Happy and Sad Times

This past month, Aiden turned 3, Bryce turned 6, we took a trip to Napa, and we are getting ready to celebrate Easter tomorrow.   All these happenings have been so fun and memorable.  But, today, on Bryce's 6th birthday, I am feeling overwhelmed with sadness.  Ever since the fire, I have been trying so hard to put on a happy face and move on and be grateful that we were not home that horrid day.  But on days like today, when I want to look back at baby pics and reminice about pregnancy/labor/etc., I have nothing but very faint memories stored in this CRAZY mommy brain.  My only pics of Bryce as a baby were the pics my mom and sis had when he was 4 months old.  And Aiden is even worse.  The only pics I have of him were when he was 6 months.  I feel like a horrible mother- although the fire was completely out of our control- that I don't have more documentation of their first years.  When they get married and their wives are asking questions about them as babies, I won't have anything to show them.  I don't have baby pics of them to compare to their own children's.  But, I do have the most wonderful, beautiful, sweet boys to make me smile daily.  And for that, I am forever grateful.  Now, enough complaining and onto to pics for you mom....

I forgot to include pics of the baby WALKING!!!  Seriously, he is only 8 months and taking a few steps.  I am soooo not ready for this.  He is way too young and I am going to try to make him stay a baby for as long as possible- not dealing too well with the fact that he is the last!!! 

I promise I will post pics tomorrow for you mom!!!  Hope everyone has a wonderful Easter!!!!

Sunday Funday!!

We had such a wonderful day on Sunday!!  Not only was the weather beautiful, but we had such a great day!!
First we woke up bright and early to go to church.  Since we live 45 minutes to civilization, we had to leave at 7:30!!  How joyous it is to get 5 kids ready and out the door by then!!  Marc was a big help, so it made it a little easier.  He also came to mass with us, which he normally does not do, so we were able to tag team the kids.  The church we go to is TINY!!  Any peep the kids make, I feel like everyone is staring at us.  But, I think that was just me being self-concious.  So, Marc and Cole stayed outside the majority of the service because he was getting loud.  Going to a small church definetly has its pros and cons (no cry room/nursery, every single peep is heard, everyone can see if you escape after communion- which I have never done, I swear!!) but this weekend, I was so happy to be a member of such a small church!!  There was a man sitting behind us that about 25 people stopped and asked how his sick wife was doing.  When we left The Woodlands, our family, who was completely involved in our church, could go to mass and not recognize anyone, moreless have people coming from all over asking how a sick family member was doing!!  Also, during the sign of peace, people were coming from other pews just to compliment our family.  Such a great feeling!!

After mass, we headed to get donuts.  I know it is horrible, but I use donuts to bribe the kids with so they behave during church.  But it works!!  When we got home, Marc and I made a lasagna, put it on the stove, and headed out for a hike with the kids and Kasie and her friend.  Marc wanted to teach me how to shoot the gun that he bought for me.  I did not like it at all.  I think that will be the only time that I ever shoot a gun.  The force of it is soo scary.  Marc covered my ears thinking the noise was bothering me, which it wasn't, because it wasn't loud at all.  Definetly not my thing!!! 

I know, my arms look like sausages, and it is probably not to apropriate for a 30 year old mom of 5 to be wearing daisy dukes, but when you have stumps for legs, long bermuda shorts make it worse, and I don't go into public too often, so I am going to keep wearing them!!!

Anyways, then we went home, ate way too much, worked outside all day in the warm sun.  Marc and the boys worked on their quads, and Maddy and I cleaned. 

We had a low key evening and the kids were all in bed by 7:30.  It was a great day!!!  We are off tomorrow to take the kiddos to have their teeth cleaned.  Can't wait!!  Marc has agreed to come because the nazi dental hygenist won't let me go back with the boys with the little kids.  So, this way, Marc can stay with the little ones while I go with the kids. 

I have a question- if anyone other than my mom and sis read this- and Erin, you may know the answer- when running, how do you modify your time/mileage when you are running up super steep hills?  I feel like I am running/walking for a long time, but not getting the mileage because I am running up 15% grades pushing a stroller- so actually, I end up switching to walking within 10 steps because I can't handle running up those hills.  Any advice would be great!!!

Random

I have been horrible about blogging lately.  Life has seem to have gotten the best of me.  Each night when I sit down at the computer, all that I can think to write is blah blah blah!!  So, here are some random bullets from the last two weeks.  I really need to try to get better at this...

• Aiden has been doing pretty good on the potty.  He refuses to wear a diaper now, so we have had a few accidents that I don't handle very well.  I can change diapers and wipe hineys all day long, but there is something about a 2 year old pooing in his panties that gets the best of me.  So, we are down to just two pairs of panties because I end up throwing them away.  How anyone can cloth diaper is beyond me.  I mean, when you put the soiled pants in the wash, doesn't it get on the other clothes or leave a film on the washing machine?  Ugg, gross!!!
• We had a pretty uneventful Valentines day.  The kids each made a valentine's bag during the week and were secretly making valentines to put in each others bag.  Madeline had spent every waking moment working on everyones valentines, so the boys's bags were busting at the seams with her beautiful artwork!!  Marc and I made a big dinner for Valentines and it was great!!  Nothing romantic, just a fun day with the fam!!
• Cole is now standing up on everything.  Right now, he has a black eye from falling and a bruise on his forehead.  None of this discourages him at all- I have a feeling he is going to be walking way too early!!
• I was doing soo good about eating healthy/exercising, but I have fallen off the wagon lately.  All the valentines candy has been too tempting.  But, I did fit into my size 4 jeans.  It was not pretty, but I did get them buttoned!! 

