Borders Obsession

I'm obsessed...with Borders Book store.  The good news is that my obsession is soon to be over since it is closing in seven days, bad news is that it is closing in seven days!  They have such great deals that I can't wait to go back and see what has been marked down even more.  A great example is that there was a cookbook I wanted and the first "sale" day we went it was $32, originally $40.  I didn't get it but went back a week later and it was $8, rang up as $4-now that's an awesome deal!  I'm not sure anyone I told understood my enthusiasm but at least I was entertained for a while.  I've gotten kids books, games, Christmas presents, fiction books, and some random other things.  I went yesterday but am already trying to decide if I should go back tomorrow or wait till Monday, surely by then they will just give you what you want-right?
The obvious problem is that they are running out of books.  Most of my "wish list" cook books are gone, all the kids stuff is gone, the good movies and cds are gone but I am always hopeful they find something else in the back or from another store to put out.
Hope everyone likes books, because most likely you will be getting one from me for Christmas!

Kindergarten

Jackson and Daddy
before heading to bus stop

waiting for the bus!

Wow, as much as I can't believe Lauren is 4 I really can't believe I have a kid in Kindergarten!  Today is his fourth day and so far he has loved it.  He says his favorite part is PE but he doesn't remember what they did there.  He also likes lunch because you can eat whatever you want first.  In preschool the teachers made you eat your sandwich before chips/treats.  I thought it was funny he was so amazed with his new-found freedom.

Getting off the bus on the first day-
Such a happy face to see!

On the second day he didn't get off the bus so I had to stop it as it was pulling away, and there he was, sitting on the first row.  After the clueless bus driver told me she didn't know who any of the kids were I told him to get off and asked why he had stayed on.  He said the kid sitting by him didn't move.  We had a little talk about asking people to move when its time for you to get off the school bus.  Other than that little issue everything has gone perfect.
He loves his teacher and a friend that we have know since he was a baby is in his class.  I think it always helps to have a familiar face in a new situation.
I went yesterday to help with lunch and it was cute seeing all the kids.  They aren't allowed to talk during lunch and there is classical music playing in the background.  Jackson was so cute, wanting to hold my hand and have me stand by him the whole time.  I know that before long he won't want me to come help his class so I appreciated the opportunity.

I told him I would make whatever he wanted for
dinner after the first day of school. He chose
Grilled Cheese, Corn on the cob and Watermelon.



Keep up the good work Jackson, we are so proud of you!

Birthday Girl

First off, to the one person who keeps checking my blog, thanks for not giving up on me during my recent hiatus.  Amanda has been sleeping in the office which greatly interferes with my computer time!

Last week my "baby" Lauren turned 4!  She was SO excited to be the "Birthday Girl."  It even coincided with her first day of preschool, so we were able to bring cupcakes in to share with her classmates. 

Class singing Happy Birthday

Lauren is developing so much personality and is becoming pretty funny.  She also loves playing with Jackson and Amanda.  She has been missing her brother since he started school a few days ago(that post to come next...).

Pink and Purple puppy dog cake at the pool.  She wouldn't
take the princess crown off all day!

I had planned a little pool party for Lauren on Friday with our neighbors Katie and Annie and two friends from her class last year.  She was incredibly excited to be having a party, and I was excited it was a low key gathering of pizza and cake at the pool:).  Well, the night before the party one mom called because her daughter was sick and then the following morning the other classmates mom called because that girl was sick too.  Of course, I put on a sympathetic, but straight face when telling Lauren about this.  She looked sad for a minute but recovered quickly.  Meanwhile, I cried.  not sure if I can still blame that on post-partum hormones.  I just felt sad for her, I think Jason thought I was crazy.
It ended up working out nicely.  I called another friend, telling her I was throwing together a last minute get together, and she met us at the pool, with Katie and Annie.  The kids all seemed to have a fun time.


We also went to Greensboro for the "family birthdays" and Lauren wouldn't leave my moms side for very long.  It was cute to see her so loving.  Mom gave her a book about leprechauns/pot of gold/rainbows which was just what Lauren had been asking for. 

