Bees and Boo-Boos

My Little Superhero!

2012-01-25T16:31:00.003-05:00

Our boys have been very into superheroes lately. For Christmas, Pooky received a set of 3 costumes to play with - Batman, Robin, and Superman (to add to Ironman, which we already owned). They were a hit! It is too cute to see all 3 kids running around in their superhero gear. :) Here is our Gummy Bear/Robin:

More Snow Pics

2012-01-16T13:44:00.002-05:00

We are loving this winter weather here in Michigan! Being away from the snow and cold for 6 years really makes me appreciate it now that we are back. The kids love the snow, especially Emmy, who will play outside in it for hours at a time. We all went sledding yesterday afternoon to a nearby park and it was great! A couple random pics I took on Friday of the kids playing in the yard:

Christmas 2011

2012-01-08T21:37:00.011-05:00

Finally got Ray to upload the Christmas photos for me. :) Here is our Christmas 2011 recap!

A couple of days before Christmas - we went downtown to the park and walked around the Christmas display.

Pooky and Daddy
(and the dog)

Emmy at the Nativity Scene

Christmas morning!

Pooky, opening a present

My beautiful Emmy Santa

Pooky and Emmy LOVED their giant cardboard boxes from Aunt Stevie and Uncle Dan. Pooky got a rocket ship one, and Emmy got a cottage.

Gummy Bear liked his new Lightning McQueen sippy cup :)

Emmy, excited about her new scooter she had asked for!

It was a great Christmas, and we have enjoyed our Christmas vacation. The kids go back to school tomorrow!

Ready for 2012....

2011-12-31T14:59:00.002-05:00

We are ready for the new year, which will also be bringing in Baby #4 for us! Our new little addition, which we just found out is a GIRL, is expected to arrive in late April/early May. :)

Happy New Year!

(Christmas pics coming soon!)

Happy Birthday Gummy Bear!

2011-12-19T08:30:00.002-05:00

Our little Gummy Bear turned 2 years old yesterday!

We had Ray's parents over for pizza and cake, and of course, presents. I would say it was a successful party for our little guy. He loved his new toys he received, and he even blew out his own candle on the cake. :)
Gummy Bear is such a sweetie! He still loves to snuggle, and like his older brother, loves any kind of car, truck, tractor, or train. He still loves Lightning McQueen and Thomas the Train. He runs around and plays all day, and I love seeing my two boys playing together now. He loves to look for trains going by on the nearby railroad tracks. He has really started talking more over the past couple of months, and I can finally now usually figure out what he is trying to say.
We love our Gummy Bear!

Snow and Getting Ready for Christmas!

2011-12-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

We got some snow last week (which has since melted) and the kids got some good playtime outside. After so many years away from real winter weather, I am happy with the cold weather, and I wish it would snow more! I am hoping for a white Christmas, but the weather forecast doesn't look too promising.
We did go out and get our Christmas tree last week. We got a real tree - our first real tree in about 10 years. It is pretty and I love that pine smell! I have most of the shopping done, and I think we are ready for Christmas!

Yay for snow!

My 3 cuties

Making snow angels

Our beautiful tree! :)

New House Pics

2011-12-01T21:57:00.000-05:00

Now that we are unpacked (for the most part) and settled, I finally got some pics of our new home to share! :)

We love our new house!

Snowy backyard

Screened in back porch and deck

Kitchen

Messy basement - but so happy to have a place for all those toys! The kids love playing down there!

Master bedroom

Dining room

Living room

Moved Back to the Mitten

2011-11-22T12:17:00.002-05:00

Just over 2 weeks ago, we moved back to Michigan. It has been a very crazy time, getting everything settled, unpacked, and organized, but we are finally getting there! The kids did great with the move, and the long drive up here. Pooky and Emmy are loving their new classes at school, and Gummy is happy at home with me. :) Ray's new job is going well. We love our new house, and it feels really good to be back "home" again! A couple of pics from moving day:

I will update with some new pictures of our new place soon!

Happy Birthday Pooky!

2011-11-14T21:47:00.001-05:00

I am late posting this, since we were in the middle of our move, but our sweet Pooky Bear turned 5 years old on November 14th. We had a party for him a bit early at our old house on our very last day there - the house was empty, as the movers had come the day before, and we were blessed to have so many friends stop by to wish our little guy a happy birthday, and wish us well on our move. The kids had a blast running around the empty house, we had CiCi's pizza on Pooky's request (specifically their macaroni and cheese pizza!), and a Super Mario Brothers decorated birthday cake. It was a great party - after it was over, we did a quick cleanup, then we packed up the car and left for Michigan!

We had another small party on his actual birthdate here in our new house with family - more cake and more presents. Pooky also got to take cupcakes to his new classroom to celebrate. It was a busy birthday week for our kiddo!

He had his 5 year checkup at the pediatrician just this week (I am writing this is December) and he weighs 41 lbs, and is 43 inches tall - right at the 50th percentile for both. He is a healthy, happy kid! He loves his new school (he loved his old school too, so I was a bit worried). He seems happy here in our new house, and now that Gummy Bear has gotten older, it is great to see my two boys playing together!

We love you Pooky Bear! I hope that 5 is the best year yet! :)

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T19:22:00.003-04:00

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-25T16:34:00.006-04:00

We went to the pumpkin patch last weekend, and of course the kids each got to pick out a pumpkin. Lots of pictures to share:

Attempting to get a good photo of all 3 kids. Sadly, this was the best one.

Gummy Bear

Lots of little pumpkins! Emmy actually took this photo, and I love it!

I love this face!

Found their pumpkins

My handsome Pooky

P.S. We are moving back to Michigan. Very soon! Ray has actually been up there about 2 months now, working at his new job. We are in process of buying our new home, and the movers will be here to pack us up next week! Lots going on right now! :)

1st Lost Tooth

2011-10-17T12:53:00.002-04:00

A few weeks ago, Emmy noticed that one of her bottom, front teeth were loose. Finally! She says that she is the only kid in her class who hadn't lost any teeth yet. Yesterday, after several days of that little tooth dangling around in her mouth by a string (and grossing Mommy out!), it finally came out! We were at church and she took a bite of a donut - and out comes her tooth! She was so excited! :)

Pooky the Soccer Kid

2011-10-09T21:09:00.004-04:00

Pooky had his first soccer game yesterday! He is so stinkin cute in his soccer gear. :) He did a great job, running all around and actually kicking the ball a lot. He also got to play goalie for a bit and made a couple of stops too. So proud of my little soccer kid!

My cutie

That is Pooky on the far left in the green, kicking the ball

Pooky the goalie. All the best goalies sit down during the middle of the game.

Action shot!

Pooky and his coach telling him where to go

Pretty Princess

2011-09-11T18:25:00.001-04:00

Emmy played at her friend's house this afternoon, and came home all dressed up - hair curled, makeup, and a pretty princess outfit. I love it - she is such a beautiful girl!

Pooky's 1st Day of School

2011-08-26T15:38:00.007-04:00

Pooky started 4K today! He has been so excited to go for the past several weeks. He picked out a Super Mario Brothers backpack and matching lunchbox. He picked out his favorite Mario shirt to wear as well. We have been counting down the days - and today he finally got to go!

