Some randomness this morning.....

* We're leaving again tomorrow - this time, we're heading to Deep Creek Lake, MD. My husband's aunt and uncle have a lake house there and we'll be spending the weekend with family. Most haven't met Henry yet, so they'll have loads of fun hanging out with him - he's quite the personality now and becoming more and more fun every day! On Saturday, B and I, along with some other family members, are headed to Morgantown, WV to the Villanova/West Virginia football game. The kids will stay back and wear out my in-laws and my husband's aunt and uncle...lol

* I'm tired. Henry has decided that sleep is for the weak and he just doesn't want to do it anymore. I don't like that AT ALL. I'm weak and need sleep desperately....probably more than most people, but hey, I've always been like that. I'm hoping to be able to sleep in the car on the 7 hour drive tomorrow morning - that is, if Henry isn't screaming the entire time. Henry and car trips don't mix too well. Pray for me people.

* Our weekend in Cape Cod was HEAVENLY! Here are some pictures! We rented a G6 Convertible for the weekend - the weather was fantastic for it!

My better half :)


Moi :)


Us at the wedding :)


The bride's parents own a house right on the ocean and they invited everyone for a cookout the next day - here is the view from their deck.


The view looking down from their deck.


Their house was AMAZING! We were the last people to leave that day - I didn't want to leave that view and the smell of the saltwater - it reminds me of home and how much I miss being near the ocean. We had the best time being together as a couple and hanging with good friends. The kids had a great time here with my in-laws and everyone was happy.

* First grade starts in 5 days! I met Will's teacher last night and she's VERY nice. She has a class of 29 kids with no teacher's aide - YIKES! I was a teacher before I had kids and oy vey - I just can't imagine. Will's best buddy is in his class again this year - YAY! His mom and I were a bit worried that they wouldn't be together, so we can both now breathe a HUGE sigh of relief! I got Will some new gym shoes last night, so he's good to go for at least the first few weeks. New, warmer clothes will come in the next few weeks. He grows like a weed and I refuse to spend that much money on new clothes for him to grow out of them before he can really wear them.

Enough randomness I suppose - Henry is finally sleeping and the big boys are downstairs playing with their Webkinz. I need to get moving on the packing, etc. I hope y'all have a great Labor day!

Wordless Wednesday

Our biggest boy turned 6 yesterday!

One down, two to go....

Ahhhh....that feels good! Sunday afternoon, hangin' on the couch with my laptop, while by biggest boys (husband included!) play with a Hot Wheels toy on the floor. Schmoog is sleeping upstairs, the dog is relaxing after a day at doggie day camp and the race is on TV. It has been a BUSY weekend!

My mom came into town on Wednesday and she left today - we had a very nice time! We shopped a bit and helped immensely with Henry. It was nice to get a break for a bit. Yesterday was Will's birthday party - loads of fun was had by all. We got a bounce house for the kids and they played in the slip n' slide, while the adults hung out on our deck. It was fabulous fun and the kids really enjoyed themselves! My boy's official birthday is Tuesday - he'll be 6. I'm trying not to think about it - I can't believe he's going to be 6 already AND heading into 1st grade in a smidge over 2 weeks. I swear I was JUST miserably huge and praying every other minute that God would just put me into labor with him. Will was 3 days late and he's still incredibly slow....lol

I have 3 more days until my in-laws arrive - they are coming into town to watch the boys while B and I head to Cape Cod for a wedding. I am SO EXCITED about this trip. We need these days away, to enjoy ourselves with good friends and be together as a couple.

I'm going to relax for a bit more, then I'm going back to work - the lower level of my house looks like a tornado went through it and I need to stay on top on it, so I'm not bombarded before my in-laws get here. Wish me luck!

Wordless Wednesday

My big boys enjoying sparklers on the 4th of July!

Mama time

We do the same thing every morning. I feed Henry and when he's done, I plop him in his exersaucer to hang for a while, while I make my coffee, get the big boys their chocolate milk, start some laundry, etc. etc. The big boys will sit on the floor by the exersaucer and talk to Henry, make him smile and push the buttons on the exersaucer to make some noise. Henry loves that time with his brothers and his brothers love it, too.

This morning, after I got everyone everything they needed, I started to clean the house. Eventually, Henry had had enough of the exersaucer AND his brothers and just wanted to be held. It was nap time, so we headed to his room and I put him down in his crib - the same way I always do it.

He started to fall asleep, but woke a minute later and started crying. I headed up to him and picked him up. We sat in the rocker and snuggled together and within seconds, he was asleep. My boy just needed some quiet mama time and I realized then, that I needed Henry time. It needed to be just the two of us. We both needed the quietness and I needed to realize that life goes by SO, SO quickly. It's time for me to slow down.

I'm amazed at the lessons a baby can teach.

Menu Plan Monday!

I'm going to cook every day this week, even if it kills me...lol


Monday:

chicken breasts with gravy
brown rice
green beans

Tuesday:

BBQ sandwiches on whole wheat buns
corn

Wednesday:

Kielbasa with dirty rice
cucumber slices sprinkled with Old Bay

Thursday:

Penne with meat sauce
caprese salad
bread

Friday:

grilled salmon
roasted broccoli
wild rice

Saturday:

burgers and hot dogs on the grill
corn on the cob
baked beans

Sunday:

Charley's Slow Cooker Mexican Style Meat
whole wheat tortillas
corn cake
salad


Head over to the Org Junkie and see what yummy recipes other ladies (or gents maybe) have out there!

The PGA Championship - my boy's own little private heaven!

