Thankful Bits

As Thanksgiving approaches, I'm counting my blessings! I am so thankful for my incredible family and my wonderful friends. I love Grant, Dylan, and Lexie more than words can say. I am so thankful to have amazing people in my life!

I am especially thankful for my two little blessings that make me laugh and smile every single day. Sometimes my heart feels like it's going to explode with love for them!

Here's why:

~My little yogi loves to steal my "exercise blankie" if I don't put it away before she wakes up from her nap. She is my mini-me!



~My little man loves his sister SO much!



~I've been finding kiss marks all over the bathroom mirror. I asked Lexie if she was the one kissing the mirror. She said, "Yes, I've been kissing the treadmill, too." She wasn't lying. I have yet to wipe them off.



~Lexie loves to help me clean. She wanted to use the swiffer one day. "Mommy, can I have a wrapper for this thing?" I put a pad on the swiffer, and took a section off so it was easier for her to maneuver. She beamed. "Thank you for making a Lexie size!"

~Dylan had a hard time falling asleep the other night. He called out to us, "I'm getting bored!"

~Lexie refers to her bottom as her buttski or her doopah. I think it's the cutest thing when she falls on her bum, and says, "I fell on my buttski!" or "Oops, I hurt my doopah!!!"

~Dylan thinks it's so cool that we're going to attend two Thanksgiving dinners. As we were waiting for the bus today, he said, "I'm going to eat so much turkey that I'll have a turkey headache!" Tonight, he told Grant, "I'm going to eat so much turkey that I'm going to be turkey sick!"

I am so thankful.

Birthday Boy

Dear Dylan,

You were born on a Monday morning. I went into the hospital the evening before, right after a Steelers victory. The early morning sun shone through the window of the hospital room as you came into the world. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I can assure you that love at first sight is real. I loved you the moment I saw you.



Fast forward 6 years. It is a Monday morning. The sun is shining through our living room window. We celebrated a Steelers victory yesterday. Today is your birthday.

Last night, I watched the clock tick toward midnight. As the clock struck twelve, I wrapped my arms around you and whispered a happy birthday in your ear. I could see a grin cross your face, and you whispered back, "Thank you! I love you, mommy!"

I find it so hard to believe that 6 years have passed since I first held you. I want to remind you to enjoy each and every moment. The days...and years... go by so quickly.







You are an amazing little boy. I have never encountered another boy that is as sweet, loving, caring, and compassionate as you are. You have the ability to charm every single person that you meet. You are loved by so many people! There is just something so special about you, and everybody seems to notice. I am so proud of you!

You have grown up so much this year. You are so smart, mature, and responsible. You are wise beyond your years. I credit a lot of that to starting Kindergarten! You absolutely love school, and look forward to going everyday. Your favorite part of your school day is going to the library to pick out a new book to read that night. I am amazed at your ability to read, write, and build Legos. Your mind is always working, and you are able to conquer difficult tasks.

You have become so independent since starting Kindergarten. It's very hard to let you grow up, but I am happy that your family is still the most important thing in your life. Dylan, we will always love you, support you, and be here for you. You are the best big brother and best son that anybody could ask for. We are so blessed to have you in our lives.

On this day, I pray that you live a long, happy, healthy, safe, successful life with all of your loved ones. I pray that you hold on tight to all the qualities that make you so special. I pray that you grow up to be a loving man and a great daddy. I pray that you remain close to me, daddy, Lexie, and all of your loved ones.

You are loved, buddy. You always will be. I don't think you could even comprehend how much I love you. You are my baby boy forever.

I love you, Dylan. Happy 6th Birthday!!!

Love always & forever,

Mommy



Here is how we celebrated your 6th birthday today:

You woke up to a living room filled with balloons. They were everywhere! You smiled, and spun around in the middle of them!

You had breakfast with your sister, while watching the show of your choice: Spongebob Squarepants.



You played for a few hours before it was time to go to school. You always ride the bus, but you asked me to drive you to school today. You were so excited!



I took a snack into your classroom to celebrate your birthday. You and your classmates enjoyed juice and gogurt, and your classmates sang "Happy Birthday" to you! They thought you were awesome because you handed out Silly Bandz rings!

As soon as you got home, you showed Lexie the turkey you made in school. It says that you are thankful for your sister. I know she thinks you are the coolest big brother (she's not smiling because she just woke up).



We let you choose a restaurant for your birthday dinner. You picked a restaurant that had recently been remodeled. It turned out to be a great choice! You ate shrimp and french fries, colored a turkey picture, and even got to spin the birthday wheel. You won a cool toy! We got to sit by the fireplace and Christmas tree...you chose the table, and it was a good one!



As soon as we got home, we gave you your birthday presents! Lexie gave you Star Wars figures and a Leapster game, and Daddy and I gave you Star Wars Lego sets! You were so thrilled with everything!!!





