My Little Dudes

We split the kids up this weekend... Girls with Daddy to lay some sort of plastic something in the church grass (and to play at Nain's across the street.)  And the boys stayed at home with me to get my chores done.  [We totally planned for it to be the girls with me and the boys with Stephen, but when it all shook out, the boys wanted to stay and girls wanted to go]

It is always so much fun having a couple all to myself... Experiencing what I think is "so simple" and seeing the different dynamics between the two when the others are not around.  {Now, my girls with only two children... I KNOW that life with two is not always simple and can be just as crazy as mine, but it just SEEMS like it when I have any number less than five at any given moment!}

And being with only boys is an experience I treasure... especially, when before children I thought I only wanted girls!  I would DIE without my boys and love every beastly minute with them!!!

(Again, WHY are my iphone pics so stinking blurry!?!)

Snack Time

Being a Worm

Playing Whale Rescue

(I love how close they play to each other!)

Building Forts

Dance Cardio with me!

(Tracy Anderson Method -- Give me a few months and I'll let you know if it's worth it.)

Luke's Robot Dance Cardio

Enjoyed my day with boys!!!


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Another 40th Celebration!

I am so lucky that my best friend and sister, Amy, married someone that I ADORE!  Damon is an amazing friend and I love him with all of my heart!  (We joke that I am his sister-wife, because I am around them so much! HA!)

The old goat turned 40 this year, so we spent the day celebrating with all of our best friends!  

First stop Kung Fu Saloon, which is a cute little spot on Washington that has fun games, like giant Jenga, giant 4 Squares and free Skee ball and amazing fried pickles.  (Stay away from the jalapeno poppers,  huh, girls?!?)

Baby Sister Marg, Amy and Damon, Stephen and me, Dana and Chris

Skee Ball

Next stop... ZaZa!  We LOVE this hotel and stay there as often as we can!  Amy and Damon got a suite so we could all get ready for the night without going home!

Yellow Sisters

Ready for the Night!

Amy, Me, Dana, Marg

Birthday Boy

(Had to get the flower chandelier in the pic!)

Dinner at Sparrow.... Best brussel sprouts EVA!

Getting Crazy with the Beaker Water

I forgot the name of this bar, but they made the martinis and then sent them through this bank shoot...  crazy!

Last stop was the Red Door... revamped for those of you who remember it from our youth.  It always makes me laugh when we do things that are clearly for the younger set... Although we have a blast just being with each other, we definitely show our age...   It was FREEZING, too loud, too crowded and too many young people drinking too much...  

Dana and Me

The Girls!

(Notice how close we are sitting... So cold!)

We missed all of our besties that couldn't come!!  

D... you are SO loved and I can't wait to see what the next 40 years brings!!

p.s. (Why are my iphone pics so blurry?!?)

p.s.s. (Esteban and Uncle Jim, why are the no pics of you??)

Rainbow

Just last week my munchkins were complaining that they had never seen a rainbow... Well, yesterday their wish came true! Our power went out, so despite the drizzle and wetness, we went outside to escape the stuffiness of the house. They were having a blast jumping in puddles and getting soaked when I noticed the biggest rainbow!




One of the things I love most about being a mother is experiencing things through my children's eyes! How the ordinary can seem so extraordinary when looking from a different perspective!

They were so excited and I was so excited... Happy moment!




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Catch up!

Just Blogged about Halloween!  But because I dated it in October it doesn't show up first...  Click HERE to read!!! 

The Tooth Fairy Visits Unexpectedly

Ivy bumped her tooth about a year ago... I don't even remember how it happened, I just remember one day seeing that behind the tooth was gray.  The dentist said yes, the tooth was dead and as long it didn't change colors and there was no pain we wouldn't have to pull it.  I have been over protective of that tooth for a year... I can't tell you how many times I've yelled "HER TOOTH" when she is wrestling with her dad or "YOUR TOOTH" when she is carelessly swinging a toy around. 

Well, the inevitable happened and she bonked it again.  I randomly noticed one day a fistula on her gums.  A fistula looks like a juicy pimple... The dentist had told me to be on the look out.  It is a miracle that I even saw it, it was so high up on her gums.  A mother's intuition always amazes me... Like God telling me to check her gums even though I didn't know I needed to!

I took her back to the dentist right away and sure enough the x-ray revealed an abcess that was infected.  (The fistula is the infected junk trying to drain.)  So that baby had to come out.

Now, I can't even explain to you how upset I was.... I am not sure even why!!  But as I was by myself, I sucked it up and found a happy face and made it seem like this was the best thing that could ever happen to Ivy.  (I cringe when I think of how over the top I was talking about loosing her first tooth and the tooth fairy in the dentist office!)

She was such a trooper... Afraid and weeping, but none of the epic Ivy throw downs that she is known for at home when she anticipates something hurting her.  (i.e. She acted like we were going to saw her foot off one time she had a splinter and Stephen had to get it out with a needle.)  Aunt Mimi met us at the dentist and we had a special play date at Chick-fil-a!  (I NEVER take my kids inside to play and they ALWAYS want to go, so it was a big deal for her to get to go in...)

