And the schedules start...

I have mixed feelings about going back to school this year. We need the income, but I was so incredibly spoiled being home all summer long. I had a clean house, good meals cooked, and quality children time. But the time has come for school to start again. Part of me is glad. I love structure and schedules. I am a stickler for them and operate so much better knowing what my time frame for the day is. Me and the hubster sat down and scheduled our chores in the calender as well as when to work out...we are both working on that one. I just email Kristin my schedule for the kids since she will be watching them part-time. I wrote lists of my meals and what I need for the store. I was in schedule bliss this week.

I still have a few loose ends and am feeling a bit overwhelmed at everything that needs to be done over the next months and seasons, but I know it will get done in a timely and orderly manner (thanks to my schedule). I wasn't able to finish all my projects for the summer...the basement is still a mess, my rooms didn't get painted, and everything is not in perfect order...but I know that my kids had fun with me home and I enjoyed every minute making memories with them, unscheduled.


Happy back to school everyone!

Say Wha???

So I was talking to my darling hubby last night while watching the Olympics (which are amazing to watch and make me feel like I should have stayed with Synchronized Swimming. Why is THAT not on TV? :)). Sorry very long side note. If you know me, you know that is oh so normal.

Anyway, I was talking to my darling hubby last night while watching the Olympics about how I am sarcastic. Seriously, I am trying to work on this problem. I could not make it through a routine (it was gymnastics) without making a comment. I mean, really, the intense pressure on these people makes me SO nervous that I am like a child again...covering my eyes in the movie part that I was not supposed to watch but secretly looking through the cracks in my fingers. We have all done it. Not you, you say? Then certainly you looked between your elbow and the floor to watch who's shoes were going by while you played Heads Up Seven Up. Now that I have proven my point that we all cheat through the cracks, or at least that I do and have no dignity left, I was nervous watching last night and when I'm nervous I ramble and when I ramble I am sarcastic! Okay, sorry for the rambling. See what I mean.

I think we started talking about this because I mentioned how I felt like reading my blog is like reading an essay written by a high schooler at times. I am short, to the point, and not always myself. Therefore, I have decided to erase all the blogs that I have previously written and start over. Okay, if you are looking down to see if they are still there, I was just kidding. Who has the time for that? To make a long story short, if you read my blog after this post and it is a big sarcastic or boring (because I can be that too :)), I"m sorry. However, I would hate to disappoint all those that flock to my blog daily (all one, and I only update like once a week tops) by letting them think that my life is as boring as my blogs. Really, it is, but that is okay. I love it anyway.


MOVING ON>>>

As a mom, I have decided that I want to keep a funny little list of random things that my kids say. I want to be able to remember them or look back and laugh my head off at how darn stinking cute they were (or weren't). I am thinking that I will carry around a little notebook or email them to myself and compile them somewhere. I can already think of so many that I have probably missed and won't get back. Here are a few that may (or may not) be making the book. Okay, I lie, they will all be there and it will be a thousand pages long. I write big.


Asher (obviously, Avery can't really talk): Mommy, look out my nono.
Me: Look out your window? Can you say window? WINDOW?
Asher (disgusted): Mommy, me can't say that word!

Asher to Auntie Janna while they were going up on the Wizzer, a roller coaster at G.A.:
Auntie, you is going to like this!

Asher to me: Mommy, you understand? You understand what I am saying? (where did he learn that?)

Asher to someone (name withheld) after they passed gas: (name), you pooped?

Asher to me in the car: Mommy, this a Jesus song. me like Jesus music please.

Asher when he messed up: Oh crap, I mean oh dear.

Asher to me when I asked him to do something: Say what?

During the Olympics: go SA go SA

More to come later. :)

Time flies when you're turning ONE!

The day has come that I officially have two toddlers in the house. Avery turned one on Saturday the 9th. We had a fun day hanging out with just our family and then cake and a few presents at my in-laws that night. We are having a rather large family party on Sunday which will be lots of fun.

