The Park and Pretending to be Pregnant

I don't have much to say today. Nolan and Natalie are visiting with Mom-o and Pops this week, so I rented a carpet cleaner and have been pretty busy trying to get the house SUPER clean. I thought I'd take a minute to update my blog and post some new pics.

Nathan enjoying the little swing at the park.

Nolan playing in the sand.

Natalie waiting for Nolan to come help her get up to the big slide.

Nolan pretending to be pregnant. He said he was having 4 boys, and no mommy....only boys at his house!

Natalie was going to have a baby girl, or course.

Even Nathan got in on the "pregnant" party!

Summer Fun

We've had a great summer so far. Throughout July, on Fridays, admission to the pool was free. We hit the pool each Friday, and the kids had a great time. The final Friday was the best, because Matt went with us, and 2 of our neighbors came with their kids as well....so the kids had lots of familiar friends to play with. I don't have any pool pics this year cause it's just too hard to take pictures and chase Nathan as well....so I'm sorry.

Last Friday, we went out to eat, and were seated at a table beside Jeff Hostettler, which I thought was pretty cool. We didn't ask for an autograph or anything, but I thought it was neat to be sitting close to a retired NFL player! We had originally told the kids we would go to the mall afterwards to play in the play area, but instead we just decided to head home and let them ride their bikes....which they thought was a great idea! I had the kids dressed in their matching outfits that Mom-o bought them. All their outfits had orange on them, and they just looked so cute....even Natalie sported her orange necklace and bracelet that Granny and Poppy got for her.

The kids also assisted Matt in cleaning his company truck the other day. I had taken Nathan with me to pick up some KFC, and when I got back to the house, the kids were soaked from head to toe and equipped with sponges and brushes. The had a fantastic time helping their daddy but were absolutely drenched! Since I didn't want our food to get too cold, I just put some clean underwear on them and let them eat their dinner in their undies!

Ready to ride....she's sooooo close to being able to reach the pedals. But for now she rides the "Flintstones" way.

Out of the way, Mom.....let me at least get out of the garage!

It's hard to ride and hold this ball at the same time.

Natalie giving the tire a good scrub.

Dripping wet and proud of it!

We've Got Personality!

My little ones are so very unique. Nolan is what I would call very affectionate and caring and also very intelligent as well (not that my other one's aren't smart too!). This little guy has me give him a back massage, back scratch, belly rub, and eyebrow rub each night before bedtime. He loves the touch sensation, and is always eager to give lots of hugs and kisses. Maybe he is this way because I always wanted to hold him nonstop as a baby, since I was still freshly mourning the loss of my mother....this little guy helped me through the worst pain in my life...he's my little angel, and doesn't even know it!

There's no need to mention, at this point, that the kid is obsessed with laundry. Our new neighbor borrowed Matt last night to help hook up her washer and dryer. An excited Nolan got to accompany his daddy for this event. To my surprise, though, he ended up telling me more about playing Wii with our neighbor than the details of her washer and dryer!

Then, there's my precious little girl. Natalie isn't exactly what I would consider a typical girl....which may sprout from being surrounded by boys! She's as rough as they come, and tough as a pine knot! She's the most independent, strong-willed, and determined little girl I have ever been around. She has recently started playing some Dora games on the computer, and within a few days, she no longer needs any assistance....in fact, she becomes agitated if I do try to help her. She still has quite a temper, but is much better controlled than before. She loves to give love as well, but only on her terms! She's become a Mommy's girl here of late, and nothing could make me happier....

Natalie's food allergies are gone....enough so that the doctor felt there was no reason to test her for food allergies at this time, since she has no adverse affects from any type of food now. However, I did tell the doctor about her sneezing fits and that I suspected seasonal allergies....so she was tested for that, and of course she's got them! Some trees, grasses, cats and dogs.....her worst time of year will be the spring, so if the medicine the doctor prescribed doesn't do the trick, we'll have to try some nasal sprays or possibly some shots down the line.

