Colton Turns 8 Months Old...

Colton turned 8 months old yesterday (on 9/11…strange). I just can’t believe how fast the time has gone by…wasn’t he just born???

Right now he is exhausting me by constantly moving! He still can’t sit on his own for any longer than 5 seconds before he topples over (and back), but that kid has decided that he wants to move! He has never made any attempt to get up on all fours to crawl, but when he’s on his belly, he will stretch his little arms and legs out, use his little toes and knees, and push himself wherever he wants to go. It started out slow…it would take him a while to get anywhere, but now, he’s there in a blink of an eye!

Because of this, we need to remove all little toys (which is so hard for Ryan to understand and remember to do) and watch places like the bottom shelf of our coffee table, which is where Colton likes to pull the kids’ games off of and try to open them. He is a rolling, scooting on his belly machine :)

As far as eating goes, he’s a pig! Nursing him just doesn’t seem to be enough anymore…I usually feed him, and then he’ll want to eat again an hour or two later. When he eats jar food, he will eat at least two of the stage 2 jars, if not three! He loves everything we have given him so far…applesauce, bananas, peaches, green beans, corn and sweet potatoes (all of my kids’ favorite), broccoli and chicken, peas, yogurt, and everything else! He’s getting really good at picking food up off his tray and eating it, so we’re able to give him some of the baby snacks, broken up, and he will entertain himself eating them. We’ve been slowly starting to introduce some table food as well…he had some pancake when we had pancakes for breakfast on Saturday, part of a tater tot when we were out to eat and he had a little bit of a cookie when I was baking cookies this past weekend.

As far as sleep goes, he’s still a pistol! He takes great naps…we can still just lay him down with his paci and one of his special blankets (the large, breathable swaddle blankets), sometimes we turn the music on but not always, and he’ll go to sleep. But during the night he’s still getting up every 3 – 4 hours, which is taking a toll on me, that’s for sure! But I know that it will be over when he turns 1 at the latest since I’ll wean him then :)

He is babbler as well! And a loud one at that! He has a lot to say and will make sure you are listening to him :) He watches in fascination when I say “momma,” and I know he’s trying hard to say it. I’ve noticed when he’s really hungry and I’m getting ready to feed him he’ll keep saying “mmmmm” in a whiny voice, and I think he’s trying to say “momma” :)

Overall he is fitting into the family so nicely! The kids love him more and more each day and love finding out what they can do to get him to smile at them. The only complaint I have is that he is not sliding into the “4th child position” very easily. He is a very needy and demanding baby! He doesn’t care that I have three other kids to take care of as well! But that’s OK…I keep hoping that because he’s keeping me on my toes, it will help shape his personality later on in life and he’ll be just as demanding and hard working as if he were the oldest child :)

My Gifted Child...

Last night was curriculum night for grades 3 – 5 for our elementary school, which means we got to meet with Kylie’s teacher, as well as “meet” the new principal. We also got a letter sent home saying that we were to attend one of the gifted services sessions as well…

So Kylie did really well on her Terra Nova tests last year…really well. She was in the 95th percentile or higher (she was in 98th and 99th in two of the areas) in math, reading and social studies. Science she was much lower (83rd I think), but even that was considered above average. We also found out from our friend that works in the district office that because our school district is so good, the gifted students are on a different bell curve than other school districts, otherwise a large portion of our school would be “gifted.”

Anyway, we learned that now that she has been classified as gifted, she will be considered gifted all the way through high school – there is no retesting or anything like that. We also got a glimpse of what options are open for kids in high school, and made especially easy for gifted children (i.e. getting both college and high school credit for classes in high school, flex time – this allows kids that participate in sports or arts for hours a week to not take those classes in high school, etc.). We also learned about a math program in the 5th grade that lets kids combine two years of math into one, therefore entering pre-algebra in 6th grade, and if they are super smart, they can move faster and enter algebra in 6th grade (yeah, I took algebra my FRESHMAN year!).

So for the most part, when it’s time for math (that’s all they’ve started with so far), the gifted teacher will come and get Kylie and a couple other kids and take them to her room and teach them. Kylie loves it!

This whole process has been somewhat numbing for me…we are never ones to really brag about our kids. We support them and they know we’re proud of them, but outside of super accomplishments, we rarely tell friends about things they may have done. Of course our families know every little detail, and I like to use this blog to brag about my kiddos, but I know that there are so many kids out there that are fantastic, and I want my kids to grow up with humble attitudes, so I don’t feel it right for them to watch me brag nonstop about them and expect them not to have that mentality.

Anyway, I’m trying to take it all in, and absorb the magnitude of it all. This of course means some extra work for Kylie and extra responsibility, which of course she loves. But it’s also a wake-up call for us to be sure that we’re keeping up with Josh and Ryan and Colton when their turns come. So far Josh is doing super well in school. Now whether he’ll do as well as Kylie did on the tests, who knows, but I definitely feel a bigger responsibility for keeping up with him on school work, even though he hardly ever needs my help.

Most of all I’m just so proud of my little girl. I can’t remember the last time I really helped her with homework. She usually races home from school and gets it done and we just check it at night. I would love to sit here and say that I had something to do with all of this, but in reality, God gave her the amazing mind and wonderful work ethic, and she has put forth all of the effort needed to get her work done.

