9 years

today is our nine year anniversary. i definitely married the right man and even though things have been tough with all these moves and a new career, we are definitely ment to be together!!

i'm hoping to post some pictures of our wedding. i think it would be fun to show you all what we looked like. =)

bucket

abigayle wanted in the bucket blake was nice enough to help
she is getting a little scared at this point

screaming now
i mean honestly... who wouldn't be scared?

one leg in the bucket

the other leg sticking straight out

and being man-handled by your brother

honestly, i'm surprised the bucket didn't tip over.
she made it!!

blake pushes her in

then so kindly helped her out

it was so sweet to see them play happily together!!

beyond hot

well yesterday was beyond hot over here. yes, i grew up in the valley and yes, i've dealt with many hot days but yesterday was soooo bad. between the weekend being 100 degrees while we were sick and then yesterday being, and i'm not joking, 106 degrees AT THE BEACH, it was miserable. the actual 106 degrees is really not that unusual for valley weather and it really isn't that bad if you have an air conditioner, fans or other methods of cooling yourself but here at the beach, we don't have air conditioning at, we don't even have overhead fans an any room except our bedroom and the breeze was still. the house was so hot and we were sweat buckets!! after loosing probably 5 lbs in sweat, i loaded up the kids and we headed to target to enjoy their air conditioning for about an hour. we just mainly wondered around since brayden wasn't feeling well and i was still not feeling great. we looked at all the toys and found some great ideas for abigayle for her birthday, got daddy some medicine and bought new toothbrushes so we won't get sick again. after target i made milkshakes to help cool us off and turned on the sprinklers for the kids to play in. they had so much fun!!!

abigayle would try to sit on the sprinkler. it was too funny!! and blake loved to run and jump over it. see the rainbow?

here's brayden jumping through the sprinkler, and rainbow!

wet brayden.

i wonder where abigayle learned to sit on the sprinkler, lol.

wet blake.

wet brothers, having a super fun time playing!!

although... now that i look at this picture more, brayden doesn't look too thrilled. they were actually having so much fun standing there and talking about how much they love playing together. oh well... i still love these boys!!

totally

i'm totally... tired of being sick. feeling much better today but would love to have more energy.

i'm totally... hot!! it is not hot like fresno hot, but it is very hot for san pedro. plus the breeze has stopped, my house doesn't have overhead fans and it doesn't have an air conditioner. there is no escaping the heat, plus when you are sick, it just makes it miserable.

i'm totally... tired of cleaning. i feel like i clean and clean and clean but nothing is ever clean long. i've been sick for the last two days and the house has gone to pot. i totally should be cleaning right now but have no energy, thinking about napping with the kids =)

i'm totally... enjoying living right next to the beach. the weather is usually perfect.

i'm totally... loving how cute my kids are. i might be a little partial but they do the cutest things =)

i'm totally... loving my dog right now. sally, my golden retriever, has fallen in love with me all over again, lol. she constantly follows me everywhere, even in the bathroom. i went to take a bath yesterday and heard her scratching on the door just before i climbed in. she came in and laid down right next to the tub for the first few minutes, then wanted to give kisses. i thought she was thirsty so i filled a bath toy boat with cold water but she didn't want it, she only wanted to give me kisses. so instead dog licks on my face, i offered her my leg, lol.

i'm totally... still in love with my husband!! even though he doesn't like to cuddle when he is hot or when he is sick (yes, he is still sick too) and all i want when i'm sick is to cuddle... i still love him. plus, sally cuddled with me so i still got my cuddles in, lol.

love this man

I just love this man!!

We were ment to be together...

through thick and thin...

