High School Reunion

We went to my 10 year class reunion this weekend at Power Park in Charleston. I wasn't sure what to expect since I haven't kept in touch with hardly anyone I graduated with. But, to my surprise, it was pretty easy to chat with everyone and catch up on what everyone had been up to. We had a great time. Everyone was going out after the game, but Matt and I decided not to since we knew we would be up at 6 a.m. with the kids. We were extremely tired the next day, and so were the kids. All 3 slept for the entire ride home which again is terrific for Matt and me!

Yesterday, the kids slept quite a bit as well (catching up on missed sleep from the weekend). Nolan took about a 4 hour nap, which we had to wake him up from. Nathan took about three 2 hour naps, and Natalie once again is back on her 2 nap a day schedule.

Here are some reunion pics, though several people are missing from these. And a cute pic of Nolan I took this morning!

Family Reunion.

This past weekend, we went back to Charleston for a family reunion. I totally forgot to bring my camera, so anybody who's got some pictures, please send them to me! We had a really nice time, and saw some relatives we hadn't seen in quite a while. The kids were extremely tired from the busy weekend, and are still catching up on sleep!

We got to swim in Mom-o and Pops' pool. Nolan had a blast jumping in and letting people catch him. Natalie, on the other hand, floated around on a raft that Matt was pushing. When I tried to take over and float her around, she became upset. For some reason, she only wanted Matt with her in the pool!

Our trip back home was much more pleasant than the ride in. Going in, Nathan and Natalie barely slept, and Nathan cried for at least 30 minutes straight (to the point his voice got hoarse). On the way back, however, all three slept until we were almost at our exit. We'll be making the trip in again this weekend, and I am hoping that the kids will be able to tolerate another 3 hour car ride without too much crying!

Going to the Pool

Matt decided to take a day off work today, and we didn't want to waste a day at the house. We packed up the kids, and headed off to a local pool. I was expecting your typical public pool with a 6 x 6 kiddie pool that was questionably warm...I was blown away by the kids section at this pool. There was a slide, and areas where water shot out of the play apparatus. This was so great for the kids! Nolan and Natalie were so excited to get in and play. The water was probably no more than 18 inches at it's deepest, so Natalie could walk around all over. Nolan went down the slide over and over again! He also spoke to nearly every adult he passed by including the lifeguard!

Natalie then got curious about the actual pool there. So Matt took her in while I watched the boys. I then got Nolan's attention long enough to point out the big pool that Daddy and Natalie were in. We went over to join them. We stayed in the area that was 2 feet deep. Nolan could walk around with no problems, and Natalie could touch well enough to stand. Each took turns climbing out of the pool and having Matt catch them. My little dare devil Natalie was trying do everything herself, and if given the chance, I believe she would have jumped in with no one to catch her. She dipped under a few times, but this did not phase her in the least. She once climbed out of the pool while the rest of us were in, and darted across the concrete. Luckily a mom nearby saw me getting out to chase her, and stopped Natalie for me. She apologized for picking her up, but I told her no problem and thanks!

We hope to be able to do this again. It was so packed today, I can only imagine how crowded it must be on the weekends!

More Summer Fun

The kids got in the pool again yesterday...though Natalie would rather swing or find other toys to play with. I'm trying to get Nolan to hold his breath and go under water, but he's shying away from this idea.

Bees

This week has been pretty uneventful so far...other than Nolan getting stung by a sweat bee (he handled it quite well). He had just stepped outside to get in the truck to go to Wal-Mart with Matt, when the bee flew right down the back of his shirt. It stung him 4 or 5 times. He cried a little, and I offered for him to stay with me, but he still wanted to go with Daddy of course. By the time they returned, you couldn't even see the marks anymore.

Our neighbor Matt let some fireworks off the other night (Natalie in bed once again). At first, Nolan was scared...we were inside, and I told him we could go outside and see. Matt was on his back deck throwing fireworks off it....and then Nolan became very excited. Next thing we knew, Matt was hollering for Nolan to come out front. He gave him some Snappers (the little "fireworks" you throw on the ground and pop). He really enjoyed these though it created quite a mess afterwards.