Finally, my little man Nathan....who is as "boy" as they come. He loves trucks and balls and is as awnry as they get! I can't seem to get upset at the little guy no matter what he does because he is SO sweet. He holds his little lips pursed together and grins, walks with his hands behind his back, and is always looking to find something to get into. He is also my little charmer with the females. Anytime we're out (especially restaurants) he's looking for a lady to woo. Last week when we ate out, we were seated beside a table of two young women who were noticeably on a date with each other. Nathan tried his best to win them over, but was unable to do so! Luckily, a little later, a mother and her two girls came to another table close by, and he was able to ham it up with them really well.

One final note on Nathan....which he will love when he's older (yea right).....he normally has a dirty diaper after he wakes from his morning nap. Yesterday was no different. As soon as I walked in the room, I knew he had pooped. When I got a little closer to him, I noticed something on his face.....it was poop! He had taken off his diaper and pooped in the bed. He apparently played in the stuff because he was covered from his head to his toes...and of course it was all over his hands, and he was still sucking his thumb....GROSS! I got him all cleaned up and have decided to never put him to bed again with no pants over his diaper!

Midday Matinee

Matt played 36 holes of golf yesterday, so it was up to me to entertain the kids all day! We decided to have a movie day. We watched "Cars" and I fixed the kids some popcorn, set up their "special seating", and had them pretend to pay me for various things. My name was "Moviena" and I was the movie attendant. Nolan really loved it, and called me Moviena for the rest of the day. Even when the kids had dirty diapers, Nolan asked me how much money it cost to have a diaper changed....and he paid me to change Nathan's diaper, cause he didn't want to sit with him with dirty pants. Nolan even pretended he was at the movies, cause he asked me if we had a bathroom, and I had to show him where it was! It was really cute....I love playing pretend more than anything, because it stretches their imaginations so far.

Ready for the show to start.

Just a cute pic of Nathan that Nolan took. Check out his new big boy haircut :)

Nathan eating a S'more a couple weeks ago! What a mess...and a cute little boy who was proud of it!

VBS and Birthday Party!

A few weeks ago, we sent Nolan to Vacation Bible School at one of our neighbor's churches. He went last year as well, but this time he had a friend with him....or should I say he had his "girlfriend" with him. He had a great time. The kids got "money" for attending each night, bringing a bible, reciting their verses, and answering questions. At the end of the week, the kids got to spend their money on various toys. Nolan had racked up by the end of the week, and had lots of goodies to show for it. I was even shocked on Friday when the shopping was over, and he was showing me all of his stuff. He got a yo-yo, frisbee, baton, etch-a-sketch, slinky, football, and he even knocked me off my feet when he revealed that he had purchased a mirror and some stickers for Natalie!!! I asked my neighbor, who was in charge of the gift table, if she had coaxed him into getting something for Natalie, but she didn't....he did this on his own free will!!! Nothing makes this momma happier than when my kids are super sweet to each other!

This 4th of July weekend, we were pretty busy as well. The 4th was pretty much a wash with all the rain we had, but luckily in the evening it had cleared up enough for Matt and our neighbor Matt to pull out their fireworks. Matt had taken Nolan to see Kung Fu Panda earlier in the evening, so I think all in all, Nolan had a good day....seeing his first movie at the theater and then getting to watch some fireworks in the street. I decided that night to take Nolan downtown to see the actual fireworks show, but it began to rain and Nolan wasn't too interested in these fireworks since we were so far away....so we only lasted about 5 minutes before we headed back home.

Saturday was Morghan's birthday at the neighborhood park. We had a cookout and cake, and the kids got to play on the playground so it was a great day for them as well. The weather was cooperative that day, and thank goodness, cause Nolan had been looking forward to her party for about 2 weeks!

