Wordless Wednesday - Sepia Sweetheart

Thankful Tuesday

My last post on the things that I am thankful for. I think I may make this a yearly blog tradition!

1. I am thankful for having a camera. Without it, I would miss out on saving images. Images from daily life to fun trips.

2. I am thankful for excel spreadsheets and calendars. Without them, I would not be as organized as I am.

3. I am thankful for texting as I am not one to love chatting on the phone. Sending a text is short, sweet and to the point!

4. I am thankful for the opportunities that have been given to my family.

5. I am thankful to be able to give back and help others.

Thanksgiving

This year was not our typical Thanksgiving. Half my family works...so it was just us, my FIL and bro/sister. We still had yummy dinner and dessert and enjoyed the company of one another. Since we were hosting, pictures were few. It is hard to cook all day, host and capture the day with a camera.

My brother loves his nephews and niece

After dinner, my family and I went shopping for some great deals. I was in and out of shopping quickly, at home in my bed by 10:30.

I had an awesome day full of wonderful reasons to be thankful.

Saturday Top Five Laughs

Hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving!


5. We took everyone for hair cuts this week. My sister usually cuts and colors all of us but she has been too busy. (sticker shock of the price) Logan was wigging like he had ants in his pants. We had to put a lolly pop in front of him and tell him to "stare at the lolly Logan!"

4. On Thanksgiving, Logan asked for pop. Then hubs heard a little voice behind him say "I want some pop" plain as day. 

3. Logan was talking to himself: "This stuff has me crackin up ALL night!"

2. Logan ran downstairs to go potty. I asked him if he was pooping or peeing. "I pooping, peeing and farting Mom." Okay then!

1. After getting our Christmas tree last night, Logan ran inside to use the potty. He climbed up and immediately fell in. H was not a happy camper to be cold and wet and still have to pee.

Wordless Wednesday - Flash back Santa 2011

Thankful Tuesday

To continue giving a shout out to the things that I am thankful for in life.

1. I am thankful for my job. It may not be glamorous but it lets me work in my jammies.

2. I am thankful for my friends. They are as awesome as family and you can see how much they care.

3. I am thankful to have my Mommy group. Some times it is hard to be able to say something that is on your mind for fear of hurting someone else's feelings but this group allows without judgement! 

4. I am thankful for Libby. She may chew things up and destroyed our kitchen walls and boarder but she is such a blessing. She completed our family.

5. I am thankful for being able to laugh at myself on occasion. I mess up, everyone does. Some days I am grumpy about it but others I can just laugh off the bad.

To the left...to the left.

I am not left handed. I am a righty all the way. Living for the last 13 days having to use the left hand as my dominant was....interesting.

It all began with a bump. A slow growing bump. 2 drs had told me that it was a ganglion cyst. Turns out, it wasn't. It was a tumor that needed removed. The drs told me that it was light gray in color and looked like a bunch of grapes. Not something that they had seen before!

The tumor was removed and was BENIGN! Since the drs were unsure what it was, we then needed to find out what caused the mass. I had more blood work done and should get the results back tomorrow. (they think it is RA) I had to manage 7 days with a half cast on my arm, unable to move most of my fingers. Then manage another 7 days keeping my stitches covered, clean and dry.  All of this is pretty difficult with 2 toddlers and a puppy but I managed to.

I did not use my hand at all the day of surgery and tried hard to not use it the first week. I did try to do everything I could around the house and for the kids. You do not realize how much you need both hands for things until you cannot use them. I am just not a sit back and do nothing person, it is just not my personality. I did laundry, dishes, picked up and cooked a bit...all with only my left hand.

