Sprinkle Much

What a GRRREEEATT weekend!!! That's all I'm gonna say! Well, not really, but that's all I have to say because I had such a nice weekend!!

On Saturday morning, I went to my sorority meeting. I ws debating whether or not I should go b/c I'm due in just a few weeks, but I figured why not. My back is still hurting a bit from the accident, but I still ventured out. The ladies were so happy (& surprised) to see me. Only I would drive to an hours-long meeting at 37 weeks preggo. I really wanted to go b/c I knew that would be my last meeting until at least April. Anyway, after the meeting I went to my SIL's house for a Sprinkle!

What is a Sprinkle you ask?? Well, it's a baby shower when you already have 2 kids! As the name implies, it's not a full-on shower, but a little celebration for the bundle of joy. I wasn't expecting any sort of celebration (especially after this) but everyone is so excited because we're having a girl this time!! It was so much fun!!! Of course I was exhausted and huge and I could barely move (or breathe for that matter), but I had such a nice time. And boy oh boy is that baby gonna be spoiled!!!! Between her grandmothers and aunts and other lady friends....

AND I've never seen so much pink in all my life!!! LOL Pink for daaayyyzzzzz!!

Anyway, my Saturday was faboo!! I just wish I took some pictures. I mean, I'm not that fond of preggo-me, but I don't mind posing a bit (ya know, for the sake of my blog of course). I'm sure I'll do better once Little Girl arrives.


My feet, ankles, legs, tummy, shoulders, neck, face, eyelashes, ear lobes, and fingernails ACHE so I'm gonna take it down now. Peace out.

Poltergeist Much

Ok, here's the situation....

I got into a car accident in October. My dear Penny was totaled resulting in me needing to buy a new car.
Because I am a procreating goddess, I needed to buy something that would hold THREE carseats for kids who are NOT TRIPLETS!!


Thus, I bought a minivan. *shudder*


I got a pretty good deal. I was pretty satisfied at first. But then...
The poltergeist appeared!! Yes, a poltergeist! Da hell??? Town & Countries have those super convenient automatic sliding doors so when your carrying THREE KIDS for THREE CARSEATS & all the necessary baby accoutrement you can press a button and, voila, the door opens.

So, our doors worked a little too well!!! The passenger side door would open and close whenever it felt like it.... and it could go on for a really really really long time. I've taken it to the dealer multiple times to get it fixed. And each time they "fixed" it, it would act up again. Ummmm, do you know how UNsafe it is to have a door that will just open whenever it wants to... or close for that matter. It has closed on me before while strapping the boys in. Ummmm, da hell??

So, I filed a complaint with the transportation safety board, I've been in touch with the manufacturer... I even spoke with the regional manager of the dealersip where we bought it. All parties have said they'll replace my van but it may take a couple of months. Not only do I have my safety to consider, but I have 2 little boys I have to think about and in just a few weeks we'll have a newborn!!! I don't understand how this isn't a priority to people. Would they rather we have some sort of tragedy and then catch a lawsuit!! UGGGHHHH!!!

One night while it was at the dealer getting "fixed" a cop stayed out there and watched it in action for over 20 minutes. He then called me to tell me what he saw and asked if I knew that it did this. Ummm, yeah - that's why it's there! Anyway, I got his police report as added proof that something needs to be done. Now.

I'd like the poltergeist out of my van... it's scaring the children... and their mother!
Watch with caution..

Infirmery Much

Last week is a complete and utter blur! Not one, not two, not three, but all four of us were sick last week! And I guess I'll make that 5 by proxy. Ohhhhhh, the horror!!! There were doctor's appointments, prescriptions, rub downs, thermometers, and tissues galore!! At one point or another, everyone had a fever. Ty, who hates to miss work, had to call out. The boys had to stay home from daycare. I was home battling my own illness, trying to keep the boys from re-infecting each other.

Saturday was Halloween. I spent waaaayyyyy too much time HERE fighting for the best monkey and lion costumes to let the day pass us by. We all had to be better by Saturday to ensure the boys could show off their costumes. It was touch a go for a while, but the boys began to rebound by Friday. It is now the following Tuesday and I am still coughing. Don't get me wrong, I feel MUCH better... but I know I'm still not 100%. I think because I'm not really allowed to take cold medicine. I'm taking just about everything else (that's legal anyway), so I hope to have complete relief one day soon.

Here are the boys all dressed up! Aren't they just too cute!!!

Here are the 3 amigos AKA Team Trouble! :-)

Eeeeeekk Much

Hmmmmmmmm...

