Coca-Cola

We have a temporary new addition in our living room.

You see, Grant's grandma had an antique coca-cola machine in her basement. It was from the family's car dealership. Grant grew up loving it and hoping that he would one day own it. Nannie wanted it out of her basement, and told Grant that he needed to pick it up before Thanksgiving.

Here's the problem: Grant's man cave needs to be created in the basement. So until the man cave is complete, the antique coke machine resides in our living room.

Need a drink?

Why?

Why the sad face?



Little Bean's tummy was upset on Monday night. I thought it was just a fluke, because it went away within an hour. Yesterday, it was bothering her again (hence the sad face), but she didn't have diarrhea. She was fine today until noon. Then she started getting clingy, feverish, and had diarrhea for an hour straight. After that? Perfectly fine. I do have to admit, it was slightly cute when she added, "I think I'm going to 'fro up. Oh no, it's just diaweeah." Thank goodness she didn't 'fro up.

Why are his pupil's missing?



I don't know, but it had the potential for being a cute picture!

Why does Lexie insist on undressing her Barbies and dolls?



That's what I ask myself everyday, but what I found on our couch yesterday takes the cake. Ken either had a good night or a bad night, depending on how you look at it!
(Why do those Barbies look so, ahem, inappropriate underneath their clothes?!?)

Tuesday Tidbits

Tuesday Tidbits is my day to remember all the cute and funny things my kids say and do!

The weather warmed up again, so we really enjoyed our time outside today! The first picture is my new favorite of Lexie!





Some tidbits:

~Dylan loves to cuddle up with me and tell me, "Mommy, I will always take care of you," and "Mommy, I won't let anything bad happen to you."

~Lexie loves to rhyme words. When she does it, she says, "Mommy, I'm wording!"

~The other day, Dylan ran into the kitchen, stopped in place, and posed. "Look, I'm a cactus!"

~When Lexie takes a bath, she says she's taking a "tubbie."

~Dylan always tells Lexie, "Lexie, do you know what you are? The sweetest girl in the whole wide world!"

~Our dog ate a crayon the other day. When Lexie saw Grant, she told him, "Bailey puked crayon out of her mouth!!!"

~Dylan is just so sweet when he comes home from school. He's going to be a heartbreaker!



~Lexie loves our pet snake. She always says to him, "Apollo, you are so adorable!" And, yes, she does love weird things!

~I am so happy that the kids are best friends. When the bus turns the corner in the morning, to pick Dylan up, they immediately hug and smooch. They melt my heart!

The Mondays

It's a football night in Steelers country. That's a big deal in this household!

Other than that, it's been a usual Monday.

Let's see...

I woke up with the perma-headache that has been here since my cold arrived. Can't wait for that to go away! Got two kids fed, dressed, and ready for the day. Sent one off to school. Sent the other off to her nap. Gave the house a thorough cleaning. The house was spotless for about 2 hours, and then the napping child woke up.

Thanks to the time change, we had to rush outside as soon as Dylan got off the bus, so the kids could get their normal 1 hour of outdoor play before it got dark.

That came to a screeching halt when I fielded a line drive from Dylan with my mouth. That kid has a strong arm! The numbness only lasted about an hour. The swelling, cuts, and blood blisters are here to stay for a few days. I've got to say, my kid gave me a natural collagen injection.

On his behalf, he felt really, really bad about the incident.

Luckily, the scholastic book order that arrived today kept the kids busy as I iced my lips.



Some proof of the damage...and me in my pajama wearing/worn off makeup glory...ah, it's real life, right?



The kids played the quiet game.



I love that game, but it never lasts more than a few seconds.




After a game of life (the 1980's version), we put the kids to bed. And then Lexie woke up with a case of diarrhea. 4 pairs of underwear later, it stopped. Just in time for the Steelers game.

Which got off to a great start, and is still looking good for us!



Yes, my husband is totally pointing at that guy's butt. Or the score just disappeared. Your choice.

Either way, GO STEELERS!

Now, I've got to get back to the game, before someone starts complaining!

Surviving The Change

My keep-the-kids-up-late effort last night was a total success!

Things started getting rough around 11:15 last night. Dylan and Lexie were both crabby and exhausted. They were nearing the end of a movie, so I turned off the lights, covered them up, and it didn't take long for Lexie to pass out.



Dylan, however, got a burst of energy!