He is my soul mate.

coffee

i'm 30 years old with three young children. i can't remember the last night i've slept all night without waking, i rarely get a nap and hardly ever get to sleep in. i clean and cook and clean and teach and clean and the kids destroy faster than i can keep it all in order. i see all these other mommies enjoying coffee, looking awake and energized and no matter how many ways i've tried it, i just don't like it. i've wanted to love it, i've even wanted to just like it but honestly it tastes like dirt. yes... i said dirt. i've tried it cold, i've tried it hot. i've used creamer. i've used sugar. i've used folgers and every other brand i could find. i've tasted coffee from starbucks and other 'professional' coffee shops and none has even remotely been what i would consider tasty. i will admit i love love love the way it smells though. i walk down the coffee isle in the grocery store just to smell the yumminess. i just wish it tasted the way it smelled. oh... that would be so yummy!!

i think my husband secretly loves to watch me try coffee or even tea for that fact. he'll tell me that his cup tastes really good and he's sure i'd like it. i'll take a sip and i just can't help but make funny faces at the disgusting taste in my mouth (and to set the record straight wine makes me make these horrible faces too, actually worse than coffee or tea, lol). i always see him smile and laugh and i'm sure he now does this on purpose.

you know... as i think about this, i think maybe my mom sat him down before we got married and told him about this. as far back as i can remember, my mom drank coffee. her coffee preferences have changed over the years but it has always been coffee in the mornings and after desert at family get togethers. she also enjoys hot chinese tea. i honestly don't remember her ever asking me to try coffee but i remember, oh... i don't know... probably about 800 times to taste chinese tea. we'd be sitting at a chinese restaurant with that little teapot on the table and those tiny little chinese cups and she'd say and i quote, "LeAnna, you should try this. I know you don't like tea, but this tea is really good." so... i'd try it. all 800 times i'd try it and all 800 times i'd make funny faces, she'd laugh and i'd say i'd never try it again. until next time of course.

mom likes starbucks, cold, something with whipped cream and carmel and who knows what else. i try it every time, make my funny faces, laugh and just drink my hot chai. yes i know chai is tea but it tastes more like pumpkin pie that any tea so... i like it =) while mom was visiting this weekend she insisted we stop at the coffee bean. i honestly don't mind stopping, just spending time with my mom is the fun part. we go in and i see pumpkin coffee displayed on the wall. i try to convince her to order it since i LOVE pumpkin but know i probably won't like it so i'm not willing to order it myself. she refuses. flat out refuses and says she wants to order hazelnut. hazelnut, really?? i don't like the way hazelnut tastes or even smells but that's what she orders. she asks if i want a taste. can you guess what i said? yep... i said ok. i take a very small taste (i've learned over the years to take very small sips) and... are you ready... it was good. i thought maybe i may have tasted some part not blended with the coffee so i took another taste, and then another and OH MY GOODNESS... THIS STUFF IS GREAT!! seriously it tasted like a coffee milkshake sent from heaven!!! i could have drank that entire cup. i held back and shared with my mom considering she did buy it and it was hers but now i'm thinking about that wonderful sip (or four) and thinking that there is hope for me. i wonder what makes their coffee blended drinks so different? i wonder what the pumpkin one tastes like? i wonder if it'll taste that good next time? i wonder if i were to drink that much coffee if i'd feel the caffeine work??!! i wonder when i can try it again? until i can, i'll have to look at this yummy picture and drool.

dinner

i made a fabulous dinner the other night. i'm talking lip smacking good, kinda dinner!! i was at the meat counter buying chicken and noticed ribs on sale. i originally planned on putting them in the crock pot since that is the only way i know how to cook them but i decided to try something new and bake them in the oven. i'm always willing to try something new at least once, you never know... you might find something amazing!!

i googled some recipes and then came up with this:
equal parts sugar and salt plus pepper or paprika to taste
pat mixture on both sides of meat
place in 9x13 pan
add water 1/2 way up the ribs
place in 250 degree oven for 1 hour
turn over and cook for an additional 1 hour.
drain liquid and slather with bbq sauce
increase heat to 400 degrees and bake for an additional 30 minutes.
let me just tell you... they become finger licking good!!

the potatoes were wonderful too. super simple but super yummy! i just cut cleaned and chopped the potatoes, added oil, fresh rosemary, fresh thyme and lots and lots of garlic. i baked it in my broiler and kept a close eye on it so they wouldn't burn. i turned them frequently and they were perfect. thanks pammy for the great potato recipe!

i must admit, there wasn't much talking during dinner that night. we were focused on eating =)

potty training

well... it's about time i got down to potty training abigayle. she's been showing signs since new jersey but honestly diapers were so much easier on that super duper long drive from new jersey to california, then we didn't know how long we were going to stay in cali or where we were going to end up. can you imagine stopping every hour for her to go potty or the backtracking we could be doing with all the moving and confusion? but now that we are settled i'm ready to give up diapers.

