Have you seen this man??

I haven't seen him much lately, but whenever he is around, I sure love it!

Not Me Monday

I did NOT have a melt-down over my in-organization of my entire personal life. (Nor have I had them before, and will no doubt continue to have them in the future!)

I did NOT blow my nose into a tissue I knew already had a "boogie" wiped into it a few hours before by my 2 year old.

I did NOT refluff the clothes in the dryer 3 times throughout the day - after that poor load had already finished its original drying cycle.

I did NOT do as an adult what I swore as I child I would never do: sit in my parked car, waiting for my spouse to finish shopping in a store, meticulously cleaning the vehicle dashboard with a wet wipe. In and out of vent holes, around the shift column, ... well, you get the idea. I DIDN'T do that!

AND ... I did NOT use ice cream as bribery to my 2 year old in exchange for a wholly consumed dinner. I am a wonderful mommy who has wonderful children who comply with everything their wonderful mommy says; no bribery necessary. (-:



Don't have a blog or too chicken to leave your Not Me's there? Just leave your Not Me's in the comments of this post so we can all enjoy them.

My Little Pumpkin

I haven't written about my baby in a while. Shall I gloat for a bit? He is a wonderful baby: easy to please, smile, eat whenever I get around to feeding him and no-fuss when we're on the go. I think he knows he is the baby and enjoys cuddling but on the other hand, he is on the baby fast track. Almost crawling at 6 months and enjoy tasting foods other than, well, me! LOL

I hope you all enjoy these pics as much as I do. Don't be surprised if they show up in our Christmas letter! I feel like the lucky one because I get to see him every day!

Out to Lunch

The In-Laws only have a few more days of visiting, so after the pumpkin patch we all went out to lunch before Andy headed off to work. We dined at one of my favorite places that was established back in the 1700s and is fabled that George Washington ate there. And since he is my hero, how can I NOT like such a restaurant? Plus, the food is touted to be Revolutionary War era. Hearty and American - we love it!

Aiden's Room

The day that Rick and Sharon flew in, Andy and I spent most daylight hours working in our eldest's room. We transformed the toddler bed into a full. It definitely makes the room "full!" It's a perfect little hacienda for my little cowboy!

Fall Walk

"Mom, can we go for a walk?"


"Sure, baby! Let's get Little Brother bundled up. It's chilly out there."


"Ima walkin, Mommy! Ima walkin wif my wittle wagon!"





Aww. Little using the walk as his mid-morning nap. Little angel.


"Can I put weefs in da scary-scary [storm drain]?!"




"I find some pinecowns!"


The latest "prize" for going in the big potty. It goes everywhere Big goes.

Creepy Crawler

Let's recap. 2 Fridays ago he lifted his chest off the floor, on just hands and feet. Saturday he was rocking back and forth on hands and knees. Last Thursday Sara saw him take his first forward motion. We all clamored into the living room to witness the event. He was more than happy to show off. The next day Ashton turned 6 months. He is in such a hurry to keep up with big brother. Sniff, sniff. My baby, my baby!

Uncle Tay and Aunt Celeste: Engaged!!!

I can't help tearing up as I write this. My brother, 7 years my younger, asked the love if his life to spend forever with him. She sayed yes. From the moment Tay called me up and said, "I think I like a girl, Aub!" I knew it was all over. I have known Celeste since she was a tween and only God could have picked such a perfect girl for my little bro. She is strong and sassy and exactly what he needs. I know they are young, but I know for a fact that young love is so sweet. To Tay and Celeste: may the Lord guide you in the short and long term plans in your life together; and may your bond always be a strand of 3 cords that can never be broken.

P.S. I can't wait until the wedding: I'm breaking out all the embarrassing pictures and stories! LOL

That rock is .9 carats, Baby!!


He popped the question in front of "Kissing Rock" in Sedona - how romantic is that?!


I believe I have seen a pic of my parents around the same age doing the same thing! Love never fails!


"She loves me for me!" ~Tay

Can you do it again?!

