Daily Dabble 5/31/11

 
It was one of those cookies and milk for lunch kind of days....for the boys. I'm not saying I didn't have one or two after they went down for naps, but they had them for lunch! Lunch was topped with golden grahams for Carter. I believe Maylee had a hotdog bun and mandarin oranges. Grocery shopping is calling my name!

Carter did pretty good at the dentist this morning. I convinced him we were NOT seeing a doctor and that Uncle Brigham just wanted to look at his teeth. He did okay until the chair went back and I saw him panic. Brig saw a cavity. Now to figure out the plan to get it filled....

All three kids had a quiet time. Maylee and Drew actually slept while Carter played with his new "squeakies" in his bed for almost 2 hours. He is such a funny kid.

I love you - It was SO nice having you home all weekend. Miss you already...

Introducing the Daily Dabble

For Maylee's first year of life I sent Bry a "Daily Maylee" on the days he had to work...well, the days I managed to get it in. It was a little e-mail snippet of Maylee's day and a picture of our little princess. After she turned one I changed it to the "Daily Dabble" which is now a dabble of my day with the three little people. I want to get them into our blog book so I am now copying the email into here with the picture I send. It is an email to my best friend and love of my life...so be warned that some content may be a little mushy at times! I will be back-dating slowly to be sure I add in the ones I missed.

Around the House

Carter love love loves this game. He takes all the pieces off...and then puts them all back on. He is SO my son.

I now have a kindergartener. Crazy. Bitter sweet.  He had some great preschool teachers, bus drivers, and therapists. We will miss them all! Drew is already asking for his teacher...sweet boy!

Maylee has had an interesting past two weeks. She got a cold...accompanied by a cough...and of course double ear infections. I am sure trying to take her off her Prevacid didn't help matter. We had a tip off night filled with wakefulness from 1:30 AM until 5:00 AM (when I finally just let her cry) tipped me off. The night also filled with the boys waking up at 2:00 AM to chatter in the room. I heard Carter say something about Hobby Lobby before I went in there and told them to go to sleep.

Maylee is feeling better. She slept Thursday night from 5:00 in the evening until 8:30 the next morning with one waking around 10 to eat. Friday night she slept from 6:00 in the evening until 9:00 the next morning with no waking.

Left the kids with new babysitters Saturday night. Two 13 year olds and it went great. I put Maylee to bed before I left. She fussed (screamed like a crazy woman) for about 20 minutes but went to sleep. Happy to report that all children survived and the boys had a blast! AND Bry and I got a night out without any kids!

Daily Dabble 5/26/11

 

The boys love their new straws. I think it is the best way to get Drew to drink! Secret hydration weapon!

We got to watch Hailee for a little while. Maylee was SO excited when I got her out of bed and Hailee was there on the floor. They played and played. Oh I love her sleepy little face.

Daily Dabble 5/25/11

 
Up and down with Maylee from 1:30 until 5 or so last night...telling the boys to go back to sleep and stop chatting at 2 in the morning....a morning filled with holding a little girl...cancelling therapy...stop at Walgreens for Prevacid.....filled up the tank at Costco at $3.61/gal...and a trip to the doc arriving 45 minutes early and finally finding out our Miss Maylee weighed in at 15 lbs 11 oz and has double ear infections. She fell asleep on the way home. I transferred her to bed, gave the boys a snack, tucked Drewbie in our bed, Carter did his duty on the potty (I think he has it!), tucked Carter in bed...and worked as much as I could! Maylee ended the night with this little trick...naughty naughty. It was the best shot I could get while making sure she didn't fall!

Daily Dabble 5/24/11

Tuesday - Tuesday. Not sure how I feel about Tuesday. It was a busy day, but not as productive as yesterday. Drew was excited for school. It was his last day with his morning bus driver since she won't be here on Thursday. I cancelled feeding therapy this morning since I forgot about it and had all of forty minutes to get all four of us ready to go. That was NOT going to happen. Carter played and played while I worked during Maylee's nap. He especially liked putting the little pieces in Battleship, but his favorite was Upwards. He is such a little me and it is just so cute. He was so proud of himself with all those letters! So proud when he put them all on and just as proud when he took them all off! Maylee took a nice morning/afternoon nap, but only one nap. It was 3 1/2 hours, but by the evening rolls around she is quite tired. She is getting big...too fast. Love love love you xoxox

Daily Dabble 5/23/11

Today was a good day. Maylee FINALLY took a good nap. She slept for over 4 1/2 hours. She needed the sleep. I think she is feeling better. The morning was rough with the boys, but they played SO nice in the afternoon. It really made me happy. Drew was doing so good with his behavior. It was cute to watch them play computer together. We ran a lot of errands and got things done around here. I am about ready to put Drew's magnet boards together for his letter chart and his daily routine. I am super excited! Love love love you xoxox

Sunday Morning

Bryan and I like to lay in bed a little longer than usual on Sundays. It is our time to cuddle and just relax. Drew is usually up early and we put a move on for him, but this particular Sunday Carter was up early. We assumed all was well when things were quiet and the movie was playing. A bit later Carter joined us in bed with fresh minty breath. He had gotten into the gum. I asked if he had gotten it from the diaper bag....nope. He is not a climber...usually. I went into the kitchen to find this. He got it from the cupboard! Little stinker. At least he was nice and got a piece for Andrew too!