It is a half day program, and he went in at 11:30. I think I was more nervous than he was. He did awesome, and when I picked him up this afternoon his teacher said he had a great day!

Outside his classroom

Right before I left he got a bit nervous and wouldn't cooperate for the camera any more. :)

I am so proud of my Pooky for a great 1st day!

Injury :(

2011-08-25T10:07:00.002-04:00

My little gummy fell face first into the corner in the hallway last night, splitting his forehead open. :( Poor guy bled a lot, cried a lot, and mommy was freaked out too. My neighbor came over and helped me get him cleaned up, then my dad came over to watch the older kids while I took Gummy to the doctor. Luckily, our pediatrician's office has an evening clinic open, so I was able to go there and get him fixed up - happy to avoid the ER! The nurse said it wasn't too deep, and the doctor came is and glued his head back together with Dermabond and some butterfly strips. He was completely fine after that, he just has a big boo-boo on his head.

My Silly Baby

2011-08-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

He makes me smile...

First Day of School

2011-08-17T08:06:00.003-04:00

First day of 2nd grade starts today! :)

P.S. Happy birthday to my mom! I love you! :)

Summertime :)

2011-07-30T16:44:00.001-04:00

Happy birthday Emmy!

2011-07-28T08:54:00.004-04:00

My Emmy turned 7 years old yesterday! All of a sudden she looks so big! What happened to my little tiny girl? :(

She sure is beautiful though!

We had her party this past Sunday, and she invited a few friends over. No boys were allowed, since it was a girly butterfly party, so Ray took Pooky out to see Cars 2 (Gummy was allowed to stay).

Also hard to believe that she will be starting 2nd grade in just a couple of weeks...

My Emmy is still as sweet as always. She is a fantastic artist and likes to read. She enjoys playing games on the Wii or her DS. She likes horses, and this afternoon I am taking her ice skating, which she has been wanting to do for months. I am looking forward to spending the afternoon with my girl! :)

I love you so much Emmy! You will always be my sunshine!

Vacation Part 1

2011-07-13T14:20:00.008-04:00

I have so many pictures to share! We went to Michigan for 2 weeks over the 4th of July. It really was a great trip. The very long drive went wonderfully with our 3 small kiddos. The Michigan weather was gorgeous, and we spent lots of time outside, chasing fireflies, hanging out at the beach, and having bonfires. And of course we were able to visit lots of friends and family. We were sad to come home - and hopefully we will back there very soon! ;)

The first pictures I am posting are from my grandmother's 90th birthday party, which was the first weekend we were there. Ray is still working on editing the other photos, so I will post more later!

The party :)

My grandma with all the grandkids

Pooky!

My sister and me

Grandma and Emmy

My Dad with an upside down Gummy Bear

My grandma, mom, sister

My grandma with her 3 daughters (my mom on the right)

Gummy :)

Gummy - Age 18 Months

2011-06-18T08:13:00.002-04:00

My sweet Gummy Bear is 18 months old today! Seems impossible! He has grown up so much, but lucky for me, he is still my baby, and he knows it!

He is like a little-big-kid now. Running, climbing, playing, getting into trouble... he loves cars and trucks, Lightning McQueen, and Thomas the Train (he calls his Chugga-chugga). He loves being outside and riding his little bike, and attempting to ride Pooky's scooter. He loves to swing and slide, and playing in the water. He also likes to read, and he likes to wear hats. :)

He isn't talking too much yet. He has a few words he uses a lot, and his new one is "uh-oh", which is so, so cute! He is very good at telling me what he wants by pointing, yelling, and clapping his hands. He babbles all the time, and even often says "dubba dubba dubba", which Emmy always used to say when she was this age - makes me smile.

He has his checkup at the pediatrician on Monday, but I think he weighs about 27 lbs. He is losing his baby chunkiness, although he still has cute baby fat rolls on his legs. :) He wearing mostly 24 month/2T clothes. He has 11 teeth!

I love my little Gummy Bear - he is such a fun kid, very happy, and he loves his mama! :)

Pooky's Broken Wrist

2011-06-07T18:17:00.004-04:00

Poor little kiddo fell and broke his wrist last night. :( Quick story - He was just running around playing in the living room, went to kick a ball, missed, fell, broken wrist.
I actually thought he was okay. We put some ice on it, he could still move it around, and after a while he was playing and acted fine. Put him to bed, 2 hours later he woke up screaming in pain. I noticed it was starting to look swollen and a little black and blue, so I took him up to ER - at midnight. Got his x-ray, the doctors said it is a very small fracture in his wrist. Went to the orthopedic doctor today and got his cast. He only needs the cast for a couple of weeks, so hopefully soon he will be as good as new. :)

End of 1st Grade!

2011-05-27T09:54:00.008-04:00

Today is Emmy's last day of school for the summer - 1st grade is over! She had another great year, and as always, I am amazed at how much she has learned. She is an excellent reader. Her teacher was telling me about how impressed she was with her reading. She also is a great writer, and is good at spelling.

This month has been a fun one - a couple of weeks ago was her field trip to a nearby strawberry farm to pick berries. I went along as a parent chaperone, and it was quite an adventure. Our bus broke down on the way there, and we were stranded in the middle of nowhere with 60 1st graders for an hour until another bus arrived to pick us up. Once we finally got to the farm it was fun, we all got to pick a quart of strawberries to take home, we got to try some homemade strawberry ice cream, and the kids had story time.

The following week was Field Day. I was there to watch many of the activities, and it was fun to watch. First Emmy's class lost the tug-of-war, but then won the water relay. I also watched lots of other activities - an obstacle course, jump rope, basketball, and face painting. After lunch the kids got to play outside in a bunch of inflatable bounce houses.

Wednesday morning was 1st grade Awards Day in Emmy's classroom. My little girl received several awards, including Best Artwork, Reading 100 Words per Minute, and Good Attendance. She also recieved a special medal awarded by the school principal - the only one in her class to recieve one - for getting straight A's all year. :) I was a proud mama!

Emmy and friends on our strawberry field trip

Emmy and one of her friends on Field Day.

Receiving her special medal for All A's (crappy cell phone pic)

My girl with her awards :)

Pooky, age 4 1/2

2011-05-18T16:52:00.005-04:00

Well, my Pooky Bear officially turned 4.5 this month. :) He really is a "big kid" now, doing most things without assistance, playing big kid games, and riding his bike without training wheels. He is a pretty happy kiddo, he still loves to help Mama, and he is an awesome big brother to Gummy. He plays a lot with Emmy too, and most of the time they get along pretty well.

Pooky's favorite things to do right now: playing computer games, watching Wild Kratts on PBSkids, playing with his friend A.J., coloring, playing MarioKart on the Wii, Thomas the Train, eating macaroni and cheese.

Does not like: any vegetable - we struggle with getting him to eat them every single day.

He is eligible for 4K at our school this fall, since he won't be old enough for regular kindergarten until the following year. He has to be tested first, and if he does well, he probably will not get in - there is limited space, and they take the kids who really need to extra help first. His test date is next week, so we will see if he gets in - I am hoping he does, because I know he would love it. I think he gets bored here sometimes, so 4K would be a wonderful transition for starting regular school.