On Sunday, we had been invited to 2 different outdoor events....one being a family reunion on my dad's mother's side, and the other being a cookout at one of Matt's good friends' house. Since my sister was in town, I couldn't miss the opportunity to see her....so Matt and I split up for the day. I took Nolan and Natalie to Spencer for the reunion, and Matt took Nathan to the cookout. I think it was good for Matt and Nathan to have some one-on-one time since it is very rare to have that opportunity. He said Nathan was great as usual, but had a little issue with a little 2 year old girl who only found pleasure in shoving him to the ground. But all things said, they still had fun. As for me and the other two, we had a blast. The reunion was held a park across the street from my dad's house. Nolan and Natalie had so much fun playing at the playground and totally wore themselves out. Back at Dad and Shirley's house the kids got to play with 3 little kittens that Shirley had just acquired from a stray momma cat. They each had to hold all 3 kittens, and Natalie actually picked out one that she called her own....poor little kitten got dropped twice cause Natalie didn't fully understand "placing" the cat down on the ground. We headed for home at around 7 o'clock and got home a little after 9pm. The kids, of course, slept for the entire ride home, and were deliriously tired when I pulled in the garage and told them it was time to go in the house. They both began crying from exhaustion and wanting nothing more than to climb into bed and finish their sleeping.

I'll be getting a little break mid-week, as Matt has to go to Charleston again for a meeting, and he'll be taking Nolan and Natalie to spend the night with Mom-o and Pops. So I'm kind of letting the house go for a few more days until I have a good opportunity for some heavy duty cleaning with less interruption! I'm even considering taking Nathan to the pool as long as we can get a day without rain...which has been nearly impossible so far this summer!

P.S. - Sorry for the lack of pictures....I can't stress how horrible I am at thinking to take lots of pictures!!! I'll try to do better next time. :)

It's a.....

Boy! My cravings were right on...grease, sugar, and anything unhealthy seems to be my prelude for having a boy. Poor Natalie, I know from experience that having brothers can be tough, and I only had two....little Natalie will definitely be a girl who can hold her own...and she already proves it through her toughness now! Next, we'll have to start coming up with some names, though Nolan has already decided on Nathaniel....so we'll see!

Ahh....The Beach!

It's been a long 3 years since we've been on vacation, and we finally were able to go this year.....what a wonderful time we had! I had no doubt that Nolan and Natalie would take to the ocean, but I was a little apprehensive that Nathan wouldn't dig the water at his age, but he proved me wrong! All the kids enjoyed every bit of our beach trip....from the sand to the ocean, the pool to all the fun outings....we had a BLAST!!!

We went to Myrtle Beach (well, Cherry Grove to be exact) last week with Matt's parents. Thank goodness we had them with us, cause it would have been chaotic keeping up with the 3 kids on our own. We spent a few hours each day at the beach playing in the sand and ocean. I was really surprised at how warm the ocean water was for this time of year, but it was just perfect! In the evenings, we planned some outings to the aquarium, the amusement park, the arcade/ice cream shop, and Build-A-Bear. One of the things we did twice was the arcade....which was fantastic because it was the cheapest....and I think the kids enjoyed it just as much as anything else. We had dinner out every night except for one....cause the kids were just too exhausted.

For the most part, the kids were on good behavior all week. Natalie had some issues at the restaurants because she is just 2 years old. One night we went out to eat and sat across from an older couple who were probably in their 70's. Natalie started up her fussiness, and to Matt and my surprise, the older woman across from us started shushing Natalie. Matt and I were appalled by this woman. We did take Natalie out of the restaurant to let her regroup, so I don't know what else this woman expected from us. I guess some people just don't understand that a two year old doesn't act like an adult in restaurants!!! Nathan spent his restaurant time finding people to flirt with. He had so many people to choose from, and won everyone he looked at over with his bright eyes and charming smile!

We ended up doing a couple loads of laundry while we were there, which tickled Nolan. He even offered to help the woman across the hall from us do her laundry as well. He was fascinated by the coin slots on the machines, and insisted on doing that himself. I laughed when I read the directions on the machines, because they said "Never let children operate the machine"....yeah right, Nolan probably could do a complete load by himself, except for the folding!

