Halloween is Coming!!!

Halloween is definitely one of my favorite holidays, and I'm getting so excited for tomorrow! I can't wait to see Xander's reaction this year, I think this year he will actually understand what's really going on. I've been trying to get him ready by explaining to him what happens when he says "Trick or Treat!", but it wasn't until watching Dora this morning that I think he finally realized what I was saying yesterday. When he saw her say "Trick or Treat!" and then get candy he got quite excited and kept saying "Ohh! Dora get Candy!" We had fun yesterday as well. I was doing a makeup look for a contest my friend is having on her makeup blog (Classy Cosmetics-you can get to her site by clicking the link on the right hand side of the blog) and Xander was getting so thrilled by each transformation I was making with the makeup. When I was finally finished he giggled and yelled out "Mommy! You a butterfly! So pretty." It was so cute to see him get so excited. Hooray for Halloween!!

Our Cutie-Patooties

Motherhood can often be very daunting, and these last few weeks were no exception. As I dealt with a very naughty two year old who continually kept doing everything I told him not to, and telling me "NO!" at every turn, I did what any mother in my situation would do.... I called my mother. My poor mother innocently answered the phone only to hear her daughter at the end of her wits saying "please save my boy.... please just talk to him.... please... he's doing all he can to make my life miserable.". To which my ever knowledgeable mother replied "Being naughty huh? Sounds like he needs some special mommy time so that he can have the attention that he's desiring from you. Just put down whatever important or needful thing you are doing, bend down and hug that little boy. Then do something with him that gives him good attention instead of the attention he's getting for doing something he shouldn't.". 'Now bow your head in shame', is what should have come next out of her mouth but.... being the great mom that she is she didn't make me feel guilty for not realizing what was really going on with my little one. And of course, like always, she was right. Sometimes the "important" and "needful" things of life tend to overshadow the truly important and needful things like time spent with our little ones. I'm happy to report that the rest of the night was spent having tons of fun with my little guys. I just want to thank my mother for her love, kindness, and never ending wisdom; and more importantly... my little one who just wanted to spend some time with me. I love you Xander!! (You too Blaynie-boo!)

I'm Still Standing

We finally began potty training a couple of weeks ago. It began with a rough start. The first week was very difficult, but we just had to laugh about the funny things he did. One day we could tell that Xander had to go #2, so he dissappeared into the bathroom, (he does not like us to be in the bathroom when he goes, he wants his privacy) then, a couple of minutes later, Codi went back into the bathroom, and was greeted with a terrible smell. He went in his pull up and was in the process of scooping his stuff out of his pullup and putting it into the toilet. He listened to us and went in the toilet. Since that he has been doing pretty well. Knock on wood.
Blayne is about to crawl. Xander wont stop talking. And two little ones are keeping us very active.


Codi got a new hairdo, and doesn't she look good?

I Remember It Being Cooler

When I was younger there was this place that I thought was so cool. Giraffes, Ostriches and Zebras came up to your car and ate out of your hand. Well, it is not that great as an adult. The animals area all dirty, they area little too aggressive and it only lasted for about 15 minutes. But to hear Xander scream at the top of his lungs at the camel sticking his tongue through the cracks or the seeing the Ostrich peck at the window and hearing mommy freaking out, was well worth it.

Our First REAL Vacation

Day 1- Drive to Missouri
Day 2- Actually pay for a show that belongs in a high school talent show
Day 3- Watch Mormon Branson Performing Families attend church together
Day 4- See my sister Lindsey blow chunks before 10:00
Day 5- Have a cute Ukranian rub oil over our bodies
Day 6- See a seashell like temple
Day 7- Have our first date alone since Xander was born
Day 8- Turn painfully red in a matter of hours
Day 9- Pay $50 to be taken 15 feet into a cave

But, we did have a lot of fun. Thanks mom and dad.

I Hate When...

- People dress their animals in humans clothing.
- Oprah talks.
- I get stuck on hold with ATT
- When producers make the best food every and then discontinue the items, leaving us the consumers with a void in our diets, with nothing similar enough to fill it. Let me give you two examples:

1. Alpha Bits- You might be saying, "Zach, they still make Alpha Bits," to which I would respond, "NO, They Don't." They make nasty cardboard like substitutes. Imagine my disappointment when I see the Alpha Bits box after years of missing them, making myself a somewhat large bowl of cereal, taking my born again virgin Alpha Bits mouth and what in the world, they took all the sugar out and replaced the yummy Alpha Bits with cardboard. I am not happy General Mills, not happy at all.
2. Dunkeroos- Is it sad that I sometimes dream about food and end up eating that certain food for breakfast. I think this is a sign of obesity, but I am OK with that. I think obesity will look good on me. Well one night I had a dream about a kangaroo jumping into icing. I woke up the next morning looking forward to grocery shopping that day and had planned on buying half a bakers dozen boxes of the lovable Dunkeroos. For those of you who do not know what Dunkeroos are they are these cinnamon graham crackers that you dip in this delicious sprinkled icing. And you know what, they stopped making them in the US. I was beyond disappointed and could not find anything to fill that void. Teddy Grahams in icing were not the same, and believe me I tried it. I got on line to find out that they still make them in Canada, so I ordered a box on Amazon, thinking I would get two or three boxes, and this is what happened, Christmas in July for both Xander and I. We may or may not have eaten two boxes the first night. Like I said, I think obesity will fit me well...

The Most Traumatic Day of Xander's Life

We had just gotten back from a long drive from Dallas for Isabel's blessing and decided that Xander's blanket needed to be washed. We grabbed the blanket, thought we were being very sneaky about it, and put it in the washing machine. The sound that erupted after the washing machine started should have made the neighbors call the police. He had the tantrum of his life. We tried to explain that we were just cleaning it, that it was taking a bath, but it took him a while to calm down. He eventually grabbed his stool and sat and watched his blanket for most of the wash. Every time he saw his blanket emerge from the ball of clothes he yelled, "blanket" Very traumatic....