wow... give up diapers?? i've been changing diapers for over 5 1/2 years, every single day.

i should own stock in huggies, lol.

potty training is going great!! they say boys are harder than girls but since my boys potty trained so easily i had my doubts that it would go as smoothly but she's doing it!! i don't use the fancy potty chairs that sing with toys and such, i will not use pull-ups and i don't use treats or bribes, i just took off her diaper and let her run around naked or in a little dress. she's had very few accidents and they've all been when she's put on an outfit and forgotten, lol.

we went to the grocery store yesterday, i, of course, threw a diaper on her and she proceeded to tell me every time she had to go potty. it was four times throughout our shopping trip, lol. can we say hydrated??!! i'd tell her she can go potty in her diaper and she'd push her little lips out and move her eyebrows down and tell me 'no'. she wanted her potty, lol. once she starts holding it for longer periods of time, we'll start venturing out without diapers all together!!

i only posted the picture of her going potty, i have more, you know... for bribing purposes later, lol.

homeschool

we've decided to home school our children.

i know some of you might think we are crazy

but to be honest...

we kinda think we are crazy too.

but at this point in our lives

this is what is best for us and our children.

judge or don't judge

agree or don't agree

it doesn't matter.

i promise my children will turn out great!!

i've been teaching preschool stuff

off and on for quite some time now

but brayden is officially

old enough to start kindergarten.

the schools here in san pedro

just started school on monday

so our official home school has also begun.

blake was very excited to officially start preschool

but was very upset when his tower of counting blocks fell.

he quickly got over it and did great the rest of the day!

brayden has a much longer attention span

and is doing great!!

he is remembering what i previously taught

and really enjoys school

as long as we stay at home.

for some reason, i only took pictures while doing math
but i'll take more pictures and post our other
project and lessons as we go along.

they are enjoying learning
and ask for more school work every day!

now... if i can only get them to ask for more chores everyday
my life would be sooo much easier, lol.

mommies sick day

so... like i said yesterday,

i had a massive migraine.

i used to get these often but thank God

i haven't gotten but a few since i've been

pregnant and/or nursing

during the last 5 1/2 years.

i hate, hate, hate taking anything

that might affect my babies.

i don't even like taking tylenol or anything stronger

so... i'm very thankful.

but... last night was a completely different story.

yesterday started off fun and exciting.

we did school

(i'll post pictures and explain soon)

then headed off to run our errands.

everything went smooth expect my

headache continued to get worse

and worse

and worse.

until i finally took some tylenol.

it was so bad the tylenol didn't even phase it.

i would have been in tears

except that only makes it worse

i know from past experience.

thankfully chuck made it home

and helped with the kids

and gave me stronger meds.

my kids were so sweet.

beware... below is a picture.

i don't look great but it shows how mommies

take sick days.

here i lay,

in a massive amount of pain,

nursing (and yes, she is really nursing) ab's to sleep,

holding an icepack,

with blue bear and kitty kitty

on my lap to make me feel better.

and here is a picture of the 'presents'

i received to make me feel better too.
can you see the joy, uh, pain on my face?
brayden spent probably 15 minutes
collecting things around the house to make these presents for me.
he was so proud of his presents
and just new they were going to make me feel better.
the presents were sweet
but the cuddles i got after were so much greater.

thankfully today,
the pain is gone
but as anyone who has had a migraine knows
the next day... you feel like a mack truck has run you over.
tomorrow will be better.

head... hurts...

i have a massive headache today
but i have such cute pictures
and updates to do...

they will have to wait till i feel better.

sorry =(

first day of school

school starts today for our local school district
which means our homeschooling starts today as well.

both my boys are so incredibly excited!

the first official day of kindergarten for brayden
and the first official day of preschool for blake.
ab's is scheduled to color, eat, nap and officially begin potty training.
i know she is young but she is totally ready.

i'll post pictures tonight =)

makeup

my daughter loves everything girl.

from shoes to purses to baby dolls to... make up.

honestly... how can you get mad

when you see that super cute smiling face???

i told her she looked pretty

and left her creation on for awhile.

this is what she used this time.

