Preparing for a trip

So our trip is a go! Joe even surprised me last night but getting tonight off too and made arrangements so that we could leave when he gets home for working at school today instead of leaving in the morning : ) He said he wanted to start early since I had such a bad day yesterday. He seriously is the best ever!!!!!

The kids are very excited because they get to stat "at my moms" house which really is right beside us and they actaully will still be sleeping in our house because they tend not to sleep when they are actually staying in my moms room LOL They have made plans to go to the zoo, watch some Disney movies, shop, maybe the park with Grandpa too. Casey is the most excited as she doesn't really care that mommy and daddy won't be home if she has her Grandpa to look forward to but Caden keeps asking how come he doesn't get to come on the trip too but then again he does't want to miss out on the time with Grandma and Grandpa either. Actually he is quite funny about it. It should be interesting as this will be the first time I am away from the kids for this length of time usually they are with me on all trips or we just spend one night away like we did 2 years ago. (Yea it has been that long) 

Anyway I have a lot to do today now that we are leaving this afternoon instead of tomorrow because I was gonna do a bunch of stuff tonight after the kids went to my moms but now I need to try and get it done by 4! Yikes!  I think I should get everything done except I won't clean the carpets like I wanted but that is okay most important is laundry and cleaning out the fridge and pantry so nothing goes yucky like potatoes eeeewwwww!!!

Dogless

Well we are no a no dog family. I am pretty upset about this and have had just about the worst day ever! I cried a lot and the kids are already asking for a new dog. We have decided to wait till we get back from our cruise this summer to consider looking for a new puppy. We are gonna do a bunch of research in the mean time to find breeds that are great with kids and try to find maybe free puppies or something like that. We have definetly decided that we are going puppy this time instead of just young dog. I know that some dogs just have dominance issues but most of the research I have done says that if you get a dog as a puppy when you have children they will continue to know their place in the pack and not question it since they will be smaller than the kids from the beginning. Caden will be 4 in June and Casey turns 3 in September so I think this is a good idea. I want them to have pets and love animals and I certainly don't want Casey ever to be afraid of dogs because of Belle so we decided that waiting too long would not be good.

So it is pretty sad I keep thinking I need to let the dog out and play with her so she sleeps well tonight only to realize hey I don't hae a dog anymore : (  I also refilled the empty dog water bowl when I was fixing dinner then realized I didn't need to do that either. Joe said at least I will sleep past 5 tomorrow morning but then he said "No you won't you will wake up thinking you need to take her out" LOL he knows me way too well. See to me she was like another baby so I never minded getting up with her when we were house training her and when she started sleeping through the night till 5am I was as excited as when the kids did it for the first time. She just was part of the family. I know there is  a dog out there for our family we just have to find it.

In the mean time Joe is getting the kids a turtle and we are gonna look into getting them some hermit crabs too : ) Also hoping to get some goats later this year because the kids are at the ages when they need to learn responsiblity and what better way than having to take care of their animals! It was how heidi and I learned. We always had lots of animals outside and inside that we took care of (with the help of mom of course).

I am not good at waiting

Okay like the name of this says I am not any good at waiting. That is what I have been doing since yesterday morning. Belle our wonderful family dog bit Casey yesterday. I was thankfully right there so she only got her arm and only left a little scratch because i was able to got between them right away but now i totally can't trust my dog with my kids. Casey wasn't doing anything to the dog by the way so I know that Belle was not provoked at all. Casey was just reading a book about a foot or so away from Belle and never even looked at the dog. We had noticed that Belle was starting to get a little snippy when it came to Casey for the last couple of weeks but we were working with Casey because we thought she might be provoking the poor thing. We were wrong turns out that Belle (who was abused before we got her) is trying to gain status in the pack. She had shown dominance over Bandit about 2 months ago and now Bandit won't even come in to our house because of her. So I guess she decided Casey was the next one to try to take down. It isn't a real common problem but more common with abused dogs. I am so upset because I LOVE Belle she is really smart and so fun but my kids come first and I can't chance this happening again and me not be here so she has to go.

So about the waiting... well I got Belle from Brookes Legacy and they told me that I needed to sign a paper saying I would give the dog back to them if anything didn't work out so I contacted them all day yesterday...and today....still waiting to hear back meanwhile I have a dog that can't be out of her kennel when the kids are up. It isn't fair to her or us. So I am done waiting. I gave the shelter till 3 to contact me with any information even if it was just that they were looking for a place for her but if they can't do that then I am taking her to the pound. I know I really don't want to do that either but like I said I can't let this go on. I am asking everyone to pray that this place gets back to me so that I don't have to take a dog to the pound a place i really don't like.

