5 weeks

i took this pic last friday but just got around to uploading it. i already have a pooch that sticks out farther than my boobs, ha! oh well, it's worth it in the end. even if at 5 weeks my jeans are so snug that i change into elastic waisted pants as soon as we get home from school/errands!

compared to 5 weeks with peanut, i'd have to say that it's not too bad. after all, this is number 4!

pregnancy

lets be honest, while i am always extremely blessed with healthy children, i am not usually blessed with easy pregnancies.

while pregnant with bubba, i had morning sickness from five weeks all the way until twenty-one weeks. and when i say morning sickness, i don't mean nausea. i don't mean queasy. i don't mean that i felt sick. i mean that for over 15 weeks, i threw up every.single.day. i threw up in the morning, noon and night. i could eat everything in sight or nothing at all and still throw up. all the hints about eating crackers early in the morning? yeah, didn't work. sipping juice? nope. lots of protein? uh-uh. load up on carbs? nice try. nothing i could do stopped it, so i just went with it. i worked part time, excusing myself several times throughout the shift so that i could pay homage to the porcelain throne. it became, dare i say, normal. then at 21 weeks, it's like someone flipped a switch. i felt awesome! i felt like a whole new person. i could eat (and boy did i eat) and not get sick. i craved buffalo wild wings and indulged every thursday night like clockwork.

until 29 weeks.

at 29 weeks, i went for a regular appointment and my blood pressure was 152/99. they had me rest for awhile and it was then it was 148/97. i had developed PIH, or pregnancy induced hypertension. we'd been noticing that my bp was on the rise, little by little, at each appointment. but when it reached these highs, dr p didn't want to take any chances. i was put on bedrest from that appointment until the day i delivered...8 weeks total. every single week i had either an ultrasound, a protein urine test or a non-stress test. luckily, despite a few scares, everything turned out fine.

i was induced at 37 weeks and 3 days and delivered bubba, a healthy 7lb11oz baby boy. shortly after delivery, i passed out. two or three times, i passed out. i had lost a lot of blood and i had a lot of stitches (over 20). my bp returned to normal and within 24 hours we were released from the hospital. in the upcoming weeks i ended up with an infection, which was more painful than labor itself but once it subsided, i was great.

 ---
in august/september of 2006 i went shopping and while trying on clothes i felt, fat. i didn't buy a single thing that day because i wasn't happy with how anything fit. i was pissed, to be honest. on the drive home i was trying to think about what it could be. i had previously lost all of my pregnancy weight from bubba, i was back in my old clothes yet now they were fitting tight. i was fat. and i was just so tired. and i was peeing, a lot. the "uh-oh" thought entered my head and i was thinking. i was on the mini-pill, i was pumping milk for bubba, and i hadn't had a period, yet it seemed that i might be pregnant.

turned out, i was 6 weeks along with pooks. definitely a shock but we took it in stride. a few days later i woke feeling like death. yep ''morning'' sickness again. i got lucky though, with pooks i only threw up every.single.day until about 15 weeks. it was a vast improvement. being considered ''high risk'' after my pregnancy with bubba, i did get more frequent ultrasounds and protein tests. around 33 weeks an ultrasound revealed that my amniotic fluid was low. this resulted in upping my fluid intake, and being closely monitored for the remaining 4 weeks of my pregnancy. on my birthday, a full 3 weeks before he was due, pooks granted us with his presence, weighing 6lbs 5oz. i delivered him completely natural with no drugs or pain relivers and it was amazing. i didn't pass out, i didn't tear, and i didn't need a single stitch.

fast forward to april 2008 when surprise, surprise i had fallen pregnant again. we had just started talking about trying for another when my period was a no show. overall, being pregnant with peanut was by far, the easiest pregnancy. i did have morning sickness and i did vomit. a lot. but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been with bubba and pooks. in fact, i was positive that i was carrying a girl because i felt so different. i was sick until maybe 12 weeks when it wore off.