I looovveee baby legs!!  Marc says the make him look goofy, but I think they are wonderful!!

I could just eat him up!! 

I swear, I do brush her hair!!

Their valentines bags!!  They were quite proud!!

Success??!!

This handsome little man has been 100% successful with the potty for the past two days!!  Not even an accident at night!!!  Here's to hoping this lasts!!!

It's a Date!!!

Last night, Marc and I went on a "date". We of course had to take the baby, but the other 4 were at home with Kasie. Here is a recap of our romantic evening!
First, we were about 45 min early for dinner with a buddy of his, so guess where my romantic husband took me? The gun shop. He said he was just browsing. So, after about 5 min, he convinced me that he really wanted to buy ME a small handgun. He said if he ever was to go out of town, he would feel alot better about leaving us if he knew I knew how to operate a gun. (I think he just wanted the gun for himself, but to save my nagging, he convinced me it was for me!). So, I had to take a test to own a handgun. And something I never thought I would posess, is a hand gun permit!!! But I got 100% so I am legal!!
Anyways, on to dinner we went with a buddy of Marc's and his wife. On a side note- when did restaurants get SOO freakin expensive? We went to the Olive Garden, which is not fancy by any means, and there were no dishes under $15!!! It cost over $100 for four of us to eat!!! CRAZY!! Anyways, I have been doing so good eating healthy lately, but I totally blew that out of the water. I am going to have to run 15 miles this weekend just to burn off what I ate!!! So, after dinner, we ventured off to go grocery shopping. Since we live about an hour to town, we figured we would just get it done while we were almost kidless and already down there. Marc is like shopping with a little kid!! Our cart was overflowing with stuff he was throwing in!!! Not too romatic, but we had a blast!!! But when we got home, Aiden was asleep in the window sill waiting for us. Kasie said he had been there for 2 hours- everytime she would try to move him to bed, he would start crying for us. Such a sweet boy!!!

Potty training from the world's worst mommy

OK, I totally suck.  It is January 27th, and I have already been disqualified for the "Mother of the Year" award!!!  And I was trying so hard to make it to atleast March...
Here's the story:  As we all know, our sweet, adorable Aiden REFUSES to go potty in the "big boy potty".  He will be 3 in less than 60 days.  I am convinced he will be 15 before he shows any interest.  One time he was nudie and went #1 and #2 in our entry way and scared himself so bad that he now won't go.  Yes, he was scared of his own poo!!!  Everyday, I sit him on the potty and try and coach him along, but he just talks the whole time (and we thought he would never talk, too!!!).  Does daddy have one of these?  Do you?  Do I poop out of my hiney?  Do I pee out of my hiney?  Oh, I see my reflection in the washing machine (smile, smile...)!!!  Well, tonight, I took him right before dinner and dinner time in our house is CRAZY!!!  So, everyone is sitting at the table waiting to start eating as I am sitting on the floor of the bathroom promising Aiden that I will buy him 14 gallons of ice cream with all the candy in the world if he would just PLEASE GO POTTY!!!???  Nothing.  And the questions begin.  again.  (Note:  He loves asking what is and is not a bad word. )  Is potty a bad word?  Is poop a bad word?  Is hiney a bad word?  And on and on.  So, after I insist he will just have to put a diaper on for dinner, he get angry with me and tells me, "Me put poop on you."  OK, I dispise nasty talk from a kid, so I told him the next time he talked nasty, I would was his mouth out and no dessert!!  And what does he do, he says it again.  Of course.  So, the horrible mommy that I am, I tell him he is not getting dessert and I walk out of the bathroom.  With him on the toilet.  So, he starts screaming (remember, he is quite scared of going potty).  And, I just hang outside of the bathroom, because I am going to teach this potty mouth a lesson.  And you will never guess what, he was so upset, he peed!!!!  Yep, that is right, I scared my little boy so bad that he went pee.  in the potty!!!!  He went from screaming scared to excited because that meant he got a lifetime subscription to vanilla ice cream.  Now I have to figure out where to store the ice cream and what I can do to top it after the next time I traumitize him so bad that he pees everywhere!!!

Why?

Why did Aiden have a wet rag on his ear all day when it was his nose that hurt from stuffing a piece of an orange up it?

Why do all things that are bad for you taste so good?

Why do I procrastinate?

Why are so many that are close to us so ill right now?

Why does Madeline enjoy school more than the boys?

Why does a glass of wine taste so good and is so relaxing, but makes me feel horrible the next day?

Why are people in California so rude?

Why can't I look like Jillian?

Why does my house look like a hurricane went through it after each meal?

Why can't Marc and I ever have or make time for a date?

Why are all my friends and family so far away?

Why does your hair fall out so bad while nursing?

Why did I ever ask Marc to cut my hair?

Why is the criminal justice system so flawed?

Why won't my kids sleep?

Why are other people's blogs and facebook so addicting?

Why won't Aiden go potty in the potty?

How is it that I been blessed with the cutest, loudest, sweetest, dirtiest, most wonderful kids EVER????