As you can imagine, keeping a family of 5 household from not falling apart was a hard. Hard for my husband who had to do everything from help me shave to help me put on a bra. He really was awesome. The house was not perfect and we are still trying to catch up on laundry and dishes. But we got through the craziest 2 weeks of our lives. (I mean, really think about this. Going from 2 parents splitting everything that needs done to one parent who takes care of the other and keeps up with a house and 3 kids. It is a lot of work for anyone!)  A few people helped out with various things. Fom bringing us dinner to driving me around, a huge thank you to them! You never really know humility until you have to rely completely on others to do things that you were once capable of handling. I spent some days being so sad and frustrated.  Other days were easier for me to see the bright side. Emotional roller coaster.

Tomorrow things should go back to normal for the most part. I should have most of my functioning back in my hand. I will most likely need therapy since they repaired a tendon and I have numbness in my entire finger. But I will be able to shave and cook and change diapers. Wooo. Okay, maybe not wooing the diapers!

Saturday Top Five Laughs

5. While driving in the car, Logan said "Look at the moon!" Gary said "Yes buddy, that is a toe nail shaped moon." Logans reply "NO! That is called a crescent moon Dad!" 

4. Logan has began the 'I don't like you. You are mean!' phase of the threes. (fun times you guys!) So a short 5 minutes after telling Gary how much he loved him and hugging all over him, Logan starts with the mean and not liking shenanigans. Then a few minutes later grabs a book, crawls up on Garys lap and says "Daddy will you read this book to me?" in a sweet kind voice. Gary replied to him with "But you do not like me and I am means." (apparently Logan changes his mind faster than anyone else can handle)

3. While our friends were over last weekend helping us with the bathroom remodel, Logan was hugging Lexie. Then he kissed her. And proudly announced: "I kissed Lexie!" He may also have been talking about it all week....even telling my surgeon about it. I think we have our first toddler crush!

2. Toddler talk is my favorite! Charlie's new words are are: tank two (thank you), pill out (spilled out), hank ew (thank you)
Logan says some really cute ones too: Nick a mand (nick on demand)

1. I have to get B12 injections now due to have extremely low vitamin B. Gary is the one who gets to give me my injections. In the upper butt/lower back area. He proudly says that he gets to stick me in the arse! And I keep telling him that he is not allowed to enjoy it.

Wordless Wednesday - Cell phone snatcher

Thankful Tuesday

To continue giving thanks for what I have, who I am and those around me.

1. I am thankful for my home. It is a cozy place that makes me feel safe and secure. Gary and I are putting our stamp on it one day at a time.

2. I am thankful for insurance. It may not be the best and we may pay thousands a year in out of pocket costs...it is better than having none.

3. I am thankful for social media. I have *met* some fabulous ladies on here and twitter. They can make my day in an instant. I heart all of you.

4. I am thankful to have clothes on our backs, food on the table and shelter. Many people are now without these due to hurricane Sandy.

5. I am thankful for all the memories that I have and will continue to make.

Halloween 2012

Due to super storm Sandy, we were unable to trick or treat on Halloween. In our area, the trick or treat night was postponed until the weekend. Which we had plans to go to the Circus so we were unable to participate. Dominic was pretty bummed out.

To keep Halloween feeling like the actual holiday, we pushed back our normal tradition of carving pumpkins, baking seeds and watching It's A Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. It was a good night of family fun!

5 things not to do with a toddler

1. Leave the room where butt cream is readily available. They will find it. They will smear it all over.

2. Leave a cup of anything within reach. It will be all down the front of them and covering the floor within 2.5 seconds.

3. Loose any type of writing utensil in a room that they reside. They will find it and use it all over your walls, doors and furniture.

4. Slip and use a swear word. They will bring it out at the most embarrassing time when everyone within a 100 yards of you can hear.

5. Keep candy in the same place. They will get a chair, climb up and find it. Eat it. Smear it. 

Saturday Top Five Laughs

Since I am having surgery on Wednesday to remove the tumor from my hand, I am pre-scheduling these top five laughs. Hope everyone has a great weekend. I am hoping for a pain free enjoyable one myself.