I have 1 hours and 15 minutes left....I hate waiting!!!!

being a mom isn't always easy but always rewarded

The last few nights Casey has thrown up sometime int he middle of the night. She never really wakes up I guess because we have yet to hear her when she does this and she just goes back to bed so I didn't discover she was sick till the morning. What a fun surprise I know. Well she was really okay all day long so we didn't know what was going on. I called Dr. Wilson and asked him about it and he said right now kids are dropping like flys with a stomach bug going around. Most kids were sick up to 30 times a day so we should be thankful that Casey was doing better than that. He also told us that Caden would probably get it because it is super contagious (oh joy)

Well last night at midnight it came with vengence into our little boys body. He has thrown up a total of 10 times (it was 9 when I started this post)  since that time and he is so sick looking. He didn't get a lot of sleep because of this but he is such a trooper. I was praying each time it would be the last but God said no to that but He did give me little breaks Caden and I were able to sleep for an hour at one point! Also was blessed with some very funny moments like this ... "Mommy do alligators swim in mud?"...now the question itself isn't that funny but picture a 3 year old throwing up in a bowl and taking the time to ask the question in the midst of it and it is pretty histarical to me. LOL

So even though it hasn't been an easy night and probably won't be an easy day I am so glad God has given me this time and that I know he is in charge.

I am feeling a little sick myself at the moment so the post ends now : ) Oh please pray that this is out of our house by friday so my wonderful hubby and I can go on our trip. If it has to be cancelled it was meant to be but I really want to go!!!!

cookin' with a 2 and 3 year old

My mom gave my kids the Paula Deen's My First Cookbook for Christmas this year. We haven't used it yet till today : ) Caden and Casey made Porcupine Balls for dinner tonight. They got to get all the measuring cups and spoons and ingredients out and put them on the counter. Then I read the instructions and they then put all the stuff together and got to mix it with thier hands. They really loved it like I knew they would and now they just can't wait for dinner! It is so much fun to get to watch them get excited about cooking I always cooked with my mom and it was some of my favorite memories.

Cooking with my kids is actually nothing new my mom has been putting them up on the counter at her house and has them help her all the time with her dinner since they could sit up! and Caden for the last couple days has been making the scrambled eggs in the morning (with just a little help from me of course) and has been doing a great job! This morning actually he even added a dash of salt by himself...which was more like a pouring LOL but his daddy ate them without complaint I was so impressed. Casey prefers to make desserts or mashed potatoes so she can lick the spoons and bowl.

I just can't wait to see their love of cooking grow <3

this week in our life

This week we are having a fun filled week. Yesterday we just had fun cleaning and playing. We also signed Caden up for t-ball which he is super excited about. His little friend Alyssa is signed up too so it should be a lot of fun watching them play! Today we just relaxed and cleaned some more. The kids seem to be slightly under the weather  so we needed these two days to relax and just have fun before we go to the beach tomorrow!!!! They are really looking forward to it and we are meeting Jay, Ashley and Kirsten there for lunch  : )  We also need to make a trip to the library either tomorrow or Thursday. So really it is a pretty boring ,for the outsiders looking in, type of week but it is a fun one for us and not stressful : )

So about all the cleaning I have been doing. Well I work so much better when I have a schedule and that includes a cleaning schedule....so I am doing what "the sidetracked home executive" book says and I made a chore box. I have used it before right after Casey was born and it was a life saver I felt very in control and didn't mind when people just stopped by because everything was clean (well except for toys being everywhere but really who can control that?). So I just had to update the box and reorganize. Now I have a schedule and my house is starting to look much better. My house was never actually bad but I felt tired because I would try to do everything at one time and now I can get everything done with a less intense freak out feeling LOL


I  have lost another pound so down to 136 when doesn't sound like much but really I am surprised because I have beens so bad what with Joe's birthday and everything in the house. I have only 3 months left before the cruise so I need to get myself in gear. I haven't been exercising at all. That is so bad but I haven't. I have every intention of starting tomorrow so wish me luck!

fun weekend ahead!

This Sunday is Joe's 32nd birthday. Last year I was actually out of town for it so I am super excited to be here this year. We are going with some of our friends tonight to DaRuMas this nice resturant I have never been too but Jeni says is amazng and it seems like just the thing Joe wants to do so I am really looking forward to it. Tomorrow we are going to have the family party at Noodles and then having cake and presents back at the house and I am making him a special breakfast too : ) I think he is really gonna have a great birthday.

Today was really fun and it's only 2! this morning Joe had to go to work so I had McKenzie come over and we made cupcakes. I have this really fun book called Hello Cupcake and it has tons of different was to decorate Cupcakes. Today we made Panda Bears for sunday school tomorrow. they turned out pretty cute but not great so I will be practicing some more. I think if I want them perfect  I can't just do what the book says which is to use ziplock bags and just snip the corner. I am gonna start using actual tips and everything so that it comes out neater. I will post pics later

I am loving this weather we have been having! I put the kids down for a nap (which yea they so didn't sleep they played) and then I went and laid out by the pool. I love that our house is set up with the kids rooms having sliding glass doors that face the pool because I can go outside and see right into their rooms and make sure they don't get out and get into something bad LOL

talking to a snickers and self control

So I am trying to do this 1200 calories a day thing. It is supposed to be just a healthier way of eatting and a way for me too lose the 10 to 15 lbs that I have been wanting off. My start weight was 140 lbs my goal is 125 so that when I go on the cruise I have a little extra room for gaining in my clothes LOL! Well I have lost 3 lbs since last friday when I started and I am very excited but today I am having a bit of a struggle : ( I sooooo really want a candy bar and chicken nuggets. I ended up eatting 2 nuggets that Casey didn't eat at lunch and then made a hot dog (which is really high in calories by the way who knew?) and now having remorse about it. Guess the soup I was gonna make for tonight will go uneatten by me but we do have an extra person eatting with us tonight so she can have my portion.