I love you princess and I’m super-duper proud of you!!!

Trip to MN, Punishments, Cute Things, etc.

I was in Minnesota the last couple of days for work. It was a whirlwind trip (flight left at 6:25 AM and the returning flight the next day did not get in until 11:00 PM), but I still managed to have fun :) It was great meeting some new people and doing some different work than I normally do, and then the we also got to go the Mall of America, which I had never been to.

That place is huge! I was just amazed at all of the stores in it, and then of course the fact that there’s a mini amusement park inside too. I convinced (OK, really dragged) my coworker to ride one of the roller coasters with me, and it was so much fun!

Then we had a really nice dinner with some of the people that we met while we were there and then went back to the hotel and crashed!

While I was away, I really, really missed John and the kids. It doesn’t help that of course I saw families with small children traveling, which made me miss my kids even more. I vowed that when I got back, I would try even harder to remember that they are only small once, and that even though I’m exhausted and sick of filling cups with water or changing diapers or whatever, they were my precious babies and they deserve to have a full-time, hands-on mom…even if I’m faking it because I’m asleep on the inside :)

Yesterday I had to dish out one of the hardest punishments I’ve had to do so far in raising the kids. A couple of weeks ago our nanny told me that Kylie was back-talking her a bunch and that she had a bad attitude. I believed it because we were dealing with the same thing with her. So I told her no friends for 1 week. I told her that hopefully the next time she tried to fight something, she would remember this and keep her mouth shut. So she made it through (barely :) ) that week and I felt bad because we were so busy this week that the first time she could play with her BFF was today (Friday). They had so much planned and she was going to go home on the bus with her and she was just so excited.

But I came home yesterday and Miss G said that Kylie talked back to her again and disobeyed her. I was so mad! For about 10 minutes I wrestled with what to do…I knew I had to tell her she was not allowed to go to Rachel’s, but it hurt me so much to think about how hurt she was going to be…I knew this would devastate her. But God gently reminded me that it is my job to bring my kids up to be respectful adults, and I let myself think to the future of her as a teenager if we don’t stop this behavior now (yikes!). So I told her…and she was mad…and crying…and hurt. She ran down to the basement to talk to Rachel on the phone and I retreated to my neighbor’s house to check on the other boys and to just get away for a minute.

Kylie came over (I had told her that’s where I was going), and we were able to distract her by asking her questions about her second grade year (my neighbor’s son is in second grade this year and was trying to understand what they would be doing all year). When we got home, she and John had it out and after some time in time-out, she and John had a nice heart-to-heart talk.

The one good/bad thing I am seeing is that Kylie is very similar to how I was when I was younger. When my parents would punish me, they would do things to push my buttons after the punishment was given out (it appeared they were just being mean as I told them over and over again how much they were hurting me). I’m able to take that information and hopefully be “nicer” with Kylie. I don’t want to keep harping on the issue…the punishment is given, you cannot change my mind, let’s move on. Unfortunately, John tends to handle things like my parents did, and I had to talk to him last night about how that makes her feel and that he needs to stop.

I still love the fact that Kylie is still young enough that within minutes of being punished, she will come looking for me and/or want to do something with me…I know the day is coming, all too soon, when she will actually hold a grudge for a while :(

In happier news, Colton has learned to smack his lips together like he’s kissing! I don’t think he knows what he’s doing yet, but it’s so cute when he’s just sitting there and starts smacking his little lips together…such a precious little guy!

This weekend is Labor Day Weekend, and except for a wedding Sunday evening, we have nothing going on, and that’s awesome! I can’t wait to just relax all weekend, hopefully get some sleep, and make some great meals!

I survived!!!

Actually, this past weekend was really easy and definitely boosted my self-esteem when it comes to being able to care for 4 children…alone :) Not long ago, the thought of John leaving for more than a day was giving me anxiety attacks. It was horrible…I was constantly yelling at the kids and I felt completely drained.

So fast forward to last Thursday when John packed up and hit the road with some friends to head down to Bristol, TN. I had such a positive attitude about it and was not worried at all. However, I was realistic and had no plans, other than going to church, to leave the house the whole weekend :) But then Friday night Kimmie suggested that we go out for pizza, instead of ordering it in, and I thought “OK, I can do this!” I also had my dad there to help, so I was not completely alone!

Then on Saturday we just sat outside all day…it was so gorgeous out! And I decided to take the kids to a hot air balloon show that night. It turns out some other neighbors/friends of ours wanted to go too, so we all went. Unfortunately it was too windy for the balloons the launch, but the kids still got to jump on the bouncy-things and we saw the “glow show,” which was all the hot air balloon baskets in a row playing with their fire-things. We didn’t get home from that until 10:00 and we had so much fun! Again, my dad was there which really helped when I needed to run somewhere and didn’t want to take all the kids with me (i.e. to change Ryan’s d pull-up).