So far being 30 sucks.
Between ridiculous pregnancy pains, migraines, insomnia, the inability to sleep in my own bed, super irritability - I can now add car crash survivor to the list. Now, don't get me wrong, the survivor aspect is THRILLING (to say the least). I was able to walk away from the accident with minor physical trauma, but man oh man did Penny take a hit! The immediate reaction from the police and the tow truck guys was TOTALED! EEEKK!

I am just soooooo thankful that I was alone in the car.... all the damage was done to the back of the truck and I can't imagine what I'd do if either of the boys got hurt. I hate to even think about it.

So, being that I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant, I then had to spend my Saturday in the hospital hooked up to fetal monitors and blood pressure machines and the like. Babygirl is strong and she'll be okay, but man, what a scare!

Since then, I just feel like I've been suffering. I hate to complain, but that's all I really got right now. Since just Saturday, my migraines have intensified, my anxiety levels are through the roof, I have neck and back pain, my insomnia is ridiculous (haven't slept since Friday night)... and so on and so on and so on.

Excuse my language, but I just feel shitty. No other way to put it. I had an OB appointment today and my doc gave me an Rx for my migraines, an appointment for another U/S, names for counselors to talk to, and a STRONG suggestion to follow up with my primary care. Lots to do... all the while still at work, taking care of home, taking care of the boys, muddling through this insurance process, oh yeah, and trying to spend a little time on me somewhere in the mix.


For those of you who know a word of prayer... please keep PinkLady in yours. Very much appreciated. February just seems soooooo far away and I'm hoping I make it there in one piece AND with my head on straight... :-/


So, let me just let out one last shriek before I get back to my life and remember just how BLESSED I am. I haven't forgotten, but I still have to vent every once in a while..

here goes...
EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!!!

Poor Penny! She was a good girl..

Hiatus Much

Sooooo, we went on a bit of a summer hiatus. But, now we're back! A hiatus from what you're asking...... why our monthly dinner and a movie of course! lol

On Friday, we resumed our tradition by bringing back our inaugural movie a year ago... Finding Nemo! The boys LOVE this movie (& so do I), so we had a definite winner. I love a good success story! :-)

On Saturday, we all headed out to Sesame Place. It's so close, but we've never been before. I had never even been as a kid.... such a deprived childhood! LOL Anyway, the boys had the BEST TIME EVER! Jordan is so cute... he slept the whole way there, but woke up just as we were parking. Of course, each section of the parking lot has its own Sesame Street character which is the first thing he saw as he awakened from his slumber. And he asked me, "Mom are we at Sesame Street Place?" Now this wouldn't be a big deal, except I NEVER told him we were coming here!!! LOL As with most of my kiddie anecdotes..... I guess you had to be there. Too cute though.

Anyway, we enter the park and are fully expecting the boys to run wild and cause all sorts of chaos. Soooooooo not the case. They were such good boys!! The weather wasn't really in our favor (cloudy and cool) so the boys couldn't get the full experience, but they loved it just the same. And on top of the good behavior, they weren't even scared of any of the rides! I knew Aaron wouldn't be, but I was a little unsure of Jordan. I couldn't really ride too many rides myself (darn rules for preggo ladies), but I still had a blast! Soooooo much fun!!! I had such a great time, I think we're gonna try to go back next month - maybe in time for Halloween. We'll see about that though.

All in all, a GREAT weekend!!!!! I love family time! lol

p.s. we find out what we're having on Friday.... stay tuned! :-P

Countdown Much

We're just a few weeks away folks!!!


I can hardly believe it... in just a few short weeks I will have left the (so far) most eventful decade of my life!!! During my 20's I graduated from college (Go Dragons!), got married (heyyyy Ty!), bought my first house (sooooo ready to move), had my first sweet little baby (hi Jordie!), had my second sweet little baby (hi Owwie!), and got pregnant with my third bundle of joy (shhhhh, it's a secret)!!!


That was a mouthful, eh....


Well, I usually have this grand, loud and in-person countdown leading up to my birthday, but beacuse I have so many mixed feelings about this upcoming day - I'm leaving my countdown on the web. Won't you count down with me... It's okay if you don't start today... just make it over here on the 27th! :-)




Dirty Thirty here I come...

Beach Much

What a fantastic weekend!!! Gorgeous weather, super fun family, lovely little boys to surround me.... all is great when spending a day at the beach!!

This was the boys first trip EVER, and really my first in a very very very long time! I haven't been to a local beach since 1998!!! and I LOVE the beach! I haven't been to any kind of beach since our trip to Hawaii..... and that was 5 years ago. What have I been doing all this time??? Like I said, I love the beach!!

Well, we packed up the car and headed out on our trek for some fun in the sun. The drive wasn't so bad - even if we did leave 90 minutes late. ggrrrrrr Once we got within 5 miles of the ocean, however, all of that changed. It took us at least 45 minutes to make it those last 5 miles and another 30 minutes to find parking.