Daily Dabble 5/19/11

Carter opened his birthday present from Grammy and Poppie last week. He loves the cowboy hat...and looks stinkin adorable if I do say so myself!

Daily Dabble 5/18/11

I am almost totally caught up on work...well, I am sure that will change tomorrow, but it feels good now! We had a good day. I think the beautiful weather really helped us all. We missed play group because Maylee was ready for a nap right when we would have needed to leave. We did get out of the house. I treated the kids to Wendy's for lunch (treated sounds better than lazy mom who didn't want to make lunch, right?) I will never do that again. Their food is sick! All three kiddos took naps. Maylee didn't nap for long again. Morning and afternoon naps were short short short. She actually cried when I went into her room to get her ready for bed tonight. She is getting smart! We made fishing poles and fish tonight with Amanda using paper, paperclips, and magnets. The boys loved it. We miss you.

Drew was lovin' on Maylee today and really getting her laughing. It was so cute. These two and their love for monkeys....

Daily Dabble 5/17/11

Carter was a champ for his doc appt today. I think it helped that it was just me and him...thanks to Lu for watching the other two! He counted, named colors, pointed to body parts, and informed the doc he was a girl...nice! He weighed in at 28 lbs 2 oz and is 37 inches. He is just about 25% for weight and about 50% for height. Hooray for our average child. It was nice to have such an easy appt. Maylee did great for her appt with the home nurse this afternoon despite being very tired. She is on track for her calendar age so we don't have to adjust for her development anymore which is great news! She weighed in at 15 lbs 5 oz and 27.5 inches tall. (not sure that the weight was right...I thought she weighed more, but we will go with it I guess) The weather is perfect so Brandy and I took the kids to get frozen yogurt and to burn some energy at the park.  I love you and miss you xoxoxo

Daily Dabble 5/16/11

Drew had his first taste of soap.
Carter pooped in his underwear....again.
Maylee gave me kisses galore while I was sitting at the computer...without request.
I killed the nasty spider on the fence with the aid of hairspray - now to get rid of the eggs - YUCK.
No naps for the boys.
Only a morning nap for the princess.
Wonderful lunch with you.
Not nearly enough work done today.
Drew tried grilled cheese again.
Carter is obsessed with chocolate milk.
Maylee is obsessed with Drew's Curious George.
The kids love to be bathed in our bathtub.
Carter loves bubbles.
That was Monday...here's to Tuesday!

Daily Dabble 5/13/11

We survived the doc appt this morning for Drew's botox. He was SO brave. He was very nervous, but the doc was really good with him. He laid on his belly, I held his head and arms, the assistant did one leg and the doc injected the other. He didn't even cry! They gave him a baseball and sent us on our way! We skipped school for Drew since I was not sure what his activity level should be. After lunch we went swimming with Brandy and the boys. All kids took naps and I was able to get some work done. Maylee has a new trick....she can make the monkey noise really well and it is ridiculously cute! I caught a picture of her making the noise...now to get her on video!

I love you ......yay for the weekend!!!

Daily Dabble 5/12/11

Thursday - I have gotten quite a bit of work done. The boys were driving me CRAZY this morning. After Drew went off to school the little ones and I went to the library to return books and to Sprouts. We are now waiting for Ming to get up from her nap and I think we will head to Costco. The boys are trying to play together....always an interesting activity! Looking forward to spending time with you tonight. I feel like we haven't seen each other all week! So in love with you!

Memorable Moments and Mishaps

We had a girls weekend in California. Julia, Lainy, Shell, Hailee, Maylee and I all went in the van. Crazy...yes, a little, but really the ride out was not so bad! Hailee was a dream on the way out and Maylee slept most of the way home!

Two tiny nakey bums....debated on posting his picture....oh these girls are too cute!

The main reason for our trip out was to celebrate my brother and his sweet wife's baby on the way. Baby Milo will be here in just a few short weeks and we just can't wait!!!!

 Who needs lemonade when you can just have a lemon?!

Julia dominated the bottle drinking contest!

Just to prove that Maylee and I did in deed attend the shower...not the most stunning picture of the two of us, but still...proof we were there!

These two are just the cutest little snuggle bunnies and sweet friends that ever were. They know to kiss each other when we bring them together. Poppie made sure to get his fill of his little princesses once they warmed up to the idea.....Wish we lived closer.

We had a short, but sweet Mother's Day breakfast of Cinnabon and when scurried out the door and on the road. 

The ride home was a whole other story. Lainy got sick the night before we were supposed to leave. Needless to say we hurried home. Shelley drove. I tended the babies. Julia held the bowl or Lainy to...umm...you know...and Flapjack was demoted to sleeping on the floor the whole way home only after losing his breakfast on my lap right in the beginning! 

Some memories are are sweeter than others, but the trip was totally worth it!