Sunday we went to church (thankfully all of our teachers showed up so I didn’t have to spontaneously teach!) and then home. Somehow I even ended up making lunch and feeding other neighborhood kids for lunch along with my own, and I was fine! Johnny finally came home around 4:00 and it was so good to see him! Not because I felt worn out and exhausted from the kids, but because I really missed him while he was gone :)

Looking back I almost wonder if I was going through some mini-type of depression or something…I know John was having such a hard time because I hated to be home with the kids by myself…it just seemed like so much work! I’m sure the fact that Colton being so young and constantly needing me didn’t help my crazy hormones either. I just always felt so worn out with all of them! But now, I honestly think that I could handle a very long time without John (although I hope I never have to!). It’s a very peaceful feeling to be back to myself, that’s for sure! Colton, while still getting up a lot at night and needing me, has done a great job of sitting in the stroller and playing, or rolling around the floor and entertaining himself, which of course makes it easier for me to care for the other children…he’s not constantly attached to me! But I also feel a huge different in my emotions…I think, maybe, my hormones have finally balanced out, which has made such a difference!

So I’m happy to report that the kids and I survived another Bristol weekend! And while I know I could easily do it again, I’m happy that I won’t have to for another year :)

First Day of School - 2011

Yesterday was the first day of school. Kylie started third grade and Joshie started first grade.

At open house a few nights ago, Kylie was so excited to be there had a blast reconnecting with her teacher and getting her supplies set up. She was so excited that she had a desk this year, and that her teacher, since she looped with them, decided that she would flip the alphabet when assigning the kids’ numbers…so Kylie is number 5 this time, whereas she’s normally in the 20’s.

Joshie on the other hand was not quite as enthusiastic as Kylie about going back to school. It’s not that he was dreading it, but he definitely was not looking forward to it as much as his sister. When he met his teacher he was really quiet and shy…I think she was a little worried about him :)

We started off the first day with our second annual “cakes on the court.” We (us and our neighbors) bring our griddles out and cook up pancakes and sausage and all the kids get to play and eat a great breakfast before heading off to school. This year started out a little rocky as it had been storming since early that morning. We knew we would still do the breakfast; it would just have to be in the garage. But thankfully, it stopped raining and we were able to have the whole thing out in the court. The kids of course had a lot of fun playing with each other and getting some of their excess energy out. We then snapped some pictures and headed off to school.

Kylie tried to convince me that I didn’t need to walk in with her (fat chance!). So John and I quickly dropped her off (not without a quick kiss and a quick picture), and then headed to Josh’s hallway. Same thing, a quick kiss and picture and we were off! I’m very thankful that I’m good with my kids growing up…I think it’s because I have so many of them :) I’m so excited about everything each of them will learn this year, and I’m honestly ready for the family to get back into the “normal” routine, that I was extremely happy they were back to school! So definitely, no tears shed!

We walked back home and I put Colton down for a nap and John played trains with Ry-Ry. I made up a batch of coleslaw (I’ve never made it before because I don’t like it that much, but Kylie and Joshie love it). Then John went out and mowed and I took the boys on a walk down to the pond. By now the sun was out, the skies were clear, and it was gorgeous outside! So very different from just a few hours before…

When John was done we went to lunch at a little place in our town that we had been wanting to try. We sat outside, which was right on the streets of downtown, and since Colton was sleeping, we got to have a really nice lunch with Ryan. After lunch we headed to the cupcake shop for some dessert for that night :)

We went home and Ryan went down for a nap, John ran to the store in order to get some food for his trip, and I sat down on the floor and played with Colton. I’m so amazed at how he rolls all over the place. Rolling is his crawling, and it’s annoying because I can’t take my eyes off of him for one second! He still really has no interest in sitting by himself or getting up on all fours to maybe think about crawling, but he is definitely a rolly-polly :)

I went to pick up Josh and Kylie from school and they both had a fantastic day! They talked non-stop the whole way home! Once we got home they both went off and did their own thing – you could tell they needed some downtime to just chill. I made dinner (shrimp quesadillas that were wonderful!) and then we headed out on a family bike ride. It was Colton’s first ride (he rode next to Ryan in the carrier) and it was Josh’s first long bike ride on his big bike. It was a great ride…the only downside is that even though we were gone for a long time, we did not see a train, and that was all Ryan wanted to see (we normally see at least one while we’re out).

After the ride we talked to the neighbors for a while and then headed inside for cupcakes and baths. Kylie had already gone in earlier and taken her shower and gotten ready for bed! She was so excited for school the next day :) After the kids were in bed, John packed up for Bristol and I went to bed.

It was an awesome first day of school and a fabulous day off work for John and me.

Another Crazy, Busy Weekend!

What an exciting and busy weekend we had!

Friday night we took the kids out to get their school supplies since they are starting school tomorrow (agghhh!). After that, my mom watched them and we went out to dinner with my sister and her boyfriend who had just gotten in from Michigan. We had a great time with them!

Saturday morning was a very crazy day, and everything was timed down to the minute! I started it off with an early morning walk with my neighbor. Then I came home and showered and got ready and was able to sit outside and drink an iced latte with John and the neighbors for approximately 10 minutes before I had to head to the spa. My sisters and mom and I were having a spa day in celebration of my mom’s birthday back in July…it was our present to her. So I went and had a massage and then we all got pedicures and manicures together (my nails look fabulous!).

