Catch Up Post

Am I really this far behind? I have so much to write about but so little desire to sit down and do it. Sometimes, when I get this far behind, I end up taking a longer break because it seems insurmountable. So, I will just do this post from my phone and catch up really quick so I can move on mentally and not feel so far behind...

1. We went to Mexico. It was awesome. I took some pictures. Most of them won't make it on here because I won't take the time to load them and commentate. I had full intentions of writing up what we did and where we ate, but that desire apparently stayed in Mexico. :)

2. Tom had knee surgery. It went well. Recovery is going well. We are two weeks and two days post surgery and he is off major pain meds but still on an ibuprofen regimen and on crutches and not driving. All in all, it has gone well.

3. I would not have made a good mom in the 1950's. Tom does so much around here from cooking dinner to helping chauffeur the kids to changing diapers to occupying the kids while I do laundry. And, I'm a better mom and happier person when he does all of the above. It all becomes very obvious when he's down for the count. I'm happy to be slowly gaining my partner in crime back. He's been missed.

4. Josie had a birthday! And I owe a nice post like I did for Tessa. But, again, I need access to the computer and old photos. We had a little party at home on her actual birthday and then I took Josie, two friends and Tessa out to lunch and bowling last weekend. I think everyone had fun.

5. I started running again last week. Only twice, but I started. This week is officially 12 weeks away from the Indy Mini. I ran yesterday too but didn't get one in today. I haven't picked a training plan yet but know I just need to pick up the frequency for now.

6. I'm over winter. I'm handling it better this year but I'm still over it. Every night when I take the dog out, I stand on the porch and just imagine sitting there in the summer after the kids go to bed. I'm sure it will be here before I know it and I shouldn't wish it away but man, it sure is a long season.

7. Josie's playing Upward basketball and she seems to really like it. I like it too. It's good for kids to get started in such a supportive league. She seems to be getting more comfortable and even dribbled the ball a little in the game last Saturday. I'm proud of her for being willing to play a new sport and learn something new.

8. Jack has been a sweet boy to his dad. When Tom was bedridden, Jack spent a lot of time in there watching TV. He's such a sweet boy and I just still want to stop him from growing up.

9. We taught Tessa Skipbo. Josie learned on Nana's phone and we were able to have a family game night. We also played Headbandz which was a fun one.

10. I'm working on a blanket and I don't have much of a desire to finish it either. I like the colors but just can't get excited about it right now. Taking a bit of a break.

I know I have more but this will have to do for now. I've added a random instagram photo dump too of the last month. Now, I feel better and not so far behind.

Is it really that time already?

I am a little sad to say that I think Jack is done with his pacifier. I've always been hesitant to believe (OK - honestly, I thought they were liars) those moms that say, "Oh, little Johnny just stopped taking his binky all on his own." Or, "I told Suzy another baby wanted their binky and she just gave it up and never knew the difference." Now, it seems I have my own unbelievable story.

On Friday, Jack was seeming a little under the weather. He had a slight fever and was just sad and fussy. Against my best judgement, I took him to the gym anyway and sent him into the kids area. He really did seem fine and I thought it was probably just a reaction to the flu shot. Anyway, when I went to pick him up, they couldn't find his binky. We left anyway but I knew we didn't have one at home. I don't know how we got down to just one.

Tom and I searched the house up and down and couldn't find one. At this point, Jack was deliriously tired and really just jumped into bed. He slept in our bed for part of the night (not uncommon at all) but made it all night without a binky. I couldn't believe it but here we are, Sunday night, and he has gone down for the third night in a row.

It's funny because he has been calling it his "uh-oh" for a while now. He picked it up because whenever he dropped it, someone would say "uh-oh!" It's just too cute. So, we all got in that habit too. He's really only asked for it once or twice. He's still not feeling 100% so it's interesting to me that he hasn't been asking for it all the time. But, I'm thinking that we're done. Surely, he won't remember it after three days?

Something about a baby with a pacifier just warms my heart. Jack had a super cute way that he liked to prop up the holder and leave it under his nose. He never moved past the infant sizes because the little handle wouldn't fit under his now. So sweet.