Natalie is trying to speak a little more now. She is beginning to say "no" and is imitating the things that Nolan says (but very inaudible). She is definitely a child to do things in her own time...I guess we should have seen this coming since she did keep her umbilical cord for 13 weeks!!!

On a side note, Nolan has quite a large vocabulary, but still gets a little confused sometimes. Now, after he brushes his teeth, he asks if we would like to smell his brain!

Cooper's Rock

This week, my grandparents and Matt's parents pulled their campers up to Cooper's Rock to camp for a few days. Nolan spent Sunday through Tuesday night camping with them and had lots of fun. Matt, Natalie, Nathan, and I went to the camp in the evenings to visit and to eat some good food!

Here are some pics from the week...check out Natalie's new hiding place!

Wrecks, Ducks and Ice Cream

This week started out with a bang...or should I say "crash". Sunday evening, Matt, Nolan, and I were outside watering the flowers (Nat and Nate were both asleep). We were chatting with our neighbor when we heard tires screeching from the main road. The screeches stopped then started again, and before we knew it, we heard a loud crash and saw dust consume the end of the street. Of course we all took off to the scene to see what had happened (Nolan and I kept our distance in case someone was hurt). A boy had flipped his SUV about 15 feet from the last townhouse on our street and came extremely close to taking out a power pole. It landed on the driver's side, but luckily the boy was okay. After about 30 or more people had gathered to see the wreck, Nolan and I walked back to the house. Then about 5 minutes later, the emergency vehicles began arriving, and Nolan told Matt, "Let's go take a closer look." So the boys walked back to the accident so Nolan could check out the tow truck, fire truck, police car and ambulance. (The picture is very blurry...it was after 9 o'clock at night).

We've also been feeding our duck friends that frequent our backyard. They always seem to come out once Natalie is in bed, so Nolan is the only one who gets to see them and feed them some crackers.

We went to the park yesterday evening and then stayed outside for a bit so the kids could play with our neighbor's kids. Nolan decided he was going to bring all the kids some water in his new Spongebob Dixie Cups. He brought the boys their cups first and then brought out a cup for himself and Natalie. Well, one of the neighbor boys had finished his water, and as Nolan was bringing out the cups for he and Natalie, the boy asked Nolan for some more water. He poured water from his cup into the boy's cup. Then he noticed that the cups for he and Natalie were uneven, so he poured the water from the full cup into the nearly empty cup....I'm surprised he didn't just give Natalie the cup with little water....but this just proves what a good big brother he is (though once Natalie got her cup, she just dumped all the water on the ground.) Nolan and the neighbor boy rode their tricycles in the driveway, and this was great because Nolan has never really attempted to ride his before, and he did a pretty good job!

Today Pop-paw David and Shirley came to visit. The kids had a good visit with them. They brought Nolan a change purse, Natalie a purse, and Nathan a T-shirt from their trip out West. They also brought them a DVD about Yellowstone for everyone to share. About 2 hours after they left, we had a little storm blow through. It blew down a tree in the backyard, and sent our pool flying down to the creek (the pool is okay). Then the sun peeked through again before we knew it. As soon as Natalie went to bed this evening, I heard jingles coming from outside. It was the Ice Cream Truck!!! So Nolan got to enjoy some ice cream for the evening. At first I though, "poor Natalie, missing out on the ice cream truck," but then remembered she couldn't have had the ice cream anyway, so it was probably best that she was in bed.

Catch Up

Our computer was on the blink this past week, and it's finally working properly again thanks to a friend of Matt. At least Nolan was gone this week...he would have been so upset if he couldn't play on the computer. Nolan has been gone since Sunday. He spent Sunday through Tuesday with Granny & Poppy, and spent Wednesday through today with Mom-o and Pops. They brought him back home to us today, and boy did we miss him like crazy, though I talked to him on the phone each day. We really appreciate the time that eveyone took to keep Nolan. Maybe next time will be Natalie's turn...she would definitely love to soak up some grandparent attention all to herself!