WHEW! We finally made it! We set up our chairs, laid out our towels, took out all the sand toys, slathered on sunblock and bug spray... we were READY!

Next up, throwing the boys in the ocean. Now, the boys LOVE water. They love to play in the tub and their little pool in the backyard. They even (quasi) enjoyed taking swimming lessons at the Y. They had never really seen the ocean up close before though, so I didn't know how they'd react. Let me re-phrase that - I knew EXACTLY how they'd react, but I was hoping they'd surprise me.

Aaron HATED HATED HATED the water! To get anywhere near it, someone had to hold him and they could not under any circumstances bend down. He had to be at least 4 feet in the air! He is too much. Jordan HATED HATED the water!! He would only get close enough for his big toes to get slightly damp. Since he was at least standing on his own, I figured he would probably warm up to it before we had to leave.

Since the water was out of the plan, we commenced to making sand castles. Rather my mom and the boys. I tried to get involved, but I just couldn't muster the energy or the enthusiasm required for such a task. I participated as marginally as possible. haha

Anyway, a GREAT day was had by all. And just like I thought, Jordie finally warmed up to the ocean. He actually went pretty far in. Aaron on the other hand, was just happy to stick his head in the sand (which he did over and over).

I can't wait to take them back to the beach!!!!

Oh yeah, and I've NEVER seen the Jersey Shore look so clean in my life!!! I don't know what they've done with it, but the water doesn't look half as mirky as it used to. I was pleasantly surprised..... we are definitely going back!

Check us out!

Funnin' Much

I CANNOT believe it's August already...
Why is the summer going by so fast???

Ok, so I know I said I've been doing a whole bunch of nothing... but I also said we've been sooo busy! Yes, I know I'm a walking contradiction... just work with me! LOL I'm in a delicate state! *snicker*


So, here's what we've been up to for the past couple of weeks..
SO! MUCH! FUN!

Well, this little guy turned 1!! I can't believe how time is flying! I swear he was just born like yesterday!! For realss!

Anyway, he had a barnyard themed party. It was so cute and the boys had a GREAT time!!! Leave it to party planner extraordinaire, Tif, to make a first bday party the event of the season. Ha!

What else... the annual family reunion. Every year we hang out on the Chesapeake for a weekend and play catch up. When we went I was only 11 weeks preggo, but I looked at least 4 months. at least. They say you get bigger earlier with each pregnancy, but DAYUM!! LOL

Anyway, look at these groups of guys and gals. Can you spot la preggocita?

What else?? Oh yeah! Fridays!!!
Can I please tell you how we went to Friday's one night and they had a face painter, a balloon artist and Pablo from The Backyardigans!!! At Fridays! Annnddd it was Tuesday, so kids eat free!! SCORE! Take a look...

Major Life Changes Much

Soooo...

I've told you about how I've been all sleepy and anxious and scatterbrained and all that good stuff. I've mentioned how I've been eating a whole lot and how I've been craving nachos and other yummy treats..


Well....




Wait for it...











I'M PREGNANT!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember the sickness after Memorial Day and the indigestion.... ding ding ding! a little baby is coming! We are due February 11 - and it can't come soon enough!

And before you even ask, no we weren't trying, but we're excited all the same!! I already know we're having another boy, but everyone thinks it's a girl because I've been sick and I didn't have a day of sickness with the boys.

We'll see....

btw, please keep us in prayer!! When little one arrives, we'll have THREE kids under 4!!! YIKES!
Let's just hope at least one of them is potty trained by then!! *shudder*

Nothing Much

What is it called when you are always busy, but you're busy doing nothing? There's gotta be a name for it! Well, that has been me as of late. Nachos have become my best friend... oh yeah, and we can't forget about my dear friend sleep. So, I've been consumed with eating nachos and sleeping.

Seeeee, a whole bunch of nothing.
What do you call that?

I know what you're thinking... we've had parties and outings and all that, so I'm definitely doing more with my summer than nothing. Ok, you're right. But, the days of nothing far out-number the days of all you can eat ice cream or trips to the museum.

What's with all this nothingness?? I'm not depressed. I'm not overly fatigued (just my usual level of fatigue! lol). I haven't been easily bothered by the boys who are fully and wholly embracing their age! Gah!!

My mind, while going a mile a minute, is full of happy thoughts and excitement for each and every day. I've been eating a lot and loving every bite (I'm not much of an eater, so this is kind of a big deal). I'm not sure what's going on.... but it resembles a whole lotta nothing.

Am I making any sense??