Reading with grandma

Birthday Pancakes with chocolate chips
and a candle!  A great was to start the day.

Showing Daddy the "beautiful jewels"
on the princess dress she got. 

Happy Birthday to my fun loving, sometimes dramatic, fashionable little girl!

Why Crafts should always be supervised....

The other day I had a friend over and the kids were all running around crazy so I pulled out some markers, crayons, stickers and paper for them to do crafts with at the kitchen table-sounds pretty harmless I was thinking....
First they found the glue sticks, then the glue bottle.  Still going ok minus some popsicle sticks glued down to the table.  My friend and I were talking in the family room.  We couldn't fully see them but could hear what was going on.
I stepped into the kitchen to check on them and noticed the scissors (not even sure where they found them) were out and Lauren was cutting her hair.  Definitely something lots of kids do but it could go bad quickly.  Luckily she just made some "bangs" before I got in there, and cut some hair underneath the rest so it blends in without being noticed.  Who knows where she was headed!

Before......

A couple days later we went and got her hair cut, and I think it actually turned out really cute!

....and after

Lacivita Beach Week, July 2011

Notice the beer and chicken bone....

Two years ago when we all went to the beach I decided to change the name of the trip from beach vacation to family reunion because with two kids it was no vacation.  I remember telling Lauren, who was almost 2 at the time, that I was going to throw her in the ocean and even though I really wouldn't do that I was close:).  Fast forward two years and I might actually call this trip a vacation!  Even with having three kids there this time.  It was fun to see family that we don't get to spend a lot of time with and my kids love playing with their cousins, aunts, uncles, etc.

We had some rainy days in the middle of the week but that allowed plenty of time for crafts and games.  The rain did make the walk to the pier a little more stressful but Jason saved the day by getting the car.  Judy kindly gave us an umbrella, but little did she realize that one umbrella and 4 kids is not the best mix-everyone wanted it:).  I did venture upstairs sometimes to find my kids watching a whole new slew of tv shows, and to their dismay, I usually ended up bringing them back downstairs.  One of the cousins quickly learned to turn the tv off when I got to the top of the stairs...

Cousins hanging out upstairs

Of course, there was plenty of food, like always. Edited to add-Ok, I knew we ate a lot but just started going thru the pics to see if we had any with food and there are a ton! Here are some.....

Taco Night

Grilling.  I'm not even sure what was grilled

because it rarely made it upstairs

Jason making shrimp burgers.  I think thats some firefly
in his cup....

Needless to say, he really loved the dessert....

"Everytime I put a slice of bacon on the
plate it disappears!"

She managed to eat the whole burger.....

Yes, we even bought a deep fryer and had fried Ice Cream,
Onions, Zucchini, Chicken Nuggets, poppers, French Fries, hash browns,
and many other "not-so healthy" items

Fruit Kabobs, Thanks Holly!

A. Lynn making breakfast

We also had a great time playing in the sand, walking to the pier, swimming in the ocean, playing softball, volleyball and bocce ball(game is better than the drink!).  Jackson learned to ride the waves in-thanks for the lessons uncle Mike! 

And, for the parting question--who is coming next year??

Calling All Supermoms

I recently received an email about an agency looking for "SuperMoms" in North Carolina to do a documentary about.  I have no interest in being on reality TV but was interested to see what they considered a supermom.  When I think of Supermom some of the following adjectives come to mind-caring, supportive, helpful, fun, loving, engaging.  I think of the friends who continue to take great care of their kids in the face of adversity; when parents or kids get cancer or other illnesses; special needs kids and their parents; etc...  Then I read their description:

Do you pride yourself in being heavily involved in your child’s activities? Do you feel that your children are gifted with superior abilities in sports and/or the performing arts? Are you, without question, your child’s biggest cheerleader? Will you go above and beyond to make sure that your child can achieve his or her dreams? Have you and your friends bonded over a shared passion for your children’s activities?