After moving Lexie to her bed, I put him to bed, and in less than 3 minutes, he was snoring!

Lexie woke up at 8 AM, and Dylan woke up at 9. Both of them were in bed at 7:00 tonight. My plan worked yet again! Phew!

Awards

I'm really hoping to get rid of this cold over the weekend, so I scrapped all my weekend plans. Grant is currently at our friend's party, and I'm bummed that I had to miss it. I had a PJ night instead!

It's 10:41 PM, and the kids are still awake. My goal is to keep them up as late as possible, so they don't wake up too early. I've done this every year to prepare for the time change, and it works well!

I was given two awards recently (well, one not so recently!), and I figured it was time to pass them on!


Marissa, from Making Memories with the McClellen Family passed on the Blog With Substance award to me. Thanks, Marissa! I love your blog! I'm so sorry it took me two months to post this!

I'm supposed to use 5 words to sum up my blogging experience/philosophy:

1. Fun
2. Friendship
3. Memories
4. Learning
5. Growing

I'm giving this award to 5 bloggers:

Kaci from Ellyphant
Erin at The Schuler Family
Ashley at Sweet Serendipity
Ginger at The Neff Family
Candice at Wolf's on Safari

Thanks again, Marissa!!!



Rule #1: Thank the person who gave you your award.

Candice, at Wolf's On Safari, gave me the Versatile Blogger Award. Thank you, Candice! Stop by to check out her awesome blog, and her adorable son!

Rule #2: Share seven things about yourself.

I just did an about me post this week, but I'm going to attempt 7 more facts.

1. I'm afraid of the dark.

2. I hate flying. I always worry that the plane will crash. I know that "they" say that you are more likely to die in a car crash than a plane crash, but here's the reality: It's highly unlikely that I will survive a plane crash. I have a MUCH better chance of surviving a car crash.

3. I've traveled to Canada and Mexico, but never overseas.

4. I love the beach, but I don't like swimming in the ocean. The Caribbean is the exception. I can see my feet!

5. I don't like alcohol, so I rarely drink.

6. I cook dinner for my family almost every day, but I really don't enjoy it. It's too time consuming, and I hate cleaning up the mess. We rarely eat out or get takeout.

7. I'm almost always cold, even in the summer. Central air conditioning and I don't mix.

Rule #3: Pass the award onto 7 bloggers who you think are fantastic!

Heather at Oswald Cuties
Mama4real at I'm a Real Life Mom
Marissa at Making Memories with the McClellen Family
Annie at Our Little Family
Lindsay at Parents to a Princess
Paige at Mommy & Charli
Marice at Life Can't Wait

Thank you for the awards! I wish I could pass them on to everyone!

It's now 11:25 and my kids are ready for bed. Here's hoping they sleep in, and adjust quickly to the time change. And here's hoping that my weekend of rest sends this cold away for good!

Sick Of It!

I'm officially sick of being sick!

I have been sick for over 4 weeks. I had a head cold for 2 1/2 weeks, was healthy for 4 days, and then hit with round 2...this time with chest congestion and coughing. I'm exhausted!

The last time I was really sick was last August, when I came down with bronchitis. It was the first time I had been to the doctor for a sick visit in well over a decade!

I don't get sick often, and am not one to run off to the doctor when I do. But I'm thinking I may need to pay my doctor a visit. I just can't seem to shake this!

I have a deadline. If I'm not better by Monday morning, I'm calling the doctor first thing!

In other news, my little man had a big math test this week, and he aced it! I'm so proud of him!

Family Projects

Every month, the kindergartners have to make a project with their family.

The project for November is to disguise a turkey so it doesn't get caught for Thanksgiving dinner!

We spent a few days thinking about it, and came up with our idea. Today, I helped Dylan disguise Tom Turkey.



Dylan was born in November, and his birthday falls on or around Thanksgiving, so we disguised Tom Turkey as a guest at Dylan's birthday party! Mr. Turkey, aka Flier, even has a party hat, birthday present for Dylan, Star Wars shirt, and balloons!

I think Dylan did a great job!

Let's hope Flier doesn't get caught!

The Mom Behind The Blog

I'm going to ignore Lexie's favorite saying, "It's not about you, Mom!" I'm putting my foot down. Today it's all about me. Well, at least this post is.