After that I rushed home to feed Colton, grab some food and get Kylie and go see John’s sister for our hair appointments. Kylie got her hair cut short with layers and it looks adorable! After we were done we rushed home again and found Suzie sitting on the porch with Dad saying that they were going to go downtown early because she was bored. Here’s the thing…she thought we were all going to dinner for Mom’s birthday that night, when in reality, we were going down for her surprise 30th birthday party. So her wanting to leave early was messing everything up! Thankfully, Mom and Dad took her and her boyfriend downtown to another bar for drinks while I rushed and fed Colton and got ready and waited for Miss G. to get there to babysit.

Once the kids were settled and we were ready, we left and got to the restaurant where my other sister and her husband were waiting with two of Suzie’s out of town friends. When Suzie got there she was surprised! We had an awesome dinner at Bucca Di Beppo and then headed over to the piano bar where we had been for Cindy’s bachelorette party the year before. Let me just tell you, it was a lot more fun this year not being pregnant! And John and I really had a great night out together!

Sunday we taught Sunday school and then came home and really just chilled. My sisters came over and we hung out for a little bit before everyone had to head home. After that, I tried to take a nap (not very successful) and then we headed out to finish getting the school supplies we didn’t get Friday night and kind of just had a nice, laid-back evening out with just our family. We are really bad about giving the kids their allowance, so at Target they each got a pack of Squinkies. They are pretty cute and the kids love them!

So now we’re set for a busy week ahead…first day of school tomorrow and then John is leaving for Bristol for a weekend with the guys. I hope I survive this week :)

Another Great Weekend!

What a weekend!

So Friday was our anniversary, and John and kind of thrown the planning of something on to me, and kind of rightfully so… He always plans great things when it comes to anniversaries/birthdays, so I think he might have been a little tired of planning, on top of being busy with work. So I thought about it and decided that I would surprise him with some golf! We used to play at this little Par 3 in the city we used to live in, long before we had jobs and kids. So I looked the course up and saw that they don’t do tee times during the week, and that league plays were not on Fridays.

So I went home and packed up our clubs and shoes and waited for him to come home. Once he did, and we got my parents settled with the kids, we left and went to lunch. We went to Max & Erma’s for reubens and tortilla soup and had a really nice lunch! After that I started driving, and he didn’t figure out where we were going until we were right there! Success! He was really excited, as was I. We went in to get on the list, and this older guy just looked at us and told us there was a league out there. I told him that I checked the website and this was not a league day, and he just casually said that they were making up a rain-out. That guy did not care at all that my big plans were ruined!

So we left and John started calling golf courses all around trying to get us a tee-time. Of course it happened to be an absolutely gorgeous day out and none were available. He finally found one in our city (so basically I drove for an hour for nothing). We ended up having so much fun, and for me not golfing in a long time (over a year), I did pretty well!

After we were done we headed home and my mom and Kylie left for Michigan to visit my sister. We got Josh and Ryan ready for bed and they went over to my dad’s, and Colton went down to sleep. John made a fire and we sat outside for a long time…it was wonderful! We had our drinks (mine was a great frozen margarita my dad had given me) and we just talked and listened to music. We reminisced about the last 14 years together and dreamt about our future…it was awesome!

Saturday we headed down to Athens because my college roommates and I were having a little 10-year reunion. We got down there around 1:00 and hung out with John’s parents at their house. The boys had a lot of fun playing, and John and I were able to go uptown and grab some OU gear. We then packed the kids up and went to dinner with all my old roommates…it was so good seeing everyone again! Then we took the kids back to John’s parents’ and we headed back to the house we lived in and all sat on the porch remembering our college days. It was a lot of fun catching up with everyone!

Sunday we went to church (even though we didn’t get home until 1:00 that morning!) and then afterwards John and the big boys took a nap. I had wanted to take a nap too but Colton had other plans :) So I went outside and hung out with the neighbors the whole afternoon. John and the boys came out after their naps and it was a relaxing way to end the weekend. The only downside is that our high was only 75 degrees (in August!), and it was cloudy, so I was in pants and a jacket and cold! The guys were making fun of us, but to us, it was chilly!

Now it’s back to work…hopefully this week goes quickly, I’m ready for another weekend!

11 Years of Happiness...

11 years ago today I married my best friend. Cliché? Definitely. True? Absolutely!

When I try to remember what I was doing at certain times 11 years ago, it’s hard for me to remember. Unfortunately that was before the days of video phones and Flip Videos and blogs. But what does strike me, especially now for some reason, is how extremely young I was…

John and I got married right before our senior year in college. I had only been 21 for 12 days when we made that life-changing decision. 21! To think that I was capable of making such a big decision at that age is a little scary, and even more scary when I think about my own kids coming to me at that age and saying they are getting married. I mean seriously, I stress over deciding where to have a birthday party or where to go on vacation, but 11 years ago when I was just a baby I didn’t stress about marrying John AT ALL!

But obviously us getting married was just another step in God’s plan for our lives. Neither of us had second thoughts (which I find rare when I hear about other guys and their thoughts pre-wedding. Or even pre-engagement for that part). We just knew that we were meant to spend the rest of our lives together. And looking back at our lives it's so obvious to see how everything happend according to God's perfect timeline.