the only noticeable difference with this pregnancy was the physical pain that i was in. i would get horrible side pains, which was actually all my scar tissue (from endometriosis and previous surgeries) tearing as my uterus grew. it hurt like hell and was scary too! at the time we were living in the ''city'' but I kept dr. p as my ob/gyn so it meant driving 2 hours for every appointment. it was worth it, but tiring. b ended up getting a new job, thus bringing us back home. nothing is rougher on a 8 month pregnant chick than moving....with 2 kids nonetheless! i had contractions, a lot! by 35 weeks i was dilated to 3cm and having contractions every day. i had to drastically increase my water and rest whenever possible, but we did it and just 19 days after moving, peanut made his arrival. almost an entire month early! (due on dec 13th but born november 19th). i successfully pulled off another completely natural childbirth and peanut weighed in at 6lbs 13oz.

so how am i doing now?

well, it's still early. i'm almost 6 weeks pregnant with sweetcheeks as i type, and so far, i feel great. i do get really tired and mid-afternoon i nap as soon as the boys are asleep. but other than being tired, i feel awesome! i have quite the belly already and while it's somewhat frustrating (i mean afterall sweetcheeks is the size of a sesame seed!) i know that it's for the best. and this is my fourth pregnancy in four years so really, what can i expect?

i'll try to get a belly pic up soon, i know that some people really want to see one. but for now? the kids are napping and i gotta go jump in bed while i have the chance!

toddler approved, tasty tuesday

i thought that i would use todays ''tasty tuesday'' to talk about toddler approved snacks that don't include m&m's or cookies :)

 

my boys are almost 4, 2.5 and 15 months old, please use common sense & only give these snacks to kiddos who are old enough. 

generally speaking my kids love to eat almost anything. their all time favorite (at least for pooks) are fruit snacks.

now while they are kinda sugary, i'm okay with them for several reasons. first, they are a light snack and won't ruin dinner. they are about 10 pieces in each pack and one package contains 100% of their daily value for vitamin C, they are 80 calories and fat free. they are made with real fruit juice, so overall i can't complain too much. plus they are super easy: just tear open the package and go. we keep quite a few in the diaper bag!

coming in a close second is: any type of fruit with a dip. usually strawberries, apples or blueberries. now while they love caramel dip, it is high is sugar so i limit it. usually we use all natural vanilla yogurt.

it's just a little bit sweet and the active cultures help keep 'em healthy. bubba just uses his just as dip, while peanut and pooks dip and then eat theirs.

now there are quite a few snacks that are appealing, not necessarily because of the nutrition but because of the educational value. yep, snacks can be fun! take for example both of these: cheez-it snacks and nabisco alpha-bits:

 

sure my kids are too old to play scrabble, even the junior version, but they love looking and talking about all of the letters! now i'll be honest, peanut could care less, but bubba and pooks are really recognizing their capital letters (bubba knows all of them!). these aren't really nutritious but they aren't horrible either are yummy and fun.

other popular snacks are:

• smoothies--made with yogurt, frozen strawberries, bananas and a little bit of honey.
• trail mix-- made with peanuts, raisins (or crasins), peanut butter chips, cheerios, pretzels and chocolate chips
• pretzels--plain or dipped in peanut butter
• crackers topped with cheese

i hope this post gave you at least a couple suggestions to help out with your toddler. please share any ideas or common snacks that your kids enjoy in the comments section of this post. i'll then add them to this original post for us to look back to later!

who you callin' peanut?

peanut went to the doctor today for his well baby visit and everything checked out perfectly! he is right on track developmentally (even though he STILL won't say mama) and even ahead in other areas (drinking out of an open mouth cup). his head circumference was 19.25 inches, his height was 30.5 inches and his weight was....22 pounds 2 oz! i thought for sure he was over 25lbs, i mean peanut is getting heavy to carry but in actuality that is only a 1 pound more than he weighed at his 12mos appt. overall he is in the 25th percentile for both height and weight. while this may seem little to other people, this is big to us. (hello, at bubba's 3 year appt he was in the 8th percentile for height). the little stinker had to get 3 shots (one from his 12mos that i delayed) and only cried for a split second each. he was more than content to exchange a few needle pricks for a big blue helium filled balloon. he has to get one more shot at his 18 month check up and then i believe he is done until age 5!