I think he is average-sized for his age - wearing size 4T clothes. He weighs just under 40 pounds. He is a smart kid. He knows all the basic preschool skills like his letters and colors. He can count to 100, he can write his first name, and he knows how to spell his last name. As much as I love how smart he is, I really want him in that 4K program, and I realize that he may not get in because of this. :( We will just have to wait and see!

I love my Pooky Bear! He is such a kind, caring, loving boy!

Day at the Zoo

2011-05-10T17:54:00.008-04:00

Ray has the week off from work, so while Emmy was in school, we decided to take the boys to the zoo. We had a nice time, even though it was HOT. As much as I like summer, I am not really looking forward to super hot temperatures for the next 4-5 months. Anyways, the zoo was great, and we have lots of pictures to share!

My boys :)

An elephant (obviously)

Climbing on the elephant statue thingy

Giraffes, getting fed

Gummy Bear and I feeding a giraffe - they are so cool up close!

My favorite animals - the flamingo. Pink and so neat to watch.

Ruffled flamingo feathers. Cool photo. :)

Ray and Pooky checking out an alligator

My Pooky on an orangutan.

At the Dentist

2011-05-04T19:11:00.002-04:00

Pooky had a dentist appointment on Monday. He did very well, and his teeth look great, no cavities. The hygienist was about to give him a fluoride treatment.

"What is your favorite flavor? I have grape, orange, strawberry....."

Pooky thought for a moment, then asked, "Do you have any cheese?"

:) Love my boy.

Easter 2011 Recap

2011-04-30T08:59:00.007-04:00

We had a very nice Easter weekend! Saturday morning, we took the kids over to Emmy's school for an Easter egg hunt. After, we decorated eggs, then went to a friend's birthday party. Sunday morning was the usual Easter morning - finding baskets and eggs, going to church, Easter dinner at our house with my parents and sister. Ray's sister, Stevie, sent the kids a new game for the Wii - called Chicken Riot - which all of us, including my parents - spent hours playing. Everything was great, with the exception of my scalloped corn, which did not turn out due to Saltine crackers that expired in August 2009. :)

A few photos, of course ~

Pooky found his Easter basket, hiding behind the chair

All baskets have been found - Gummy just wanted to eat more jelly beans

Easter family photo :)

3 cute kids

Me and my Gummy :)

Crazy Pooky

2011-04-19T11:03:00.003-04:00

Emmy got a pretty nice digital camera for Christmas. She loves taking pictures, and it is always amusing to see what kind of photos she takes. We took her camera on vacation and I used it a bit, then after we got home and uploaded the photos, there were 2 pictures of Pooky that she must have taken right before our trip - and they totally crack me up. So, I had to share. Oh, how I love my Pooky! :)

Spring Break!

2011-04-14T21:51:00.008-04:00

Last week was Emmy's Spring Break, so Ray and I decided to spend it at the beach. :) The 5 of us headed over to Myrtle Beach and spent a fun week playing on the beach, swimming in the pool, and visiting with Ray's aunt, uncle, and cousin who were also there visiting for the week. The weather was nice, and it was great to get away! Despite the beach only being a couple of hours away, it has been a few years since we last went. Looking forward to doing it again soon.

Our ocean view

Pooky at the beach

Emmy, ready to try out the chilly water

My Gummy Bear

My sweetie and me :)

In Murrell's Inlet

Beautiful sunrise

Taken from our balcony

Go Pooky Go!

2011-04-10T15:50:00.001-04:00

No training wheels for my Pooky Bear! Yay! :)

More Camping and Outdoor Fun

2011-03-23T19:44:00.015-04:00

This really is the best time of the year here in South Carolina, and my family and I have definitely been enjoying it! I already posted about a couple of our trips to nearby state parks, but I have more - 2 weekends ago, we had a picnic and went hiking again, then this past weekend, we went camping. My husband takes amazing photos, and I want to share!

2 weeks ago - hiking adventure ~

Gummy and a stick :)

I love this one!

Pretty picture - Emmy was happy to be wearing her special hiking camo shirt ;)

A big leaf

_______________________________________________
Next, camping at Lake Murray ~ weather was in the mid 80's Friday and Saturday. The kids spent a lot of time riding bikes, playing in the freezing cold lake (but they are swimming in March, so we really can't complain!), and hanging out with friends who came along with us. Saturday night we braved out some big thunderstorms in our tent, and Gummy Bear came down with a fever, resulting in a kind of crummy end to our weekend. Overall though, a fun time.

Crazy kids

Pooky and his bike

I attempted to be a photographer this weekend and took a bunch of pictures with Ray's fancy camera - I like this one of Ray and Pooky! Of course it helps that Ray edited them. ;)

My Gummy and me - before he got sick. Sweet boy.

Daddy and Baby Boy

I took this photo too. I am good.

Our campsite, obviously

We are already planning our next camping trip. Should be a good time!

From Ray's Phone -

2011-03-09T09:59:00.005-05:00

Snippets from our every day life - these are some recent pics from Ray's phone -

Gummy :)

Art by Pooky - Veggie Tales

Super Emmy - she has renamed herself "Measure Girl" and was running around with a tape measure.

Another ice cream date with Daddy this week - for doing so awesome in school

Ha!

Ray took this one this morning - Breakfast Week at school, so they had breakfast together in the cafeteria.

Ready for Spring!

2011-03-02T09:48:00.005-05:00

This early Spring weather has been just awesome here in S.C.! We had such a nice time a few weeks ago at Congaree that we decided to take another day trip - this time we drove about an hour north to Landsford Canal State Park. Like I mentioned, the weather was fabulous, so we had a picnic, the kids played on the playground, and we went for a hike (and Pooky fell in the river). And of course I have great pictures to share! Very fun day! :)

Baby Cowboy

2011-02-24T12:20:00.003-05:00

Super cute Gummy Bear! (taken by my talented husband, of course!)

Congaree National Park

2011-02-13T18:10:00.007-05:00

A couple of weeks ago, one of Emmy's friends had her birthday party at Congaree National Park. It turned out to be a gorgeous day, so we decided to head up early and spend the day there. It is beautiful! We walked the boardwalk trail around the park, which I think is at least 2 miles - and the kids did great on our long hike. Afterwards, we headed over to the birthday party and had fun with our friends. A few photos:

The Three Kiddos

Daddy with the big kids :)

Pretty

My Emmy girl

Emmy looking at a big hold in a tree. And Gummy peeking out from around the stroller!

Silly Pooky!

Pooky the Puppy

2011-02-08T17:11:00.002-05:00

Lately, all Pooky wants to do is pretend to be a dog. He says that he is a cute, baby puppy named Marshmallow, and he wants me to adopt him. He crawls around the house all day long, barking and making dog-type sounds. He also claims that he is a dog who can dance, stand up, and use the potty.

Sometimes it is cute, and I oblige him, pretending to adopt him, or teaching him new tricks. I pat his head and tell him he is good puppy. He hides under a laundry basket and wants me to find him. It goes on and on and on, and it has been going on for days.

Just now, he came in and wanted me to find him at the pet store. I was in the middle of something, so I said that I couldn't play right now. He looked at me with a pitiful face and said, "But I am on sale....".

