Happy 18 months

Hello Nursery here he comes!!!! (SORRY) This picture is pure Evan, he HATES clothing..... He strips down as soon as we get home. He has figured out how to take off his diaper as well. He absolutely LOVES fruit. This picture is from this summer. I was busy packing for vacation so Evan helped himself to grapes off of the kitchen counter. I found him crouched behind the couch chowing down. I was still cutting his grapes in half then......(I have huge choking issues) looks like he was ready for the real deal! Happy 18 months my chubby naked grape eating baby!

Bad Mother....

I thought I was doing everything right. I feed Evan nutritious food through out the day--paying special attention to his evening meal. I give him a nice warm bath dress him in clean warm pajamas. We brush teeth, read stories, pray and off to bed. WELL I say "off to bed" but that was really just a phrase. We usually had another 2-3 hours of screaming and general toddler destruction before he would pass out. UNLESS I loaded him up in the car for quick spin around the coast line.

Needless to say I have been at my wits end! What to do what to DO!

So last night was YW in excellence. Brandon met me at the church to help set up the projector for the movie. Once it was set up I wanted him to take the boys home so they could get to bed. Well Brandon decided to stick around just in case there was some technical problem he might have to fix.

Inside I was spazing out because I can't really function with my kiddos around....the noise factor is really debilitating! Alas, I was conducting, speaking and wanted to make sure I spoke to half a dozen parents that aren't at church with their girls. So I had to stay focused! Long story short since the boys did not go home for dinner and bed they ate handfuls of sugar cookies.... for dinner! Gross I know. The night before they ate baked salmon brown rice and broccoli. Like I said I'm really crazy about what they eat. I think it manifests in behavior and sleep patterns etc.

On the way home from church we stopped at Subway to grab some sandwiches I wanted to try and put something good in their tummy's before the long half hour ride home that would surly induce a solid sleep. Well...... McDonald's is right next door to Sub and Nana was just here teaching these boys about french fries. So I gave in and got them fries.... It was late I was tired. They stayed awake through the ride... Duh all of the sugar! Both were cranky and had no desire for baths and jammies. So I put them straight to bed when we got home. No jammies (they had on sweat suits), no books, no teeth, I prayed. They seemed to enjoy being treated like feral children.

So why does any of this matter?








EVAN SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!! The day before his 18 month birthday.

I had a really good day today. I FELT like me again. I THOUGHT like me again. I CLEANED like me again. I did skip the library story time today..... because NOBODY woke up in time to get there.


So tonight we switched up the routine. No baths. We did teeth. Very quick story. Prayer.

Dinner was a mixed bag. I offered chicken, tangerines, cucumbers, and a roll. All of that was thrown on the floor. So I gave up. Evan ran to the fridge later and after a few grunts and points he picked out OJ. Odd.... my kids hate juice. Whatever, I gave it to him and he drank it. I offered him some cheese crackers to go with it-- he obliged me and ate them. I'm hoping I can get this feral child parenting down to a science....you know so I can write a book. Fingers crossed for sleep tonight!!!!

Grateful for Italian Grandmothers!

My in-laws are here for a visit! I'm in heaven, the kids are in heaven! They play with the kiddos ....and I get to SLEEP! I don't have to worry about anything when they come. Grandma does the cooking, cleaning, and diapers! With the schedule that Brandon has kept the last few years I have done everything on my own 24-7.....so getting a breather every now and then is a welcome change. Evan cracks me up! He LOVES his Nana. We talk with her on the computer about three times a week and he wants to talk to her on the phone all the time. There is a lady at church that reminds him of Nana--every time he sees her he screams "NANA". He just thinks about Nana all the time!

My boys are such mommas boys. When Nana comes to town all that changes. This trip it seems Mom and Nana are intercgangable. Evan climbed up next to Nana on the recliner with the Boppy and his blanket and made the sign for milk--he wanted Nana to NURSE him! She laughed and told him she didn't have any milk. He looked her in the eyes grabbed her shirt and looked down the top and signed for milk again! Oh, if only Italian grandma could take over EVERYTHING!

So suite

We joined Brandon in Portland this week while he was away for business. Ryan loves to stay in hotels and I can always find an excuse to do a little shopping in Portland! (unfortunately that did NOT happen this time....) It's funny the little things you become thankful for when you stop and ponder on each day. As a general rule staying even ONE night in a hotel with my two boys just about does me in! If I may enlighten you....there is the constant breaking away and running (clomping) down the hallway. Not to mention dismantling the phones the TV remotes, tossing the couch cushions, playing in the trash cans, and unraveling the TP. When they are finished the room ALWAYS looks like somebody has robbed the place! I try my best to prevent them from disturbing the neighboring floors of slumbering guests. I'm not sure if I accomplished that this time as Evan has mastered the one year old high pitched shriek!



I was so thankful for our hotel adventure this time around because I got a break! Yes, the kids still tore the place up..... I just really enjoyed NOT having boxes everywhere! We have been living out of and digging through boxes since February. We wanted to have a better chance of selling quickly in Klamath so we depersonalized and pack up a TON of kid stuff.



Highlights of the day: The boys experiencing room service, Ryan kept asking the waiter if his name was "Gusteau". (Ratatouille) so the guy kept telling Ryan "oh no, I'm just a waiter" to which Ryan replied oh I'm sorry maybe someday you can be a chef! I used to be Ryan's favorite chef. He now tells me I'm almost as good a Gusteau.


Evan falling a sleep curled up on my chest ( he has not done that in months.) We sure love that little chubby!

The whole family watched Glenn Beck sitting in bed...well WE sat the boys jumped! They fell asleep in our arms--so sweet.

Thanks x 2

FOUND!

About three weeks ago I misplaced my wedding rings! I was distraught and have torn the house apart searching for them. I finally found them today! I'm always careful with them and put them up high in a REALLY safe place......I just could not for the life of me remember where that was.I'm so thankful that I found them. My hand felt so bare the last few weeks with out them. I'm not big on jewelry but have cherished those rings for obvious reasons. Brandon really went out of his way to find rings that fit my taste and personality. I loved them the minute he surprised me with them. I could not bring myself to even tell him that I had lost them the first week. I knew we could never replace those rings. They were one of kind estate rings. Not something that we could run out to Kay's or whoever and order XYZ......

A Month of Thanks

We have been trying to instill in our boys an attitude of thanks and gratitude.

The goal for this month: Recognizing blessings and giving thanks!

Today the whole family gave thanks for "falling back"! We appreciated the "feeling" of having extra time this morning. Everybody came home from church today and indulged in the Sunday nap. I woke up on my OWN! No kiddos prying my eyes open, no kiddos jumping on my chest, no frantic crying!

There is NOTHING like a 3 hour uninterrupted nap!

I'm a new woman.