49 degrees

was the temperature last thursday afternoon. not only was it 49 degrees but there was no wind. now if your neck of the woods is anything like our neck of the woods, this is practically a heatwave! i was so excited to let the boys play outside that i could barely wait for their naptime to end. now while it was nice out, i still made them wear their winter hats, simply to keep their ears warm. they were out there for over an hour and thursday night, they went down for bed without even a peep. i ♥ being able to let them run off all that excess energy. this makes me SO excited for spring and summer!

 bubba (looking way to old for my liking)

all 3 (and yes, i realize peanut is trying to eat chalk)

  pooks, not wanting his pic taken

peanut enjoying his racecar

see, he knows how to use the chalk the right way!

so big!

peanut, i cannot even believe that you are 15 months old today! you have a well baby check up monday so we'll find out your height and weight then but i can tell you that you:

• have 12 teeth with 2 more poking through the gumline {and drool like crazy!}
• sleep through the night, without a bottle or sippy cup. bedtime is 7pm and you sleep straight through to 7am
• still take two naps a day. a 30 minute morning nap (usually while running errands while bubba is in school) and a 2+ hour afternoon nap with your brothers
• love bath time with your brothers but always want to stand-up, making mom and dad very nervous
• can say dada, yes, no-no, this, thanks, whats this? (all one word), sit, and i'm sure a few more that i'm forgetting
• you love to wave, blow kisses and say ''so big''. you also enjoy doing songs with movement like pat-a-cake and itsy bitsy spider
• your favorite foods are broccoli, carrots, blueberries, scrambled eggs, rice, mashed potatoes, pizza, bread and chicken. you don't really seem that big on red meat and could care less about mac & cheese. oh and on the rare occasion that you get one, you love love love lollipops!
• are a dancing machine! even sitting in the shopping cart at the grocery store--if you hear music you start moving and dancing
• love to antagonize your brothers! you intentionally take their toys and lovies, waiting for them to see you and then run. 
• you bark. seriously, you mimic rascal and make barking noises. cutest.thing.ever
• understand and follow one part commands "bring me the book" or "find your shoes/binky"
• you know a few body parts: head, belly, ears and feet

you are getting so big and your personality just shines through more each day. no one can decide if you look more like bubba or more like pooks--i think you're a combination of both, but mostly you're just you :)

love you peanut!

toddler approved, tasty tuesday....on wednesday

so sorry this is late, i was excited to share my other news and totally forgot to get this posted:

 

This week I thought that I would share a recipe that is so easy to make and delicious! Plus, using last weeks tips and tricks you can make it veggie loaded. here is the recipe, and below are some additional tips/suggestions.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients:
1 pound dry ziti pasta
1 onion, chopped
1 pound lean ground beef
2 (26 ounce) jars spaghetti sauce
6 ounces provolone cheese, sliced
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
2. In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheeses are melted.


Doesn't that sound freaking delicious? yeah well it is, i promise. and yes it calls for sour cream, no you cannot even tell that it's in there. i suppose if you really wanted to you could omit it and it's taste just as good. now when i make it i follow the recipe with 2 exceptions.

1. Instead of regular ziti pasta, I use Ronzoni Smart Taste 'Penne Rigate' noodles. These noodles taste exactly like regular pasta but have "Three times the fiber and calcium equal to an eight-ounce glass of milk."  These noodles cost a little bit more but are so worth it! The website has a printable coupon and we usually buy them for much less at Sam's Club.
2. As I mentioned in last weeks post, use veggie loaded sauces! Nothing makes this pasta dish better than chunks of tomatos and onion. Delish! This is also super easy to sneak those pureed carrots into; the cheeses mask the taste :) 

make it, and let me know what you think! 

oh and word to the wise--this will fill a 9x13 dish to the point of (almost) overflowing. it makes a ton! if you want, i recommend splitting it between two 8x8pans; putting one in the oven to bake and one in the freezer to thaw for an easy meal on another night.

bubba the artist...

how was your valentines day? good i hope. mine was (while i hate to brag) but it kind of kicked ass.

to start the day off, i got to sleep in until almost 10am. then the boys {with b's help} presented me with the cutest valentines day card ever. it involved a lot of cut out hearts and a lot of glue. following the card, was a brand new necklace from thevintagepearl.com. this one, but with bubba, pooks and peanuts' names on it.

love, love, love it! i've been wanting a necklace from them for forever and B decided it was time, i guess. yay!

so after the gift exchange {the kids and I gave B a coffee mug with their valentine's photo on it, filled with m&ms, and a photo desk calendar for his office at work} we ate lunch.

after lunch, i didn't feel so good. since we ate chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese...i didn't think i was sick from lunch. around 1:30 i was still feeling pretty nauseous with no end in sight. this lead me to think that maybe, just maybe, we got lucky with our trying to conceive efforts. so i ran upstairs and took a home pregnancy test. this was the result:

 

see that super super super faint pink line to the right of the dark pink line? (you can click on the pic) yeah, well i wasn't sure that i was REALLY seeing it either. so i ran downstairs and made B look. (nevermind that he was eating) he said that he kinda saw a line too. well the pamplet says that ANY line, regardless how faint is positive. well since i wasn't sure if we were really seeing it or if we were really wanting to see it, i ran and bought another test. this time digital. i waited over 2 hours to pee again, and then took that one...it was much more clear:

WE ARE PREGNANT! i could barely believe it! i tested early...3 days early. and i had no signs of ovulating this month at all (my "sign" is usually unbearable pain/cramps) so i was beyond shocked. yesterday, i went to Dr. P's office to have it confirmed. after having blood drawn and anxiously waiting 10 minutes theirs too, was positive! so i got to walk down the hall and schedule my first appt and find out my due date: none other than auntie michelle's birthday, October 23, 2010. so if sweetcheeks* arrives like his/her brothers all have {2-4 weeks early} we'll have a newborn by then! do i know how to give the coolest birthday gifts or what?!

*for now at least, baby #4 shall be blog named sweetcheeks. i may change this, a ton.

we immediately told the boys, explaining that mommy had a teeny tiny baby growing in my tummy. and that each day the baby would grow a little and my tummy would grow a little and by halloween, they would have a new brother or sister. both bubba and pooks are thrilled, and surprisingly really seem to 'get' it. peanut, well he's a man of few words and while it will be a big adjustment for him, i'm sure he'll do just fine. bubba swears that ''there is just one baby girl in there mommy'' and man oh man do i hope he's right! shortly after telling them the news, he wanted to color me a picture.

 yeah, thats me. with 2 left feet and a big ol' baby in my tummy. i freaking ♥ that kid!

busy, busy, busy!

we have been so busy over the last week that blogging has been pushed to the back of the pile. sorry! between the kiddos, the weather, valentines day, going out of town to visit the in-laws, and the normal day to day stuff like cooking, cleaning and laundry--i've been too tired to blog at the end of it all! so whats up with us? well, we've all adjusted to our new routine that now includes dropping bubba off at pre-school each morning. it took about 3 weeks but the boys are finally used to hurrying in the mornings instead of going snail-pace while watching cartoons.

while he's in class, peanut, pooks and i usually run errands or go to storytime at the library...they love storytime! we usually go to the toddler class on wednesday and while peanut is a little young for it, he does pretty well. last week during a puppet show he was laughing so hard at the puppets that all the other kids (and moms) were turning around to look at him and smiling. he just thought it was hysterical and had that really deep belly laugh that was contagious. he is adorable. ornery but adorable!

he is now almost 15mos old and is so active! he's so smart too! he loves to play itsy bitsy spider and even tries to mimic the hand motions. he knows his belly, ear, head and hair and will point to them when asked. he claps, blows kisses, runs and is starting to climb! his newest (and cutest) trait is saying "yes" or "na-na-na" while shaking or nodding his head. you can ask him if he wants to eat/is tired/wants to play/needs milk and he just answers you now. talk about being easier! he'll have a well baby check-up next monday and it will be interesting to see how big he is. i'm guessing at least 24lbs--he has gotten SO heavy. all of his clothes are 18-24mos--which is unheard of for my kids! never have one of the boys been in a size that is older than their age. bubba is almost 4 and some of his tshirts are still 2T!

speaking of bubba, he is doing well. he loves school! while he's still super shy, he did tell me that he made a friend. and that girls chased him. and that some other kid chased him back. oh the drama of preschool, lol. his counting has improved tremendously; both counting out loud and recognizing the numbers in print. he loves doing his homework and looks forward to going each day. he'll be four years old next month--can you even believe that!? he chose to have a scooby doo party and is really excited for it. since figuring out all of his allergies last year, this winter has been so much easier. he hasn't (knock on wood) gotten sick, other than the sniffles. i cannot even tell you the last time that he needed a breathing treatment! it's really amazing. his eczema is much better too!