I have been a bit scatterbrained.
I am a bit anxious.

What's with that?? More on that next time...

To Kill a Mockingbird Much

No, this isn't a post about a book. I thought I mentioned I don't read. Let's all just be happy that I knew it was a title of a book...

One sentence in and I'm already in left field.
back to the subject....

So, I don't even know if it's a mockingbird at all, but I believe my resident bird expert (aka Mommy) and Wikipedia and trust that it is indeed a mockingbird.

So, most people typically enjoy waking up to the sing-songy chirping of the little birdies outside their windows.
That does sound nice, doesn't it.
Well, how unfortunate for us that we instead get brutally awakened by the maniacal squawking of these rabid birds. And how sad for our dear Gerrie Berry who endures the constant torture of these birds swopping down on him, and dare I say it, mocking his feline-hood.

I just can't take it anymore. I don't know how Gerrie stands it. He loves to go outside, but the moment he steps paw outside that door they're on his tail - literally!! They show him no mercy. It's like a game to them. I wish I had video of it. I just don't understand why he doesn't fight back, ya know, show 'em who's boss. He is a cat after all!!!

It's just too bad (for us all) when he stays out all night and the moment he creeps out from under some car to stretch his little legs, those birds are back on him. It can be 5 in the morning, and they are just as loud as they can be calling all their friends over to torture the poor little kitty. And lucky for us, we all get to wake up and hear it. And to my neighbors, sorry we didn't bring him in last night.. oops!

Does anyone know how to get rid of these fearless, audacious, WRETCHED creatures.... who I swear must be on steroids or something. They suffer from 'roid rage on a daily basis. Or, better yet, how can we get Gerrie to stand up to them. I've told him that if he just gives them one good paw to the beak, they'll leave him alone. Then, we're all winners....

Two Much

Man on man... time is surely flying!!! My little Owwie just celebrated his 2nd birthday on Saturday. I can't believe what a big boy he is! Almost makes me want to cry. Almost.

Well, we had another full weekend of festivities to commemorate this special occasion. Not to be outdone by Jordie's Diego extravaganza, Aaron got to celebrate with his favorite peeps - Mickey, Goofy and Donald. The boy loves Mickey Mouse...it''s so cute to hear him call out "Ohhhh Tootles!"

Anyway, we got up on Saturday to big hearty bowls of oatmeal! Yum! Again, Owwie's favorite - so I had to indulge (so what if he eats it just about everyday.. lol). We then packed up the car and headed to the aquarium. The boys had no idea where we were going, so they fell right asleep the moment we pulled out of the driveway. They wake up very slowly, so I was quite nervous that they wouldn't be able to pull it together to enjoy all the sea creatures. I forgot who I was dealing with..... Jordan saw a picture of a shark and perked right up! lol

We spent what felt like days at the aquarium looking at all types of fish - from piranhas to jellyfish to sharks and everything in between. We also saw the seals and the penguins and some funky looking frogs. So much fun! The boys didn't want to leave. But we had to. I was STARVING and I refused to spend my life savings on a hot dog and water. Besides, the party was just getting started.

We head back home and I keep the boys outside while we wait for our guests. Because of the whole "broke-ness" which has turned into the theme for 2009, there was to be no party. Our guests just consisted of a few family and friends... a very intimate birthday gathering. It was great.

The boys got to jump in their jumper, they got to blow bubbles, they got to eat (just about) whatever they wanted... and they got cake and ice cream. Sounds like a fun time to me.

The sun slowly went down, and so did my energy. The family left, the boys went to bed and Ty and I got to discuss how the last 2 years have just flown by. I CANNOT believe my little Aaron is 2.

My dear Owwie is a lover, a trouble maker, an instigator, a greedy little eater, and my lovebug! He is the sweetest little boy in the world. He never turns down a hug and always pokes out his cheek when I ask for a kiss. He oftentimes even asks for more and more kisses. so sweet. He also likes to bother his big brother and he can be quite aggressive at times. He's tiny, but he packs a punch! He must get all that strength from NEVER turning down food. He is sooooo greedy, but I just wonder where it all goes. You know he only weighs 22 pounds... and is below the 5th percentile. The doctor isn't worried though, so I try not to be...

So, to my dear son who loves his mommy's kisses, who loves to sing and dance (but it must always be a solo)... to the boy who never keeps his shoes on and we'll often find with just one sock on... to the boy who will eat anything, and I mean anything (does a little poop in the mouth incident ring a bell)... to the boy who will only poop in a clean diaper (which results in us changing 2 diapers within 10 minutes sometimes)... to the boy with the eyelashes that just won't quit... to the boy who all the ladies just adore... to the boy who I just love love love so much..... Happy Birthday!!!!!