Ha! Love that kid. :)

Portraits

2011-01-24T16:30:00.003-05:00

This past weekend, my talented husband, Ray, finally had a chance to take Pooky's 4 year and Gummy Bear's 1 year portraits for me. They turned out great! We attempted to also get one of all 3 kiddos, but that did not work out. :) I can't wait for some warmer weather so we can get some more photos outside! A few of my favorites:

More Snow!

2011-01-10T14:15:00.006-05:00

Really, we rarely get snow here in sunny South Carolina - maybe once a year, and it usually isn't much - but here we are today with our second snowfall of the season, and it is barely mid-January. We got even more than we did 2 weeks ago - probably about 6 inches this morning!

Needless to say, the whole state is practically shut down. Schools were canceled, and even Ray's office is closed today because of the weather! Now it is sleeting, which should be lovely on top of the snow covered roads.

We all went out this morning to play. The kids lasted about 15 minutes before they got cold. I think part of the problem is that we don't have proper snow gear. :( I did take Gummy out this time, his first time "playing" in the snow. He wasn't too sure!

Now that we have seen snow twice this year.... is it Spring yet? I am ready for the warm weather to come back!

P.S. Thanks once again to my computer smart husband, Ray, for updating the photos on my header. They were old! Now, you get to see more recent, cute faces of my darling kiddos. :)

Christmas Recap

2011-01-02T15:54:00.019-05:00

Well, I finally have a chance to update. We had a great Christmas! Ray's family was here for a few days, which means we had a full, busy house. Of course Santa came, and the kids got oodles of awesome gifts from him and our family and friends. We ate well, relaxed, and even got to play in the snow - very rare for around here, especially for Christmas! Lots of photos to share....

Santa was here!

Christmas morning! Everyone gathering around to open stockings.

Emmy :)

Gummy, with his stocking goodies - socks, a car, mittens, and his first toothbrush!

Pooky got a magnifying glass in his stocking. :)

Opening gifts

Pooky and Emmy with their cousin, Sophia

Pooky with his new Thomas stuff

Gummy Bear loved his new Cozy Coupe

My handsome husband with his new guitar

Me and Gummy :)

My parents, sister and me

Gummy Bear, attacking Grandpa

Pretty Sophia

Cutie Pooky

My Grandma and Grandpa with the kiddos

Our family of 5!

Snow! Emmy loved it and couldn't wait to get outside! Pooky did not - he thought it was too cold.

My snow princess

Our Winter Wonderland

We are ready for 2011!! (which is a good thing since it is already here!)

Gummy Bear Turns 1!

2010-12-18T20:39:00.005-05:00

Hard to believe that it has been one full year since this little Gummy came into our lives! He is such a blessing, and I love seeing the little guy that he is turning into!

We celebrated at home tonight with cake and presents. He thoroughly enjoyed his cake - ate every single crumb! He is loving his gifts, especially a dinosaur ride on toy.

Gummy also started walking this week! He has been taking a step or two here and there for about a month, and finally this week he took off. He is getting better and better every day!

He has 5 teeth now. The 5th one just broke through the gum today. He weighs around 25 pounds. He has his 1 year checkup next week at the doctor, so I will get an exact weight then. He is still very smiley, he loves to play with toys, and has started "yelling" at me when I take something away or when I won't let him climb up the stairs. He loves to eat - and is not very picky. So far, the only thing he will not eat is eggs.

He isn't saying too much just yet, he babbles all the time and says mama and dada, along with lots of other sounds. He seems to understand pretty well though. He points at things and makes a sounds that sounds like "what's that?". He just figured out how to clap his hands, and he will sometimes wave. :)

As much as I love seeing him grow, I do miss this tiny baby ~

We love our Gummy! Happy birthday little guy!

Baby's First Haircut

2010-12-15T13:57:00.008-05:00

I took my nearly 1 year old Gummy Bear to get his very first haircut today. His hair was so long! I am a little sad to see those baby curls gone, but at least he looks like a boy now. :)

Before:

I took this earlier today. You can see those baby curls hanging down his neck.

View from the back

After:

So grown up (and starting to walk now!)

Cutie!

Holiday Fun!

2010-12-13T21:09:00.005-05:00

We have had lots of fun this month getting ready for the holidays! The first weekend of the month is our town's annual Christmas parade. The kiddos loved it!

Can you see anything coming yet??

Fire Truck :)

Watching the marching band

Cute Gummy, and big brother Pooky too

Pretty Emmy

Daddy and Gummy Bear :)

We also spent an evening at the zoo to see their Lights at the Zoo. It was freezing cold! We bundled up, got to see Santa, did a quick look at the pretty lights, and headed back to the car for some hot chocolate. The kids were excited to see Santa. Emmy was great, hopped right up on his lap, told him what she wanted. Pooky thought he was ready.... until it was actually time for him to go up there, and he freaked out. :) It did make for some amusing photos though.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T21:39:00.008-05:00

We are ready for turkey day!
Spent the day baking pies with the kiddos:

While Gummy Bear got into trouble....

Emmy made a fantastic lunch for us - all her idea, and she did it 100% on her own using bologna, string cheese, peaches, and blobs of applesauce - I was impressed. :)

Bring on the turkey! Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Pooky!

2010-11-16T09:39:00.003-05:00

My Pooky Bear is 4 years old! He is still just as sweet as ever. We had a great birthday party on Sunday, which was his actual birthday, and he had a great time. The party theme was Thomas the Train, which is his current favorite. :)

We love you Pooky! I hope you had a fantastic birthday!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T10:40:00.000-04:00

State Fair 2010

2010-10-26T09:00:00.004-04:00

We went to the State Fair over the weekend. Beautiful weather, lots of fun was had - rides, animals, and fattening fair food. My parents and sister were there too, and I think we all had a great time! Tons of great photos:

First Tooth

2010-10-21T08:28:00.005-04:00

About 2 weeks ago, Baby Gummy finally cut his very first tooth!

If you look super close at the photo, you can see it. You can also see cookie in his hair. :)

And... when he woke up this morning, I noticed tooth #2 has also broke through - so we actually have 2 teeth now! Yay Gummy!

Camping Trip

2010-10-16T22:02:00.007-04:00

Last weekend we ventured out with all 3 kiddos for our first family camping trip. Ray and I used to camp frequently before we had kids, so I was not sure what to expect. It went pretty well! Emmy and Pooky had a lot of fun, riding their bikes around, making smores, going fishing with Ray. Even Gummy did pretty well. Overall, a fun weekend, and I am sure we will be doing it again very soon.
A few photos taken by my rockstar husband, Ray ~

The Race Track

2010-09-27T09:41:00.004-04:00

Apparently the garden tub in my master bathroom is not only for bathing - it also makes a fantastic racetrack. For the past 2 weeks, Pooky has spent hours sitting in the tub, with no water, playing with his cars, racing them around and around the tub.

My cutie

The window sill serves as a truck stop

I love my boy!