It’s funny how a relationship changes over time… It’s funny to think about how I’ve changed over time. We know each other so well and are so secure in each other, which is such a contrast to how we were the first couple of years we were married!

I’ve heard over and over again that marriages have a “7 year itch,” and if you make it past that you’re good. I couldn’t agree more! I remember when we had hard times with each other and our constant fighting…and then “magically” (right around year 8), we settled down and were so much better.

Johnny you are my best friend in the whole world, and you know me better than anyone else. I thank God for being able to be your girlfriend for the past 14 ½ years and I feel so lucky that you chose me to be your wife. I pray that I can be a better and better wife each day that goes by and that you will always believe that you made the right decision when you asked me to marry you. I love you so much!

A Fabulous Night...

What a relaxing night we had last night!

John and I took Ryan and Colton to a local restaurant that we like (Liberty Tavern)and sat outside. Ryan was absolutely wonderful, and Colton only started fussing in the middle of dinner, so I gave him some mum-mums (rice snacks he can eat himself) and he was happy. The restaurant across the parking lot had a live band, so we got to eat outside in the gorgeous weather, listening to great music, and really have a great time.

After dinner we went over to Rita’s because it was just a few doors down. Ryan got his normal cotton candy and I got my s’mores. We sat outside in the nice chairs and again, just relaxed! Ryan fed CoJo some of his Italian Ice and he loved it :)

When we got home, Ryan’s friend Zora was out, so we popped the chairs out and just sat. The kids played, we talked to our neighbor for a little bit, and then when they had to go in, I went in and got Colton ready for bed and we headed out on a walk. We walked up through the new phase of our development, and then back past our house towards our pond. Some friends were sitting outside down there so we stopped and caught up with them for a while. Finally, as it was just about dark, we heard the thunder rolling in and the lightening start up, so we rushed home. Ryan fell asleep seconds after we laid him in his bed.

I miss the big kids a ton…it’s very weird not having them there and having a quiet house. But I am definitely enjoying the different pace of life we have right now. Even though Josh and Kylie are the “easy” ones, they are also the ones that ask the most questions and need the most “guidance” when it comes to things (“get out of the shower,” “did you brush your teeth?” “drink your milk,” “are you done in the shower yet???” etc.).

A Crazy VBS Week...

Last week was a crazy, insane week…to put it mildly!

Each day John and I would go to work (and Monday and Tuesday happened to be my busiest days), and then leave at 3:00. We would go home, I would feed Colton, John would steam our shirts, and then we would load up in the car and head out to get dinner and then go to VBS. When we got there, I would get the kids their dinner and John would immediately start getting everything set up. I would help as soon as the kids were done with dinner and everything was cleaned up.

Around 6:00 all of the kids would start coming in and at 6:10 they would come upstairs and we would start song time (with primarily me leading the motions). After a few songs it was time for the skit and prayer and more songs. Then the kids left for their first rotation. I would use this time to feed Colton and catch my breath :) Once the first rotation was done, I would go in and teach the Seahorses (ages 2 to entering Kindergarten) their lesson. Let me tell you, 25 minutes to teach a lesson to kids that age is nuts! I can barely hold their attention on Sunday mornings for 5 minutes! But we sang songs and played games and we made it work :)

During the third rotation I would go around and take pictures of the kids, and then after that was over, all the kids came back upstairs for songs and the Jeopardy game where some adult was nailed (music pastor the first night, children’s pastor the second night, another staff the third night, our head pastor the fourth night and John and I the fifth night. Each night got progressively worse…silly string, toilet paper, shaving cream, whipped cream, blue frosting and finally ending with slime for John and me on Friday :)

After VBS was over, we would clean up and finally head out around 8:45 or 9:00. We would rush home and get the kids ready for bed (if they didn’t need to eat another meal, in which case we would feed them again and then get them ready for bed) and then John and I would just crash.

Friday night was a fun ending in that we had songs and then Carlo gave the lesson to everyone, and then we had refreshments and the kids and families got to play in Sports Ohio. As we loaded everything up that night, it was sad that it was all over :( 5 weeks of planning and pushing hard and fast and now it was over…but it had been fun and worth every second of work!

Saturday we totally relaxed! We headed over to Yutzy’s for customer appreciation day (free hot dogs, popcorn, snow cones, corn on the cob and donuts!) and then came home and just chilled! John, Ryan, Colton and I headed out late Saturday night to pick up the market day stuff for us to give the little kids at church the next day (their reward for all of the points they earned at VBS). Sunday we had our VBS recap during service where the kids sang two songs and John and I talked about the week. Then the kids went in to market day and got really cool prizes!

After church we put up the big waterslide and just relaxed in the sun with the neighbors. It was gorgeous out! Then that night we went to dinner with a couple of the neighbors. John and I had it easy as Kylie and Josh went down to Athens with my dad…they won’t be back until Thursday night! I miss them a ton, but I have to admit, I am enjoying this week of only having two kids…it is so much easier!

So we’re trying to recuperate! Each night we’re having easy dinners and trying to just sit and relax…such a change from the way things have been the last couple of weeks!