Indigestion Much

So, I have some major indigestion!!! I know, not the most glamourous subject to discuss, especially after a few weeks of no Much Tuesdays - but for real..... it's some for real gross indigestion! No matter what I eat or what I drink... I can expect some bubbles later on. And by later on, I mean almost immediately.

My digestive tract has gone completely nocturnal! As long as the sun is down, I can eat with minimal problems. So, I'm safe to eat between 9pm and 6am. fun. Isn't it great to be on an involuntary fast everyday! Woo hoo for me! LOL

Anyway, not much else going on here. If you know any remedies you'd like to share, please do!

Cumpleanos Much

Yesterday was May 11. The day marked a very special day in the BlueWorld household. Our Jordie turned three years old!!! I CANNOT believe it! Really, I can't. Just yesterday I was single, childless, and broke. Now I'm married, with children, and broke. My how things change.

Even though it was also Mother's Day weekend, we had to go all out to celebrate Jordie's birthday since there would be no parties this year. Did I mention we were broke. And we had all of our money stolen out of our bank account (which we still haven't gotten back... uggghhh).

The celebration started on Saturday morning. The boys woke up to the smell of....

well, nothing. I was still asleep. The boys woke me up in typical fashion and I groggily went downstairs to start breakfast. I made my Jordie (& his very greedy brother) a wonderful pancake breakfast.

Would you believe Aaron ate 6 pancakes, 3 pieces of bacon, a bowl of applesauce, a banana and finished it off with a cup of juice!!! His metabolism is crazy (the doctors were a bit concerned because he won't gain weight). I think Jordan only at 4 pancakes.

After breakfast, Ty took Jordan to get his birthday haircut. He desperately needed one...
They returned and it was Aaron's turn. Ty cut Aaron's hair himself. Aaron was (to my surprise) very agreeable.
After haircuts, we got dressed dressed and headed out the door.

After a 90 minute (10 mile) drive, we finnnaallly arrive at the zoo. Jordan was too excited!

I didn't make the mistake I made before... Ty and I took TWO strollers! Forget the double stroller, forget walking with two rambunctious toddlers, forget being ambitious.... time to get practical! LOL

Here are my boys checking out some hippos or turtles or something... how cute are they!! :-)

Here are the 2 AJ's! and some sleeping lions in the background.

Bday boy & brother too distracted to let Mom get a good shot...

This HUGE gorilla just got finished swinging from a rope (a la Tarzan), banging his entire body against the window (scaring me half to death), and falling to the ground. This is the aftermath... silly gorilla!

After a GREAT time at the zoo.... we went to see GG. She and Tif & Will were going to join us for a celebratory dinner at Jordie's FAVE spot.. wait for it...
Applebees!!! LOL He loves that place!

So we ate, we drank, and were quite merry. Then.... the waiters came around and sang to my Jordie! They sang to a 3 year old! I didn't know they did that!! LOL

Anyway, here he is with his birthday chocolate mousse (that his mom politely stole and devoured within seconds! Thanks for sharing J)!

That was about all the celebration we could muster for one day.... but that certainly was not the last of it. After all, his actual birthday was on Monday!

Like any good mom, I spent my Mother's Day making cupcakes for Jordie's class. I made the mini cupcakes (just enough sugar for a toddler) and found they were quite harder to handle than the regular sized ones. *shrugs* Then I tried to get fancy and dye my icing... some were blue... others were green. ALL were eaten! Ms. D (Jordie's teacher) said I'm the new favorite mom of the class!! I'm so honored.

After I picked the boys up, we head home for the real birthday "party." GG, Tif (& Jace), Shana and Ms. Beale came over for pizza and cake to celebrate the big 0-3! The theme of the party was Go Diego Go! as you can tell by the pics below.

So, to the boy who could sing his ABC's before he was one, who never took to crawling but walked before he was 10 months... To the boy who likes to tell knock knock jokes and sing songs and dance to Move It Move It.... To the boy whose intelligence and memory and PURE genius astound me on a daily basis... To the boy who can read... To the boy who can memorize an entire program (including random narration that has nothing to do with the subject)... To the boy who never naps and is last to go to bed and the first to rise in the morning.. To the boy who can eat oatmeal at every meal... To the boy who loves to give sloppy kisses.. To the boy who is the best big brother a little brother could ask for (thanks for not hitting Aaron back all those times - we're still working on AJ's aggression).. To the boy who assigned everyone in the family a color and a halloween costume and can rattle off who belongs to what color and costume (MONTHS LATER!!!)... To the boy who wears me out on a daily basis... To the boy who loves the sky and the moon...

Yes, to that boy - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Keep making Mommy proud.