It was nice to have some one on one time with Natalie. She actually got to play with whatever toys she wanted without Nolan trying to swipe them from her. I tried to work with her on her speaking skills, but we didn't make too much progress. She is so different than how Nolan was...She will play by herself for a good bit, and isn't too fond of getting a whole lot of affection. She likes affection, but only when she wants it. When she was sitting on my lap the other evening, I rested my hand on her leg. Well, she wasn't too keen on that and pushed my hand away. She also got upset with Matt and was trying to smack him...she kept missing, and wouldn't give up the thought of hitting him....when she finally whacked him, she just sat right down beside of him like everything was okay then.

Nathan has really discovered his voice. He razzes, and changes the pitch of his voice. He is such a wonderful little baby. He rarely cries unless he really needs something...and to me, it's normally very easy to figure out what he needs. I can lay him down awake, and he falls asleep on his own. He normally doesn't wake up crying which gives me time to make him a bottle without being in a rush. He's just so very pleasant.

Our Pool

We got our pool!!! We all loaded up and went to Wal-Mart after we had been driving around the town for a while...so needless to say, the kids were a little restless from being in the van for a while. We probably spent only 15 minutes in the store, and I grabbed the first pool I came across...and luckily, it was a nice sized pool and cheap!

When we got it home, Matt realized that his fittings to the air compressor are buried somewhere in a box in our storage unit, so he asked our neighbor Matt if he had something we could use. He let us borrow his compressor that you plug into the cigarette lighter in your car. So, we all sat outside anxiously awaiting the inflation of the pool...and we waited, and waited, and waited!!!! After about an hour, it was finally ready...however, the air compressor burnt up (guess we will be buying Matt a new one!) It was nearly 7 o'clock before water was in the pool, but we went ahead and let the kids get in. They were in again yesterday evening and having a blast!

Sprayed

It's been so warm here lately, and we haven't bought the kids a pool yet. Yesterday evening we decided to take the kids outside and let them play with the water hose. Nolan liked getting sprayed, but Natalie did not. We filled up the empty sandbox with water, and let them get in. I know this is very "redneck", but who cares...they had fun. Our neighbor Matt was outside as well and he too got in on the action. He had his water hose out and there were times when Nolan was getting a double dose of water hose spray! Natalie is really coming around to men. Not only did she like JJ, she also kept running of to Matt (the neighbor). She was jabbering to him and every time we picked her up and took her back to our house, she would immediately scurry back over to Matt. I think today, we may try to go to Wal-Mart or somewhere to actually buy a little kiddie pool. This may be a good way to keep the kids entertained while we are outside.

Our Big Night Out

Saturday, Matt and I went to a wedding reception in Wheeling for our friends Andrea and Jamie. Steve and Teresa (Mom-o & Pops) came up to our house and stayed the night to watch the kids. It was so great to have a whole night to ourselves!!! I was actually able to enjoy myself without worrying to death about the kids. We didn't even call to check in until the next morning! The reception was very nice. It was held at a doctor's home (more like a mansion). There was an open bar, seafood, a D.J. etc... We got really dressed up for the party, and I probably splurged a little on the dress, but I rarely spend money on myself, so I guess it's okay! I mostly hung out with Farah and JJ's girlfriend Mary Beth (whom I cheered with at Concord...small world).

So we left the reception around midnight and went back to our hotel. Silly me...instead of deciding to call it a night and go to sleep, I said we should go to a bar. We ended up getting back to the room after 2am. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling my best the next morning! We slept in till about 10 or so and then met up with Jake & Farah, and JJ and Mary Beth at Bob Evans for breakfast. Everyone ate a pretty good breakfast except for me (I could only stomach some toast). All in all, it was a great trip and a nice break from the kids. I can't tell you the last time that Matt and I have been kidless for an entire night!

When we got home, the kids were very excited to see us. Nolan ran to me, and Natalie to Matt (I guess she'll be a Daddy's girl like me). Steve and Teresa said they didn't have any problems other than Nathan rolling over at night and needing to be flipped back over onto his tummy. We REALLY appreciate them coming up and watching the kids for us.