Here are 30 facts about the mom behind the blog:

1. I'm 30, and I'm not afraid to admit it. It's just a number!

2. I have 6 half sisters and 1 half brother. They are older than me, so my teenage years were spent as an "only" child.

3. I became an aunt at the age of 5! I now have 17 nieces and nephews, and 1 great niece, ranging in age from 2 to 25.

4. I got married when I was 20. Grant and I just celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary.

5. I met Grant in the musical, "The Apple Tree." We were cast as Adam and Eve. We were engaged after 2 months of dating.

6. We didn't plan on starting our family until we were 30. I never expected to have 2 kids at 26!

7. Both of our kids were wonderful surprises. Dylan was completely unexpected. Lexie was a one try deal, conceived on Father's Day.

8. We want another child. ;)

9. My pregnancies were very difficult. I had hyperemesis (extreme morning sickness), constant contractions, and preterm labor issues.

10. My family grows big babies. Dylan was 7 lbs 2 oz when he was born at 35 1/2 weeks, and Lexie was 9 lbs 1 oz at 38 weeks! She was not the biggest in my family. Several nieces and nephews weighed in over 9 lbs, and 2 weighed in over 10 lbs!

11. I knew that I was going to give the name Alexandria to my first daughter. I've had the name picked out since I was a teenager. Grant and I agreed to it before we were even engaged!

12. I grew up surrounded by animals. I've had goats, rabbits, geese, turtles, fish, dogs, cats, birds, mice, gerbils, hamsters, guinea pigs, a rat, a ferret, and a horse.

13. My family now owns a Great Dane, a chihuahua, a fish, 2 hermit crabs, a snake, 2 cats, and a horse.

14. I love cats, but I don't like having them in my house.

15. My parents bought me a horse when I was 12, and I still have him! I used to compete, but don't get to ride much anymore.

16. I can't stand having dry lips. Lip balm is always in my pocket and in my purse. I keep a tub of vaseline next to my bed, and one in the living room. It is my addiction!

17. I used to be a night owl. Recently, I've turned into a morning person.

18. My favorite current TV shows are Dexter, House, Grey's Anatomy, and Glee. As for older shows, I love Gilmore Girls.

19. I was a vegetarian for over a decade. It started when I was 8 years old. To this day, I eat very little meat. I prefer vegetables!

20. I love zucchini.

21. I have a sweet tooth. I always have a stash of candy in my closet!

22. I like to run. Just a few miles, though. I have no urge to run a marathon.

23. I love to read, and I read a lot!

24. I love crossword puzzles. And I do them in ink. I happily embrace my inner dork.

25. I get a lot of migraines. It all started years ago, when Grant swerved off the road to avoid hitting an animal.

26. I sleep with a special blanket. Grant gave me the blanket for Christmas one year, and I call it fuzzy-wuzzy. I can't sleep well without it or my special tempurpedic pillow!

27. I (like to think that I do) have a good sense of humor. My sister and I are constantly cracking jokes...here's a hint: Don't get us started. The joke will last for weeks.

28. I worry incessantly about the health, safety, and well being of my loved ones and myself. My family means the world to me.

29. Growing up, I wanted to be a marine animal trainer (Shamu, of course). Then, I moved on to actress. Then professional rider. Then back to actress. Then to FBI agent. I'd make a good FBI agent. I have a knack for reading people.

30. Now? I can't imagine anything other than being a mom.

Tuesday Tidbits

Tuesday is my day to remember all the cute and funny "tidbits" that my kids say and do!

~Lexie likes to tell me, "You're the best mom in the deep blue sea!"

~Dylan's new thing? He calls me hot mama. I assure you, I did not teach him this. He says he overheard a classmate saying it.

~They have great imaginations! I love watching them play.



~Up until this week, Lexie asked for icing cookies. That would be Oreos. She now calls them Oreos, and I miss hearing her say icing cookies.

~She calls the pedals on her bike paddles.

~Dylan loves to read his books to any willing listener.



~The kids are big into privacy now. Lexie tells me, "Peeing is for privacy!" Which means I need to get out of the bathroom as quickly as possible.

~Whenever Lexie gets something she wants, she says, "Thank you so much for understanding."

~Last week, we enjoyed the last of our warm weather. It's officially gone. In it's place are 50 degree days and 20 degree nights. BRRR! We still go outside everyday, but now it involves coats!





Happy Tuesday!