Ice Cream with Daddy

2010-09-23T20:09:00.001-04:00

Emmy and Pooky on their ice cream date with Ray - which Emmy "won" for them for having excellent behavior at school over the past week or so. :)

Gummy, 9 Months

2010-09-20T11:49:00.004-04:00

My little Gummy Bear is 9 months old! We just got back from his 9 month check up at the doctor's office. He now weighs 22 lb 8 oz. :) He doesn't seem that big to me, other than his adorable chunky monkey thighs, but he is almost 2 lbs bigger and nearly 2 inches taller than Pooky was at this age!

He had to get 1 shot today, which he took like a champ. He is a healthy boy, growing and getting cuter every day!

He is getting into everything! He is much more curious than his siblings were. If I turn my back for just a minute, he zooms down the hallway and gets into trouble. He especially loves Ray's office and all the "toys" in there, and the toilet. Gross. He is pulling up to a standing position all the time, although he is still pretty unsteady so I am not sure how soon he will walk. He loves to eat - he is now eating a lot of solids, broken up into tiny pieces of course. And his favorite thing to say is "mama", which melts my heart. :)

Emmy's Writing

2010-09-17T10:59:00.002-04:00

I love, love, love seeing Emmy's schoolwork, especially now that they are doing so much writing. I wanted to post a few of the cute things that she has written lately, because otherwise I will forget. And they are way too cute to forget. :)

Yesterday, she brought home a worksheet about her favorite foods. Here are a few things that she wrote:
"I like apples because they are good and chrunshe".
"Pennibutter is good on samwichs and spons" (spoons).
"Frot Rollups are my very fravrit and very good".

Also, she got a new journal with a lock on it from Book Fair (a present from Grandma Noski - she loves it, thank you). She told me that it is called a "Dairy". And she went on and on to Pooky about how he wasn't allowed to read it, and if he ever found it, he needed to come and tell her right away. :)

And right now one of her favorite snack are bagels. Pronounced like "bag". LOVE it.

Emmy's Glasses

2010-09-14T20:56:00.006-04:00

My princess got her first pair of glasses today. I was not surprised that she needed them - I got mine when I was not much older than she is. I am a little nervous about her actually keeping them on her face all day like she is supposed to. But, she likes them so far, and she is excited to wear them to school tomorrow.

And she looks as pretty as ever. :)

Apple Picking

2010-09-10T21:40:00.005-04:00

Last weekend, we drove upstate to go apple picking. We had a lot of fun, it was a gorgeous day, and it was great just being able to get out together and drive around, and we got some yummy apples!

Ray and Pooky

Helping Emmy reach the high ones

Pooky Bear :)

Me (and Gummy on my back) helping Pooky

Emmers loves apples!

There were several chickens running around, and we got some food for them. The kids loved this part!

The kids and me. We had a great day!

End of Summer 2010

2010-09-03T21:43:00.004-04:00

1st Day of School!

2010-08-16T08:54:00.002-04:00

My big first grader! She was a bit nervous this morning - hoping she is doing fine now. :)

Our Fun Day

2010-08-11T20:44:00.005-04:00

Well, school starts up again next week, so I decided to do one last "fun day" with the kids - we went to Chuck E Cheese for lunch, which around here is a very special treat. Emmy and Pooky had a blast, and Gummy Bear was exceptionally cooperative in his stroller as his siblings and I played.

Gummy Bear, 7 months...

2010-08-05T21:39:00.003-04:00

So, I meant to post an update about my super cute boy a couple of weeks ago, and now he is more like almost 8 months. Anyways.... he just needs to stop growing! He is no longer a "little" baby!

He is sitting, crawling, pulling himself up to a standing position - which gives me the feeling he will be walking pretty soon, early just like his older brother!

He weighs about 20 lbs now. He is quickly outgrowing his size 6-9 months clothes. He is all over the place, getting into everything, and it has been a challenge to make sure Emmy and Luke's toys with all those little pieces stay upstairs and out of Gummy's mouth. He is still a happy guy, and usually pretty easy going.

He loves to eat - I am making all of his baby food this time around, instead of using the jarred stuff, and he loves it. Still no teeth. He likes giving us big sloppy kisses. He has been saying "dadadada" a lot. He has said "mama" once or twice - not directed at me, but I love to hear it!

Slow down little guy! I am not ready for you to grow up just yet!

(awesome photo credit to my SIL Stevie. I love this one!)

My Baby Girl is 6!

2010-07-28T15:42:00.005-04:00

Yesterday was Emmy's 6th birthday. I am not even going to babble on about how I can't believe how quickly she has grown and all that stuff. I will say that Emmy is such an awesome kid - she is kind to others, she is so creative and artistic (didn't get that from me!), she is very loving, and she is beautiful. :) I love my Emmy!

This past weekend, she had a small birthday party. I let her choose 3 friends to invite to Cici's Pizza for dinner, then the girls, plus their families, came to our house for swimming and cake and ice cream. I think she had fun, which is all that really matters, and I hope our guests enjoyed themselves as well.

Blowing out her candle!

Gummy Bear with Aunt KiKi

Pooky and his friend

Puppy Dog cupcakes. :)

Presents!

The girls swimming at our house

My mom and sister at CiCi's

Vacation 2010!

2010-07-18T21:51:00.005-04:00

We are finally back from our 3 week long vacation. We spent most of the time in Michigan visiting with family and friends, spent a day in Chicago with Ray's sister, and then the last few days in Ohio with more family. We had a great time, we were super busy, but I am happy that we got to see so many people and do so many things! Here are a few highlights and photos.

15 hour car trip with the kids went really well . Even Gummy Bear was good, he didn't fuss until the last couple of hours.

Spent a day at the beach on Lake Michigan, which was fabulous!

Shopped at lots of good places, ate ate yummy restaurants.

Pooky went fishing with Ray's Uncle Ron. He didn't care too much for the fishing, but he enjoyed riding fast in the boat.

Spent the 4th of July in my hometown, enjoyed the annual parade and fireworks. LOVED it.

Took the Amtrak down to Chicago and stayed the night with Ray's sister, Stevie. Kids loved the train and all the tall buildings.

Had a wonderful girls night out with some old friends from high school.

Went to my family reunion, had a fun time seeing everyone.

Drove down to Ohio to visit more of Ray's family at their annual family lake vacation. Very relaxing, Emmy and Pooky got to spend some time with their cousin, Sophia.

My sister and I got to spend a day at Cedar Point, with no kids. It was awesome, even if I did get whiplash from one of the big rollercoasters. I am getting too old for those things. :)

My Cute Little Ones!

2010-06-24T15:37:00.005-04:00

Well, I finally was brave enough to take all 3 of my kiddos to have their portraits done - it has been a while, and it always stresses me out when we do it. I also have not had any done with all 3 of them together. They turned out okay. Gummy Bear was not very cooperative - he would NOT smile! The older 2 were great though! Here are a few of the good ones (unedited).

P.S. We are headed to Michigan until mid-July! So excited about our trip!

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-21T15:34:00.000-04:00

To my sweet husband, Ray, we adore you! Thank you for all you do!

Also, happy Father's Day to my dad! We love you, and I wouldn't be the same person today if it weren't for you. Thanks. :)

Swimming with Daddy

2010-06-19T23:47:00.000-04:00

We finally got our pool out and ready to go - a very good thing, since it has been so hot the last couple of weeks!

The kids are loving the pool this summer, and it is the first thing they ask to do when they wake up in the morning. A few photos...

