Reagan @ the Zoo

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After a very crazy night in what has turned out to be a crazy week, I did end up going with Reagan's class to the Zoo on Thursday. Even though Jack was sick and I was up all night the night before w/ him, even spending a few hours in the emergency room. But, I just felt like I couldn't disappoint Reagan. When I told her that I didn't think I was going to be able to go she started crying uncontrollably. So I decided that Jack was well enough to leave with Chris and Lili and I went w/ Reagan to the zoo. Even though it was exhausting I am glad I went. These are the kinds of things I wanted to be able to do as a stay @ home mom. So, even though I am tired and now I am also sick it was worth it to see the smile on her face. I hope that this weekend proves to be relaxing. I am finally caught up on my posting for the week and will post again when I have more to say. Happy Memorial Day, spend it with your families, I know I will! p.s. pause the music :)

J.C.'s Confirmation

On Tuesday night we had J.C.'s confirmation. Which just means that he made the choice for himself to become a member of the Catholic church. It was a big deal around here for us b/c it just goes to show how much he is growing up and becoming the kind of man God wants him to be. I will be the first to admit that I don't preach a lot. I don't like to talk about religion and I don't Bible beat. But, that doesn't mean that I don't have a relationship with God or that I am not a religious person b/c I am. So I was very happy that J.C. decided to officially become a Catholic and even happier that he chose Chris to be his sponsor. You see Chris is his Godfather and I have often said that if it weren't for that fact we might not have ended up together. I also think it is good for Chris to have that reminder every once in a while that someone is looking up to him. That he should remember to walk straight b/c he is leading others, and not just his own kids. Plus, it just seems like the natural progression of things, my dad was Chris' sponsor and now Chris is J.C.'s. Who knows maybe someday He will be Jack's or at least I would like to hope for that. Congratulations we love you! Oh yeah and the first picture is of J.C. w/ Zach Rooney and the other one is of him w/ the Bishop.

Chuck E. Cheese Where a Kid Can Be a Kid

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Last Monday Chris took half a day off work and we went to Chuck E. Cheese to celebrate Dee Dee's potty training achievements. Of course while we were there she peed her pants but hey I can't ask for perfection all of the time right? Anyway they had a great time so I thought I would share some of the photos and video. It was exhausting, but they loved it and they are still talking about it! Once, again pause the music so you can hear the video. (Maybe I don't like the music after all)

David Cook is a Guitar Hero

Okay so I am a HUGE American Idol fan and for the first time the contestant I liked won!!! Yeah David Cook. Maybe you all think I am crazy but I think this video is totally sexy! It aired during the finale and I just had to go find it. So Enjoy! By the way I have a ton of other stuff to post and I am working on it so check back soon! P.S. Don't forget to scroll down and pause the music so you can hear the video!

Music

Okay I have caved. I have added music to the blog. I know for some people this can be annoying, but it is about 1 in the morning and I am bored. I should be sleeping b/c we had an exhausting day today that I will probably blog about in the morning. But, no here I am unable to sleep and messing around on the computer. So, hence the music. I happen to have a very eclectic taste in music, or at least I tend to like a lot of different types of music. I think I get it from my dad. So, for anyone who is interested the first song on my playlist is my favorite song of all time. Yes it is instrumental, and yes it is an oldie, but I love it! For some reason it moves me, no words just music, and it moves me. The second one, is in turn my second favorite song of all time. I remember exactly where I was the first time I heard it and exactly who I was with, and even thought I don't remember how old I was I know I was really young, 7 or 8 maybe. The rest are just some of my general favorites. My favorite country song, my favorite show tune, the song Chris and I danced to @ our wedding, and my current song stuck in my head from the movie Juno. So I hope you all enjoy it, and maybe it gives some insight into me as a person. If you don't like it, just scroll to the bottom of the page and press pause! Talk to ya'll again in the morning!

My Babies Aren't Babies Anymore...

Well, what a weekend we had around here! Since it was the first weekend we had in a long time where we knew we didn't have plans, I decided to hunker down and potty train Dee Dee. I had noticed that whenever I would put a pull up or panties on her she didn't seem to mind if she peed in them, but if she was naked then she would usually go to the potty. So, I left her naked all weekend. She did great! We had one accident when she pooped in an empty laundry basket, but overall I would consider it a success! You have no idea how glad I will be to have her out of diapers. She will probably still wear one at night for a while but I can deal w/ that. The other momentous thing that happened around here this weekend was that Jack slept in a big boy bed for the first time last night. See, I promised Jack's crib to Chris' cousin Ana who has a four month old baby and another who will be two in August that isn't ready to give up his crib. Well when Dee was born we bought another crib for Reagan that turned into a toddler bed. Since Ana already has four kids and this baby is their last, it seemed silly for her to buy another crib when I had one in my basement. I went to the basement yesterday to get the parts of our other crib to put it together. Problem being that when I went to find all of the pieces I couldn't find the front part of the front of the bed that makes it a crib. So I decided to go ahead and put the toddler bed front on. After all, Jack is 18 months old and Reagan was about 20 months when she started sleeping in it and Dee was his age when she started sleeping in a queen size bed with Reagan. He is our best sleeper anyway, so I thought it was worth a shot. He did great too! I think I may give him a couple of days and see how well he naps in it before I call Ana to pick up the crib. Just yet another reminder that my babies are growing up too fast and that they aren't really babies anymore. They are all toddlers now!

Mushrooms!