now pooks, oh sweet little pooks. he's nuts, lol. adorable, cuddly, imaginative and smart but totally nuts. okay, okay maybe not nuts. fearless is a better word. he loves jumping off of the couch into a pile of pillows. it's his new favorite thing. he's still a climber. his vocabulary is insane. (or at least seems insane compared to bubba's speech at this age.) this was a situation and conversation that occured yesterday:

bubba: mommy [pooks] colored on our kitchen.
me: pooks? did you use a crayon on your kitchen?
pooks: yes!
me: where?
pooks: right over here. takes me straight to the side of the refridgerator and points to the bright red crayon
me: pooks! what were you thinking? you know crayons are only for paper. i guess i'll have to take your crayons away.
pooks: no, no mommy! i color only on paper. i not color my kitchen no more.
i proceed to use my sleeve to rub the crayon markings off--washable crayons on a coated surface wasn't as bad as i thought! 
me: pooks, where is the crayon?
pooks: huh?
me: where is the crayon now? the crayon you colored with?
pooks: looks at me. looks at his kitchen. looks at my sleeve. mom. its on your shirt.
me: stunned expression on my face. not that crayon. where is the red crayon that you used to scribble with?
pooks: i don't know. dat was a yoooooong (long) time ago mommy.

seriously?

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

i think we did pretty good, eh? it took 3 different ''photo shoots'' on 3 different days but we got it!
oh and to compare--here is last years:

how to get your kids to eat broccoli, no really!

okay, may i please present the very first:

 

i think for the very first post, i'm going to talk about veggies. i have 3 young boys and veggies are by far, the trickiest things to get them to eat. but by sneaking a little into meals that they love, they'll get the nutrition and be none the wiser. i will warn that some of my suggestions will involve lying. if you can't outright make a teeny tiny white lie to your toddler about what they are eating, well then maybe this post isn't for you. i for one have no problem lying about the little things. "oh man. dang it! dora the explorer isn't on right now, sorry hon." has been said a few times around my house. "if you don't hurry up and get your shoes on, i will leave without you" has possibly been threatened as well.

but, i'm digressing. my point is that if you want your picky toddler to eat the things that are good for him, well sometimes you have to trick him. here are some tricks and tips that i use regularly with my kiddos and so far, they have been fool proof. 

my first choice is obviously to just have them EAT the veggie. and if the veggie of the meal is potatoes or corn (and sometimes peas), i usually have no problem. {luckily peanut eats absolutely anything, broccoli is his favorite food} but getting the older boys to eat anything else is like pulling teeth. this only leaves me a few options:

1. force them to sit there until they eat their veggies which ultimately ends in at least one meltdown and sometimes it's mommy
2. only feed them corn and potatoes
3. lie about what they are eating. (we'll get to this in a minute)
4. sneak the veggies into food that they WILL eat *ding!ding!ding!*

i sneak veggies in, well a lot of foods. and i'm sure if B reads this post he'll be like ''WHAT?!" but it's true. no one can tell the difference. the absolute easiest thing to sneak veggies into is hands down, spaghetti sauce. first off i will say that i without a doubt always buy Ragu ''Robusto" "Organic" or "Chunky" sauce. it's super cheap, often 10/$10.  and there is more than a full serving of veggies in just 1/2 cup of sauce and that's based on an adults caloric intake, so for kids it's slightly more! that's the first part, buy veggie loaded from the get go. will the kids always eat the chunks of veggies? no. but they are getting some and that's a start. 

so what to sneak? how about carrots or broccoli? easy-peasy. i actually discovered this when pooks was a baby but if you drop 2 cubes of pureed carrots {or one jar of stage 2 baby food carrots} into the sauce while it's simmering--no one will notice! no one. not even your husband. it really doesn't change the flavor, but they're in there! on the same note, i've even made the good ol' blue box mac and cheese and added a cube of pureed carrots. the kids ate it up and never even questioned that anything was different.broccoli is also fairly easy to sneak. while your spaghetti sauce is simmering, chop up some broccoli florets (fresh or frozen) and mince then up til they are tiny. (like the size of minced garlic) add the broccoli to the sauce and viola, your kid is eating broccoli! it's so tiny they don't see it or complain--in all honesty they probably don't even taste it!

other easy veggies to sneak are onions and celery because while they have flavor, if sauteed until slightly translucent, they are clear and hard for little eyes to spot. i saute onions and celery and then use it in homemade soups (both potato and chicken and noodle). you can also do this and then add spaghetti sauce.