Riding Bikes

2010-06-16T23:34:00.005-04:00

Now that Emmy is almost 6 (crazy!), she has outgrown her little bicycle. Friends of ours gave us a bigger hand-me-down Barbie bike with no training wheels, and she loves it! The only problem - she didn't know how to ride without training wheels yet. However, we finally got a chance tonight to get out and practice...

So proud of my girl! We still have some practicing to do, but before long, I know she will be riding all over the place!

The second part of our bike project was passing Emmy's old little bike down to Pooky. However, the bike was purple and pretty girly. So, Ray fixed it up for him - painted the bike black, we got a new black and orange seat - and we have a happy Pooky Bear.

Sitting Up!

2010-06-12T22:44:00.001-04:00

Almost 6 months old, and our little Gummy Bear is sitting up! He is getting way too big, way too fast!

Lots more to blog about, but it will have to wait until another day...

Kindergarten Graduate!

2010-05-26T14:08:00.005-04:00

Emmy graduated Kindergarten today! Her school had a special awards day for them, where the Kindergartners performed music for us, then we went to her classroom for the awards. Emmy received a "diploma" and a special reading award. I am so proud of my munchkin! I can't believe Kindergarten is over already!

Emmy with her awards!

Emmy, with her teacher. She has a wonderful teacher this year, we loved her! Hopefully her first grade teacher will be just as good!

Pooky, Age 3 1/2

2010-05-23T14:18:00.003-04:00

Pooky officially turned 3 1/2 earlier this month, so here is my update on my middle kiddo!

He is still such a sweet boy! His new favorite activities include playing outside with his friend AJ, who lives a few houses down, riding his bike, and Thomas the Train. Thomas has actually outranked Lightning McQueen, who has been his favorite for almost 2 years, so that is pretty impressive.

He is a picky eater. Will not eat a vegetable, not even corn. Would live on apple juice and fruit snacks if I would let him. He occasionally takes an afternoon nap, depending on the day, I sometimes find him passed out on my bed in the middle of the day. He still sleeps in his shared bedroom upstairs with Emmy, and most of the time, it is a great arrangement.

He is smart, just like his sister! He knows his letters and numbers, and all those basic preschool skills. Lately he has been asking me what words say, or he will spell things to me to find out what it says. We are working on writing his name, which has proved to be a challenge - he can write the first two letters, but then gets stuck, and frustrated because he can't do it.

Right now he is afraid of the sprinkler. He says it is "too wet", which cracks me up. If the sprinkler is on outside, he will not even go out there, even if it all the way across the yard. However, he is not afraid of swimming pools - we went swimming yesterday, and he had a blast. :)
Love me some Pooky Bear!

GB, 5 Months Old

2010-05-18T14:02:00.000-04:00

Our cutie Gummy Bear turned 5 months old!
He is rolling and moving everywhere! He can almost sit up unassisted - it won't be long. He loves to put everything in his mouth, and now that he figured out how to use his hands, he is trying to eat everything, including his feet.
We are still trying to get him on a solid schedule. He is a lousy napper. He fights sleep so badly - a lot of days he never really even takes a nap, other than a catnap here or there. Luckily, he is still sleeping great at night, so it is manageable.
Love my GB! He is so stinkin cute!
(photo credit to Ray, taken a few weeks ago)

Pooky Goes to the Dentist

2010-05-07T22:37:00.000-04:00

I finally got around to taking Pooky in for his very first dental checkup last month. Overall, he did great. He started off very brave, climbed up in the chair, talked to the dentist, let her check all of his teeth. Then, all of a sudden, he freaked out. Cried, climbed out of the chair, wanted me to hold him... I tried to convince him to let the dentist finish her work, which finally he did so, reluctantly. Our dentist is awesome, she is so great with the kids!

I snapped one quick picture before we left - not the best, he has a funny look on his face, and I think he just really wanted to get out of there! Not that I blame him, I am not a big fan on going to the dentist either!

First Cereal

2010-05-05T22:30:00.004-04:00

I fed GB cereal for the first time tonight. He gobbled it right up. He cried in between bites because I wasn't feeding him fast enough.

Technically, this is not the first "real" food he has eaten. He has had little nibbles of this and that over the last month or so. A few weeks back, he ate a bunch of sweet potatoes off my plate and he loved it. Funny how with kid #3, I am so much more relaxed about stuff like this. With Emmy, I was following the parenting books word for word. I am very 'go with the flow' now. :)

My Babies...

2010-05-04T16:44:00.002-04:00

Thanks to my husband, Ray, for putting this together. All 3 of our beautiful kiddos at around the same age. I love it! Can you tell who is who??

Gummy Bear, 4 months old

2010-04-19T16:03:00.003-04:00

My little GB is already 4 months old, and cute as can be! I love this age! He is smiling and "talking" all the time, trying to roll over (although has only successfully done it twice), grabbing on to everything, and finally sleeping through the night!
He had his 4 month check up today. We weighs about 15 lbs and is 25 1/2 inches long. He is looking great, and I am loving my little guy!

Pooky's New Bed

2010-04-10T21:01:00.008-04:00

It was long overdue, but Pooky finally got his new big boy bed today. He had still been sleeping in his toddler bed, but was getting too big for it. He was so excited today when we were putting it together! So, of course I got pictures!
I also took some pictures of the bedroom, since I don't think I ever posted any when we redid the room last fall. Emmy and Pooky now share our upstairs bedroom. It has worked out beautifully!

The new bed! Complete with Lightning McQueen sheets and construction comforter.

A view of Emmy and Pooky's bedroom.

The room from the other side - all the messy toys, since this upstairs bedroom also serves as our playroom.

My big boy Pooky in his new bed!

Ready for bed!

Easter 2010

2010-04-05T21:34:00.005-04:00

Easter egg hunt - Emmy is in the middle in the white shirt

Pooky!

My 2 egg hunters

Decorating our eggs!

My pretty girl

Happy Easter!

Baby Smiles

2010-03-08T14:00:00.000-05:00

Emmy, Age 5 1/2

2010-03-04T10:44:00.005-05:00

Emmy officially turned 5 1/2 last month, so I wanted to write an update all about my little princess. :)

It is AMAZING how well she is doing in school. Not to brag about my super smart kid (but I will anyways), but she is doing great! For being one of the very youngest Kindergartners in her class (she made the age cutoff by one month), I was a little worried about how she would do. However, her teacher tells me about how well she is doing every time I see her. I love hearing her read! She scored the highest in her class on their standardized computer testing they did a couple of months ago. She knows all of her sight words, and is able to sound out lots of words she doesn't know. She still loves art projects, and is always coloring and creating. Not surprisingly, one of her favorite times in school is art class. :)

She is such an awesome big sister too! She adores her new baby brother, and for the most part, she plays very well with Pooky. She loves to play Wii - and often can outplay me on MarioKart. :) Now that the weather is getting a bit nicer outside, she has been playing with the neighbor kids more often after school, and now she is getting old enough that I feel like I don't have to watch her every second while she is in the yard. This summer we are planning on working on riding her bike without training wheels. We are also practicing tying her shoes, but it has proved to be a bit tricky for her.