For the past three weeks Chris has been spending many afternoons in the woods hunting mushrooms. We took all three kids with us on the first trip and then after that he started going by himself or with his brother. Yesterday he decided to make one last trip into the woods and he came out with the biggest ones he has ever found. He may not have found a whole lot of them, but they are huge! As you can see this one is almost as tall as Reagan's head. So, now my job is to clean them, cut them , and cook them. Personally I think the hunting is more fun! Oh Well! Have a great day everyone!

A Cow Says "Moo"

The other night we went to Chris' grandparents house for a mushroom fry. Afterwards when we were getting ready to leave, our girls discovered the cows grazing next to the house. They were so excited! Reagan, in all serious started mooing, trying to talk to the cows. They came right up to the fence and one of them licked Reagan's hand. I must admit I was raised a city girl so in a way this was exciting for me too. Chris didn't seem to think it was a big deal, but I thought it was worth capturing on my camera. He seems to take for granted that cows were just a given part of his childhood, and in all honesty they will probably be a given for our kids too. But, that wasn't my childhood, it was his. So, maybe my kids won't remember that this is the first time they were that close to a cow, but I will. And I thought it was worth documenting.

Happy Birthday JC!!!

It is hard to believe that my little brother is turning 15 today. It seems like yesterday that we first saw his picture, in reality that was ten years ago. A woman from Families Through International Adoption called my mom and said she had a few pictures of older kids who were in an orphanage in Guatemala. People asked my mom about adoption all the time, so they wanted to know if my mom could show the pictures around and try to find these kids families. My mom said she would, but there was one picture of a smiling little boy that never left her purse. His name was Juan Carlos and he was five years old. She couldn't help but fall in love with him. I remember my dad asking her why she wasn't showing his picture to anyone and she said b/c she wanted him for herself. Isn't it amazing how God works? How in an instant so many lives can change b/c of a smile? Well, six months and three trips to Guatemala later they brought him home. It was a week before Christmas. Now he has grown into quite the young man, and I am privledged to call him my brother. Today on his 15th Birthday I hope he remembers how much we love him...

Once there were two women Who never knew each other;One you do not remember, The other you call "Mother."
Two different lives Shaped to make you one;One became your guiding star,The other became your sun.

The first one gave you life,And the second taught you to live it;The first gave you a need for love,The second was there to give it.
One gave you a nationality,The other gave you a name;One gave you talent, The other gave you aim.

One gave you emotions,The other calmed your fears;One saw your first sweet smile,The other dried your tears.
One sought for you a home That she could not provide;The other prayed for a child And her hope was not denied.

And now you ask me Through your tears ...The age old question,Unanswered through the years.
Heredity or environment ...Which are you a product of?Neither ... my darling ... neither, Just two different kinds of love!
~ Author Unknown ~

Happy Mother's Day

Here is the video of Reagan singing her Mother's Day song @ school on Friday! Happy Mother's Day to everyone!

Mommy and Me Tea

Today I went to Reagan's school for a mommy and me tea. She was so excited about it that she couldn't get to sleep last night. It must have felt like Christmas to her. That nervous excitement. We had a wonderful time and I even took a video of the song they sang us which I think I will post on Sunday. It made me happy to know how much time they put into it and how much she wanted to share it with me. Again, it just reiterated my thoughts form the last post. I am thankful that I am able to go be with her for these types of things and I am thankful that I have a mother and a mother-in-law who are willing to watch the other kids for me when I do. Today my mom had them, so thanks mom!

Is Just Staying Home Enough?

I love my kids and growing up I could never have imagined myself not being a stay @ home mom. Now that I am, I wonder if I am doing it to the best of my ability. Here is the question, is just staying home enough? I want to be able to provide quality experiences for my kids and make memories that will last their whole lives. So many days I find myself just getting through the day. I feel like the blog has helped a little b/c I try to plan activities so that I will have something to blog about. But, the downside is that here I am telling Reagan to wait just a minute while I finish typing. So I am making a promise to myself that I will try to do more than just make it through the day. I will plan more trips to the park and I will bake cookies! I will do it for my kids and for the other moms I know who are not as fortunate as I am. Because just staying home isn't enough. I will try to appreciate the fact that I am a stay @ home mom and make it my "job" to be better at it.

Dee Dee's Smile

This smile warms my heart. It might not look like a smile to everyone, but I happen to know that this is Dee Dee at her happiest. We went to Valesca's soccer game last night and she had a great time. There were to little girls sitting next to us and she became very protective of Jack when she thought they were picking on him. In her words they were being "so mean" to him. Really they didn't even notice him but it was cute to see the big sister come out of her. "So mean" is her new favorite phrase for whenever someone does something she doesn't like. I can't even begin to tell you how many times a day I hear that Reagan is being "so mean to me." There is just something about the way she says it that makes me laugh! Anyway I think the fact that Reagan was with Nini helped her to feel like she could come out of her shell last night. Sometimes I think Reagan is so outgoing that it makes Dee a little more shy. So, I relish the moments when I get to see this funny, teeth grinding smile because it doesn't happen very often!

JUMPING!

On Sunday we went to Chris' cousin Ana's house to celebrate their son Drew's First Communion. I took this video of the kids jumping on the trampoline. Reagan and Austin loved it, but Dee Dee couldn't seem to decide whether this was actually fun or not. I'm not sure everyone knew I was recording so sorry if it is hard to hear the kids. :) P.S. if you are in Indiana don't forget to vote today!