A new television docu-series is seeking a passionate, dynamic group of Moms that we can follow in their pursuit of their children’s excellence! Raising an exceptional kid is hard work, and this series aims to capture the ups and downs, the triumphs and the losses, and the camaraderie that passionate and extremely involved mothers of gifted children share. If you feel that other parents across the country would be inspired by you, your children and your circle of friends, please contact us!

Is it just me, or do these people seem crazy?  I agree, "Raising an exceptional kid is hard work," but I have a different idea of exceptional!  It reminds me of the moms from the show Toddlers and Tiaras, which I don't watch but have seen bits and pieces of.  They invest so much time and energy for their kids to compete in beauty pageants, and most of the time the kids could care less, they would rather be off playing like a regular toddler.
I have a shirt that says "Stay At Home Rock Star" on it.  Not my typical shirt but a friend sent it to me with a note that only said "because you are one."  I think I'll proudly wear my shirt while being relieve I didn't fit reality TVs description of a Supermom.  
 
"Every beetle is a gazelle in the eyes of its mother." - African proverb

Operation Wax Bean and Plum

Operation Yellow wax beans and plums was neither failure or success....
Following my cousins advice I wrapped the beans in foil with olive oil and salt and Jason grilled them.  I cut one plum up and said everyone had to try one piece-sounded fair to me:).
Jason said they beans tasted better than he remembered so that was a plus, especially since I still have more to use up.  I thought they were pretty good and appreciated the fact that it was something different than corn or broccoli!!  The kids kept calling them "yellow green beans," and then would laugh hysterically which was funny to us the first couple times but got old quickly.  We had a piece of chocolate cake so we said that whoever ate a slice of a plum could have some cake.  Lauren, my sweet lover, quickly decided to try a plum.  She said she liked it but took really small, maybe minuscule, bites; however, she eventually finished her piece and ate the rest of dinner so she got some cake.  Jackson refused to try the plum and we said it was either 5 beans or a slice of plum or no cake.  After many attempts at trying to get us to change our minds he was still at square one-beans/plum vs cake.  Guess what-no cake for him.  Sometimes he can be very stubborn-I wonder who he gets that from?
Since I ate my beans and plum I'm off to eat my cake!
-should I tell the kids I still have 4 plums left???

Dinner time....again

I love to bake and like to cook but I despise planning dinner.  I feel like I cook the same things a lot and would like a little variety.  One of the problems is that my family likes things very plain and simple.  Last week I attempted to get a little creative and made stuffed peppers one night and chicken kiev with ricotta cheese another night.  Needless to say, I enjoyed dinner but no one else in the family did. 
So, this week we have had pasta and meatballs, brats, and chicken.  Now I'm stumped for tonight.  No idea what to make.  Other than something simple-no casseroles or sauces or too much creativity.  (edited to add that its the next day now-last night I made hot dogs, mac and cheese and carrots, definitely falls in the plain and simple category but everyone ate all their dinner).
We recently signed up for something called Absolute Organics.  You pay them to deliver organic, mostly local, fruits and vegetables to your door.  We get a small box every other week.  I enjoy this because it has caused me to try some things that I normally would not eat.  This week I am contemplating what to do with the yellow wax beans and plums.  My kids have never had plums but they refuse to try them-ugh.  The good thing is that you can choose what food items you want delivered so if its something I know we won't eat I just cross that off the list.  Also, whatever we have left I can puree for Amanda and freeze, luckily she eats everything and is not picky yet!
So back to the age old question-Whats for Dinner???

Blueberries and Boone

Lauren picking her berries before
running off and playing

Nothing like an afternoon nap
outside in Boone, I miss those days....

We had a nice weekend in Boone and enjoyed the cooler weather they have up there!  Its blueberry season (usually runs July 4th-labor day), so we picked a bunch of berries.  Usually the kids pick a lot but this year they picked a few and then ran off to play with their cousins-I'll have to train them better next year, nothing like kid labor!