I've Been Busy!!!

Wow, what a busy couple of weeks!!!

Two big things have been going on: one, it’s my super busy time at work, and on top of that, there was a new requirement that I had to comply with this quarter, so I’ve been so busy with all of that. Two, our church decided to have VBS for the first time this year, and John and I are in charge of it, and we just started planning it 5 weeks ago! So to say that life has been crazy would be an understatement :)

Sunday was my birthday, and I started it off by unexpectedly working the nursery because none of our workers showed up at church. None of the baby teachers and none of our preschool teachers. So John and I had to watch all the kids together. After that we had a big VBS meeting with all of our volunteers.

After that we headed home and got out the big waterslide. I laid on my raft and floated in the water for a while and then sat in the sun and read my 10-Q a little bit. The day was gorgeous and I had a lot of fun hanging out with the kids and the neighbors. After a day in the sun, we headed to a nearby restaurant called Thai Orchid and had an absolutely wonderful dinner! Cindy and Josh went with us, along with my parents. After that we went home and I ate the cake I ordered for myself (almond cake with chocolate ganache filling and fresh strawberries and chocolate buttercream icing), and opened presents. I got so many wonderful things! My parents gave me an ice cream maker, John’s parents gave me an amazon gift card and a very cool OU jacket-thing, John’s sister gave me a gift card to William Sonoma, my neighbor gave me a gift card to a local spa, and my sisters got me my very first Coach purse (which I LOVE!). John has told me that my present from him is a double-glider or two single gliders for the front porch so that Front Porch Mondays can resume in full force! And the kids (Kylie’s idea) got me two plants for the front flower beds that have had a huge empty spot since the original one died years ago. John, the kids and my dad planted them for me on Sunday and they look beautiful! It truly was a wonderful day!

This week has started VBS, so our days and evenings are crazy! I finally filed my 10-Q yesterday, so at least my days are not as stressful as Monday and Tuesday were. I leave every day at 3:00, head home, feed Colton, John and I pack everyone up, and try to leave the house by 4:15. We head to Sports Ohio, which is where VBS is, eat the dinner that we picked up on the way, and John and I get to work making sure everything is ready for the kiddos! John and I lead the singing and welcome the kids, then there is a skit (which has been hilarious the past couple of nights), more singing, and then the kids head off to their stations. We have games, snack, and lesson, and I teach the little kids during lesson. After that, John and I lead some more songs, there is a Jeopardy game, and then we sing to close out. The official time for VBS is from 6:00 – 8:00, and then we clean up after that.

So needless to say, we are exhausted right now, and it’s only Wednesday! But it has all been worth it! The kids seem to be having a blast and I know we are all having a ton of fun. We had 35 kids pre-registered, and have ended up having around 50 show up the first couple of nights, so for the size of our church, I think that is amazing! Watching all of this come together over the past 5 weeks has been yet another example of how amazing God is. We were stuck for a while on a location…we had planned on having it outside where we normally meet for church, but they had something else going on, and for the longest time, we just couldn’t find a place. We were so blessed that Sports Ohio was open and willing to work with us, and God’s hand in all of this was shown when there was a massive thunderstorm with hail on Monday night. There’s no way we could have been outside during that! So God is good and always watching out for us!

I really hope the rest of the week goes as well as the first couple of nights went…I know that I will be having a ton of fun!

Colton's 6-Month Stats...

Last week I took Colton in for his 6-month check-up. Both the nurse and the doctor commented on how big he is and how fast the time has gone by :( He was so good during the appointment though…he just laid on his belly and looked at himself in the mirror before the doctor got there (actually, he rolled himself right up next to it and kept trying to eat his reflection). Then during the check-up he did wonderfully…giving the doctors big smiles and talking a little bit. Even during the shots he only cried a little bit and was fine the second I picked him up.

Here are his stats:

Weight: 18 lbs. 5.5 oz (61%)
Length: 28 ¼ inches (92%)
Head: 43 ½ cm (38%)

Food For Colton!

Last night we finally bit the bullet and gave poor Colton some “real” food. It’s sad how the novelty of feeding your baby “real” food wears off sooner and sooner with each kid :) I was starting to feel really bad about it, so last night John brought up the high chair and we fed Colton some rice cereal that I had actually purchased about 2 months ago!

He was such a champ! He still made a huge mess, but he loved it, and ate the entire bowl, and screamed when it was gone. All of the other kids have been so-so about the first couple of experiences with solid food, but Colton is clearly serious about his food. At the rate he’s going, we might be able to introduce Big Macs next month :)

Colton Has Left The Building...

Well, maybe not the building, but our room. Two nights ago we had a really bad night with Colton. He kept waking up “starved” and would not have any patience with me as I would try to feed him. Needless to say, John and I were very tired when we got up the next morning.

So last night as we were getting Colton and Ry-Ry ready for bed, John decided it was time to put the rail back on the crib, and the bumper, so that Colton could start sleeping there. He got everything ready and after I fed Colton and gave him his medicine, I put him up there with his little blanket that he likes to scrunch up with his hands and left the room. I went back in about 20 minutes later and he was sound asleep.