At the Library

My parents instilled in me a love for reading and I want to pass that on to my boys. Another book cannot possibly fit on the little bookshelf in Aiden's room (consequently, the one that my mom built for me!). Next option: library! Aiden doesn't exactly understand how to use his "library voice" but good thing none of the other kids do either! There is a play room with toys, which at 2, Aiden enjoys much more than spending time weeding through the menagerie of children's books written by everyone under the sun. Peechoo awoke and exited The Boat (double stroller) in time to play a bit before it was time to check out and head home.

Not Me Monday

Sass told me that drinking a cup of coffee with our apple streusel would be a bad idea, but I totally disregarded her warning. So here I am, still going strong in the wee hours of Tuesday, which still feels like part of my Monday.


So, this is NOT my child in this video. If you can understand the 2 year old high-pitched voice, he is most certainly NOT declaring to his baby brother "I went poo!"
This boy who is NOT mine is NOT prancing around the house "ohne hosen," strutting his Lightning McQueen big boy underwear.
And at the end of the video, he does NOT have his finger up his nose. This boy who is NOT my own NEVER does anything that defies social etiquette.

Don't have a blog or too chicken to leave your Not Me's there? Just leave your Not Me's in the comments of this post so we can all enjoy them.

My Boys

So ... we were heading out the door to a birthday party for Friend Adair. It was going to be a princess party with nothing but girls, so I made sure the boys looked their best. And I plopped them down on the couch just before loading them in the Mommy Car to take a few pictures of them clean and wrinkle free. Yes, their adorableness is what keeps me going, diaper after diaper, spit-up after spit-up.

...

Consequently, I didn't get the email that the party had been canceled. I chose to bake a cake while the boys were napping instead of check my email. You can see where my priorities lie! I didn't realize what was going on until I pulled up in our friend's driveway and there were no other cars there. But Mrs. Amy was ever so kind and invited us in to play for a bit. It was lovely to see her and visit with her mom and grandma.

This past week, I most certainly did ...

NOT ignore Andy's plea for a new feather pillow because I knew it would be worse than his work clothes ordeal (3 trips to JCPenney customer service to make returns and 1 online order). My husband is NOT sleeping on a pillow that used to be in our dog's kennel (from 4 years ago!). Most definitely NOT!

NOT put my whitening toothpaste on the little, toddler Lightning McQueen toothbrush at 11pm. I am on top of my game at all hours!

NOT turn around and yell at my 2 year old to "Be quiet! Don't say another word until we get to the grocery store!" And then proceed to ignore his incessant pleas from the backseat: "I can't be quiet, Mommy! I can't! I can't!!" as he kicked my seat furiously. I am a hands-on-mom and never shirk parental opportunities to discipline or redirect. Never!

NOT fall asleep at 2am after reading 90 pages of a self-indulgent book after watching Sunday Night Football (note: I live on the East Coast). There was most definitely NOT a 6 month white onesie lying next to my pillow, reeking of spit-up from where I had taken it off of Ashton earlier in the day when I was attempting to take a nap to catch up on some sleep but Ashton decided to stay awake, play with his feet and occasionally spit-up next to me, eventually crowding me off the king size bed and forcing me to get up and properly put him down to nap in the comfort of his own bedroom. I never take naps and never ignore my children, NEVER!


Don't have a blog or too chicken to leave your Not Me's there? Just leave your Not Me's in the comments of this post so we can all enjoy them.

Out on the Town with the Boys

Last week, we got out early (ok, so it was 11:15, but YOU try getting 2 little boys fed and dressed and ready for a morning out!). We hit up Starbucks and the library. I started going out on "dates" with Aiden when he was just a month old and we've kept it up over the years. Usually once a month we go out and we focus on social etiquette, social rules and table manners. Whenever I designate a day for a date, I seem to go into "Mommy-Mantra" and we have such a good time. (ie, I don't freak out over anything or get stressed out). It is such a memorable event for me and I hope the boys will look back on our dates as sweet memories.

Aiden and his "sack snack"





Yes, I only shell out the Star"bucks" for myself. The boys will have to grow a few feet before they can enjoy a mocha!