Ahhh yes, this is also the same boy who refuses to go to the potty consistently, who throws tantrums like NO OTHER, and who kept Mommy in labor for 17 hours before being yanked out with that suction device!!

Uhhh, yeah, thanks..

Love you Jordie!!

Modesty Much

he soooooo did this all on his own!!!!

LOL

he just doesn't want to give away all the goods too soon! Ha!

Boys Much

Even after the way my darling babydolls treated me last week... I still couldn't wait for the weekend when we would have hours upon hours of uninterrupted fun!! What's better is that we extended our fun into Monday.... we just couldn't get enough of eachother!!!

Where do I begin?? :-)

Friday is as good a day as any. Well, I picked the boys up from "school" and the weather was still warm so we went right outside to play! (after dinner of course - because of this new schedule we're on, they now eat dinner early bird style at 5:30). We played and played and lights out at 8:30! Whew, Mommy was tired! Happy, but tired!

On to Saturday...
After our morning rituals of breakfast and potty time, the boys and I met up with Auntie, Uncle Will and Xavier at a music class for toddlers. The boys had been once before when I was out of town, and I was told they (Jordie) had a good time so we invited ourselves back! When we arrived everyone remembered the boys - that was a nice surprise. Of course, Jordie jumped right into the fun!

I think we have a drummer in our midst!

The class was okay... but I'm not in a rush to go back. Aaron never really warmed up to it... which was surprising since he's such a music lover!!! Plus, it was a bit too hokey for me. A bit too folksy. The boys may like it, but after the 3rd week, I'd probably want to shoot myself. I'm glad we went though. Thanks Tif!

Once we left the class, we went back home to get changed! Our day was just beginning.

I got everything together and the 3 of us headed out to the park. for fun. in the sun. the extra hot sun. fun in the oppressive heat of the sun. Did I mention the hot sun? Well, it was hot. loved.every.minute.of.it.

It was hot as blazes out (the BESTEST kind of weather) but we wouldn't be dettered. As soon as we got there, Jordie took off!!! I reeled him back in as we had to stick to the agenda!! Doesn't he know how I operate by now! LOL I lay out a blanket and sit the boys down for a scrumptious picnic. We LOVE picnics. like, a lot. Yummy pb&j and sliced apples.

Just over Jordie's left shoulder (in the pic below) is the playground. I tried to sit him with his back to it so he could concentrate on lunch, but he kept sneaking peeks over that shoulder for what was to come. He is so funny!

As much as I love hot sunny weather (I realllllly do)... I couldn't focus like I wanted. So, I didn't take any more pictures. What a shame too because we had so much fun!!! We were out there for like an hour and a half having the times of our lives (at least Jordie & Owwie were.. haha).

So, we leave the park. The boys need a nap. Mommy needs a nap. We have about a 40 minute drive ahead of us, so the boys got a little respite in the car.

Funny story... So I told you we got a new truck, right? I also told you we got a reeeaaallllllly good deal, right? Did I mention that I often wondered why the dealer practically gave the truck away? Well, I thought I found the answer. We got it in November when air conditioning wasn't needed. Since we are in the midst of a heatwave, I thought I would snatch the viriginity from the a/c unit. Joke's on me. It didn't work. So, the boys are sweating (which they do anyway), the sun is beaming on us, and the best I can do is get the a/c to blow just cooler than warm air. The air that was blowing wasn't warm, but it wasn't cool.... it was right in between. Just awful.

I guess that wasn't such a funny story.

Anyway, we arrive at this lady's house [see lady below] to help her bring in her 30-somethingTH year. (I try not to reveal ages round these parts). But really, she doesn't look a day over 18 does she?? I remember when we first met I thought she was younger than me, by at least a few years - and I met her when I was 19!!

So we get there and I tell everyone my not-so-funny story...and they all look at me like I'm the biggest idiot in the world. I have a Chrysler, the bday girl has a Chrysler and Tif has a Dodge. They then informed me how to properly work the a/c and that I should be publicly flogged for torturing the boys like that. Can I get a do-over??

I soooooo wish I took pictures at the bday bbq. Sooooo much fun! I brought the boys' bikes up with us and they looked so cute riding around on them.... or rather being pushed by everyone in their line of sight. I hope they get the hang of it soon.. my back still hurts!

After our full day out galavanting the streets of SE Pennsylvania, we finally got back home at 10pm. The boys were fast asleep and I was sure after all that excitement that they would sleep later than usual on Sunday.

I was wrong. They woke up extra early. Ready to do it all again. Ummm, no thanks.

We went to church and picked Dad up afterwards for the family dinner. Again, I wish I took pics. I love having everyone together... and I'm sentimental like a mofo!