Yesterday, JJ and Mary Beth came over to the house and hung out for a while. Natalie went right to him...which is very unusual since she normally takes a while to warm up to strangers. Even when he wanted to get up and put her down, she fussed and wouldn't put her feet on the floor, so JJ just put her back on his lap. JJ was really great with the kids. He got on the floor and bounced around acting like a monkey...both Natalie and Nolan really got a kick out of this. Nolan kept asking him to do it over and over again. We may meet up with them again this evening for dinner...not sure how that would go with all three kids at a restaurant, but it's worth a shot.

Here's a couple more shots of the reception.

Family Picture & Park Fun

So the photo of all three kids didn't go exactly as planned. I dressed the boys in their matching outfits, and put Natalie in a pretty dress, and tried to get everyone situated for a "perfect" photo. Guess I shouldn't have set my expectations so high. Nolan threw a fit because he doesn't like for me to take his picture, and Natalie just would not sit still. Little Nathan cooperated of course, but that's simply because he's not yet mobile. So later that evening, after everyone had their baths, Nolan was feeling very loving toward Nathan and wanted to hold him. I made Matt run to get the camera, and then placed Natalie beside the boys. It took several shots and a few scratches from Natalie to Nolan, but we got one that was halfway decent.


Yesterday was beautiful again. We went to the park before dinner. The kids had a blast as usual. It was a little on the warm side, and the sun was very bright. I put hats on all the kids, but Natalie refused to wear hers. Nolan really enjoys swinging and climbing. Natalie was more interested in playing in the sand. Nathan just hung out in the shade. On the way back, we tried to walk so the sun was not blaring in our eyes. However, on the final street, we were attacked by blinding sun. Poor little Nathan was screaming because the sun was right in his face. Then I picked up the pace to get to the house as quickly as possible. I was sweating and felt my legs burning! I had to wait for Matt and Nolan to catch up at the house since Matt had the garage door opener, but I least we could wait in the shade. When we got inside, Nolan said, "SHEW...what a hard day!" I just laughed and said, "It must be really hard for you to drive your truck and for Natalie and Nathan to be pushed in a stroller." Matt and I are the ones walking and pushing a double stroller with about 45 pounds worth of kids is not exactly a breeze....but it's definitely worth it to watch the kids have so much fun playing at the park!

Boring Week

Not a lot has gone on the past week. We had a few days of rainy weather, so we were quite boring. Yesterday was nice, so we all decided to walk to the park. The kids had lots of fun, and on the way back, we saw that a house in the neighborhood was having an open house. So, we all went in and took a look. It was out of our price range by at least $40,000, but it was still fun to look. Our townhouse is bigger than that house. It was nice, but again, too expensive and too small (this seems to be the story of our lives). There is another house for sale in the subdivision too, and it is in our price range. I would like to go see it too, but I'd rather wait and see if they have an open house on it. I doubt we buy anytime soon since we still don't know our fate in this area as far as Matt's job is concerned.

I've still been trying to get a picture of all the kids together. I bought matching shirts for the boys, but Nolan has been contrary this morning and refuses to wear his. I vow to get a picture today...I really want to put my new printer to work and print a nice picture of all the kids together. Wish me luck!!!

Outside Fun & Other Stuff

The last several days have been absolutely gorgeous. I have a hard time trying to get all the kids outside during the day while Matt is at work...so we decided to hang the baby swing under the deck so Nathan could sit there and I wouldn't have to hold him. Well, turns out that Natalie likes the swing too. So it looks like we may need to mount another swing.

Nolan is becoming more "boy-like". He has discovered how to make mud! He calls it dirty chocolate milk. It's doing a number on his clothes...but that's what boys are about, right? He is also the social butterfly of the community. This evening, I had the windows open, and Nolan stood there talking to all the people that were outside. He told them that he was going to drive his truck to the park and Daddy was going to walk with him. He then kept talking and talking...he was talking to our neighbor, Matt. Matt was trying to talk to someone else outside (couldn't really see him), and finally Nolan said, "Hey! Are you listening to me?"