Emmy is my sweet princess, and I love seeing her grow and change - even if I do sometimes miss my baby girl!

Monster Trucks!

2010-02-25T12:40:00.000-05:00

I am trying to catch up with what we have been up to.... well a couple of weeks ago, Ray took Pooky to the Monster Jam show - monster trucks! Ray said he was a little scared of the noise (even with big earphones on), but he had a lot of fun. Love the pictures...

It's Official Now...

2010-02-24T12:27:00.007-05:00

Gummy Bear is now an official member of our family. His stick people window sticker has been added to our existing stick family on my car. And obviously, he was not official until this happened. It is a big day! ;)

SNOW 2010!

2010-02-16T12:35:00.004-05:00

It isn't too often that we get snow around here, and when we do, it is a big deal! This past weekend, we got about 6 inches of snow, which is huge! I think the news said that this is the most snow we have had in 30 years (or something like that). The snow started falling late afternoon on Friday, and continued over night. Most of these photos were taken Friday evening, when there was only an inch or two on the ground, but of course the kids couldn't wait to get out and play in it!
Pooky's first snow experience! He missed the inch of snow we got last year, which only lasted a couple of hours before melting, and he was sleeping. He liked it, although after about 20 minutes of playing, he cried to go inside because it was wet and cold. :)

Emmy building a snowman with the neighbors. You can bet every kid in town was outside playing this night!

Emmy again. We don't have much for snow gear, so I had her bundled up the best I could!

Early Saturday morning - the snow was already starting to melt, but it was so pretty!

Still Here...

2010-02-11T16:15:00.001-05:00

We are still here and all is well. I am just crazy busy right now, especially when this super cute Gummy Bear wants me to carry him around all day. Thank goodness for my Sleepy Wrap!

Shopping with my Boys

2010-01-22T23:27:00.003-05:00

3 reasons why I love going to Target with Pooky: (and Gummy Bear, but he is still easy)

1.) The fact that he decides, as we are at the absolute furthest possible spot in the store, that he has to go the the bathroom. Now.

2.) As we are walking past the underwear section, he reaches out and grabs a huge padded polka-dot bra and announces that "This is just like yours, Mommy!" (and for the record, no, I do not own a giant, padded polka-dot bra).

3.) As we are looking for shoes, he passes gas rather loudly, laughs hysterically, and announces very loudly, "I tooted!". Then, when I ask him to say 'excuse me', he laughs again, and shouts, "Excuse me, I tooted!".

Excellent. Maybe next time I will go shopping by myself!

3 Weeks Old

2010-01-11T17:09:00.003-05:00

My Sleepy Wrap!

2010-01-09T20:56:00.005-05:00

A few weeks back, I purchased a Sleepy Wrap from my bloggy friend Amber at Heavenly Hold. I am LOVING it. I have never used any sort of wrap or sling before and was pretty clueless when I first started looking - but she was awesome and gave me a couple of recommendations. Thank you Amber! I have used the wrap a lot - it is great when our little gummy bear gets fussy - usually he settles down within a minute or two after I put him in. I have also been wearing him while shopping - very nice because 1.) I don't have to haul his car seat around and 2.) It keeps nosy shoppers away from my tiny baby - you know, the ones who walk past you in the store and stop and oogle over your tiny newborn. I don't always mind, because he is stinkin cute and all, but it is a germy world and the middle of cold and flu season - stay away from my baby! :)

Anyways, I just wanted to show off my cool wrap. He is sleeping in the wrap, so you can't really see him. It kinda feels like I am pregnant again. :) We are all still doing great, not much extra time right now. Baby Gummy is 3 weeks old already... need to post some new pictures!

And check out Heavenly Hold - these wraps are definitely worth it!!!

Catching up a bit...

2010-01-02T12:15:00.003-05:00

Well, the holidays are over, we have had a great couple of weeks - enjoying our new little guy and having fun with friends and family. We had a nice Christmas. The kids were spoiled rotten. We spent the morning at home. Ray's mom and sister were here, which was great. In the afternoon, we headed over to my parents' house for dinner. Baby Gummy is still a great baby - sleeping and eating well, rarely fussy - so far, so good.
Emmy goes back to school on Monday, which even though she is a big help, I think she is ready to go back. Ray's mom is staying with us for a couple more weeks, and I am still doing daycare for now - giving it time to see if I can handle all of these kids.
That's it for now - my parents and family friends are headed over this afternoon, and Ray is cooking up a large chunk of meat for dinner... but we are all here, doing well, happy to be a family of 5. :)

Introducing.... My Gummy Bear

2009-12-26T13:01:00.004-05:00

So, our little gummy bear is finally here! I wanted to post this last week, but it has been a bit busy. Gummy arrived on December 18, just after midnight. He weighed 8 lbs, 13 oz, and was 19 3/4 inches long. And he is so cute!

I was scheduled to be induced on the 18th. I did not really want to be induced, but I also did not want to take the chance of being in the hospital on Christmas day. And since my due date was the 2oth, my OB said it would be a great idea to just induce on Friday. Anyways, I had one last OB appointment on Thursday morning, the 17th. I was already at 4 cm dilated, 100 % effaced, so I was definitely ready. As a last ditch effort to avoid the induction, I asked her to strip my membranes again (maybe I am crazy. It hurts. And it didn't work the week before). However, this time it worked! My contractions started around 3:30 that afternoon, just after I got home from picking up Emmy at school. The got regular pretty quickly, and by 6:00, the contractions were getting much more intense, and about 5 minutes apart. I took a shower, got our things together, and we left for the hospital, arriving there around 8:00 pm. I was 5-6 cm by that point.

I got my epidural shortly after I arrived, which was wonderful. My OB broke my water and gave me just a bit of pitocin, and a couple of hours later, with about 3 pushes, our Gummy Bear was born, at 12:23 am on the 18th. He is healthy, sweet, a good sleeper and eater.

We got home Sunday morning, the 20th. He has jaundice pretty bad, so we have been to the pediatrician already a couple of times to be rechecked, but hopefully he should start looking "less yellow" over the next couple of days. We had a nice Christmas yesterday (which I will write about later) and right now we are just adjusting to having a new little one in the house!

Happy 10 Years, my Love!

2009-12-18T11:16:00.000-05:00

December 18, 1999

Still Pregnant...

2009-12-16T20:08:00.002-05:00

Well, I am 39 weeks, 3 days, and still pregnant and miserable. I have one last check at my OB tomorrow morning, then I am scheduled to be induced on Friday - so at this point, it is looking like that is how it is going to go. I may be absent for a bit (although I think I still have one scheduled post coming up), so Merry Christmas everyone! I will try to at least post a quick birth announcement next week! :)

Baby Update

2009-12-11T14:05:00.002-05:00

So, Gummy Bear has not arrived yet. 2 weeks ago when I started feeling miserable, I was sure he would be here by now - I was having random contractions, cramping, etc - but yet I am still pregnant. I am really not complaining too much, because I have felt pretty good this week. At my OB appointment this morning, I was 3 cm dilated, 80 % effaced. She stripped my membranes, said my water was bulging, and asked me if I wanted to be induced on Monday. I had a momentary freak out, because I was NOT expecting that, despite the fact that I am SO ready for him to arrive.