the second and easiest way to sneak to veggies: buy juice that is both fruit and veggie. juicy juice has a "healthy harvest" juice that, in 8oz has a full serving of fruit AND a full serving of veggies. (the veggies are carrots and sweet potatoes) V8 also has a "V-Fusion" (veggies include carrots, sweet potatoes, and beets) 

which is the same concept but they offer more flavors. now 2 things to be prepared for if you buy these: first of all, they are kinda pricey...over $3 a bottle and it doesn't last long if you have more than one kiddo but it's worth it if you can't get veggies in any other way. and secondly, do NOT give them this juice and then sneak veggies in the same day. WAY TOO MUCH FIBER FOR LITTLE BUTTS. no joke, it will be an epic blowout. i never give my kids the full 8oz for fear of this happening again. 

also buying healthier versions of things they do like. instead of frozen french fries, try frozen sweet potato fries. rather than buying potato chips, try these veggie chips. 

(various brands, usually in the organic or "natural" section of the super market.)

and along those same lines are these "chips" by Frito-Lay called Flat Earth. they are delicious and addicting. and they are 1/2 serving of veggies in every once. i think we've tried every flavor and they rock. seriously addicting.

my last suggestion is, mix it up a bit and lie when needed. okay maybe not lie, but don't offer too much info. (and really this goes for ANY food question they may have.) for example when my mom makes fried rice she uses shredded carrots. shredded carrots look like shredded cheese. kids like cheese. so when your curious little 3 year old says ''is dis cheese?" well, just smile and nod. no joke my kids ate carrots for a long time thinking they were cheese because of this. bubba is now wiser and realizes that they are carrots but also knows that they are ''super yummy'' so he now eats them. shredded carrots = good. sometimes you just have to make veggies more appealing.

try it out and let me know what you think and how it works. until next week!

"dis is da sofa, dis is da kitchen,.."

the other night after supper peanut and bubba proceeded to "take a walk" around the house. well, around the downstairs at least. shortly pooks joined in the fun and i could resist taking pictures. they were holding hands and walking around pointing different things out of peanut {as if he didn't know}. saying things like ''dis is da living room", ''dis is da sofa'', "dis is our kitchen and dat is mommy's kitchen" etc.

 

(pooks liked walking, but not being dragged by bubba)

''and dat is our kitchen"

going on walks (even inside) is fun with your brothers

and what to do after a long walk? well ya take a bath of course! due to their eczema, during the winter they get bathes every other night and they insist on getting bathed all at the same time. they can get pretty freaking wild in there with there splashing and squirting but it's almost always fun.

 

YAY! a simple pleasure--all 3 boys looking at the camera :)

 

 

 

and the winner is....

out of 13 entries...

 

we put all the names in the box....

 

and peanut chose a winner!! watch the video below to see if it's you!!

 

congratulations!!! shoot me your address and i'll get it out to you :) and don't worry if you didn't win, this was a blast so i plan on doing it again. who knows? maybe an i-spy bag? apron? only time will tell! thanks to everyone who entered!

simple pleasures

in honor of this blog today i am going to share a few of my simple pleasures. you know those tiny little things that in the grand scheme of things aren't that important but yet they just make you smile? the ones that make you so happy, if even momentarily? those kinds of simple pleasures. so just like heather and katie, here are my simple pleasures:

 the smell of brownies baking in the oven

getting a really good picture of all 3 kids, even if it takes 300 shots to get the one

running into an old friend/co-worker/teacher at the grocery store and catching up

checking on the kids at night to find all 3 little ones curled up with their bottoms in the air

crushed ice from pizza hut, sonic or QT

when a TV show that you love gets recorded on your DVR and you didn't even know it was on again 

(psych on USA)

going to starbucks and getting a free upgrade or free drink

wearing a snuggly sleepy baby

 

sunday mornings

staying in our pj's all day

 sidewalk chalk.

when you reach into the pocket of a coat you haven't worn  in awhile and find money

when you imagine something it in your head and it comes out exactly the same

 

getting an unexpected hug

finding a shirt that you love, then looking at the tag and discovering its on sale!

going on walks in the fall, kicking the leaves and smelling fireplaces

getting a great compliment

who knows picky toddlers?