We had cake after that. We had to sing happy birthday to our baby boy...make that big boy!





Daddy built the 579 piece Lego set for you before bed. It was your favorite Star Wars Lego set-Slave 1! You were exhausted by the time you crawled into bed, but wanted to try out your new Leapster game!



I think you had a great birthday, buddy!!!

Happy Birthday, little man!!! Love you to the moon and back a million times!

Let's Party!

We celebrated Dylan's upcoming (I can't believe my baby boy is going to be SIX!!!) birthday, with two birthday parties on Saturday.

Thanks to my massive family, we now have to throw two parties: one for friends, one for family! We had a fantastic day with family and friends! We are so blessed to be surrounded by wonderful people.

Dylan had the biggest smile on his face all day. The excitement was radiating from him! He is such a special little boy, and showers everybody in his life with love.

The first party of the day was for our friends. The kids ran off to play for a while, giving the adults time to hang out and talk. Before long, Dylan was quietly asking me if it was present time, so we started the party!





Dylan was thrilled with his presents! He got a hexabug set, Lego sets, clothes, and a Wii game that he has been asking for. It was hard to tear him away for cake!

My mom was supposed to make Lego cakes, but they didn't turn out perfect, so she delivered store bought cakes. He didn't seem to mind. He thought the six candles on the cake made him so grown up!






After cake (which Dylan didn't want to eat!), the kids ran off to play with the Hexabugs. We ended the party with a foam craft. The kids made Christmas ornaments, since the Holiday season is in full swing!





There was supposed to be a little break before the second party started, but my family showed up early. It was okay, though. Dylan wasn't ready for the fun to end, and was bummed when his friends left. He was happy when his family started arriving a few minutes later!



Once all the guests arrived, we let Dylan open his presents. He got lots of Lego sets, construction sets, toys, movies, and clothes! He was definitely a happy boy!







Once the presents were unwrapped, it was time for cake round two! This time, he actually ate a piece!





This party lasted well until the late evening hours, and everybody had a great time!







The last group of guests left at 10:30. Lexie quickly fell asleep, while Grant and Dylan tore into the huge pile of Lego sets. They had a great father-son bonding experience while I dealt with an enormous task...my house was DESTROYED! I literally cleaned until 2:00 in the morning, and that's not including my floors! I was too exhausted to deal with those!

Despite the massive clean-up, Dylan had a wonderful party. We all had a great time, and I'll never forget the smile pasted on Dylan's face. It was all worth it!!!

(Briefly) MIA

Yesterday, I spent the day running around, trying to get everything I needed for Dylan's parties. Once I got home in the evening, I had a brilliant idea to go to Toys R Us to get Dylan's birthday present and some Christmas presents. It. Was. Insane. I seriously hate that store during the Holidays!

After my supposed-to-be-quick-but-wasn't shopping extravaganza, I had to put together goody bags and build Lego silverware holders. It is a Lego party, after all.

I fell into bed, slept for 7 hours, and woke up early to clean. I have no idea why I stress so much about having a spotless house during parties. It gets destroyed within 5 minutes of the first guest arriving! I highly doubt our guests are going to look in our shower...but if they do, it's clean!

I'm taking a brief breakfast break before continuing my cleaning/preparation frenzy. Have I mentioned that we're having TWO parties today. My family is huge, and we have a good group of friends, so we have to have a family party and a friends party. It's going to be a busy day, but a lot of fun!

We had a bit of a cake snafu already. My mom always makes the cakes. She was supposed to make Lego cakes, but they just weren't working out right. She's a perfectionist, and ran out of time, so she gave up and delivered a store-bought cake. I was a bit bummed, but Dylan loves it. He said the six candles on the cake make him feel so grown up!

And now I'm off to torture myself with more cleaning! It's almost time for party #1!

He Said WHAT?!?

This weekend, I had one of those moments where I was at a complete loss for words.

I can honestly say that I love my in-laws. They don't drive me completely crazy, which I know is a blessing. I am close to my mother-in-law, and have no problem with confiding in her. Including information about my time of the month.

My father-in-law is lovable, but he has no tact. He tells it like it is.

On Sunday, while visiting Grant's Nannie, my father-in-law sat down next to me on the couch. He stared at me for a few seconds, then said, "So...I heard all about your period." Then he began nodding his head.

I stared back at him, not really believing what I had just heard. I could feel my cheeks burning. Grant, his mom, and Nannie were in a deep conversation, and had no idea what had just happened. I was on my own with this one.

How was I supposed to reply to that?

After a few uncomfortable seconds, all I could muster was an, "oh yeah?" I mean, really, what was I supposed to say?!?

His response, while continuing to nod, was a short and simple, "Yep."

At that point, all I could do was laugh!

Definition of awkward? When your father-in-law tries to discuss your period with you!

A Moment To Gather My Thoughts

It's 5 PM, aka the witching hour. And I'm hiding in the closet.

