Looking Forward To...

...VACATION!!!

In just a little over 2 weeks, we are going on vacation! I am really looking forward to getting away.

Every August, Grant, his family, and I would spend a week in Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan, at Grant's uncle's house. We haven't been there in 3 years, and I miss it! Our vacation plans fell through last summer, and the year before we went somewhere else.

I'm really looking forward to spending time in Grosse Pointe. Uncle Scott's neighborhood is gorgeous, and he lives very close to the lake. He belongs to a private lake-front park, with a beach, pool, splash park, playground, boat dock, and picnic areas. We are going to have so much fun!

I'm going for a walk down memory lane...

Dylan and Grant on the dock in 2006. Dylan was 20 months old, and I was newly pregnant with Lexie. I spent lots of time throwing up on that vacation, and had my first ever pregnancy craving for pickles.




Here are a few from 2007. Dylan was 2 1/2 years old and Lexie was 5 1/2 months old. On that trip, Lexie started crawling everywhere!










We are all so excited to return to Michigan this year!!! I know we're going to have a great time! On Saturday, my countdown will begin!

A Few Things I've Learned This Summer

{1} I hate running in the heat and humidity. Hate it. Within 5 minutes of running, I'm covered in sweat. The humidity is so high that it's practically impossible to breathe. I love to run, but it becomes a chore in the summer. I'm eagerly awaiting the cooler fall temperatures!

{2} I am not eagerly awaiting September. That's the start of the school year, and I'll officially have a Kindergartener. Dylan's excited, but I'm already sad about it! He is growing up too fast!

{3} Remember the snake that Grant acquired in May? We've learned to live comfortably with each other. I still don't want to hold him, and take no part in feeding him (thank God he doesn't eat live mice). But...he is kind of cute. And I have to say, he's super gentle and friendly. I will "pet" him, and I talk to him. I'm amazed at how social he is. He usually comes out of hiding to see me when I go into the room he's in. So, we like each other...from a distance!

{4} I hate to clean. Nevermind. I learned that a long time ago!

{5} When you have a large family and lots of friends, it's impossible to get anything done. We always have to be somewhere. I can't even recall the last free weekend we've had! Sadly, we don't have a free weekend in sight! And we need one. Badly. There's so much that needs done around the house!

{6} I stay up way too late. I need to get back on a "school" schedule!

Long, Long, Long Day

We literally went nonstop today! It was a long day...but a good one!

After just 5 hours of sleep, I loaded the kids into the car at 8 AM, and we didn't get home until 9:15 PM. I am beat!

Our first stop was at a restaurant, where we met my cousin, Michael Anne, for breakfast. I am so happy that we got a chance to see her again, even if it was just for 45 minutes! My kids love her, and kept talking about her all day. She was flying back home to Texas today. It was so hard to say goodbye, but I'm hoping she comes back in May!

Our next stop was at my sister's house, so I could watch my nephews for a few hours. I actually had fun chasing all the kids around! At home, there's always something to do. Since I was at my sister's house, I got to enjoy my time with them and just play! They're a crazy bunch, but I adore them!!!



The boys have a hamster, and my kids love it! I just love the look on the hamster's face!




And, no, we're not getting one. Yet.

When my sister got home, we headed out to our last stop. Even though the kids got a nap in the car as we drove there, they were exhausted by the time we got home tonight! So was I. I literally just sat down!

I think we're going to skip our plans tomorrow and just stay home. We need a break!

Tuesday Tidbits

Monday was so boring after our busy weekend. We needed to stay home a day to recover! So we did!

No big deal, because in 6 hours, I'm in for a very busy day, and won't slow down until at least 10 pm. Maybe 11. Yeah. I should probably go to bed!

I'm just going to skip ahead to some Tuesday Tidbits!

A few from this week:

Dylan informed me, "I have a headache because my brain is moving around in my head."

Shortly after, Lexie said, "BunBun has to take a nap so he doesn't get germs in his teeth."

After his shower one night, Dylan started to put on his pajama shirt. He wrinkled up his nose, and asked, "What is that smell?" I sniffed his shirt, and told him, "Hermit crab. That's why I told you not to sit it on their aquarium!" He tossed his shirt to the ground and said, "I don't want to smell like crab!"