So we moved the monitor and went to sleep. He woke up at 2:00 to eat and then again at 5:15. That’s pretty typical for him, and while the 5:15 one sucked because I ended up having to make him a bottle and was up with him for 40 minutes, I would say that whole first night was a success. It was nice not having to worry about being quiet this morning when I got ready for work.

Of course the whole thing is pretty sad for me…another milestone that I will never experience again. If this continues, the bassinette in our room will never again be used by a baby of mine :( And my little boy looks so little in that big empty crib! But I know it’s for the best and it’s time. But that doesn’t make it any easier…

I will miss seeing this:

Journey Church's First Ever VBS...

So John and I have volunteered to head up a VBS at our church. We are part of a smaller church (roughly around 200 people) that just started about 3 ½ years ago. We head up the nursery/preschool kids on Sunday mornings and are very involved when it comes to the kids at our church. So it only seemed natural that once someone mentioned possibly having VBS that John and I get heavily involved.

From the get-go I was super excited about it! I found a curriculum and impatiently waited for final approvals from the leadership team to dive in head-first. We have a great little team that consists of two other couples and our children’s pastor and we seem to be working really well together.

We’ve only had a few weeks to plan this…our VBS starts August 1st. That’s 2 ½ weeks away. Aaaaggghhhh!!! When I see that number my insides start convulsing. But like I said, God has blessed us with a great team and some fabulous volunteers at our church, so we should be OK :)

Last night we had another meeting…we didn’t get home until midnight! We first went and looked at the spot where we will have our VBS (Sports Ohio), and then we headed over to the one family’s house for dinner and a meeting. It was nice because our pastor came to the meeting and offered some great ideas and insights that we hadn’t thought of before.

We still have so much to do, but with God’s help, we will get it done. And my only goal for VBS is that the kids have fun and learn about Jesus and see Jesus in all of us volunteers. Anything above that is just icing on the cake :)

Colton's Six Month Picture

Here are some pictures I took of Colton on his six-month birthday:




I swear the kid is going to need Botox if he doesn't quit bunching up his forehead!! :)

Colton is 6 Months!

Colton is 6 months old today! I can’t believe that my little baby boy is six months old…where on earth has the time gone? Wasn’t I just in the hospital???

He is such a happy little boy right now. You can tell when he’s in a super good mood by how hard he kicks his little legs while he’s giving you the biggest smile. He doesn’t laugh a whole lot – you really have to be doing something funny or that he likes to get a laugh out of him, but he definitely gives a ton of smiles.

He loves to play “itsy bitsy spider,” “pat-a-cake,” and “this little piggy.” He loves to have his face touched and he loves it when I take his shirt/onesie off saying “naked baby” and rub his little chest. And I love to rub his bald head :)

I love that he recognizes me. I was just gone for the whole weekend, and when I walked in the house yesterday he smiled so big and you could tell in his eyes that he had been confused about where I was and was so happy that I was back! He also always wants to nurse as soon as he sees me if I’ve been gone, even if he has just eaten! So I know that every day after work I have to come home and feed him. And while it is annoying, I know that it’s his way of being comforted and showing me how much he has missed me :)

When we leave him anywhere he immediately rolls over. And now, if he’s on his belly and sees something, he will wiggle like crazy, and sometimes will pull his little knees up under his butt like he’s going to crawl and get it! My kids have always been on the late end of mobility, so this is making me a little nervous :)

The one area we are totally slacking on is food. We should have started him on cereal two months ago, but the thought of trying to teach him how to eat and having the high chair upstairs again is not very appealing to us. So we will be starting this all soon…it’s just so much easier for me to feed him! But I want him to taste different foods and learn how to eat…

His reflux is still there (I think :)). I’m too scared to ever try to take him off the medicine. But thankfully, it’s very well controlled with the medicine and he’s a completely different baby from that one 4 months ago when it was first diagnosed! I’m sure the doctor will discuss it with us at his 6-month check-up.

The kids all love him and play with him. Josh has especially been spending more and more time with him which is odd since he hadn’t really paid any attention to him until now. Kylie has asked me to teach her how to change his diaper and get him dressed, so she has been helping with that. And Ryan always says “Oh hi Colton” whenever he sees him for the first time after a nap or anytime he’s been away for a little bit.

So that’s my little CoJo! While the time has flown by, it definitely feels like you’ve always been a part of the family. You are stuck with us, and judging by your smiles and giggles, I think you’re happy about that :)

First Tooth (Teeth)...

Two weeks ago (June 23rd to be exact) I was playing with Colton and noticed that he had some white spots on his bottom gums. I put my fingers in there and sure enough I felt two teeth coming through! Although I’m obviously happy that my kid does in fact have teeth down in those gums, I am sad because my little baby is getting bigger. I was almost yelling at him to stop growing! To which he gave me a huge gummy (with the exception of little white specs below) grin with his hand jammed in his mouth. So at 5 ½ months, my little boy has his first tooth (but there are two of them coming at the same time, so it’s teeth). My littlest baby…my last little one :(

I think this is also a sign that I need to bite the bullet and get out the high chair and feed the kid some actual food. By the fourth, spoon feeding has definitely lost any appeal it may have had with the earlier children, and now I’m just plain dreading having to teach him how to eat and him learning about food. I don’t want him to learn about food because then when I’m eating something, he’ll want some. Right now I can eat a wonderful chocolate brownie or big bowl of ice cream and he couldn’t care less. Those days will soon be gone…

4th of July, 2011

What a fabulous, wonderful 4th of July weekend!