On to Monday...
Business as usual - until I realized the date! It was the 27th.... very close to the 30th. Why does that matter? Because the whole month has passed and we never did our monthly dinner and a movie. How can that be????

So even though Ty had class, we pressed on without him. We had our favorite dinner & a movie fare - PIZZA! And we watched Toy Story. I forgot how much I liked that movie. (did i ever say what we watched in March? I'm trying to keep a record. We watched Fly Me to the Moon. Jordan loves bugs and he LOVE LOVE LOVES the moon. it was a winner!)

So, that was our long weekend! I wish I could say "in a nutshell" but we all know brevity ain't my thing!
Ha!

Adjustment Much

Soooo, there have been some major changes at Chez BlueWorld! Good changes, I guess... but this is definitely an adjustment period. for all of us.

Last weekend, Ty laid down some ceramic tile in our kitchen. Major improvement!! I wanted to post some before/after pics, but forgot to take before pics. oh well.

Ty got a job (outside of the house) (after a very long time at home with the boys). We're all super happy for him but his new schedule has him working from 6am til 2:30! YIKES! Then, you know he's still in school in the evenings. let's all keep him (& his energy levels) in prayer. I hope he adjusts to his new schedule with minimal problems. he gets cranky when he's overtired...

So, I now have the pleasure of getting the boys dressed and ready in the wee hours of the morning by myself... after they had grown accustomed to hanging out in their pj's for any given amount of time during the day. adjustment period.

Why am I getting them dressed and ready you ask??? Because we had to enroll them into daycare! We didn't want to do it, but with both of us working outside the house we thought it best to not leave them home alone. :-)

So, the boys are up and out by 7:45 for a fun-filled day with snotty nosed, germy, social misfits! Errrr uhhhh, I mean lovely, well-mannered, manicured little tikes. whatever.
Yesterday was their first day. The drop-off went very very well. a little too well if you ask me. I couldn't even get Jordie out of the carseat before he was trying to run inside to see what was in store for him and his brother.

Aaron, comme d'habitude, was a bit apprehensive at first. He has NEVER been in daycare and he's a bit timid in new situations anyway. He stood back and watched Jordan play (who never took his coat or backpack off...ya know, because of the excitement!). I took Aaron to his classroom, where there were no kids. He LOVED that! lol He got busy and played and spoke to his teacher. It was all very cute. I left him and went back to Jordan's room. I was standing in the hall when Aaron walked by. He didn't even speak. Not even a wave. hmmmmpphh
I try to pretend I don't care, but I gotta say - that one stung a bit.

So, I left.
There were no tears, no tantrums, no "Mommmmmmmmmyyyy, don't go." Nada. I'm happy they adapt well, but still.. c'mon..

All in all the day went well. Jordie refused to go to the potty and had an accident. I had to pick him up because somehow the change of clothes I sent with him were soaking wet. As it turns out a cup of juice spilled all over everything in his bag. It was towards the end of the day anyway, so they did well. It was nice to see how happy they were to see me though. Jordie ran over to me in his heavy wet jeans... big toothy grin. such a doll! Aaron was waving to me and of course wanted to be picked up... another big grin. such a sweetie pie!

BUT OMG!!!!!!!
The night was awful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There aren't enough exclamation points to emphasize how awful last night truly was!!! A.W.F.U.L. !!
Yesterday was just too much for them. They had no idea how to adjust once they got home. They were completely over-stimulated. They were yelling (at me), pushing (me), bullying (me), demanding food RIGHT NOW (all night), crying (we all took turns). And this is all in the course of about 3 hours. It was the longest 3 hours of my life. I think what made it so bad was because Ty was in class and I was exhausted (I had been up since 5am... getting Ty off for work). Oh yeah, and I'm working on day 8 (!!) of a nasty cold mixed in with some gross allergies. yuck.
Sleep deprivation + sickness + cranky toddlers = CHAOS!

Aaron was in bed at 7:45. That's the earliest he's been to bed since infancy.
Jordan was in bed at 8:30.
The house was quiet by 9... and I was in bed by about 10:30... not bad for me.
We're all adjusting to this new (stricter) schedule.

I wish I could say this morning went as well as yesterday. Definite adjustment period. Despite the glowwwwing remarks by both Jordan and his teacher (he's super-intelligent.. :-D)... Jordan told me this morning that he did NOT want to go back. And if he had to go, I had to stay with him. I actually had to hold his hand to get him through the door. so sad. He was fine though once he got settled.

We'll see how tonight goes. I'm desperately hoping for better results!
Wish us luck!

still adjusting..

Avon Much

Welcome one, welcome all!
Please allow me the opportunity to introduce you to PinkLady, your newest Avon Lady.