Because I was totally unprepared for a tooth fairy visit, we didn't have a special tooth fairy pillow or gold coins or anything else fancy, but she seemed to be just as happy with a dollar.  (I was going to over compensate with $20, but Stephen kept me in check.)  I think a second tooth will be the new big deal tradition in our house.

I was reflecting on why I was/am so emotional about this and I think it is twofold.  One, loosing a tooth is a big milestone for a kid... it means you are a big kid!  I don't think I am ready for her to be a big kid yet!  Two, this happened too early and so in some part of my mind I consider it as something "bad" happening to her.  I want so badly to protect all of my children from anything bad.

In case you are curious about the fistula... here is what is looked like. ICK!

Happy Anniversary!

8 years with my love!  Never been happier!!!

Halloween Festivities!

- PUMPKIN PATCH #1 -

One of our favorite places to go at Halloween time is the Oil Ranch, however, the particular Saturday we had planned on going it was closed for a private party!  We saw that the Old Time Christmas Tree Farm had a pumpkin patch as well, so we headed off with our cousins....  

It wasn't my fave... (who makes you have a ticket and a time limit for a bouncy house??  The one thing you can NOT keep a kid out of??) But we made the most of it!  

Spooky Spider
Ivy Mitchell Sidney Luke Brie
 

With Cousins!


Stephen Luke and MawMaw
Train Ride 

 

Me with Briellen Sidney and Mitchell
 

- PUMPKIN PATCH #1 -

Right around the corner from our house is an adorable pumpkin patch at the Methodist Church...  They dress up their pumpkins in all types of themes. (Star Wars, College Football, Sesame Street, Happy Feet, etc.)  

Sidney Briellen

Ivy Mitchell Luke

"Happy Halloween" as they throw hay in the air...
And they wondered why hay was in EVERY nook and cranny!

- TODDLER PARTY - 

We had our 4th annual Toddler party at our house this year.  (I guess it's not really a toddler party, huh?)  This is a way for all of our girlfriends to get together to see all the kids dressed up, but still be able to go trick-or-treating in our own neighborhoods on actual Halloween night.

I have always decorated my house for Halloween, but it has always been more Fall-ish.  Think pumpkins, gourds, etc.  But because everyone seems to go all out with their decorations in our hood, my kids kept asking when I was going to decorate "spooky."  Since I am not a huge fan of spooky, I decided that the toddler party would be a spooky party and that way they would get their spooky and I would only have to see it one night!  (p.s.  turns out spooky decorating is fun!)

And of course, I spent too much time on pinterest and found fun foods to do. (Eye-ball cake pops, mummy pig-in-a-blankets, PB&J finger sandwiches and of course, Damon brought a signature cocktail - Candy-corn Cocktails! (Vodka infused with candy corn... very yum!)

The AVENGERS
Captain America, Hulk, Black Widow, Iron Man and Wasp


With Mom Thor and Dad Hawkeye
Ivy Brie Sidney Mitchell Luke 

The Dyers
(with Baby Nolan on board)

The Fab Farleys

 

The Wagners
More than meet the eye...

The Hares
The kids reaction to seeing Uncle Neal like this was PRICELESS!!
I couldn't stop laughing!

Nothing like an Uncle getting IN the bouncy house with you...


The Girls

 

We hid bones in the backyard for the kids to find...
Halloween version of an Easter egg hunt!
 

Fuzzy Pic, but LOVE my sis and brother!


- BOOED -  

One day our door bell rang and this was at our door, filled with goodies and a note saying "You've been BOO-ed!" 

I had never heard of it before and thought it was such a fun idea!  Basically, once you've been boo-ed you put together 2 "boo" bags and deliver them to 2 people without being seen and then you hang a sign on your door saying "We've been BOO-ed!"  (Details here... http://www.beenbooed.com/)

 

- BLOCK PARTY -

We seriously live on the best street ever! Awesome cul-de-sac with amazing neighbors!  We all got together in the street the weekend before Halloween to hang out and be together!

Brie and Laylah - B/F/F
 

Loving Coopers Car Box


 There are TONS of kid on our street (30ish) and they all get along really well.  Love it!  (Trust me, we have our "She took my toy" or "She's being a tattle tale" or "He hit me in the face with a stick" but it's in a manageable quantity.)

 

 - SCHOOL PARTY -

Love some Ms. Raiza and Ms. Sarai!
Ivy, Brie, Luke, Mitchell, Sid

- CARVING PUMPKINS -
It takes FOREVER to get a pumpkin carved when 10 little hands want to help with all of the work...  Totally had to find my patient hat.

Finally pulled out the paint and let them paint little pumpkins, so I could work on ours...

A spooky pumpkin per request!

- TRICK OR TREATING -

The actual night of Halloween, Stephen took the kids up and down the street and I stayed to pass out candy... Love that my cul-de-sac peeps stayed outside with me!

Attacking Mr. Dave for candy!

Off they go...

A lesson learned this year... Do not buy expensive Halloween shirts.  I did this for the girls and made them wear them to every possible Halloween event.  Got a little old and it makes looking a pics more boring.  Would much rather by a couple of cheapies!