Daily Dabble 5/11/11

Maylee slept straight through from 8 at night until 12:40 in the afternoon!!! I went in to check on her and she was just peacefully sleeping! Crazy girl. She was a little grumpy when she got up and I think she is really teething again. She was ready for another nap about 2 just after I got the boys down. She slept until 5!!

Daily Dabble 5/10/11

Tuesday was survived. I still got a lot done, but was struggling towards the end of the day...that usually happens when I decide to forego Carter's nap. Oh well. We got out of the house to enjoy the beautiful weather yesterday and relaxed at the park for a while. The kids really did well and all were in bed by 8.

Cake for our Carter Cakes

Three....three? Really? Three? Yes, Carter Cakes is no longer a baby or toddler. He is truly a little boy and will remind me of that when I occasionally call him my baby. He is so much fun and has such a great little personality.

He loves to play inside or outside. He plays by himself or with his friends. He loves coloring, puzzles, cars, balls, animals, bath time, dishes, laundry, cleaning, shoes, singing, Baby Einstein, Drew's school bus, bubbles, stickers, candy, chocolate milk, hot chocolate, candy canes, yogurt, grilled cheese, pizza, ice cream, daddy, mommy, Andrew, Maylee and just being a silly little boy.

He tends to use a rather loud voice 75% of the time and we are working on it. He loves to sing and it makes me smile. He is a smart little cookie and knows all his letters and colors and can count pretty well. We are working on recognizing his numbers and writing his name. He still naps once a day without a problem...well, as long as he gets a treat and a sippy cup of water in his bed. He is STILL 50% potty trained - sigh - he is stubborn. He gives great kisses and has an infectious giggle.

Three years and come and gone faster than I would have liked, but oh boy do I have memories and pictures to prove what a great three years it has been!

We celebrated a little the night of his actual birthday, but has his little party on Monday. I had traveled all day and we were quite tired Sunday night. That is the great thing about being 3...it doesn't really matter when the celebrating occurs just as long as it happens and if it is over two days then all the better!

Carter got a new giant coloring book for his birthday. Love the concentration.

He thoroughly enjoyed opening his presents and was just as excited about blowing out his candles!

 

 Oh the anticipation of the cake!

 

He also got a stomp rocket junior. It is not the highest quality of toys, but oh boy has this been a hit in our house!!!

Carter had his three year old well visit and did great! I was able to take just him since I know he has anxiety with the doctor. He did GREAT as long as he didn't have to "lay on the table". He saw Drew get a shot the week before where he had to lay on the table. He showed of his counting skills, labeled colors, stated his name, remembered he is now three and informed the doc he was a girl. Nice...silly kid. 

Weight: 28 lbs 2 oz (10-25%)

Height: 37 inches (25-50%) 

**pushing the higher percentile in both...nice to have an average kiddo!

Daily Dabble 5/9/11

Monday was a doozy. I did get the car cleaned and detailed...it looks and smells amazing! And then we had Drew's school meeting. 2 1/2 hours later I think we have an idea of what the plan is for him next year. I am just hoping we can get him into the other school. I was glad we were able to celebrate Carter's birthday. He had so much fun!

Pre Prickle

Just to be sure they keep their baby soft skin....the boys practice a good shaving regimen!

 

  And for good measure....a baby smile is always welcome!

Dabble

I hit a bird....it just sat there in the road and didn't move. I think about that sound and thump every time I drive by that spot on my way home. Sigh.

Drew now threatens with a whopping "I'm gonna punch you" complete with fists drawn. I prefer the mud threat. He is now threatened with soap in the mouth if he talks that way. One day I know I will have to make good on my threat.

Carter is potty trained....50%. #1 is perfect....no success with #2 as of yet and it has been about a month. One day it will click, right?! *****We had success yesterday with #2! Hopefully this is a sign that we are just about done!

I hate when the straps of car seats get tangled. It makes me crazy. I check each time I buckle my kids that they are smooth and straight.

The freezer is not a good place to put brownies to keep me from eating them.....frozen brownies are amazing.

I prefer to do a "pre-pedicure" at home before I get a real pedicure.

I HATE the sound of teeth grinding...especially when my kids do it. 

Drew informed me I needed soap in my mouth after accidentally saying ***crap*** on the phone. Whoops....

I hate hate HATE aspartame and all its ugly disguising, disgusting names it uses on labels.

Carter so lovingly refers to his Uncle Jason as "Jared's uncle daddy".

Maylee is still a mommy's girl....very, very much so.

Daily Dabble 5/5/11

It is hot...really hot. Not a big fan! Ah well....such is the life in AZ, right?! We will survive yet another summer I suppose. After we visited you today we came home, had lunch and then Carter informed me he was tired and wanted to go to sleep. I fell asleep putting Maylee to sleep and panicked I would miss the bus, but realized after I came out that I only slept for maybe 2 minutes. *laugh* Drew came home from school quite tired...I think playing outside just wipes him out. I am headed to Julia's after the little people wake up and she is going to watch the little crazies while I run some errands. Home teachers come at 8:00...remember!


Carter and Maylee enjoyed their lunch in front of Baby Einstein - they were mesmerized!

I love you ! xoxoxo

Daily Dabble 5/4/11

Maylee got something in her hair...not sure what it was, but it made for a sweet hair do!