AARGH!!!!

Just finished cleaning the pile of toys/crayons/shoes in our family room.  When we need to do a big family room clean up, we just put all the toys in a pile in the middle of the rug.  Then we go through it and put things where they go.  We had a pile from last night.  Today I put a timer on it because I can say hurry, hurry before time's up and it's like a race.  Sarah is unbelievably slow.  It's not so much that she stops to play with things, as much as it is she's needs CONSTANT direction.  I give her specific jobs like put all the potato head pieces here or find all the piggy coins and put them in the pig.  She doesn't bother looking around and just says I'm done.  It's so annoying.  How do you teach her to find things and look underneath stuff???  And how do you get a 2 year old to clean up????  I know I'm dreaming if I want him to clean but couldn't he at least put his cars in his car bucket when I hand him the cars.  We started that process and it went well for all of 2 seconds until he emptied the bucket into something else and put it on his head.  AAAAARRRRGH!!  The kids were great until 3:30pm.  I guess it's my fault that I tried to clean while they were already on a downward spiral.    The toys are cleaned up but we did not do it in time, so there were consequences.  Oh well.  Wish me luck for the rest of the evening!

April 20th Daybook

Outside my window... It's sunny and already in the 70's. We're preparing for the hottest week so far this year. Ugh! I'm not ready at all for summer heat.

I am thinking... I am currently worried about my itchy eyes. Pinkeye is going around Sarah's room and while the kids seem fine, I'm more worried about myself. I hope it's just allergies and the slight cold I have.

I am thankful for... ice cream pie (it's the little things really). We made one over the weekend and it was delicious.

From the kitchen... chicken curry salad this week and Sarah requested chicken strips and fish sticks. Ooooo..... so exciting.

I am wearing... shorts and a T-shirt and thinking that I really need to get more shorts/capris or skirts or something.

I am creating... a new house. Our living room is a complete mess. We pulled out ALL our papers and are going through them and filing stuff. There's still lots left to go through.

I am going... to take Sarah to school and see if class lists are up yet for next year. Then Will and I are going to gymnastics. It's our first of his last 3 classes.... not that I'm counting down or anything. I'm so tired of having to be the helper. Maybe he can do it again when I can just sit and watch. No more Mommy & Me gymnastics. Instead I'll be getting in the pool with him. Since he loves the pool, I think it will be more enjoyable.

I am reading...still the book about the dad staying at home. I haven't made much progress since last week.

I am hoping... not to have the meltdowns from Sarah that we had over the weekend. She seems to be a bit better without Daddy around. AND I'm hoping to curb Will's screeching. It's driving me mad.

I am hearing... kids playing in the background before we head off for school.

Around the house... We're still working on getting this place in order. This week is our bedroom and our closet. Andy actually wants to paint it this weekend. How exciting!!!

One of my favorite things.... well it WAS being able to be out in the backyard so much over the past few weeks but I think that's about to change.

Plans for this week... Will's gym, parenting group, maybe dinner at GG's (Andy's grandmother).... nothing really happening or at least nothing planned. I'm going to try to get the kids to the pool at our gym often this week.

A picture thought to end on....

Sarah, 3 years ago, helping pot some plants.

April 15th Day Book

Outside my window... It's actually pretty cold today for us. Windy and only mid 60's. A big change considering I don't think we've been below 70 in quite awhile.

I am thinking... I am tired and I wish Will would get over this nasty cold.

I am thankful for... my health and my family

From the kitchen... No big plans this week. For our family meeting next weekend, we are having french bread pizza and ice cream pie. Now I just need to figure out the best way to make both!

I am wearing... jeans, tennis shoes and a light fleece.

I am creating... nothing right now. I am debating changing up the blog design for my 1 year anniversary so watch out! Maybe I'll try to learn how to create my own.

I am going... to the library and to pick up Sarah soon. Later this week I'm hoping to take Sarah to Chuck E Cheese since she won our March Madness bracket contest. Loser has to take winner to Chuck E Cheese. I know, I know, a win, win situation for a 4 year old.

I am reading... a book called How Tough Could It Be about a sportswriter who switched places with his wife for 6 months and became a stay at home dad. I'm only a little bit in but it's interesting and fairly amusing.

I am hoping... to not get the illness that brought both kids down over Easter but I already have that little feeling that it's a losing battle.

I am hearing... Will playing with a loud Nemo book that has like 10 buttons on it. He likes the shark music button best. I like the seagulls saying Mine Mine Mine best.

Around the house... I have some piles out and organized and ready to be put in a file. I changed around the toys in the family room a tiny bit and I am trying to decide what to do with the Easter baskets and Easter stuff. I really need to go through the kids clothes since the hot days are a-coming.

One of my favorite things.... laughing over silly shows with Andy and my growing interest in The Deadliest Catch. I find crab fishing oddly fascinating! Reading The Magic Treehouse books to Sarah. I'm hoping to spur some interest in actually learning to read. We read a couple chapters every night depending on her mood. She truly enjoys them and so do I.

Plans for this week... Not too many other than getting Will back up to 100%. I think kite flying might be on the list since it's windy this week.

Random picture thought for you: (Shannon and Sarah)

That's all for this edition!