We are glad to be back home and are settling back into the routine of things....but really hope to be able to go back to the beach in the next year or so! Here are some pics!

Our first night. Flying a kite with Natalie and Nathan.

Nathan figuring out what this sand "stuff" is all about.

Nolan standing in the middle of the sandcastle that Pops built.

Natalie taking a break to have a snack.

Nathan wanted to add his apple to the sandcastle.











Mom-o and Natalie going to find seashells.

Nolan checking out some fish at the aquarium.

Nathan getting a good look at the fish overhead.

Our group...minus Pops, he was the photographer.

Riding the rocket at the arcade.

Fun at the amusement park.

Nathan's favorite ride was on Pops' shoulders.

Another Dr.'s Appointment

I had a doctor's appointment this morning at 9:30, and Nolan was to have an appointment following mine at 10:15. Once again, I must say how disappointed I was with the treatment at the office. I was called back around 9:40 which had me very hopeful. I checked the time at 10:12, and still had not been seen. At 10:30, I went out and found a nurse, to inform her that Nolan was to have an appointment on the Peds side at 10:15, and asked if she could let them know we were running behind. No one came to fill me in on what was taking the doctor so long. Then, Nolan decided he had to go to the bathroom for the third time. While we were in the bathroom, the doctor had come to my room (which was next door the the restroom). Instead of waiting for 30 seconds to see me, she went on to another patient. So, I wasn't seen until 11:00. The doctor was going through my chart, and didn't have my EKG report, so she had to get it. At about 11:15, a nurse came in to inform us that Nolan's doctor would be leaving at 11:30, so we needed to hurry. My appointment turned into a big rush. The doctor did explain why she was running behind...there was another pregnant patient who had been bleeding....so I totally understand her tardiness, but it would have been nice to be let in on the situation. Maybe they could have let Nolan be seen while we were waiting. Baby and I checked out okay. I'm measuring on track, and heartbeat was on track at 150 bpm. I'll have my ultrasound on the 23rd, so I'm anxious for that. I have a strong feeling that it's a boy, but we'll have to wait and see!

I felt so impatient today, because my neighbor was keeping Natalie and Nathan for me, and I told her I would be back around 11:00. She doesn't have baby gates up, and I was concerned that she was having too much work chasing Nathan away from the steps, considering my neighbor is due with her second child at the end of this month and is probably just exhausted from being so pregnant. When we finally got back around noon, my neighbor said the kids were great for her. Nolan and I hadn't eaten anything all day, so I offered to run to McDonald's to get us all some lunch. Natalie and Nolan stayed with my neighbor while I took Nathan with me to pick up our lunch. So this morning has been super hectic, and I'm so tired right now that I feel sort of light-headed. So I believe I will wrap up this posting and lay on the couch for a bit.

Soccer's Over & Jenn's Wedding

After a soccer season filled with stubbornness on Nolan's part, the ending was great. Last Monday, we went to soccer practice only to find out that our team was not practicing that day....however, there was a lady handing out medals to the kids. Nolan was so excited to get his medal...he slept with it for the rest of the week. There's a fall league as well, but after this season, we're not going to enroll him for the fall. Practices would last for an hour, and Nolan participated for only about half the time. He also had yelled "I don't like soccer. It's boring" on a few occasions while standing on the field in the middle of practice. But, I can't complain, cause he was the only 4 year old on the team, and the other kids were 5 & 6. So maybe next Spring, we'll try again, or try a different sport. I think after receiving his medal, though, he may have a different attitude next time around.

This weekend, my best friend Jennifer got married. I was fortunate to be a part of the wedding, and was tickled pink to see her so happy on her wedding day. The wedding was very nice. After the wedding, we headed to the reception, which was outdoor. It was extremely hot that day, but at least the sun wasn't out in full force...so it was bearable. We had planned on taking either Nolan or Natalie, but neither came since they were enjoying the pool with Mom-o and Pops. Here are some pics.