Lexie has been drawing pregnant people for the past few weeks. In every single picture. One day she handed me a picture, and said, "Look, Mommy, she has a baby in her belly." Sure enough, the figure that she drew had a little figure in the middle of it. Now, my fridge is plastered with drawings of pregnant figures. Pictures to come.

Every time I lay on the couch, the kids smother me. They race for the spot in my arms, and the one who misses out sits on top of me. They're like a human blanket!

While we were at a picnic on Sunday, Dylan was mad that he had to wear floaties, even though he had just learned how to swim. I told him that he had to because I didn't have a suit, and couldn't be in the pool with him to supervise. He told me, "Just take off your clothes and jump in!" Uhhh. No.

Lexie is obsessed with bugs. She loves holding them! At the picnic, she stood next to the bug zapper and picked bugs off the wall and imprisoned them in her little fist. All while wearing an adorable dress! Girly girl meets gross!

Okay, now I'm really off to bed! 5 1/2 hours is not going to be enough sleep! Especially when I have to chase a 6 year old, two 5 year old's, and a 3 year old around!

It's So Hard To Say Goodbye

We had a wonderful weekend! It was filled with picnics and lots of time with family and friends. We got to see my Aunt Susie and cousin, Michael Anne, who were in town from Texas. We haven't seen them since January 2007! I adore them, and was thrilled to visit with them, and introduce them to Lexie!

On Friday, we visited with my mom, and had dinner with her. When my dad came home, he took the kids outside, and my mom and I played a few games. Just before we left, Dylan found a toad, which he named Mrs. Toad. Mrs. Toad came home with us.

I told Dylan that Mrs. Toad could have a sleepover, but he had to let her go the next morning. As soon as the kids woke up, they started to play with Mrs. Toad. I knew that letting her go was going to be a difficult feat.




After a few tears, the kids sadly said goodbye to Mrs. Toad, wished her well, and let her loose in our backyard.

Luckily, they were sidetracked by a picnic at our friend's new house. Dylan and Lexie had a lot of fun playing with their buddies!



We all had fun hanging out with our friends, and it ended up being a late night for us!

Shortly after we woke up today, we went to another picnic! Some of my family got together for a picnic in honor of Aunt Susie and Michael Anne's visit. It was so wonderful to see them and get to spend time with them! It was so hot outside, but we had a blast. I just wish we were able to spend more than one day with them!

Lexie is slow to warm up to strangers, but it didn't take her too long to become buddies with Michael Anne! I don't blame her...Michael Anne is awesome! By the end of the night, she willingly gave out hugs to both of them.



Dylan? Well, he loves everybody! He was more than happy to snuggle up to Aunt Susie and hang out with Michael Anne!



The kids had fun running around with their cousins, some that they haven't seen in a while. I had to laugh when my cousin's daughter said, "I just want to sit here and stare at Lexie! She's so cute!" Lexie was thrilled to spend time with girls! She is almost always surrounded by little boys!

On our way to the picnic, my Aunt Jackie sent me a message to bring swimsuits for the kids. The kids were so bummed because we didn't bring them. Well, we made do with a borrowed swimsuit from a 10 year old cousin for Lexie, and a shirt for Dylan! Dylan wasn't too happy that he had to wear floaties, but he just learned how to swim, and I wasn't in the pool with him.





Michael Anne, my cousin, Jess, and I were inseparable when we were younger. Jess and I loved when Michael Anne came up for a visit. This was the first time the three of us were together in over 10 years!



I am so happy that we got to spend the day with my awesome family! I am thrilled that I got to see Aunt Susie and Michael Anne after so many years!



After lots of good food, lots of pictures, lots of conversation, and lots of fun, it was time for them to leave. It was so hard to say goodbye!

I tried not to cry, but as they pulled away from the house, my Aunt Jackie and I stood on the porch, in tears, with our arms wrapped around each other.

I am really hoping that we get to see them again, very soon! Hopefully, my Uncle Milt and cousin, Sarah, will join them. After 3 1/2 years apart, one day was not enough! I love them and miss them so much!

We didn't get home until nearly midnight tonight, because we were having so much fun! My brother-in-law got us lost in the city, and we ended up with an awesome tour of the north side. ;) Dylan ended up falling asleep in the car, and although Lexie slept in my arms for a bit this afternoon, she was almost asleep when we got home.

Despite the difficult ending, I am so happy that we had a fun weekend! I feel blessed to have an amazing family and wonderful friends!