So, I'm happy it was uneventful, but really sad he's growing up so fast. It really is just no time at all. Like sand, just slipping through my fingers.

Random Thoughts on a Rainy Tuesday

This is a busy week for our family. Meetings, interviews at the office, house plans, parent/teacher conferences, hunting for Tom along with everything else we usually do. I'm getting a little stressed thinking about the pace of life, and with the fact that it is already October 18th! Where is fall going?

So, since life is speeding by, I wanted to take a second (and just a second - no time for more) and capture a few things.

- Josie knows all of her sight words, probably about 12 or so, and also has memorized not only how to read them but remembers them all when we're not doing flash cards. This morning, she was putting them into sentences in the car even though there's probably only one verb (see) and one noun (can - well, could be a noun anyway). She has her dad's photographic memory. I also learned that she knows all of the planets and possibly in order. She claims she saw it on a Space Bubble Guppies show. The kid is a sponge.

- The girls call Pizza Hut the Pizza Parfait, which just cracks me up. We call it the pizza buffet and I think they heard parfait. I don't correct them.

- Josie lets me pick out her outfit in the morning and has told Tom it's just easier. If anyone compliments her on her outfit, she says, "Tell my mom - she picked it out." Tessa is a totally different story.

- Jack is all over the place - climbing on the coffee table, up the bunk bed stairs and just generally getting into trouble. He's also really starting to talk more. His favorite is probably uh-oh and dog, but he also says ball, mama, dada, and a few other things. He gets more adorable every day and probably gets into more trouble everyday. He's also learned to take his pants off which scares me every time I go into get him up from a nap.

That's it for now. I've already spent too much time here. Running late...

Just Jack

Wow, has Jack been cute these days. He's starting to dance and it is seriously cute. First, he'll walk to the music source and then start bouncing. Every once in a while, he'll get down on the ground and start "break dancing." I can't remember the girls doing this as young as 13 months. Here's a few videos we have captured recently...





Here's one of all the kids! Check out Josie's cartwheel!


He's also officially all over the place. It's funny because he plays so nicely by himself in the playroom. Then, I'll go in there and he'll be playing in the corner, but have a piece of chalk in his mouth. That's his favorite! He's really into stacking right now and has been able to do the shape sorter for some time. Mainly, he just likes to be where the action is happening, which has made bedtime in a smaller house a bit of an issue.

He's also starting to pick up some signs. He knows more, thank you and drink. He's still working on milk and please, but has a good little whine for those two things, so that works. :) My favorite thing he does lately is toddle over to the toaster when Tom's toasting his morning bagel, point at the toaster and say "nnn nnn." (Think puppy sounds here...) Who needs to talk when he gets everything he wants!

Here are just a few more pictures. Just a cute, and very sweet, baby!

In a bucket...

First guitar lesson...

His favorite place in the new house, the lazy susan...

Melt Down City

Good night. What does 95 degree heat, lack of sleep and a 6PM gymnastics class do to two kids? Let's just say there is a lot of crying and nonsense going around in our house tonight. Why the girls feel the need to writhe around as if in immense pain when I deliver the bad news of no TV tonight, I have no idea. It must help them express themselves.

Anyway, a few funny comments arose out of the sleep deprived rantings of this evening. First, has nothing to do with any of this. I left the butter out on the counter after fixing Josie's grilled cheese - easily 3/4 stick. I came home to an empty butter dish. I asked Tom, "What in the world did you make that used all that butter?!" "Huh?" he says. Oh great. Trigger, our dog, must have put his front legs on the counter and licked the stinking butter. At closer look, yep, those are tongue marks. Nice. Reminds me of a few years back, right after we got Trigger, and the same conversation occurred after I had laid out chicken breasts to thaw while I jumped in the shower. I got out of the shower and no chicken breasts. I said to Tom, "Did you marinate those already? I'm surprised they were thawed out." To which Tom replies, "Did I marinate what?" Ugh...dogs...

When we were in the car on the way back from gymnastics tonight and Tessa starts crying about not playing soccer. Mind you, we have not had them on a team for over a year. She and Josie start arguing about when they played, their coaches, etc. Finally, I said, Tessa would you actually like to play soccer again? She says, "well, I really want to get a new uniform but not really play in the games." Josie then says, "I really want to play again! But, my favorite part of playing soccer is half-time!"