The weekend started off with Joshie’s birthday party Friday night. Around 6:00, family members and friends started arriving for his party. He had 5 friends there to spend the night, my parents, John’s parents and his sister and her family, as well as our neighbors. We ate pizza, opened presents and ate cake. Then we all headed over to the baseball field for a nice game of kickball. I loved watching the kids play! They then walked over to the basketball court and played.

We walked back home and John started setting up the tent (they were all going to camp out) while I sent the boys through the slip ‘n slide to get cleaned off :) Then we went inside and got ready for bed. John got them all settled in the tent and they all went to sleep around 10:30 (I was impressed it was this early). Around 5:00 AM I saw the lightning and heard the thunder and knew this was not good :) John came in and we quickly got all the boys in and settled in their sleeping bags down in the playroom just as the rain started to pour! Thankfully, every single boy went back to sleep until 8:00!

We got everyone ready that next morning and headed off to see Cars 2. The boys all looked adorable sitting there with their 3D glasses on and their popcorn and drinks. I thought the movie was really cute! Afterwards all of the parents came to pick the kids up and we all crashed! Everyone took a nap…except me! Just as I was drifting off, Colton decided it was time to wake up and play/talk.

After nap time we all headed outside and the neighbors and us hung out on the porch. We decided to head downtown to Schmidt’s for dinner. By the time we got down there it was a 1 ½ hour wait, but thankfully it was gorgeous outside and the kids were amazing! We finally got seated after 2 hours and dove into the German food buffet. It was worth the wait!

Sunday we got to announce our first ever Journey Church VBS! So those of us involved got to wear our Lifeguard shirts and went in blowing whistles and throwing volleyballs to all the people all to the tune of “Wipeout.” Then we announced the dates/location/etc. After church then we had a VBS meeting and quickly tried to divide up the first set of tasks that need to be done (we only have 3 ½ weeks!!!). After that we headed home and spent the rest of the day out in the sun with the neighbors. We had a cookout, my sister came in, and we watched fireworks all over that night (so many people were setting them off that we could see three sets from our yard!).

Monday I made some homemade waffles for breakfast, and then Kylie, my two sisters and I headed over to the mall and had lunch at Cheesecake Factory. We ate outside on the patio and had a really nice lunch! Then we went shopping at Charming Charlie’s (LOVE that store!) and Kylie used her Visa gift card that my sister got her for her birthday, so it was her first “swipe and sign” (of many thousands in her lifetime I’m sure :) ). The rest of the day we hung out with the neighbors and then all went to get ice cream together.

That night, as I was getting into bed, I got a call from our nanny saying that she was in the hospital with food poisoning. I of course told her to stay home and get better, so Tuesday I got an unexpected day off with the kids! The weather was gorgeous! We went to some fountains and really enjoyed ourselves! I was able to hold Colton and stand by Ryan, all while water shot up to my knee area and kept me cool. After those closed down for the afternoon, we headed home and the two youngest boys took naps while the neighbors and I got out the waterslide. The kids played and we weeded the garden :)

After that we decided to go to McDonald’s and take advantage of $1.99 happy meal Tuesdays and headed to a park close by. John had taken the kids there before, but I had never been there. It was so secluded, had an awesome playground (that even John and I had fun playing on) and a beautiful trail through the woods. It was one of the most fun evenings we’ve had as a family in a long time!

So yes, it was a wonderful long weekend!

Some Summer Time Off...

This week I had the wonderful opportunity to take some time off. I was home with the kids on Tuesday afternoon, as well as all day Thursday. And we spent just about every minute of that time outside enjoying the gorgeous weather!

Tuesday afternoon started with a picnic lunch outside and was followed by hanging out in the backyard the rest of the day. We jumped on the trampoline, played in the sprinkler, ate snacks and just enjoyed each other for hours.

Thursday started with homemade waffles, which Josh and Kylie helped with, followed by a little bit of playing inside while Colton napped. As soon as Colton woke up we headed to the splash pad. Again, it was a gorgeous day, and we had a picnic lunch and then the kids ran through the water and then played on the playground. After the kids were done with that (and I could tell that Ryan was getting ready for a nap), we walked over to Rita’s for some Italian ice. And as it seems to go for the 4th child, Colton has yet to have any “real” food (cereal, baby food, etc.), but he has been fed Rita’s on multiple occasions :) After Rita’s we came back home and Ryan and Colton went down for naps while Kylie, Joshie and I went out and jumped on the trampoline with the sprinkler on it and then laid on the hammock for a while. It was a glorious day!

I love summer, and I love taking days off in the summer to play with the kids. I ran through the grass barefoot for the first time in years yesterday. Such a simple thing that a lot of people do all the time, but I have not, and when I did it yesterday, it felt so good! I was recently asked what I loved most about being a mom, and my answer was that I get to be a kid again. Adults often miss so many little things, and having kids makes us go back and enjoy them again :)