Such a trooper and a big boy!!!

My sweet baby boy is turning into a big boy.  I have been truly blessed by two very sweet, happy, and for the most part well behaved little boys!!! I don't know how this happened but I thank God every day.  I was fully prepared for Logan to come out with horns.  Trent and I both thought that since we were so lucky with Leyton being such a good baby we were destined for a harder baby.  I was so wrong.  Logan has been such a dream boat. 

He has always been such a sweet and almost always happy boy.  He is getting to be so animated and I love it.  It makes me a little bit sad because it also means he is not my tiny baby boy anymore.  He is turning into a very active little boy now. 

Big boy in his high chair.

He is almost 7 months old now and has two teeth.  He is starting to play and really interact with toys and everyone.  He loves to play with his big brother.  Leyton almost always can put a smile on his face no matter what. 

He has started eating real food and so far I think avocado and sweet potatoes are at the top of the list for favorites.  He is constantly babbling and throwing his hands around. 

We spent the last couple of weeks sleep training so my only down side to this baby is now all but taken care of.  He was a bear the first night cried for almost 4hrs.  Since then he has done so well.  He is sleep well at night most of the time now and we are working on making nap times better also.  All in all he is so sweet and such a good baby and I am so so lucky!!!

This was his only bad day....poor baby I felt so bad for him.

He has also been such a trooper.  We have gone through several pediatrician appointments the past couple months.  He started out with a cold that turned into pneumonia and an ear infection.  He got put on antibiotics for that which caused him to get a pretty bad yeast infection and oral thrush as well.  With nystatin we got both of those cleared up.  I finally thought we were getting past that and his ear started bothering him again.  So I took him in and sure enough another bad ear infection.  She thinks maybe the first one never fully went away.  So back on an even stronger antibiotic which because this is never ended caused a bad allergic reaction.  Poor baby had hives all over him.  They looked terrible but he wasn't phased at all.  Out of all of this I think we have had one off day and a couple of hard times taking medicine.  But beyond that he has taken his medicine well and been in good spirits.  Again I feel very blessed and am very thankful.  I don't know what I would have done if he was super fussy when sick it would be miserable. 

I guess that is enough of bragging on my sweet boy!!  I hope you all think he's as cute as we do!!!

Snow Day

Here in Washington we don't get a lot of snow.  In fact we haven't seen more than a dusting all year.  So we decided to take matters into our own hands this past weekend and go up into the mountains with a friend of Trent's (Jason) to find some snow.  It was the first time all year that we have broken out our snow clothes and we were all very excited to see some white. 

The day started with us waking up at 5 a.m. with an almost 4 year old...that is dedication for snow.  We got him up checked for avalanche danger as the weather has been very up and down warm and cold.  had a mini panic attack after realizing that I was taking my child into a place that was not in the green on the avalanche chart.  Finally we got our selves out the door and got on the road.  We drove a little over an hour and half before we even got to where we were meeting Jason and the other people who were going. 

Now I have to explain that Jason owns a garage called CARS in Bellingham.   So their definition of going to play in the snow is not snow balls and sleds.  It's driving into the deepest snow possible then getting stuck and having to pull each other out or wench yourself out.  With a 4 year old he wants the snow balls and sleds.  So we had to make the two meet in the middle.  We drove up to where the snow was at Stevens Pass.  Leyton was excited because we were driving slow so he got to get out of his car seat and sit in front with us.

Rock On!!!

After getting about half way into the deep snow we stopped while a few trucks got stuck and pulled out.  So I got Leyton out, geared up and we went sledding.  He threw some snow around and got to "play in the snow".  He loved it!!!  Then we got back into the trucks and headed for deeper snow.  Every time someone got stuck and we were waiting for them to get pulled out I would get Leyton out of the car to play in the snow banks.

There was a lot of time spent throwing him into the snowbanks, making snow angels, and burying him in the snow.  He also decided that he is a snow ostrich and kept launching himself head first into the snow banks.  It was so funny watching him!  Needless to say my son loves the snow.

At one point I tried to get out of the truck and had to kick the door open as it was blocked by snow and when I stepped out I was up to my waist in snow.  Some very deep snow.  This is the point when we had to turn around to come back down the road.  I again had a mini panic attack as we were trying to turn around on a single lane road with a huge cliff on one side.  We did it though and headed back down.  With a few snacks and a few more times waiting for people to get pulled out from being stuck we made it back to our half way point.

