought her through something hard. Its hard to think that someday I will be writing about bigger life events that will come her way, some may cause her pain. Things I won't be able to fix with pink m&m's and strawberry marshmallows, but I ALWAYS want her to remember that we can go to God in prayer and He PROMISES to be with us!

Olivia,

Please remember, the most important thing I can ever teach you, that God is ALWAYS with us, when we are happy, sad and hurting. I know you fell and hurt yourself, but he was holding you and lessened your fall, I am sure of it! Thank you for being so brave, you are such a big girl. Also, thank you for praying for me earlier today when I said my head hurt. You are truly my little angel sent from God.

Love you,

Mommy

Jungle Book

This Sunday afternoon, I was getting ALOT done while Tommy played with the kids. I found them re-enacting a scene from the Jungle Book movie! No wonder our kiddos are always jumping around on the furniture!!!!! Thank you Tommy for giving me some time to get some housework done! Love you!

Apple Orchard and more potty training....

We went to the apple orchard with some friends from mom's group last week. I just love how the kids love to play together! There weren't any apples left on the trees, but the orchard staff encouraged us to look on the ground and we found ALOT that just needed to be washed off! They sold them to us at a VERY good price. Logan stayed home for this trip, it was a mommy and Olivia trip!

(Thanks for the pics Christie!)

Onto the potty training issue, which is starting to consume me! Logan SERIOUSLY wants his diaper changed EVERY time he potties! But he still has no clue what the toilet is for.... I have let him run naked now and when he potties, he just moves on to a dry spot! ugh! I am documenting this because I KNOW that one day I will laugh. For now, I am too busy cleaning up pee!

Here is the source of my potty training frustration in a goldfish box. :) Love you silly boy!