Granny taught Nolan that in the bathroom, number 1 means pee and number 2 means poop. Nolan has added on to this. Number 3 means "talk" and number 4 means "don't talk". So the other day, I was fixing chicken for dinner and Nolan stood on his chair and asked if he could help. He reached to touch the meat, and I stopped him. I said "There are 2 reasons you can't touch that. Number 1, you haven't washed your hands. And, number 2, this meat is yucky when it's not cooked." Nolan then said to me "No Mommy, number 1 means pee and number 2 means poop. I didn't know how to respond to this other than to giggle.

Nathan is really growing. He had his 4 month check up last week, and I was surprised at how much he had beefed up. He now weighs 15 1/2 pounds. I pulled out my baby books for Nolan and Natalie to see how big they were at this age. Amazingly, Nathan weighs more than either of them did. I never would've guessed this since he weighed about a full pound less at birth. He's still a little shorter than the others, but I'm sure he will catch up.
The doctor asked me is Nathan was fooling me into thinking that he was cutting teeth. I told him that he was drooling quite a bit. The doctor said that 100% of 4 month olds drool, and about 1% are actually cutting teeth. Then he looked into Nathan's mouth. Low and behold, a tooth is coming. I told the doctor too, that my other two kids both had cut their teeth at 4 months as well. He was really shocked.

My little princess Natalie is turning out to be the roughest of the bunch. She not only looks like her Daddy but acts like him too!!! When she gets hurt, she doesn't really cry...she just gets mad. She can be such a little angel at times, but then she can also be a holy terror. She falls to the floor screaming and crying and then flops her legs until she starts scooting backwards. I had to catch this moment on camera....that way we can show her boyfriends that she's not one to be reckoned with.

Missing Mother on Mother's Day

So, tomorrow is Mother's Day. I am so thankful for my family, and each of my children is so special to me. The only thing that is missing is my mother. I miss her so dearly, and think of her every day. This holiday though, really hurts.

I miss her for so many reasons...some are quite selfish. I hate that she never became a grandmother. I hate that she never got to hold one of my babies. I hate that she can't give me a hug when I've had a bad day. I know she would be giving me tons of parenting advice, and I hate that I can't argue with her on what's right (we're both stubborn). I hate trying to explain to my kids that Mommaw Linda is in heaven...and we can't see her. I hate knowing that they will never miss her because they never knew her. I am so jealous of people who have their mothers to watch their kids....though my mom said she wasn't going to be a babysitter (yeah right...she would've loved every minute of it...especially when she could send them back to me). I hate trying to make sense of everything in my head....why did this happen to her??? I hate that nothing I do can take away the pain.

I loved my mother so much. Even though we fought like cats and dogs when I was a teenager, we really bonded when I went to college. I guess living in the same house with someone so much like yourself can be hard. I used to get on to her for the way she kissed me. It was as if she licked her lips before planting one on me. What I would give to have one of those wet kisses now. If only I hadn't taken things for granted. She always told me how proud she was of me....I just wish she could be here now to tell me I'm a good mother. I know that's crazy, but I still long for her approval.

I know this entry has nothing to do with the kids, but I had to get this down. So everyone who reads this, and your mother is still alive. Give her a kiss and hug. Ask her about her childhood and have her tell you about yours. Mothers are the most wonderful people that God created. Tell yours you love her.

Happy Birthday Judson!

This past weekend, we went back to Hurricane for Judson's 3rd birthday party. It was nice to see the family again! The kids really seemed to have a good time. Nolan & Judson played in Judson's playroom and ran around acting silly...making up words and giggling at each other! Judson reminds me so much of Jason. He's rotten, cute, and awnry all in one. He's such a good kid....but I believe I see "Class Clown" in his future!

Natalie entertained everyone with a little dancing, and Nathan just laid around and let everyone hold him. Les and his family made it to the party too, so we got to see Joe again. I think he may have surpassed Nathan in size now. He's such a little cutie and seems to be a very good baby as well.