The beautiful bride getting ready for her big day!

Jenn and Aaron at the rehearsal dinner.

Matt and Nathan taking a dip in the pool.

The kids having a blast in the pool.

Natalie drinking hot chocolate, but pretending it was coffee.

Nolan with his pet fish, Hornet. (for you Kelly) :)

Update

It's been a few weeks again since I've updated...so I guess it's time! We've finally had some nice weather again, and have been spending lots of time outside and eating popsicles! We went out to eat the other night at the mall and promised the kids they could play after we ate. Unfortunately, we weren't thinking that it was a Sunday, and by the time we were finished with dinner, the mall had closed and we couldn't get to the play area. So we initiated Plan B and went to Dairy Queen. It had an "outside only" eating area. Nolan and Natalie sat with their cones quietly for the most part. Nathan, however, had no interest in eating any ice cream and walked around flirting with everyone instead. He had many failed attempts at escaping to the road, but we caught him every time and destroyed his plan. I didn't take any pics here, and wish I could have, but we were too busy keeping up with the kids to make sure no one took off! Natalie's face was covered in ice cream, but she enjoyed every second of it (her food allergies have seemed to disappear thankfully). All the people around us were getting lots of laughs from watching our kids get extremely messy and trying to escape! We must have looked like a three ring circus.


Today is the deadline for the father/daughter look alike contest for the local newspaper. I finally got a decent picture of Matt and Natalie together last night....just in time! I just hope it's good enough to capture their likeness!

Here's the pic I submitted.

Nathan the "nakey-butt"

Playing with the water hose.

Is he cute, or what?

Embarrassing Honesty

The other night, Matt was watching one of our neighbor's dogs run through our flowers. He started complaining about the dog and mentioned that he thinks that is the dog that's been pooping in our yard. Matt was thinking out loud of the things he could do to prove his point to the neighbor, and said next time he finds poop in our yard, he would take it down to this neighbor's house and set it on their porch. Nolan told Matt that would not be a very nice thing to do....thanks Nolan for the voice of reason.

Matt and Nolan were outside yesterday evening, and our neighbor and his dog were outside close to our house. Matt was talking to the neighbor, when Nolan asked Matt what his name was. Matt told Nolan what his name was, and then Nolan says, "Terry, my dad wants you to keep your dog out of our yard!" Matt said as soon as Nolan opened his mouth, he knew what was about to come out. Matt was trying to cover Nolan's mouth as soon as he began talking....but it was just too late. So then Matt had to tell Terry that he thought his dog may be one of the dogs that poop in our yard. The neighbor apologized and said he will try to keep on eye on him to make sure he's not messing in our yard anymore.

Hopefully the poop problem has been solved thanks to Nolan. Kids are just honest, what can I say?

So Elated!

I just came from the mailbox, and finally received the preschool letter. Nolan was accepted into the program! He'll start when the public schools are back in session, and will attend four days a week. This will be such a help not only for myself, but for Nolan too. Though he plays well and interacts well with others, he doesn't have much opportunity to be around kids his own age. I'm not expecting him to be gung-ho about attending, but hopefully after a little time he'll be excited too. And the best part for us is - it's free!!! Thank goodness they have this program cause we can't even begin to afford the cost of what the private preschools charge around here.

Weekend with Family

This weekend we went back to Hurricane for Judson's fourth birthday party and Jennifer's wedding shower. We had a really great time at both events. We headed in town on Friday and had an uneventful trip. I had kept the kids up in hopes that they would sleep for the ride in, and luckily they all did. Natalie woke up about 5 miles from the exit, and Matt said, "You're just in time, Natalie. We're almost at Mom-o's house." Next thing you know, Nolan pops right up. His Mom-o sensor kicked in as soon as he heard her name!