my mascara, her lipstick.

diapers

are you ready??
i'm going to give my official opinion on diapers.
i know you are probably so excited to read this blog, lol.

i've only had three children
and there are many other mommy's out there who have more
but i think any mom who has had just one child
is an expert on diapers.
we all know how many diapers you go through with just one =)

when my babies were ittie bittie,
they loved to be on the changing table.
they would coo and talk and smile and just melt my heart!!
remember when they had no control and they would
just pee right on you? lol.

when they became a toddler,
it became a challenge to keep them still long enough
to get that diaper fastened.
you all remember those days,
running after your toddler,
watching them belly laugh as you see their cute little bootie
running as fast as they can away from you =)

then operation 'no more diapers' starts.
you start thinking of all the money you'll save
and how you'll not miss the smell of a poopie diaper.
little does the first time mommy know
there are lots and lots more bootie wipings to come, no worries =)

i honestly don't mind changing diapers.
weird, i know but it's the truth.
i change about 99% of the diapers in this house.
my husband doesn't really prefer to change them.
he is known for holding the baby just close enough
to mommy for them to reach out and ask to be held
and then letting me know a diaper needs to be changed.
he thought he was being sly.
funny huh?? uhhh... NO!
don't worry ladies,
i make him change a diaper here and there
just to make sure he remembers how.

my children are so close in age
i've always had a newborn and a toddler in diapers together.
so since i've been buying diapers
and changing diapers everyday
for 5 & 1/2 years
i'm ready to give my official opinion.

little boys and little girls pee differently.
there is no question about that.
all diapers are slightly different, yes.
but the question is,
is generic actually cheaper?
my answer is no.
you can doubt me
or even try to debate it with me
but i stand firm on 'no'.

i've given the generic diaper a try with each baby.
and each time i've said that it wasn't worth it.
i've just gone through my third try with ab's
(since girls are supposed to be better with generic)
and i'm sorely disappointed.

not only did they give her a diaper rash
but they are sized smaller and hold less pee than my huggies brand.

i cannot figure out how they are saving me money.
since the diapers are smaller
i should actually be buying the next size larger
which means less diapers per box for the same amount of money.
they hold less pee.
so i'm changing her diaper twice as often.
as as much as i don't mind changing diapers
i sure don't want to change them constantly.
and... i'm now paying for diaper rash cream.

generic diapers do not equal savings in my book!

i know... to each his own.
but my opinion stands firm.

generic diapers equal more money not less, period.

mommy elephant

have you ever seen a mommy elephant?
she is quiet, peaceful and even-tempered.
she doesn't allow any disobedience
but doesn't hold a grudge or frown upon the misbehavior.

i saw on tv a line of elephants walking through the desert
there were babies in the line
and when they were walking with the group everything was ok
but as soon as the baby started to wonder
the mommy elephant reached out and smacked
her baby with her trunk
and pushed her baby back in line.
the baby was stunned but when he looked back up at his mommy
she was peacefully walking back in the line.
she didn't smack him more than once,
she didn't count to three,
she didn't give a long lecture,
she wasn't frowning,
she was peacefully walking once again.
there was an immediate consequence for a bad behavior.
i'm sure the baby learned very quickly what he was allowed to do.

i think this would be a great way to parent.
lay out the rules
lay out the consequences
and then act - quickly and consistently every time!
no multiple warnings. no counting to three.
simple obey the first time
or there will be consequences. period.
isn't obedience one of the first lessons we teach our children anyways?
isn't obedience absolutly vital in their (and our) lives?
i'm not sure why it is so hard but... it is.
i find the hardest part to be the walking peacefully again though.
i tend to let my children's actions affect my mood for the rest of the day.

today i am going to try to behave more like a mommy elephant
even-tempered, non-grudge holding, walking peacefully through my day.



a quick picture of my cute kiddos.
yes, there is an extra little one in the picture
but i'll clam her as one of my own =)

such a fun weekend

well... it's been awhile
but i'm back again =)

with all the craziness of unpacking
and all these special birthdays we have been celebrating
i haven't found time to blog.

plus, without pictures
blogging isn't much fun.

but... i found my camera cord!!
i'll download the tons of pictures i have
and start tonight or tomorrow
getting things caught up.