I decided to give it one more week, hoping to go into labor on my own. If not, I will be induced next Friday, 2 days before my official due date. Which is perfect, because I know for sure that I will be home for Christmas, which was one of my biggest worries. Also, next Friday is Ray and my 10 year wedding anniversary.. so it is a special day anyway. Why not have a baby? lol.

That is the update - he could still be here anytime, but next Friday at the latest. :)

Yep, it is still funny this year....

2009-12-09T22:28:00.000-05:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Happy 30th Birthday to my Love....

2009-12-07T20:47:00.005-05:00

Today is my hubby's 30th birthday... we had a nice night, dinner out by ourselves, and then we went shopping for a bit (we are crazy party animals like that). This past Saturday, I did successfully throw a great surprise party for him - lots of people, good food, and he was truly surprised! It was awesome. :)
Corny, but true - my husband is my very best friend, and I am so blessed to have him in my life. I love you, Ray! Hope you had a wonderful birthday!

Holiday Fun

2009-12-05T09:07:00.002-05:00

Last night, we all headed over to a nearby neighborhood holiday lights display. Santa was there, along with hay rides, the movie Elf playing on a big screen, popcorn, and tons of beautiful Christmas lights.... Both kids sat in Santa's lap together and cooperate wonderfully. Emmy told him that she wanted a Webkinz unicorn, and Pooky wanted cars and trucks (shocking, but true!). We all had a good time, and my kids are so stinkin cute in their winter gear. :)

Elves

2009-11-28T20:25:00.006-05:00

We are a Santa house. I love the idea of Santa and have fantastic memories of Christmas as a child. And now with kids old enough to "get" it, this time of year is just awesome! And now with Thanksgiving over, I am ready!!

When Ray was little, his mom used to tell him and his sisters that she would occasionally see elves peeking in the windows around Christmastime, and they had better be good so the elves didn't catch them being naughty and tell Santa. Cute, right? Ray mentioned something to Emmy on Thanksgiving about elves in our windows, and her eyes got really wide, and she was fascinated. She has been talking about the elves since then, and she swears that she saw one last night peeking in the dining room window just before bed last night.

Well, this would be great, except for now, Pooky is freaked out. Terrified of the elves looking in. He keeps asking me things like, "The elves don't come inside, do they?" and "Are the elves going to knock over the Christmas tree?" (not sure why that was so concerning to him). I had to tell Emmy this morning not to talk about the elves anymore, and if she saw one, to just tell me or Daddy, so Pooky didn't get scared....

He seems a bit better about it today, but I guess I understand... if little dudes with weird hats and pointy ears were looking in my windows, I would be scared too...

P.S. Photo credit to my husband, Ray, of course, because he takes most of our photos because I am a lousy photographer. So, in the future, just assume that all photos on my blog are taken by him, ok? (Is this good enough, Ray?) :)

Wordless Wednesday..... Happiness :)

2009-11-18T11:21:00.000-05:00

35 Weeks...

2009-11-16T07:15:00.001-05:00

Pooky, Age 3

2009-11-15T16:18:00.005-05:00

Pooky's 3rd birthday was a success! He was a happy kid, spoiled rotten by Lightning McQueen. We hardly took any pictures - Ray claims that he had to put the camera down so that he could open the new toys for Pook. :)

Hooray for presents!

Our Lightning McQueen cake - I was happy how it turned out. Thanks Ray, for helping me.

Have I mentioned how cool Pooky is?? I love the way he is obsessed with cars and trucks. The ongoing construction around our house provides endless entertainment for him.

I love the way he is constantly wants hugs and kisses, and says, "You know what Mommy? I love you...". And I will say back "I love you too." And he will keep repeating "I love you too." Because he has to have the last say.

I love how he has watched the movie Cars 80,000 times and can recite the lines with the movie.

I love watching him be kind and sharing with Emmy and Mr. K (my daycare kiddo). He gives hugs to friends when they are sad. Everyone is his best friend. And he can always, always make me smile, even when I am grumpy.

I love the way Pooky lifts up my shirt to see my big baby belly, closes one eye and peers at my belly button as though it is a peephole, then says "Hi Baby!".

Even though it makes me sad, I love how when I have to leave him to go someplace, he gets upset because he "won't be able to see me there". And then when I come home, whether I was gone for 2 hours, or I just walked out to the mailbox, I get a "Mommy!!!" and a huge hug to let me know I was missed.

I love the way he likes to sleep in our bed, and has claimed the middle of the bed as "his spot".

And if something is hurting him, whether it is a boo-boo, or the tag on his shirt is itchy, he says that "it is ouching me".

Yep, he is a sweetie. I could go on and on about all the sweetness.... he is definitely my boy. :)

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Boy...

2009-11-13T12:05:00.005-05:00

My little guy is turning 3 years old tomorrow... as always, I can't believe he is already turning 3. I have watched my cute, cuddly, chunky baby quickly grow into my sweet, kind-hearted, playful big boy. When I first learned we were having a boy, I wasn't really sure what to think. I knew nothing about little boys. I enjoyed my daughter so much, I couldn't imagine what it was going to be like having a boy. However, Baby Pooky quickly stole my heart and of course I cannot imagine life without him. He is about to become a big brother too - something I can't wait to see, I think he will be awesome! I love you Pooky Bear! You will always be my snugglebug!

Newborn Pooky - 1 week old

6 months - happy baby!

My messy 1 year old cutie

Age 2 - so sweet!

Turning 3 - not a baby anymore..... (*sniff)

We had a unofficial birthday party for him yesterday morning with our playgroup friends. I say "unofficial" because I didn't really want to do a party, so we just had some friends over to play and eat cupcakes with us. 7 boys between the ages of 2-4 - craziness! Pooky had a blast, and even scored a few new cars and trucks!
Tomorrow on his real birthday, I am making him macaroni and cheese for dinner (at his request) and decorating a race car birthday cake... should be a good weekend! Happy birthday to my sweetheart!!

Ready for Gummy Bear!

2009-11-04T08:00:00.002-05:00

Less than 7 weeks until my due date, and I am ready! I spent this past weekend getting the baby's nursery ready. Most of it was ready already, since he will be in Pooky's old room, but I spent a lot of time scrubbing the baseboards and walls, washing baby clothes and bedding, hanging pictures, fixing the window valance... the room is ready to go! It is so nice to have this done, since with Pooky, we were in process of moving, so I was not able to do anything with the nursery until after he was born (for those of you who may remember, I was in labor ON moving day!) Here we go!

One view of the room

The other side of the room....

All the clean baby clothes, folded, ready to be worn!

I even picked up a pack of newborn size diapers... I feel ready now!

Halloween!

2009-11-02T15:58:00.008-05:00

We had a great Halloween weekend, despite the fact that Ray had to work a lot. The kids had fun with pumpkins, trick or treating, and a party at our neighbor's house. A few pictures...

Carving pumpkins - this is the first year we could get Emmy to actually stick her hand inside the pumpkin goo without crying. :)

Me and Emmy

Our creation, designed by Emmy

My 2 bugs - caterpillar and ladybug

Trick or Treating!

WW - Purple Vampire Teeth

2009-10-28T08:43:00.001-04:00