A Long Weekend

Let's start with our little Easter egg hunt on Thursday afternoon with friends.  The kids had a wonderful time hunting for their specific color eggs.  It was fun to watch them hunt for them and also to sit in a big group opening their eggs.  My friend Tamara even brought face paints and we soon had lots of bunnies hopping around.

For the Mommies, it was a mini happy hour out on the patio.  Earlier that day I picked up Margarita mix and went through the self check out at the grocery store only to have the most enormous 2 year old tantrum I have ever seen from Will in public.  He threw himself in the middle of the self checkout aisle.  I had to pick him up by the arm about 4 times and throw him over my shoulder.  It was HORRIBLE.  I was in such a hurry to get out of there and the lady working it was so busy helping other customers that I walked out with the security tab on top of the bottle.  I've never seen that before and had no idea what it was.  I wasn't about to stop for anything.  I did indeed pay for it but no way was I taking my screaming toddler anywhere but to the car!!!!   When I went to pour the ladies a nice cool margarita to go with our chips and salsa, low and behold it was stuck on tight.  I was getting into that margarita bottle with or without the security tab.  I found Andy's small hack saw and got a hole in the bottle and poured it in a pitcher. Hooray!!!!  I was so proud of my accomplishment that I took a picture:

                                           

The rest of our weekend Easter plans were turned upside down because the kids both came down with nasty colds and fevers.  Out was coloring eggs at G & Grandpa's house on Friday.  We did the princess and outer space eggs on Saturday at home instead.  The kids LOVED it.  And out was church to see Aunt SuSu ring bells, breakfast at G  & Grandpa's and their neighborhood easter egg hunt AND dinner with the rest of Andy's extended family.  We can't risk getting Andy's mom sick let alone any of the other kids.  Sarah's fever was gone on Saturday but Will's lasted until Monday.  Other than getting out to go to church with Sarah on Sunday morning, we were pretty much cooped up, going mad for the rest of the time.

Despite the change, the kids had a lovely Easter.  They found baskets in the living room Easter Morning....

Sarah and I then went to church and she sat in the service with me and was a very good girl drawing pictures for Jesus and wondering how she would get them to him.  It was very sweet.  She got to dress up, unlike Will who never wore his Easter clothes.  

We then had an Easter egg hunt (again) in the backyard with our colored eggs.  The Easter bunny even put them up high!  

The kids really did have a wonderful day and ate lots of goodies and egg salad.  I am just glad that we can now get on with our normal routine since the kids no longer have fevers.  I just hope next Easter is illness free!

April 6 Daybook

I loved my friend Amy's idea of doing a weekly thing and her "daybook" format so here goes..... (PS I may also have to jump on the 10 on Tuesday bandwagon since that looks like fun too.)

Outside my window...  It's sunny and supposed to only get hotter today.

I am thinking... I wish Sarah still took naps.  30 minutes of quiet time never seems like enough.

I am thankful for... good kids - well in the grand scheme of things, pretty good kids.

From the kitchen... We are having grilled talapia this week and Andy is forcing me and Sarah to try his linguine with clam sauce.  I think it smells disgusting and usually make him clean his own dishes afterwards.  I have agreed to taste it, mostly so Sarah will try it too.  Will has been left out because 1.  he hates trying food and 2.  he is the most stubborn person about it and 3.  it's just not worth the fight.

I am wearing... jeans (of course) and a tshirt and some newish flip flops.

I am creating... easter eggs for a small hunt on Thursday and this blog.

I am going... to Target after Will is awake to get a new trash can and some more Easter stuff.  This will be followed by a trip to the water fountain with bathing suits so the kids can have some fun in the heat.

I am reading... Confessions of a Shopaholic.  Saw the movie and knew it was different and that it was 2 books crammed into 1 movie but I'm finding the book not fantastic and slow to get into.  Oh well, I'll just keep reading.  

I am hoping... to finally get this house in order. It's always a mess. I want to be one of those people who doesn't mind if someone pops over to hang out or play with 15 minutes notice.  Wish me luck!

I am hearing... silence right now.  It's fantastic.  Other than that, I've really been enjoying pandora.com radio.

Around the house...  is a mess.  We pulled out a lot of stuff from Sarah's room so we can get rid of things and also to make "homes" for stuff so that everything has a place.

One of my favorite things.... is my afternoon conversations with Will in the car on our way to pick up Sarah.  He's pretty good now about not falling asleep but it's fun to chat with him about superheroes, trucks, firemen...  He picks a topic and we talk or sing sometimes.  It's fantastic quality time and I love listening to his little voice.

Plans for this week... Easter, Easter, Dentist, Easter, Easter......

Anyways, here's where this thing came from: Simple Woman's Daybook

San Diego... the rest of Disneyland

So.... to finish our trip.  We spent a couple days in San Diego visiting before heading home on Sunday.  We dropped by the little train at the mall.

We wandered Harbor Drive and Seaport Village.  Checked out the Bob Hope memorial.  Said hi to the super cool guy by Seaport with all kinds of birds that he lets the kids pet and feed.

Bought some AWESOME kites that we tried out that afternoon at a park near my parents' house.  It was windy but even Will could hold the kite all by himself for a short bit.

And hung out with Elmo....