I really am. Well, technically, I am. We converted one of our big closets into a mini-office, but it's still a closet.

I just need a time out. We only managed about 45 minutes of our usual afternoon hour outdoors, because both kids were tired and cranky. I could feel my temper building, so I'm taking a time out in the closet while Dylan plays Wii and Lexie watches a movie. They're happy at the moment.




I'm enjoying my moment of rest, because I won't sit down again until 8 PM. After this, it's time for the dinner/clean-up/bath/bedtime rush, all while trying to keep Lexie, the girl who missed her afternoon nap, awake.

My 6 weeks of chaos began today. I get exhausted just thinking about everything I have to do, so it's best to just not think about all I have to do. I'll just focus on today!

~Dylan's parent/teacher conference was today, and it went really well! His teacher told me that he's so sweet, kind, loving, charming, and respectful. She has no worries or concerns. He's excelling in class, and has an eagerness for learning. I had a feeling that he was doing well, but it was nice to hear!
He is still a ladies man! His teacher said that he is so sweet and protective of all the girls. I think it helps that he has a baby sister!
Dylan's teacher is due in 2 weeks with her second child, and I know he's going to miss her a lot. She's a great teacher, but I got to meet her substitute today, and she seems very nice. I definitely feel more relieved now that I've met her.
I'm so happy that the conference went well. I'm so proud of Dylan!

~I began a new workout routine this week. I had been running several miles/day 4-5 days a week, and lifting weights for 5 minutes each day.
I took 3 weeks off, while I was sick, and decided to switch things up a bit.
I'm now running M-W-F, doing power yoga on Tuesdays, and pilates on Thursday.
I used to do power yoga several times a week, but my body was SERIOUSLY out of practice. I woke up this morning, feeling as if I had been repeatedly tackled.
Allow me to be a wimp for a minute. OUCH.

It's time to drag myself away from the computer. I have a birthday party to plan...and it just so happens to be on Saturday!

Tuesday Tidbits

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

This week is short and sweet. My kids must not have been very funny...or I've just been too busy to remember what they said!

It's all about Lexie:

~One of her favorite sayings is, "If I don't want to, I don't want to!"

~We have turkey magnets on our fridge, and they are wearing pilgrim hats. Lexie told me, "I like your pirate birds!"

~Every night, Lexie takes dozens of books to bed. If she's not very tired, she'll make her way through all the books, and I'll hear this question: "Can I have more couple of books?"

~Although "Peeing is for Privacy" is Lexie's motto, it's not for me. Lexie's response? "Mommies don't get privacy!"

A common event in this household is dance parties and concerts. My kids like to rock!

Hmmm...I'm not so sure about the fistful of hair, but I can assure you that Lexie was not injured in the process!

Almost Six

One week from today, my baby boy will be 6 years old.

This mama is in complete denial.

I can still vividly remember the day he was born. I can't believe so many years have passed, yet it feels as if he's been with us forever. When he was born, his sixth birthday seemed so far away, but in reality, it's rapidly approaching.

6 is such a big number.

And suddenly...he looks so grown up!

Wrap-Up

This was our last slightly relaxing weekend until after Christmas. It's time for the chaos to begin!

We had gorgeous weather last week, in the 60's and 70's. Dylan didn't have school on Thursday or Friday, so he got to enjoy it, too. On Thursday, we spent the entire afternoon outside!

Friday was a day of chaos. The craziness started at 9 AM, and I didn't get home until 11 PM. Grant and I had a fun night out, though! He had to meet a business contact in the city for dinner, and I got to tag along. We had a relaxing, kid-free dinner, and I love being in Pittsburgh at night. The skyline is gorgeous!

*Photo found here.

We had a lazy Saturday morning followed by brunch. That afternoon, we did some shopping. I bought Lexie's Christmas dress, and it is beautiful. Dylan actually picked it out, and said she'd look like a princess!

We had an interesting visitor last night. Our neighbors have a tiny yorkshire terrier, that likes to visit us when we are outside. The woman is the only person that watches the dog when it goes outside. We have witnessed the dog nearly getting hit by cars on several occasions, but her husband and kids don't seem to care. Last night, my parents stopped by to drop something off. After they left, I walked into the living room, and their dog ran into the room! I can't believe it came into our house. I feel so bad for that dog!

We actually stayed home last night, and Grant and I spent the evening watching movies and episodes of our favorite shows.

We had another lazy morning today, then visited Grant's family. It had been raining all day, but when we got home, the sun briefly appeared as it was setting, along with a rainbow.



We had our typical Sunday evening of dinner, baths, homework, and a movie.




Now, the kids are in bed, and Grant's brother, Eric, is here to watch the Steelers/Patriots game. It's a big game for us. My sister and her husband are die-hard Patriots fans (traitors!), so this game always starts a family feud!

I'm going to try to relax tonight, in preparation of the next 6 crazy weeks!