I am very excited about this recent venture and I look forward to serving you ALL with all the great buys Avon has to offer! My mom was an Avon lady years ago so I was exposed to the many beauty and skin care products they sold.... but I had no idea how much they've expanded over the years!! Makeup is just the tip of the iceberg! Avon sells EVERYTHING!!! Like, seriously. I had no idea. And as the cherry on top... everything is soooo affordable! I'm not kidding. There's always some kind of sale going on... and I'm loving it! HA!

My only fear with this is that I won't make any money. It's not that I won't make any sales (I'm counting on YOU! :-D)... it's that I think I'm going to be my own best customer. There's so much I want to buy!! Lotions and potions and clothes and purses and perfumes and inspirational items and makeup and jewelry and watches and stuff for kids and I could go on and on.
And you know what's great, ladies?? Avon has this cool partnership with Curves! They are all about wellness! Woo Hoo!
Did you know Derek Jeter has a men's cologne through Avon? How about Patrick Dempsey?? I knowwwww.. I didn't know either!! Can you tell I'm a little excited?? LOL

Anyway, allow me to give you the link to my online store because there's tons more on there than in the physical brochure I have with me. http://youravon.com/aliciachavis

What I've told you is just the beginning. One of these days I'll have to tell you about their activism efforts. I'm all about empowering the community and I do my fair share of community service, so it's nice to see a company joining in on the effort! Avon works hard in the fight against breast cancer and they (we) are also fighting the good fight against domestic violence. Two very important causes.

Soooo Happy Shopping... and let everyone know that PinkLady sent you!
(& thanks for your business)

p.s. if you have any questions about any of the products or you're looking for something in particular... please let me know how I can help. I'm all about customer service with a smile! :-)

Fiddle Much

I like to try new things.
That's just my style.

I've had many hobbies over the years, but I've been careful to not let them interfere with my "life." Family comes first and hobbies just fit in somewhere down the line. For instance, I love to play tennis. I played a few times a week for years prior to the babies. After Jordie was born, I played twice... then I found out I was preggo again. Since Aaron, I haven't played once. It's just no longer convenient. The coach I was working with is now too far away. The places where I've looked that are closer to home are too expensive. It's just too much work for me right now to fit it in.

So, I'm looking for something else to occupy my time (as if my schedule isn't jampacked already).

I'll let you know what I come up with.

Now...
What do you (as wives) do when your husband's hobbies interfere with "life??" When you make a healthy decision for the family to take a step back and old husbo doesn't make the same decision... what do you do? Even better question... what do you do if the hobby itself is unhealthy??? Like, no good can come from it.. Inquiring minds...

I'm just not much for taking a backseat to hobbies.
Fiddle with this, fiddle with that... but don't forget to fiddle with me too! (& I mean that in the most innocent way.. lol)

Favorites Much

We're taking a break from our regularly scheduled blogging for a much needed Much Tuesday!

I know we just started our TTG lessons, but I'm a stickler for schedules!! LOL

Don't worry, I'll get back to it tomorrow (or the next day or the day after that).

There are just some things that make me smile. That make me happy. That make me giggle. I call those my faves. There are a lot of them crammed in that little space I call a brain, but take a lookey here as I've listed some of my faves.... pure grin producers! :-)

Websites

gmail (I have like 30 accounts... lurrrves me some email)

facebook (definitely an fb addict! lol)

twitter (a recent addition, but definitely a fave) check me out @themrs517

blogger (I read way more than I post)

fancast (I watch way too much tv, this is just an enabler! lol)

biblegateway (great resource)

netflix (I have no need to be on here as much as I am.... but I can't help myself)
picnik (love pics and this lets you do cool things to them)

TV Shows (of all time.. not just current)

The Cosby Show... nuff said

A Different World (so disappointed that college really wasn't this dope)

How I Met Your Mother (huge Barney Stinson fan!!!)

The Biggest Loser

Real Housewives of Whereever (love them all.. OC probably my fave)

Top Chef

Grey's Anatomy

ER

Amen (love Deacon Frye!!!)

Project Runway

Movies (I can recite every line to these wonders of cinema)

The Karate Kid (the first one is a CLASSIC!!!)

Love Jones

The Five Heartbeats

The Notebook

Crazy/Beautiful

Beauty and the Beast (yeah, the cartoon)

The Goonies

Coming to America

Random

Sleeping (a long forgotten pasttime)

Dessert (I've got a crazy sweet tooth)

Jordan

Aaron

Ty

Mommy & Daddy

Mil

Vacations (see note after sleeping *sigh*)

I'm sure I forgot some, but at least this list will get you started! hehehe