The other day I did so much better about fighting the cravings. I had put the kids to bed and was doing the dishes when I totally heard a snickers calling me from the pantry. Seriously I mean it was yelling at me to come eat it. Well I pulled the snickers out and put it on the counter and continued doing the dishes while telling the snickers (yep out loud) that I was NOT going to eat it. I kept telling it this but it wouldn't listen to me it kept insisting that I eat it sooo...I did the only thing I could think of to shut it up. I opened it up and took a bite, which I am gonna say it was the head of the snickers because it stopped talking to me after that, and I threw the rest away. I think I totally won that battle : )

Today not going as well but I am still in my range of calorie intake and I will have a salad with my yummy fat free Ceaser salad dressing on it and say the kitchen is closed. I love this diet mostly because if I do go over my calories for a day I can just work out to burn the calories that I over ate and then I am good!

Tonight I am going to start my Couch to 5K in  6 weeks again because I only did week one last time because of a crazy schedule and getting sick. No excuses this time I am gonna be able to run 3 miles by the summer!!!!! Wish me luck and pray for me because I am trying to use self control and rely on God for it instead of turning to food when I am sad, happy, upset or just bored. I have heard a total of 3 sermons on self control and I am thinking God is trying to tell me something so I better listen!!!

Monday

Yesterday was Monday and it was a GREAT day. We didn't really do anything terribly special or crazy. My mom came over in the morning and asked what I had planned on doing for the day. My plans were...clean the bathrooms,kitchen, floors, take kids to the Dr., laundry, and bible study at night. She decided we needed to go to Belk instead : ) When she called to tell my Grandma that we were going shopping my Grandma decided she really wanted to go too (my Grandma has alzhimers so I will confess my mom and I were thinking it would have been easier if it was just us and the kids). We picked her up and headed to Belk.

We had such a great time!!! Grandma was having a great day and she really just enjoyed the kids so much. We all tried different stuff on and just had fun looking at all the stuff in the store. After shopping we went out to lunch at Red Robin and had a fabulous lunch. (yea my diet was shot yesterday but actually looked up the nutritonal value of everything and I didn't do too horribly) In all the day was amazing and I am so thankful my Grandma came because even if she isn't going to remember this forever I know that I will and I know that my kids had a wonderful day with their Great Grandma. So I am so thankful God allowed us that great simple day together and I am looking forward to more like them. This taught me a lesson of realizing that easier isn't always the way to go.

I did end up getting everything done that I needed to except my floors and I had a great time of learning and discussion at bible study. I LOVE MONDAYS LOL

Quick Catch Up

So it has been a really long time and a lot has happened but I am not going to go through it all. I will just start at the most recent activities...

We with to Dallas last week for my niece's 3rd birthday! Joe unfortunatly couldn't come and neither could my dad because of work so it was just Mom and me off with the kids. It was a 22 hour drive from Naples to Dallas. I know what ya'll are thinking "Crazy people with 2 kids under 4" but really it was awesome! Caden is doing so well right now it is like he is all grown up. He listened and actually seemed to enjoy the drive for the most part I will say he was very ready to get out after the trip back home. Casey slept when she was tired and sang and talked when she was awake so it was really quite pleasant.

We left on Wednesday night at 10p.m. and drove through the night so the kids would be asleep for the most part getting there. I slept a little or tried to anyway because I wasn't feeling well and my mom drank Red Bull and of course drove the whole way because she just can't give up that control LOL it is a joke in our family. We stopped in Alexandria, LA around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday and stayed at a great hotel with the nicest maid ever! She made sure the pull out couch and everything had sheets on it for the kids and she was very helpful. Now I have friends that live in LA so they know a little better than I do the good things about that state...but I really don't have any desire to be there. The people other than the maid, were pretty cranky and tended to be on the scary side and the food actually kinda stunk. So Louisanna I will not be living there if I have my way. We slept in the next morning a little and headed to Dallas. We got in around 12:30 and Mom went to pick up Anna from daycare.

I just have to say that my niece is sooooo adorable. Seriously she is. She is gonna be a star one day I just know it. She thrives in the spotlight and I know she will be singing with her Mom in church in just a few years. Heidi bought her a microphone the sunday we were up there and while Heidi practiced with the church band Anna sang and danced.

We got to hear Dave preach (mom had already heard him before but I hadn't) he is really an amazing pastor. I loved t sermon on self control and he did a great job presenting it.

We went shopping a little and went out for food a lot. It was a very fun trip especially going to IKEA I love that place! Heidi was sick so she was not near as active this time but we still did a lot and it was very very fun.

I will post pics soon. The ride home was really great too we didn't leave at night we took a full 2 days to drive it and the kids were great again. We are all happy to be home in our own beds though since Casey now has a cough and fever.