My Baby is One!

Preston's first birthday was a success, though he had no idea what was going on! We had the whole family over since everyone was still in town from Christmas- one advantage to being born on December 27th! He has perfected walking, and looks like running isn't far behind. He loves to give kisses, clap his hands and point at things. Happy Birthday Presto!

And I have no idea why some of the photos are so small- I'll try and fix those later.

S

It's Been A While

I can't believe I haven't blogged in over a month! December was a really busy month, as it probably was for everyone. Our Christmas was good, if not a little crazy. We all had the nasty stomach virus that's going around the week before Christmas. Then my parents flew in and my dad caught it, just in time for Christmas. Poor thing, he spent three days in bed. But we had a good time despite the germs! Santa was good to everyone, Ashley got her coveted toolbench that she asked for. I think we have a budding tomboy on our hands. But she did ask for a Barbie, too. :)

11 Months Old

Preston is now only a month away from his first birthday, so hard to believe. He has done so much in the past few weeks, I really need to update his baby book! He is now walking, and has really mastered it over the past week. He can say Ashley, uh-oh and is waving goodbye. He's growing so fast! His top teeth are breaking through, too. Next month we'll have some birthday pictures. :)

S

Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving full of good food, family and friends. It's been a while, but the perfect time for Thankful Thursday.

I am thankful for:

The health of everyone in our lives

My adorable kids and fabulous husband

My parents and my family

My in-laws and hubby's family

Friends near and far away

Stability in a shaky economy

The promise of a fun and family-filled Christmas


And don't you just love our Turkey Cookies? :)

S

Good Time Waster

This is a fun site, run by Sprint. Full of useless info that is pretty interesting.

http://now.sprint.com/widget/

S

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful today for:

My cuddly dogs

Gas prices that keep falling

The way Preston lights up when he sees his sister

My hubby who brought me breakfast in bed when I was sick

The anticipation of the holidays


S

50's Day

Ashley's school had their 50th day of school on Wednesday and they dressed like the 50's to celebrate. I only had 2 days notice, so this is the best I could come up with. Thanks Mom for the great idea! And Ashley came up with the attitude all on her own. ;)

S

Another Good One

To the Rescue!

I didn't realize how hard it would be to get a good picture of Ashley and Preston together! Ashley had a great time trick or treating and Preston managed to stay awake until we got home.

S

Don't Forget to Vote

S

Google Halloween

I always love the Google image on holidays. This one is pretty cool.

S

Happy Halloween!

Wishing everyone a fun and safe Halloween. I'll be back later in the weekend to post pictures of our superheroes.

S

Weeee!

We recently got a Wii and Ashley loves it. She's actually really good at it, I think golf is her favorite- such a Daddy's girl.

S

10 Months (and one day)

Preston was 10 months old yesterday. I can hardly believe he'll be one in a few months. He has two teeth, drinks milk from a sippy cup (no more bottles!) and eats all table food. He's such a great little boy, he makes us so happy.

S

And I did try to get a picture without the pacifier, but that was not happening.

Pumpkin Patch!

Here are a few photos from the Pumpkin Patch we visited over the weekend. The weather was perfect!S

And So It Starts...

I took Ashley shopping for some new sneakers since we've been getting some cooler weather and her Crocs just aren't cutting it anymore. She told me she wanted Skechers. Because some kids at school have Skechers. She seems to be noticing what other kids are wearing now. So when we were at the store, every time I showed her a pair of shoes, she asked me if they were Skechers. The only pair that fit her were Nikes but I told her they were Skechers so she would try them on. We bought them. Eric asked me what I was going to do when another kid tells her they're Nikes, not Skechers. Sigh.

S

Thankful Thursday

Only one day late, I'm making progress.

I'm thankful for

Sonic Cherry Limeade- so so good

Finding pants to fit Ashley- not easy

Great weather we've been having

A week that went by quickly

Preston sleeping through the night again

S

Thankful Thursday on Sunday

I know, I know, late again. Seems to be my thing lately.