Will's entire world revolves around sports - doesn't matter the sport either. We can take him to any major (or minor even) sporting event and he becomes so engrossed in it that he pays no attention to what is going on around him. He watches the entire game, from start to finish and asks a million questions along the way. He'll tell us when he's hungry or when he needs to use the bathroom, but other than that, he won't move....for hours....

My husband won week long passes to the PGA Championship in a raffle a few months ago. We'd been prepping both big boys for weeks now on proper etiquette at a golf course, especially one like Oakland Hills CC and how important it is to BE QUIET and USE INSIDE VOICES EVEN THOUGH YOU'RE OUTSIDE, etc. etc.

Jake lasted all of 10 minutes on Monday - he was hot, he was tired and he was thirsty and we literally had been there 10 minutes. We vowed he wouldn't go again and he was good with that...lol He even asked to go to the babysitter on Wednesday! We took Will again on Wednesday and he got loads of autographs and a few golf balls from different caddies.

He and his daddy went again this morning - since it's the 2nd round and "this one counts" (it's not just practice - all of this according to Will), they wanted to be there early. Will comes barreling through our bedroom door at 5:30 this morning, so excited he could barely contain himself and said, "Mommy, we're leaving now. We'll be gone all day!". He was giddy and I barely got my "I love you, be a good boy and have a GREAT time" out of my mouth before he was running downstairs to meet Brian to leave.

If any of you watch golf and you watch it today - if there's coverage from the 12th green and you hear a 5 year old male voice scream, "GET IN THE HOLE" - that's my boy :)

It's back to school time!

Go here NOW!

Dare I say we're on our way? (long and possible TMI)

Our sweet boy Jake is different - it's hard for me to describe to anyone and only my husband truly knows what I'm talking about when I say that.

He has done EVERYTHING later than his older brother - didn't walk until he was 1 1/2, didn't speak a word until he was 2 and at 4 1/2, he's still not potty trained.

The whole potty training thing has been a long and difficult journey. Our oldest son potty trained himself in 3 short days - woke up one morning and said, "Mommy, I don't want to wear diapers anymore!" and he didn't. It took 1 full day of reminding him to go on the potty and after that, he was good to go. He wore diapers at night for 6 more months and then did that on his own, too - took 1 night. In the 2+ years he's been potty trained, he's had ONE accident. Stupid me thought Jake would be a piece of cake to potty train - he'd want to be just like his brother....

OHHH no, it just doesn't work that way.

He had surgery in 2005 for what the doctors called "Anal Sphincter Dysplasia". He was born with his sphincter muscle detached. He had an awful time going to the bathroom after he started eating solids as a baby and it just went downhill from there. We had to give the poor baby 3 enemas a day for months before the surgery, to get his body ready. Once he had the surgery, he did VERY well. Going to the bathroom was easy for him - he seemed MUCH happier.

We moved back to the U.S. (we lived in Switzerland from 2004-2006) and he was good for about 6 months. Then, the problems started all over again. Fast forward a year and a half and we're still stuck. Part of me thinks he's just lazy and another part of me thinks there might be more medical issues. I just know, and call me selfish if you must, that I'm TIRED of changing 10+ yucky diapers a day on a 4 1/2 year old child. He's stuck in a 3 year old preschool class because he's not potty trained - all of his friends have moved up to the next class and I know he's going to be VERY sad to go back next month and be with kids he doesn't know. He can't go to the next Sunday school class because he's not potty trained, he can't go to our church's VBS Sports Camp because he's not potty trained....you get the picture.

He always runs and hides when he has to go - I know what he's doing based on that AND the look on his face. I forced him on the toilet this morning and he went 2 times! I danced a jig in the bathroom and our boy got a bag of M & M's as a treat! I knew there was more that needed to come out, so I had to resort to the one thing I DIDN'T want to do, but knew would work like a charm - the dreaded enema.

He agreed, I did and he screamed :( The stomach cramps were awful for him and the tears were awful for me. He hugged me and sobbed and I felt like I had failed him - failed to protect him from pain, but I was just trying to help him. After 20 minutes or so of bad stomach cramps, it finally happened. He went....and went A LOT. I'm not sure I've ever been more proud of him OR happier for him. The look on his face was pure joy - He was empty and felt so much better. I'm hoping (and praying, too) that this will be the beginning of GOOD things for our boy - he's got a clean slate and knows what he needs to do to go on the potty all the time now.

He's been clean all afternoon - wearing the same CLEAN diaper all afternoon. He's so happy - he feels so much better AND since he's been clean all afternoon, we're heading to Chuck E. Cheese in a bit. He's giddy. I'm giddy for him.

Wordless Wednesday

Beautiful Sunday!

Hope everyone is enjoying their Sunday :)

We're having friends over - cook out with burgers and dogs, baked beans and corn on the cob - kids playing in the Slip n' Slide and we're hangin' on the deck with the Ipod!

We have an UBER busy week coming up - the PGA Championship is in town and we're going! YAY! My husband won passes in a raffle a few months ago and we're VERY excited. We're going as a family on Monday and Wednesday (sans Hank - a friend is keeping him for us) and B is taking the boys on Thursday and Friday. He's going with a friend on Saturday and then he and I are going on Sunday. I can't wait - I LOVE golf tournaments.

I'm off. Enjoy your day!

Lookie here!

Look who's 4 months old today!



He was enjoying his oatmeal this morning :)


Look what we had installed this morning:




Fun, fun! lol


Look what I FINALLY picked up yesterday!:



I love it, but I miss my mini-van terribly :o( I become quite attached to cars and I'm always very sad to see them go. This one will stick around for 4 years!