5. Charlie says the cutest things: tick a tea (trick or treat), swah-ree (sorry), hash ew (bless you)

4. Logan talks non stop all day, every day. Me ears are bleeding by bed time. "Mama, did you see _____? Mommy can you _____? Mama why we goin ______? Mama do you see my pis-ole? Mommy I got dah zombies!" This might have been why I ended my week last Friday with a wine cooler.

3. Logan jumped from his wooden kids table and attempted to land on the cushy chair. I say 'attempt' because he missed and banged his head off the side of it. Causing him to fly backwards. Just like you see on America's Funniest Videos.

2. Dominic was sitting on the couch, Charlie curled up on his lap and fell fast asleep.

1. Logan plays with my phone all the time. (no wonder I never have a battery charge, ha) When he turns the sound up too loud he gets in trouble. So now when it gets too loud, he quickly gives it to me and says "turn it down Mama!"

Fun Facts about Toddlers

Being a mom of 3 has given me insight to the fun of toddlers.
They make us laugh. They make us cry. They make us proud.  They melt our hearts.


*They are considered toddlers when their feet stink.

*They will start to count and say their ABC's when you least expect it.

*They will embarrass you in a store multiple times.

*The word truck will be pronounced with an F at the beginning and you will laugh.

*They will poop in a fresh diaper. Every single time.

*The first time they say "I love you" will melt your heart into a puddle of goo.

*They will want to run around naked before a bath.

*They will eat the food off your plate even if they have the same thing on theirs and never touched it.

*The house will have crunchy floors, finger printed doors and food covered chairs. And you will miss the mess someday.

*They will play with the box of every single toy. Sometimes more than the toy itself.

The Greatest Show on Earth

On Saturday, we gave up trick or treating (ours was rescheduled due to hurricane Sandy) to attend the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus.

We had front row seats thanks to our friend who was able to buy them as soon as they went on sale. There seriously could not have been better seats in the house. We were front and center! We are so appreciative of her.

I secretly worried about how the little would behave. 2 kids 3 and under. Would they run around like the crazy children they are at home? Would they try to escape from us and onto the circus floor? Would they have melt downs in their awesome toddler style? Would I end up in tears and sweat?

The kids HAD A BLAST! They pretty much stayed still and watched. Logan went back and forth between us and Dominic/Audrey. Charlie played with Victoria a little bit. But, all in all, they were so well behaved. I may have ended up sweaty anyway...it was 9 hundred degrees in there.

When we first arrived, we went on the floor. It was awesome!

Some of the clowns, goofing off!

Up up and away...

The kids got to try on the outfits. They were super heavy.

Someone was a little timid when we first arrived.

Some of us stayed behind to keep an eye on our stuff.

Logan looks up to Dylan so much.

A true Mamarazzi.

The toddler girls dressed up. Oh my gracious!

The boys busting a move to the music.

Stef and her girls looking fabulous as always.

Dominic and Jack got picked to participate!

Dom "my life flashed before my eyes as the red zipped by my face."

Tattoos!

Quick group shot as they were telling us to return to our seats so the show could start.

Clown Noses! 

And all of that my friends was BEFORE the show even started. (I wish I could have taken more pictures but Gary and I were wrangling the littles and we each had one on our laps for most of the show)

Charlie was pointing and waving to everyone! So was Logan. It made me melt.

These guys were right in front of us. OMG the awesomeness.

Intermission play time!

Same size. Adorable.

Victoria is such a cutie pie!

Cotton candy, hats and popcorn. Heck yeah!

Tigers. Amazing. They were all different colors. (orange w/black stripes. white w/orange stripes. light orange w/dark orange stripes)

Fire man!

Elephants. TONS of them, ha!

Did you know that elephants can stand on their heads?

Under the black lights, these guys and girls rocked. Jumping all over on their special stilts.

The show rocked. I do not remember the circus being this awesome when I was a kid. I am so glad that my kids have these memories of this great show. Such a nice night with some awesome people!