I am thankful for:

The great weather we've had- I love fall

Gas for $2.92 a gallon- woo hoo!

Old friends I've gotten in touch with again

The way my kids entertain each other

My hubby letting me sleep in today- so nice

S

It's Just Water People!

So here is my vent for the day...Why is it when it rains a little, people forget how to drive? Especially in rush hour? I woke up on time in hopes to actually make it to work on time, and then I heard the rain. I knew I was doomed. Took me an hour and a half to get to work. I would understand if it was storming, but we're just talking about a drizzle. At least my boss is understanding!

On the bright side, Ashley was excited to wear her Hello Kitty rainboots to school. :)

S

Busy, Busy!

I love this time of year, there are so many fun things going on and the anticipation of the holidays is starting to build up. We went to the Texas State Fair yesterday and had a great time. We saw a cool dog show with frisbee-catching dogs, went through the petting zoo where Ashley got to feed a goat and played some carnival games. Ashley isn't much of a daredevil yet. She's finally tall enough to ride the kid's rides but she didn't want to go on any of them. She did want to ride the merry go round, but not on a horse, just sat on the bench. Fun! ;) We limited our fair-food intake to some cheeseburgers and a funnel cake. But there was plenty of fried food, I did see a sign for fried Jelly Bellies- that just didn't sound good to me.

I missed Thankful Thursday, so how about a Thankful Sunday?

I am thankful for:

Signs of Fall appearing

How excited Preston gets when I walk in the room

How Ashley can make Preston laugh

The Dolphins winning streak (makes my hubby happy!)

Friends to email with during the week to keep me sane

Eric getting up with Preston in the middle of the night

S

9 Months Old

Preston is 9 months old today. He has gotten his first tooth, mastered crawling, eating table food, completely weaned and pulling up on everything. He has his check-up on Monday, I'm thinking he weighs about 21 pounds. It's fun to see his personality coming out more and more every day.

And he had so much fun in the jumper (last picture) that he fell asleep. Too funny!

S

A Really Good Read

I don't have much time to read these days, but my mom recommended a book to me and now I'm passing it on to you. It's called Plain Truth, by Jodi Piccoult. It was so, so good. I'm a big reader and not sure how I've never heard of this author, she has written a ton of other books. And after a little googling, I found out that Plain Truth was a made into a TV movie. Pick it up if you like mysteries.

S

And Mel, I will be putting this one in the stack to send to you. :)

Grey's Anatomy on Tonight!

I cannot express how excited I am for the show tonight. Anyone else?

S

Giving Myself a Break

Working full time an hour away from home with two small kids isn't easy. But what makes it even tougher is trying to do that and keep everything perfect at home. Dinner made, laundry done, house clean, giving baths, etc. all while spending quality time with both kids is pretty much impossible. So I'm giving myself a break. Lately I have been trying to not to worry about everything so much. I'm so busy trying to keep everything perfect that I'm missing what really matters- spending time with my family. And don't get me wrong, Eric does his fair share, but there's always something else that needs to be done. So whatever I can get done, I get done. If not, I don't worry about it. And the best part? Eric doesn't care either way. :)

S

Thankful Thursday

On time again! I'm on a roll...

Today I am thankful for

1. Both kids sleeping through the night

2. How much Ashley loves learning, especially math

3. My baby squealing with delight when I pick him up from daycare

4. My hubby, who doesn't care if the laundry is done or dinner is made

S

Happy Fall!

Today is the First Day of Fall. I only realized this because the logo was different on Google. ;)

S

She's FOUR!

Today was our baby girl's birthday. So hard to believe she is already four, so many things have happened since she came into our lives. She is such a great kid, she is so loving and so sassy, the perfect mix. And, yes, she had a Spiderman party, it is what she wanted- although all of her presents were very girly. I will load more pictures tomorrow, my computer is not cooperating with me tonight.

Happy Birthday baby.

S

Camera Shopping

Just so my few faithful readers don't panic, we will be purchasing a new camera as soon as possible- it's Ashley's birthday this weekend and we have to have one by then.