So, the party was great, but our trip back to our house left a lot to be desired. Nolan cried for the first hour or so before he finally gave in to sleep. Then, the last 45 minutes of the trip, Natalie and Nathan both came alive and began fussing. Those car seats are so confining, and I know they must get tired of being in the same position for nearly 3 hours. But once we got home, everyone was happy again!

Yesterday was so beautiful!!! Matt decided to take the afternoon off from work, and we did some landscaping. Matt did all the work, and I just kept watch of the kids. Natalie did "help" a little with the soil, and Nolan of course had to be in charge of the water hose. We still have 2 plants left to get into the ground. I love flowers and greenery. This place is starting to feel a little more "homely" now.

Gone Fishin'

Nolan and Matt left to go fishing on Wednesday. Matt's parents (Mom-o & Pops), and my grandparents (Granny & Poppy) both had their campers at Williams River. Matt was supposed to come home on Friday, but due to rainy weather, he came home on Thursday instead. Nolan, however, stayed with everyone for another night, and then went home with Mom-o & Pops. We are going to go there today to see the little man. Usually when he's gone, I worry about how he's doing and wish that I had him back with me...but this time was different. I still miss him of course, but he was in need of a Mom-o fix, and I trust her whole-heartedly with my kids. He'll probably throw a fit when it's time to come back to our house :)

My nephew Judson will be turning 3 tomorrow, so we will be going to his birthday party. I'll get to see all of my grandparents and hopefully I'll see Les and little Joe too. Judson and Nolan should be very happy to see each other. Nolan helped me pick out Judson's present and birthday card. The card wasn't the one I would have picked out, but every time I suggested a different card, he said "No. This one." So we got the one Nolan wanted...

Matt and I did a little work outside yesterday. He prepped the front yard for some landscaping, and I planted a couple flowers in pots. We still have to figure out what we want to plant, and go buy the stuff. I guess we're trying to make this place feel more like home. We drove around some yesterday too, to some areas that I had never been. There were some nice places, but I'm sure the cost of housing is just as expensive. I sometimes think that if we "just had a house" that I may like it here....but then again, I think I miss my family and friends back home more than I miss a "house". Matt is doing very well with his job, and I feel that if he wants to stay here longer than 2 or 3 years, then we should. He is the sole provider for our family, and I want him to be happy with his job. We have decided that after a year, we will evaluate what we're going to do. So for now, I am trying to enjoy what we've got and be as optimistic as possible.

Spaghetti

Last night, Matt and I didn't really feel like cooking, so we thought we would whip together some spaghetti. We found some wheat noodles that don't contain egg or milk. I was very surprised, but I couldn't really tell a difference. This is good, because the kids and us really like pasta. The downfall is the cleanup. Nolan isn't too bad, but Natalie is always a MESS!!!

Matt was in charge of cleaning the kitchen, and I received the task of cleaning Natalie, her high chair, and the food that she had thrown on the floor. Thankfully, Nathan played peacefully in his bouncy seat while we tackled the mess.

Here are a few more pics of the family. Thought I should get Matt and myself on here too!

From the Mouth of Nolan

So Nolan has his own words that he uses quite frequently. These of course are words that could only come from a 3 year old...I will share some of them with you now.

scretty - (skre-tee) adj. - not too sure of the definition. could possibly imply "sweaty" or something along those lines. This word has been used to describe self, toys, and food (used as an excuse not to do something.) That's too scretty!

Juice prints - noun - from the derivative of "fingerprints". someone (Natalie) has been drinking from his juice cup. Natalie's juice prints are on my cup. (then Mommy must wipe them off)

meangie - (meen-gee) - noun - a name you call someone you are upset with. Could be replaced with a four letter word in nearly any sentence. Get away from me, old meangie.

These are a few of the words he uses on a regular basis. Will these words withstand the test of time, and will Webster's Dictionary pick these up? Time will only tell!

And on another note: A few weeks ago Sharon Stone was on Ellen. Sharon has 3 kids (all boys). Ellen asked her what was the difference between having 2 kids and having 3 kids. Sharon said, "Two is a family, and three is a circus." Truer words have never been spoken!