Leyton had fallen asleep so we were going to head home.  However as we were buckling him into his car seat he woke up and broke down.  We had promised he could sled again.  So being a mommy of my word and not wanting to deal with the melt down of a 4 year old who had been up for over 12 hours we got out and he went sledding again.  After about 15 minutes we loaded back into the truck to head home.  It was about a 2 hour drive at this point to get back to Grammy and Papa's house.  We arrived at about 8:30 p.m. exhausted.

All in all it was a very good day and we all had a very good time playing in the snow no matter what your definition is.  

You crack me down....

That saying the kids say the darnedest things is so relevant in our house these days.  I swear everyday Leyton has something new that he tells us that is so funny.  One of the best of the last few weeks was a couple weeks ago.  Trent and I had gone on a date and my mom was watching the boys.  My mom said something to Leyton and he looked at her smiling, slapped his leg and said "You crack me down Grandma!"  What was meant was you crack me up, but I like you crack me down much better.  I can't help but laugh every time he says it.

He has also started talking to us about what he learns at school now.  They are doing a space unit.  So last week he wanted to be an astronaut now this week he is telling us all about gravity.  He sat there last night and told me all about how grabity as he calls it keeps us from floating away into space.  If he floated away he would lose me and be very sad.  He is so so sweet. 

He is such a character and always has something funny to tell us!! I love it!!!

Sticky Jammies

Santa Sticky Jammies

So Leyton has decide that the only type of pajamas he likes is the ones that kind of cling to your body.  the tighter ones.  I don't know why he likes them but it's all he will wear now.  He calls them his "Sticky Jammies".  The first time he told me he wanted his sticky jammies I was trying to figure out how his jammies got sticky.  What had he gotten into or eaten?  No baby they aren't sticky mommy just washed them was what I was thinking.  Silly mommy I just don't understand his little brain.  So he has an entire pajama drawer full of other jammies that he won't wear and I have been searching every where to find just a couple more pairs of sticky jammies so that we would have more than 3 pairs.  Because as anyone with a 3 year old can imagine when the sticky jammies are dirty it's the end of the world.  Funny boy!!!

Marathon Cooking!!!!

I found myself in a new situation and not one that was fun.  With starting my new job I have found it hard to make dinner when I am not getting home until 6:30pm.  I was grabbing dinner on the way home almost every night.  For almost two weeks we ate out every night...YUCK!!! I got fed up and decided that I had to change something somehow. 

So in a dramatic fashion I decided that I was going to cook all of my meals for an entire month in one weekend.  Have them in the freezer so that all that needs to be done night to night is thaw them and reheat or bake them.  Don't ask me where that brilliant idea came from cause I don't know.  I know a lot of you are thinking she is crazy!!!  I may be!!

Because I can't do anything half way I started this mid month and decided to do not 4 but 6 weeks worth of meals all at once.  So I sat down and made a list of foods that we like to eat.  I also sat down with a calendar and started just writing in the foods we like to eat until the whole 6 weeks were full.  I did make Wed. nights leftover night.  I also accounted for a few weekend days that we would be out of town.  Then I proceeded to make my grocery list.  Wow that was quite the list!

Let's talk about quite a shopping trip also.  It was a lot of stuff and a lot of money as you can well imagine.  It was a kick in the gut to spend all of that at once.  Once I broke it down by week I realized that I only spent about $60 per week for 6 meals plus one meal of left overs that will feed 4 people.  Not too shabby is what I decided.  Then it was home to cook. 

I wasn't sure how to start this out or how long it would take.  So I just went with what made sense to me.  I cooked up all the meat for all the different meals.  I also chopped any vegetables that would be needed with a little bit of help from Chef Leyton and my mom.  Then just one by one I started putting the meals together.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the disarray that was my kitchen at this point.  I also wish I would have taken a picture of my freezer with all the meals after I was done.  I didn't however so now lets just move on. 

To make this as simple as possible I put everything for one meal into a bag and labeled it with the date that we would be eating it and what it was.  For any of the casseroles I labeled those with the date and what it was along with cooking temp. and time.  I also went to the dollar store and bought the tin throw away pans for a lot of the meals.  Makes clean up super simple also!!!  I did cover them with press and seal wrap and tin foil so that they wouldn't freezer burn.  Then organized them by week in the freezer so that it would be easy to find them.

So for the first 6 weeks it went pretty well.  I did learn that you can't cut up potatoes and freeze them.  They turn into black mush when they thaw out.  So I either wait to cut them until I am making the meal or you could buy frozen ones at the store to save time.  I have also realized that there are a few of the recipes that you either have to adjust the time or temp for cooking.  And you can't leave press and seal on when baking or reheating because it melts :)  But all in all it was a pretty good experiment.  So I moved onto doing it for another month. 