And why does it seem like kids do the funniest things when there is no camera around?

S

Thankful Thursday

It's a miracle- I am writing this on time!

Today I am thankful for:

Being able to wear headphones at work

Tylenol

Co-workers who make me laugh

My healthy family

Cooler weather

S

A Tooth

Preston's first tooth popped through yesterday! Now we know why he has been extra-clingy and not sleeping so well the last few weeks. He is almost nine months old so it is about time for all of this to start. Ashley was over a year old when she got her first tooth, so I wasn't expecting it so soon from Preston!

And our camera broke, so no more new pictures until we get a new one!

S

Thankful Thursday

Okay, I am going to really try to be on time next week!

I am thankful for

Having my hubby back home from a work trip

Hurricane Ike being downgraded as it heads our way

Wendy's Frosty Shake- so so good

Lazy Saturday afternoon

S

Thankful Thursday

Late again, that has been happening to me a lot lately.

I am thankful for:

Casual Fridays- I get to wear flip flops to work!

Kids Consignment Stores

TiVo

Supportive family and hubby

My silly kids

S

Any good recommendations?

I realize that this will seem like an odd thing to blog about, but I am in the market for a new vacuum and want your opinions. And since I know I have some loyal readers (all 3 of you), I thought maybe you'd have some advice. I'd love to get a Dyson, but don't think I can justify spending that much...

So tell me, do you have a vacuum you love? It has to be light since we have a 2-story house.

S

Striiiike!

Ashley loves to play bowling on the Wii so we took her to the real thing last weekend. She had a blast! And I have to say my score went up significantly with the bumpers. She only fell once after she went way over the line and slipped. And she thought the shoes were great (which should be no surprise to those of you that know her). Preston was great, just hung out in the stroller the whole time taking it all in.

S

8 Months Old

I have been so off lately, I spent the whole day yesterday thinking today would be the 27th. Oops!

Preston is crawling pretty well now, getting into everything. He's moved over to the bigger baby side in his class in daycare. So he spends most of his day crawling around playing with the other babies. He's been trying to say Dada more, but it comes out DeeDa sometimes. He's just a really happy baby. :)

S

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for

my kids' great daycare

living in a democratic country

our fenced-in yard

how sweet Ashley is to Preston

Preston staying up a little bit late tonight

S

Thankful Thursday

From Eric:

Modern medicine

Super supportive wife and family

From Me:

Eric's sense of humor

Cheese enchiladas (one food Ashley will actually eat!)

A break from the 100-degree heat


It's almost Friday!

S

Crawling!

It's official- Preston is crawling! He just started last night, and it is quite funny. He isn't really all the way up on his knees, more like scooting along, but I'll take it. Now we have to re-babyproof the house! Ashley was so excited and proud of him. :)

S

Thankful Thursday on Friday

I'm a day late, but better late than never!

Is anyone else having a weird week this week? Everything has felt a little off the last few days- I'm just glad its Friday.

I'm thankful for:

Rain

Caffeine

Gift Cards leftover from my birthday

The Olympics

Blogs to keep me sane during the workday

My healthy kiddos

S

Tips for Disney

This is really just for Kelly, but I'm posting it in case anyone else will be traveling to Disney with small kids. We went with our friends, so we had their
twin 3-year-olds, our three-year-old and our 6-month-old. Good times!

1. If it's your (or your kids) first time there, you can get a special button- ask for it when you get your tickets. Makes a good keepsake.

2. Bring a backpack to haul all the kid's stuff. Trust me on this one, you will be glad to have your hands free. And easier to manage than a diaper bag.

3. You can bring snacks, juice, etc. into the park. No one tells you this, but it's true. I assumed you weren't allowed, but my supersmart BFF Mel brought a ton of snacks and even a huge plastic jug of juice in her backpack for the kids. They searched the bags and didn't care. This will save you a ton of $, plus time wasted in line.