A First For THIS Mom

It was *almost* the perfect summer day!

It was really hot out, so we spent the afternoon swimming with my best friend and her boys. We had a great time! I'm so proud of Dylan-he started swimming on his own, today, without the help of his floaties!









After a few hours of swimming, all the kids were starting to get tired. I had a headache, and as soon as we got out of the pool, the heat and humidity were suffocating. We were close to Walmart and I had a very short shopping list-as in, 3 items-and figured I'd stop to pick them up.

Maybe the fact that the kids were tired should have been my first clue that this shopping trip was not meant to happen. Or perhaps the pounding in my head.

Everything was going well. I quickly grabbed the 2 items from the grocery section, and then headed over to the other side of the store. Of course, I took the shortcut past the toy section.

BIG mistake.

I had the luxury of experiencing my first public tantrum.

Dylan never really had tantrums, and he has always been well behaved in public. Lexie is very dramatic and emotional at home, but she also behaves very well in public. From a very early age, they learned that we expect the best behavior in public. Other than one incident where Dylan sat at my feet, crying quietly, because I wouldn't buy him boots, and one minor crying incident with Lexie, I've been spared the embarrassment of a public meltdown.

Until today.

When I told her she wasn't getting a toy, Lexie lost it. She started slapping at my hands and screaming at the top of her lungs. "I want a toy! I want a toy!" As I pushed the cart as quickly as I possibly could toward the front of the store, my head began pounding even more.

I ignored the stares of the other customers. I wasn't embarrassed...I was mad! So mad that I contemplated running over the man that was walking beside us, mimicking Lexie's cries as we walked. His teasing sure wasn't helping her calm down.

I pushed the cart into a quiet aisle, and attempted to calm her down. When she continued to scream and slap at me, I quickly grabbed the item I needed, and completely ignored her wails as we waited in the checkout line.

By the time we made it outside, she was quiet, and I had a full-fledged migraine. I felt so disappointed that she had acted that way. I know I did what I was supposed to do-remove her quickly from the situation, and not pacify her by giving her what she wanted-but I was disappointed that I was unable to calm her down.

When we got to our car, I told her that I was very disappointed that she behaved so badly in the store, but I still loved her very much. She began crying, and it broke my heart. I know she felt bad about what happened.

Lexie was asleep before we were even out of the parking lot, so I know exhaustion was fueling her meltdown, but that doesn't excuse her behavior. As I caught a glimpse of her sweet, sleeping face, I felt a pang of mom guilt, because I put her in the situation.

When she woke up from her nap, she apologized to Dylan and I for being bad in the store. I took the opportunity to remind her of the proper way to act in public.

Thanks to their naps, the day ended well. We had a fun evening together!

It was definitely an experience. An experience that I hope doesn't happen again!

Cinnamon Lips

I don't think I've ever mentioned that I'm allergic to cinnamon. Of course, I didn't realize this until I was in my 20's.

As a child, I could eat cinnamon sugar or a cinnamon roll. It burned my mouth a bit, but wasn't too bothersome. Big Red gum on the other hand, was pure torture! Every time I tried a piece, I had to spit it out within seconds, because my mouth felt as if it were on fire. My mouth would burn for hours after trying a piece, and my lips would blister, so I learned quickly to avoid it.

When I was almost 25, I realized I had a real problem. Dylan was a newborn, and my best friend had spoiled me for Christmas. She gave me a lotion sampler from Sephora, and one of the scents was Cinnamon Bun. I am not a big fan of the cinnamon smell, so I saved that one for last.

One night, after I had put Dylan to bed, I decided to take a shower and go to bed early. I climbed out of the shower, slathered on the lotion, threw on my pajamas, and headed to the kitchen. Grant had his brother and a few close friends over to watch a movie that night. The moment I stepped into the kitchen, I knew something was wrong. My body felt like it burning, from head to toe. The pain was so intense that I whipped off my shirt (luckily, I had my bra on!), and went running through the living room filled with guys. When I reached the bathroom, I noticed that my skin was bright red and covered in hives. After another shower, and a dose of benadryl, the pain started to go away!

After the incident, I compared the ingredients of that lotion to the other lotions, and the only ingredient that was different was cinnamon oil. Bingo! From that point on, I avoided cinnamon flavors and scents! Once or twice a year, I eat a cinnamon bun. Although my mouth burns a bit more than it probably should, the taste is worth it!