By the time we get home, I've had enough. For more of a back story, it is steaming hot here and it was hot in the gym too. I tried to get out of the house with the three kids today and only made it through one and half stores (of my planned 5) before I decided this was a lost cause. Both girls are really giving me a run for my money. Then, as I'm checking out at CVS, both girls have run in opposite directions (Tessa is putting a bag of M&M's in her mouth) I get a tap on my shoulder, "uh, ma'am, he's going to fall out." Turn around - Jack is standing up in the cart. Out of his buckle. Mom of the year...right here.

Fast forward to arriving home from gymnastics. I deliver the news about no TV tonight and the writhing ensues. It was really more Josie than Tessa, although she joined in for good measure. At one point, Josie put on her panda ears from VBS, mid-fit, and I couldn't keep a straight face. Where did that come from?! She also screamed (rather sassily) at one point, "Tomorrow we get to watch two shows before bed!" I said, "Josie, you've watched TV all day today. I get to tell you when you can or cannot watch TV." She says back, "But Mom, that's part of our bedtime routine!" It is not, in fact, actually part of the routine, however, perhaps we do that too frequently. :)

Either way, they're all upstairs now. Tom's reading books and I'm having a beer. I deserve it today.

(And, by the way, Jack got another tooth! He got his second middle tooth while we were at the lake - July 4th ish - and his third upper tooth yesterday!)

Vacation - Part Three

On Wednesday, we headed to the lake for a little relaxation before the family arrived on Friday. Tom took the girls golfing on Thursday morning while Jack and I putzed around the house. When they got back, we all took a boat ride and stopped at the beach. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves with the exception of one really whiny girl out in the water. The girls had a blast and kept walking out into the water to see how far they could go (with life jackets) and then they would squeal and say things like "Tessa! Help! I can't swim!" Then, when they got back to shore, they looked at each other and said, "Hey! We're alive! We're alive!" It was the funniest thing, but if the beach had been more crowded, I wouldn't have let them do it. :) Thursday night, Tom and I cooked up some yummy crab legs.

Friday was the day that everyone arrived. But first, we took off to Mt. Vernon for coffee at Sips and to pick up a book or two at Paragraphs. Josie remembered it from last time (two years ago) and remembered the book we picked out, Dinosaur Stomp. Steel trap that girl! After a final trip to Walmart for Jack's birthday gifts, we headed back to the house to meet Gram and Pop. Matt, Sarah, and Matt's friend, Jack, arrived shortly after lunch. We had a great afternoon boat ride and swim.

Tessa even had a nice little boat nap.

Then, the Besch's arrived! We went back out on the boat since everyone was having so much fun!

Arlene arrived later that evening too and we had pizza for dinner.

Saturday morning started with rain and thunder. Bleh! But, the boys took the girls to the golf course for a likely annual outing. Now, mind you, this golf course is hillbilly heaven and I think only serves Jack Daniels (Tom's not convinced it's not just Wild Turkey in a Jack bottle) and Budweiser in a can. Regardless, the girls are thrilled to be a part of something so fun! The big girls and Jack hung out at home and waited for the rain to clear and took a mid morning boat ride. After a big lunch of pulled pork, my dad's specialty, another boat ride was in order. This time, Ryan and Nicole both took on the tube! Ryan was super airborne and Nicole stayed on a remarkably long time!

After dinner, it was time for a little photo shoot and then fireworks of course!

We let the girls stay awake for the first time this year. Tessa loved the fireworks but they were a bit too loud for Josie. Now, mind you, Josie was absolutely exhausted! So, maybe she'll watch them next year! I went to bed with the girls right away to try to catch up on a little sleep!

Sunday was a much lower key day. We took the boat out, went swimming and everyone took naps.

Sunday night was the big birthday celebration for Jack. He was seriously the cutest baby ever. He got some great toys and we all loved watching him play with them. Our favorite to watch was the basketball hoop. He would make a basket and all of us would cheer him on and then he would clap and yell too! It was adorable! Finally, we sang to him and let him eat cake. He had a blast. :)