4. We brought our own stroller and I'd recommend it. You can rent one, but they are pretty pricey. Plus you'll have to carry your exhausted little one to the car at the end of the day after you turn in the rental. If you do rent one, bring a blanket or towel because those things are made of hard plastic.

5. Bring a little first aid kit with band aids, etc. Just easier than trying to locate one in the park.

6. If your kids want to meet any characters or Princesses (and who doesn't?), go straight to Toontown when you get there. When I was a kid, the characters just walked around. Not anymore- you wait in line to meet them. It's a much more personal experience this way, but it gets crowded. We had to wait a while to meet the Princesses, but it was worth it.

7. There is a really nice baby care area at the end of Main Street, off to the left. It has a nice nursing room, a room with highchairs and a little tables with a movie playing and a diaper changing room. I think there is complimentary baby food and diapers available if you ask. A nice place to take a break with the little one.

8. Bring your own ponchos- especially in the summer. I found some at Target in the camping section for $1.

9. Buy your souvenirs outside of the park- you'll save a ton of money. We bought hats and Minnie ears in the park, but got a bunch of t-shirts and picture frames at one of the tourist shops.

Wow, I didn't think I had that many tips until I really started thinking about it.

And Kelly, I'm sure you guys will have a blast- Peyton will love it!

S

Vacation

So our vacation was a month ago and I still haven't organized all of our photos. But here are a few favorites. We had such a great time and the kids loved it. We went to Disney with our friends Mel and Eric, and then to stay with my parents for the rest of the time. We hadn't been back to Florida in almost two years- way too long. It was so nice to get away and see everyone.

S

Thankful Thursday

Hard to believe it's been a week already...

I am grateful for:

my great husband, who is my best friend in this crazy world

noggin channel

cold a/c

binkies

my sassy girl

my squishy baby


S

Coupons? Coupons!

So I've always thought cutting coupons was silly, I mean, how much can you really save? But I was wrong, there is actually a ton of money to be saved. I did dabble in couponing (is that a word?) a few years ago but then got away from it. Then a few weeks ago we were at the store and the shopper in front of us pulls out all of these coupons, and Eric asks me why I don't do that. Didn't really have a good answer, so I decided to start. And I have to say there are a lot of good deals out there. And then I discovered that a local grocery store here doubles and triples coupons. Now I'm hooked. At least it's a habit that will save me money. :)

S

Thankful Thursday

So I've been meaning to post more, and then I remembered I had wanted to start doing Thankful Thursdays.

Today I am thankful for:

Unlimited long distance
Lighter traffic
Teachers that love my babies
A break from teething
A few minutes to myself
Preston's laughs
How much Ashley loves her baby brother

Your turn...

S

7 Months!

Preston is 7 months old today! He's now discovered how to roll across the floor to get where he wants to be. He's also at the stage where I can't be out of sight or he gets hysterical, and he thinks I should hold him all the time. I really don't mind it too much, I know how fast this will all go by!

And I know it's been forever since I posted, things have just been so busy. We have tons of vacation photos to share and I promise to get those uploaded this week.

S

Cake Wrecks

I could read blogs all day- they are so addictive! Just found this one and I thought it was really funny:

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

S

6 Months Old!

Preston is six months old today! I can hardly believe it. He is doing really well sitting up and is starting to babble a lot more. His personality is starting to show and he is so much fun. He's pretty laid back and loves to be entertained by his big sister.

S

Happy (Belated) Father's Day

Happy Father's Day to my wonderful husband, who is a truly terrific father to our children. He works hard to provide for us and never complains. He loves our kids more than anything in the world and would do anything to make sure they are happy. He helps out (more than ever!) with all of the chores that go along with raising two kids and he goes a FANTASTIC job. And he knows that a big part of being a great dad is being a loving husband, which he has down to a science. I love you babe, Happy Father's Day!

S

Mmm Cereal!

Here is Assistant Mommy (aka Ashley) feeding Preston one of his first bites of cereal. He actually really likes it, contrary to his face in the first picture. :)

S