well, i’d like to think that i do. after all i have three toddlers!
sometimes i get comments from followers asking how i get my kids to eat certain things. or on facebook i get wall posts asking me to share a recipe, asking for snack ideas for young kiddos or a question about making sugar cookies or babyfood. i get it, i post about the kids eating, making and throwing foods all the time. here, facebook, in other peoples comments or in the online forum i post in, i try to share any ideas that i have. and i love sharing those ideas/foods/recipes that actually work! while i am definitely not a baker or a cook, i do enough to impress toddlers!
lately i’ve been really trying to get all of us to eat healthier, and this includes the kids. as a way to share my ideas and recipes as well as get new ideas and feedback, i’ve decided to start a new “feature” on my blog. because several people have asked me to share my recipes and methods…
may i please present to you: starting next tuesday (and every tuesday there after) i will share a toddler approved snack, recipe, suggestion or bribery technique that pleases even the pickiest little ones. everything from fun recipes to make with your kid(s) to easy ways to sneak veggies into the meals that they will eat.
i’m not a baker, or a chef and i don’t claim or pretend to be. i’m just a mom whose been there, done that and remembers what works!

crayon rolls and a giveaway!?

**giveaway has ended**

here are the crayon rolls, all wrapped up and ready to go...

one of these is an extra, and the Cars ones are for bubba and pooks.

this is for bubba-

 

and for pooks-

and you might be wondering what the extra one is for? no, it's not peanuts. his is in the works {i'm making his slightly different to fit the larger beginner crayons}

well it's for one of you, my loyal and awesome blog readers! it turned out great and is fully functional. it's a very cute brown and turquoise polka dot pattern and holds 16 regular sized crayons{not included}. i think that it could be for a girl or a boy and i'm sure your kiddo would love it!

 

if you would like to win this crayon roll, simply leave a comment on this post saying that you would like to win! i will give you until the evening of Friday, February 5th to enter, then i'll use random.org to choose a winner. if you want to comment but don't want to be entered, just say so. (happy mom??) good luck! :)

randomness

i have quite a few pictures to share, but they are so very random. from haircuts, to crayon rolls and even murder?! aaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 ***

saturday night auntie M stayed with us and her and i attended a murder mystery party. we knew ahead of time that she was to be Starr Bright, a hollywood star who was on the verge of losing her contract due to an alcohol problem and i was to be Agent Hollywood, Starr's agent. it was so much fun! we really got into character and had a blast. as an agent i was decked with cell phones, a bluetooth, a hands free set, pens everywhere and several watches. Starr Bright, well she was a hot mess. here is auntie M with her ensemble, minus a hot pink feather boa that shed far too much to be brought into the house. notice all the bling? yeah by the end of the night she had green marks from all of her jewelry. ha!

"oh jeez Starr, you're a mess!"

hopefully she got better pics than I did...b went all crazy paparazzi on us but they weren't very flattering! 

 ***

so that was saturday. before that, on thursday, the boys all got haircuts. again! their hair grows SO fast. while i couldn't get a single pic of them looking at me, i did snap a few while they were playing. lately they act like getting their picture taken is more painful than having to get vaccinated, so good pics are few and far between.

and this one i thought was particularly funny; simply because you can see the detesting glare from pooks and peanut but there is bubba, cheesing it up!

and without the binky he looks so grown up! (you know, minus the bib catching his drool)

 

***

and lastly with Valentine's day just around the corner, i was trying to figure out what to get the kids. scratch that. what to make the kids. lately i've been on this homemade kick. using my sewing machine to create i spy bags and capes, i needed an idea of what to make next. i've been hitting up the fabric store like it's going out of business and everything was on sale. (ha, i wish!) i've picked up a 1/2 yard here and a full yard there of fabric that i just *had* to have or knew that the boys would love. 

after stumbling across this blog, Make It and Love It, i figured it out. a crayon roll! i know that they will love it, i know they will use it and more importantly, i knew i could actually make it! i have a sewing machine (and a great one at that) but i am self taught and use my seam-ripper, a lot! so after just a few hours (seriously, like maybe 3 hours total) i whipped up three crayon rolls. what is a crayon roll you ask? (well, you'll have to wait for my camera battery to charge, then i'll snap up some pics and you will see) it's to hold crayons in. then the whole thing rolls up, ties with a ribbon and you can throw it into your backpack or diaper bag for when you're out and about. you know at restaurants when they give your kid 2 crayons that only God knows where they have been? yeah well no more for the these brothers.