Cuddle time with Grandma

We also went to Howards Knob, which is about 1,000 feet above Boone so you get a great view of Appalachian's campus and the town.  The kids had fun climbing on the rocks and exploring.  I had Amanda in the sling and was just glad we all made it out of there alive!!

See why I was happy we all survived,
Lauren is becoming pretty adventurous

me-"please sit still and take one
picture with Mommy," is that too much to ask???

Jackson's legs were tired so he decided
to try using his hands

Laurens "secret cave" on Howards Knob

Busy Week!

-took a while to post this from last weekend...-

Our fourth of July weekend started off with cleaning the mini-van, not the most exciting thing you want to do on a holiday weekend.  Probably because of the van cleaning we tried to cram as much fun as we could into the rest of the weekend!  We are not ready to be on a swagger wagon commercial yet!

We love Aunt Sarah
and her blueberry lollipops!

On Sunday we got up and went to the Columbia Zoo.  It was perfect because we got there a little after 9 before it was too crowded or hot.  We saw lots of animals and even watched the penguins eat.  It would have been more fun if the penguin habitat didn't stink so bad!  That night Sarah came over for dinner and to hang out.  Its been nice seeing her more and spending time together (there's another "shout out" Sarah!!).

Lauren riding a pony

Amanda loved the
chocolate ice cream

We missed Sarah SO much that when we got up Monday we decided to go to Big View Diner for breakfast-yummy omelet for me!  Then we went to the neighborhood "parade."  Its just the kids riding bikes around the block and then they get popsicles and a fire truck sprays everyone with water.  The kids had a blast, Jason and I wondered why we go every year when its so hot out there?  Of course, the easy answer is we go for the kids and the fun they have! 

Popsicles after the parade

Having a blast getting sprayed
by the fire hose!

In order to make up for our lameness on Saturday we kept doing activities on Monday.  After the parade we went to see Cars 2.  Lauren liked it and Jackson did not-too scary for him.  Everyone enjoyed their popcorn "lunch."  We finished the day with a cookout at a neighbors house.  It was nice to get out and see some friends we haven't seen in a while.  However, we were the first people to leave-that was a startling realization for me, kinda like cleaning the van was for Jason.  I guess you have to grow up at some point...

Getting ready for first
day of ballet camp-So Excited!

This week Lauren has ballet camp and she loves it!  Its been nice spending time with Jackson, but hard too.  He is so used to Lauren playing with him ALL the time he was really lost without her and would talk about missing her-cute!

tonsils

At Jacksons 5 yr checkup the doctor noticed that his tonsils were very large.  When she started asking questions and I kept answering yes, she referred us to an ENT.  Examples-does he snore-yes; wake up a lot at night-yes; sleep with his head in a funny position-yes; etc...
We met with the ENT on Monday and had an appointment on Thursday to get the tonsils/adenoids removed.  It was hard to know how much to prep Jackson about the procedure, he is afraid of the tongue depressor at the Dr's office!  He got nervous when they drew his blood, Jason was holding him and probably equally nervous:).  But he let them do it and he still says the "red part" was the worst thing.

Playing leapster and spending
time with Amanda before surgery

When we got into a room they had a matchbox car for him and crayons on the bed, telling him that he could color on the sheets and make a track for his car.  Jason had also bought a new game for his leapster so he was all set.  He actually went back into the OR playing the leapster even though he was starting to have trouble focusing because of the "happy drugs" they had given him.  One of the nurses said he was the video game kid of the day!
The surgery center was where we did the in vitro procedures, right next to the hospital where I was on bed rest and had the girls and also connected to the children's hospital/nicu.  It was hard for me to wander around all the places that had become so familiar back in December but overall it wasn't too bad.  At least Jason and I knew where to go and get some breakfast and coffee while Jackson was in surgery.

Post-op, watching tv with Dad and giving
Mom an interesting look.  Notice the popsicle
stained lips??