This entire story brings us to last night.

The kids and I had dinner at my parent's house with my parents, my sister, my brother-in-law, and my nephews. After dinner, I went to the bathroom to wash my hands. I grabbed a lip gloss out of my mom's makeup drawer, like I always do, and put some on.

The smell and the intense burning hit me at the same time. I grabbed the gloss, and read what it was. Plumping Lip Gloss. A glance at the ingredients showed that cinnamon oil was one of them. I frantically scrubbed my lips the best I could, and held a cold compress on them to help with the burning pain.

12 hours later? My lips were still tingling, and really, quite plump. Today? Blistered.

*******************************

We stayed home all day! We've been on the run, and have a lot of busy days coming up, so I figured we needed a chance to relax a bit.

Last night was rough. Lexie had a nightmare at 3 AM and was up, crying off and on, until 5:30 AM. Which meant I was awake with her. The lucky little lady slept in until noon today! I did not.

Dylan and I love making Lego sets together. Legos are one of his favorite toys, and he has many sets. One set, a massive Pirate ship, was his Uncle Eric's. Because it was from the 90's, the directions were lost. Dylan was thrilled when Grant found them online yesterday.

Dylan is great at building the small sets, but the huge sets are too intimidating for him. So I happily help. My quick Lego building skills are top-notch. ;) However, this set is going to be the death of me.

After 2 hours of working together today, we are only on page 10 of 35. Yikes!

We had one of our favorite dinners tonight: tacos! Even my picky eater (kind of) joins in. Lexie happily munches on taco shells dipped in sour cream while we pig out. She doesn't realize just how much she's missing out!

After dinner, we headed outside for a bit. It's the best time of the day to play outside. Not too hot!










From the sledding to the swinging to the playing with the dog (yes, that IS the stick that she fetches!), those kids made me smile!

They make life so much fun!

Tuesday Tidbits

Tuesday Tidbits is my way of recording all the cute and funny things my kids say and do!

Lexie's nicknames all revolve around the word Bean. Recently, she began calling herself "Beans and Rice." It's absolutely hilarious! All you have to do is call her "Beans" and she oh-so-cutely adds, "and rice!"

Speaking of cuteness, Lexie was crouched on the floor examining a fly on the wall. She said, "It's nice to meet you Mr. Fly!"

On the 4th of July, we were at the town parade. The street was closed off, and we were waiting for it to begin. I walked into the street, turned around, and snapped a picture. Dylan screamed, "Mommy, get off the street! You're going to get hit by a car!" He really knows the rules!

After a busy day, both kiddos fell asleep in Dylan's bed!


Lexie loves telling knock knock jokes. Here's her favorite joke that she tells us over and over again:

"Knock Knock."
"Who's there?"
"The fridge."
"The fridge who?"
"Hims lost his tape!"
And then she cracks up.

Yeah, I don't get it either, but she sure thinks it's funny!

My kids recently started playing "The Freeze Game." One of them yells freeze, and they both make a funny face, throw their hands up, and freeze. It's so cute!

Lexie has been handing out a lot of compliments lately. Just today:
"Nina, you are a really great person!"
"Mommy, you look so beautiful."
"Daddy, you are really handsome!"

Dylan is just the sweetest, most loving kid. The other night, I went into his room while he was sleeping. As I was tiptoeing past the bed, his eyes opened. He didn't say a word, but at the sight of me, he smiled and his eyes lit up. It melted my heart so much, that I laid down next to him, and cuddled him back to sleep. The way he looked with those sleepy eyes and sweet smile will be forever etched in my memory!

{1} My aunt and cousin from Texas are going to be here for a visit this week! I haven't seen them since I January 2007, so I am beyond excited! They finally get to meet Lexie!

{2} I recently won an awesome tutu giveaway. It arrived today, and it is so adorable! Lexie was thrilled with it!

{3} Dylan decided to skip the coach-pitch game tonight. He loves playing baseball, but is bummed that nobody on his team attends the coach-pitch games. Of course, he spent the evening playing baseball in the backyard. Next week, we're going to the game!

Miscellany Monday

{1} My cousin and aunt from Texas (Dallas and Temple) are coming into town this week! I am so excited to see them! The last time I saw them was in January 2007. They haven't even met Lexie yet!

{2} Lexie got a new tutu in the mail today. It is absolutely perfect!

{3}