Jan. meals went very well.  I spent a little bit more per week for the meals I decided to make.  I also tried a lot of new recipes off of Pinterest that I had been dying to try.  Mostly all good a couple that we probably wont have again.  It's really working for me and our family!  Best thing we have only eaten out a couple of times during the weekends when we have wanted to for something fun to do!! 

New year, New start!

So I decided that I wanted to start out the new year with a new attitude.  After having two babies and not recognizing my body anymore, I need a change.  As most anyone who knows me knows I have never been a person who is obsessed with the number on the scale or the tag on my clothes.  I just want to feel good and be healthy.  Most of all I want to be a good role model for my boys.  I want to be fun and active with them.  I don't want to be sluggish and tired and just sit around all the time. 

So to that end I decided that I was going to start eating better and exercising.  I am a very routine person.  Once I get into a routine I will stick with it 110%.  The problem for me is getting started and staying motivated while it becomes a routine.  So I decided to get some help with this. 

My very good friend Carolyn Barnett is an amazing nutritionist!!  She started a business a couple years ago and I worked with her.  It worked well for me then and I wanted to see if it could help me again now.  She realizes no one can live depriving themselves of everything they like every day.  Or that every day can't  be perfect when you have little kids and a job and family and house and life!!!  She helps you to work with those things so that you can have a healthy life style and not be dieting. I know dieting may work for some but it has never worked for me.  She is very practical about how she does things.  She is also very sweet and a huge support!  So I called her up and am working with her again.  It is so helpful to have her for accountability and motivation. 

I have gone back to an old work out that I know works for me and am working with eating more healthy.  Has it been perfect?  NO...hell no!!  Will it ever be perfect with the life I lead?  Absolutely NOT!!  Am I doing much better and feeling better?  100% YES!!!  I am feeling better and starting to see a difference.  The numbers that I don't care as much about are even dropping which is a plus!!!

I am so happy to be moving forward in this new year with a new plan and a new outlook.  I am just hoping now that I can keep up with it!!!

To Pogo or not to Pogo that is the question.....

A couple of months before Christmas my 3 year old son tells me when I ask what he wants for Christmas plain as day "a pogo stick mommy!!".  Now my first thought is he is way too young for a pogo stick and he could get hurt now way.  Then my mind went to another place....where and why does he want a pogo stick?  How does he even know what a pogo stick is? 

So I asked him, "honey why do you want a pogo stick?"  My sweet baby boy replied "I want a pogo stick just like Dora mommy!"  So there it is Dora is the culprit.  Dora what she is too young for a pogo stick too!!! 

The naive mom that I am I thought he would forget about it.  To my dismay he didn't right up to the bitter end every time we asked what he wanted for Christmas or what he wanted Santa to bring him he said "a pogo stick".  I even tried to get him to pick a couple of things so I could get the other one and nope it was a pogo stick only a pogo stick. 

Now when it came right down to it I was in a major dilemma.  Do I stick to my guns....no way it is too dangerous he is too young or do I give in and get the one and only thing he is asking for for Christmas.  In the back of my mind I have all of those Christmas movies playing in the back of my head with people saying I want such in such for Christmas and I didn't get it and it ruined my Christmas.  Now I know that that is a little dramatic for a 3 year old but I couldn't help myself. 

Still undecided we took the boys to see Santa on Dec. 23rd.  He walked right up to him and didn't even say hi.  He said "Santa do you have any pogo sticks?"  That's when I knew I needed to try to find one.  So after a couple of stores we found one on sale no less.  We also purchased wrist, elbow and shin guards to go with it.  Uncle Rock made the suggestion that we also get a mouth guard.  OK we are set now all we have to do is wrap him in bubble wrap and he can have his pogo stick. 

Well here it was Christmas morning and Leyton is opening his Santa presents and all I can think the whole time is "stupid Dora!!!"  He was so so excited though and that warmed my heart a bit to the pogo stick.  We got him all suited up and ready to go.  Went outside and he was pogo boy for about 5 min and hasn't touched it since or asked to pogo again.  It was a great laugh for us all and he was so happy.  So I don't really know what the moral of this story is but I do know 3 things. 
1. Dora is banned in my house.
2. Don't wait until Dec. 23rd to get what your kid really wants they don't forget.
3. There is nothing better than a little boys smile on Christmas morning when he gets what he really wanted!!!!  

Fitting the mouth guard.

Ready to go....Dad vetoed the bubble wrap.

And off he goes!!!