My little girl has grown so much (okay, not really) this past year. She is still on the tiny side for being one, but she was a peanut at 6 pounds 9 ounces, 19" when she was born. She was an extremely easy labor too, which carried over into her entire personality. I can still remember going into labor last year a day before my due date while dancing around to Backyardigans with Asher sick on the couch. It was 11:00 at night and the dancing made my water break. I never went into labor with Asher, just had my water break, so it was expected that I would be put on pitocin with Avery since the same thing happened again. She was a quick five hour labor with only ONE push! Daddy barely made it into the room because she came so quickly!

Naming her was a whole other story. Mike and I each had our own names picked out. I wanted Lillian (Lilly) and Mike wanted Lauren or Callie. We knew that her middle name was going to be Jane after Mike's Mom. Asher's middle name is David after my Dad, so it was Mike's turn for a family name. Plus, I always have liked the name. We were told she had to be named by 1:00 on Saturday for it to be on the birth certificate, so we were under a deadline. The same thing happened with Asher. He was so many different names in three days! Adrienne helped us read down through the baby books and websites trying to find one. All three of the names Mike and I had picked just did not look like her. We liked several names, but the meanings just did not fit. Avery was a name my sister and I had discussed and liked. We found that it meant elf-like warrior, which was not what I wanted a little girl's name to be. However, at the last second Adge found that it means Noble for a girl. Thank goodness!

I am so glad that we had our little ones so close together after all. They are great buddies at times, and Asher is learning how to be compassionate to others. Avery is so easy going and loving. She is always smiling, which is what everyone comments about when they see her. Her entire face lights up. She is a mommy's girl, which makes me happy after having a daddy's boy! I am very grateful of the gift of a little girl that God has entrusted in me. Watching her grow and learn so many things brings such a joy to my life.

As of today...Avery can say:
Mama, Dada, Ash, Asher, Baba, Dat (that), Mo (More), Hi, and yes...not bad!

We can't walk yet! Oh well, I've learned not to push that because then I have to chase her!

She's grown too. Currently, she is 16 pounds, 6 ounces (1% average), 28 inches (13%). We are tiny, but that is okay. She's growing which is all that matters. Here are a few of my favorite Avery pictures from her first year.

Right after she was born on August 9th, 2007


First time meeting Lolli (my mom).


Quality Auntie time.


EVERYTHING ends up in this child's mouth. It is a true test of babyproofing!


Chilling on vacation.


First Birthday Fun...

Fun in the Sun...More Picture Updates

We had a busy busy busy month of July. I love that month because everyone is in full summer fun. It also helps that it is my birthday month which means PRESENTS. Who doesn't love their birthday month?

We had a great 4th of July...which should have been posted long long ago. I know, slacker stay at home summer mom gets nothing done. Sorry people. My in-laws live right on the parade route so we always have perfect seats for the Vernon Hills parade every year. We started our festivities on the 3rd with me and Mike going to the Taste of Chicago and then watching fireworks on our friend's boat. We honestly thought we were going to get killed at the Taste. That is a blog for a later date I suppose when I finally have my will in place. Probably should get to work on that one. Let's just say while we were there, we did not move a one point for 20 minutes, saw a fight that involved a good 50 people, and almost were trampled my a mob of people running from what we found out later was a shooting right by US. I'm good on the Taste for a few years I suppose.

Anyway, here a few pictures from the fourth. By the end Asher looked incredibly patriotic with all his stickers. If only he could vote!


We then went to Target and got a Slip n' Slide and baby pool and all proceeded to have water fights...all of us over the age of 19 that is! We're all kids at heart.



I spent some quality time with my best friend (and PREGNANT, Yeah) Emily from Florida..


We chilled with Adrienne, the best haircutting horn playing summer babysitting friend that a girl could ask for!


And went to the Lake County Fair with Kristin, Aubrey, and Mr. Bartholomew. Asher is obsessed with our friend Kristin, which is good since she is going to help us out with babysitting next year. The Fair was fun. We saw our first tractor pull (which was loud, smokey, dirty, and kind of weird) and my first rodeo (which did NOT have bull riding. Come on people, I want crazy bulls not crazy HORSES).




I'll keep the pictures coming. I have several other events to post before SCHOOL STARTS! Boo. :)