We tried a new sleeping arrangement this time, and it turned out to be perfect. Nathan slept in the crib, and Natalie slept in the big bed in the same room. I had concern that Natalie would wake up Nathan or decide to wonder around in the middle of the night, but none of this happened. Matt and I actually got to sleep together without Nolan in the middle. When he's at Mom-o's, he likes to cuddle up with her at night instead!

We headed to Jason and Kim's on Saturday afternoon for the party. The kids were so well-behaved and played very well with each other and the other kids there. Natalie was a happy girl as long as she had a balloon. I had picked out some Superman PJ's for Judson, and felt like such a boring aunt since I didn't get him a toy. However, the pajamas were a hit. They had a Velcro cape that attached to the shirt, and by the end of the party, Judson was wearing the pajamas and pretending that he was Superman.

Saturday evening, Matt and I headed off to Charleston for Jennifer's wedding shower. It was a couple's shower, which I had never been to before, but really enjoyed. It was nice to see Jennifer and Aaron together since I haven't had much of a chance to spend time with the two of them. What a perfect pair. I'm so happy for her and am very much looking forward to their big day!

Sunday, after we had our Mother's Day dinner at Mom-o's we headed back. The weather was terrible, but thankfully the worst of the rain was only in the first 20 minutes of the trip back. Matt and I had taken to-go cups of coffee with us, so unfortunately we did have to stop at a rest area on the way back home. Matt asked Nolan if he needed to use the bathroom, and of course he said he wanted to. So Nolan unfastened his seat belt, but then complained that he was stuck. Somehow, he had locked up his seat belt and had also wrapped it around himself a time or two. When he had tried himself to get out, all of the slack in the belt had retracted. Matt tried everything to get him out of the seat belt, including taking Nolan's pants off. But, nothing worked to get him out, and it just seemed to get tighter and tighter around his belly. I searched the owner's manual trying to find a secret to unlocking the belt. I even sat in my seat, locked up my own seat belt, and tried to figure out if there was a way to unlock it without actually retracting the belt back in...but to no avail. So our last resort was to cut the seat belt off of him. Matt thankfully had a sharp knife with him, and we were able to get Nolan freed. Now, we'll have to take the van to the dealership to get a new seat belt. I told Matt we should ask the mechanics if there is a way to unlock the belts in case this ever happens again.

The kids seemed pretty happy to be back home and they were all pretty exhausted. I'm hoping for some long naps today, so that I too can get some rest! Here are some pics from the weekend.

Now vs. Then

I've got all the kids asleep, and I should be napping too....but today I can't seem to. I'm thinking in my head of the things I used to do and enjoyed so very much....and how these things have changed since becoming a mother. So here we go!

1. I used to love taking a hot bubble bath and soaking for about an hour ,with candles lit, and maybe playing some soft music to set the tone. Now, my baths are taken rarely alone and with lukewarm water. Someone is usually trying to pour water over my head, or someone is standing close by asking me if I want some bath toys!

2. I used to love coming home after getting a haircut and working in front of a mirror trying to find a new way to style my hair. These days, after a haircut, I have little ones who want to brush my hair for me and make it look great!

3. I used to love driving in my sporty car with the windows rolled down and the radio cranked way up. Now, I drive a minivan with windows sometimes cracked to keep too much air off the kids. The radio is just loud enough for me to hear so my music doesn't interfere with the kids' DVD.

4. I used to love spending a day cleaning my house like crazy! Sweeping every crumb, wiping down every wall, and cleaning windows till they shined. These days, I have little helpers all around. They help me dust and sweep and put away dishes. As soon as the house is clean though, I find little sticky handprints all around and new crumbs scattered on the floor.

As much as I miss my time to myself, I wouldn't trade the "now" for the "then." My kids are great, and there is so much love in our house. I'll take the dirty handprints, the minivan, the crowded baths, and the crazy hair...because I know one day I'll have time to myself and will miss all these things (well, maybe not the minivan).