Everything went well and the doctor said that in relation to body size , Jacksons tonsils were some of the largest he had ever removed and that we could expect to have a totally different kid on our hands.  That made me nervous, was he saying that Jackson will be more rambunctious than he already is???  So far the only difference we have noticed is that his voice sounds higher and "squeakier," we are hoping this will change back some after everything heals.

he requested and ate an entire grilled
cheese sandwich the afternoon
of surgery(about 30 min after Sarah
watched him puke!)

The surgery was six days ago and he is doing great, eating and playing normal.  He even slept through the night last night, I'm definitely hoping he keeps that up!!

siblings

the coveted Clifford bowl

The other day Lauren brought back memories of my own childhood, and especially of my brother, Michael.  We have one bowl that Jackson and Lauren both like, a Clifford bowl.  And guess where it came from.....a neighbor!  (i just realized that as I was typing, good tie in to last post!)  The other morning Lauren came in the kitchen first for breakfast and went to get a bowl.  She pulled the Clifford bowl out and licked it, saying, "now Jackson won't want it and I can have it," with a big smirk.  I have NO clue where she got the idea to lick the bowl but I remember Michael licking things growing up so I wouldn't want them.  Maybe he has been sharing his secrets with Lauren.  My mom would only go to the grocery store once a week so we had one to two days of yummy junk food and then we would have to eat the healthier stuff the rest of the week.  It always seemed that treats came six to a package and there were four of us, so someone would always get two.  Michael would take one and then lick one so no one else would take it!  And yes, over 20 years later I still remember how disgusting I thought that was.  I wasn't sure what to say to Lauren, I was so surprised by that big lick and how her cute little face showed exactly what she was thinking.  Maybe its something that the second born in families do.  I'd ask Jason (hes second born) but I'm afraid he'll just give me a funny look and say, "Leigh Ann, just because your family does that, most do not," and he's probably right...

neighbors

Our latest bag of "treasures"
Check out the long strand of hair bows

The other day I looked out the front door and there was a bag.  Interesting, I thought.  After bringing it in the kids and I discovered it was full of hair bows, head bands, purses, shoes, a baby grass skirt, a pink boa and other miscellaneous items.  The kids had a blast playing with everything, Jackson even got all "dressed" up!  There was no note or clue as to who had left it.  This is not the first time this has happened. 

boa and grass skirt-enough said....

When we got back from the beach in May there was a HUGE box full of ponyville stuff by the front door and a baby float by the garage.  About two weeks ago there was a bag of pool toys and floats by the garage.  In the past we have gotten bags of stickers left on the front door.  Our basketball goal and kid picnic table were also left by different neighbors.  We have had a couple of play sets offered to us.  Laurens princess bike is from a neighbor, and the list goes on and on.
This got Jason and I thinking, are we the neighborhood charity case???  or just fortunate to inherit most of this stuff?  Its always fun to get new things to play with, especially for the kids. 
I am grateful that we live in a neighborhood where we have great neighbors.  Some of our closest friends are in the neighborhood, which makes it easy to have a last minute play date, cookout or a Friday afternoon happy hour.  The kids and I play outside a lot and I have gotten to know many of the neighbors from just being outside.

So to the neighbors-thanks for your smiles and waves and feel free to drop off any "treasures" you think we may enjoy!

6 months!

Jackson, 6 months

Lauren, 6 months

Amanda, 6 months

We went yesterday for Jacksons 5 yr checkup and Amandas 6 month.  Here are the stats for all 3 kids at six months:
Jackson-18lb9oz(75%), 27 3/4" (90%)
Lauren-13lb12oz (10%), 26 3/4" (80%)
Amanda-14lb5oz(25%), 26"(50%)

Jackson, at five years-49lbs (90%), 46 1/4" (95%)

Overall their checkups were good.  Amanda is going on medicine for allergies-hopefully that will help with her noisy breathing that mom always comments about and her cough.  The doctor referred us to an EENT dr because Jacksons tonsils are really big.  She said that would explain why he snores and wakes up frequently at night-sleep apnea.  We go next week to see what that doctor says but are expecting to have the tonsils removed-I'm sure he will really enjoy that.... 

Off to watch the kids contine to grow!