Why not?!

This is my new phrase in my head. I wasn't the greatest carefree parent with Hunter and I am learning now with both kids that being prim and proper might be good for me but not for my kids. They need to learn and explore new things their way and not how I remember it and what they do might not always be wrong. When Hunter asks me if he can do something off the wall like play with Easter eggs in a popcorn bowl at the kitchen table and I had just folded the laundry and he wants to put all the socks in that I haven't matched up yet in with the Easter eggs my first reaction was no, but than I said why not in my head and he had the best 45 minutes doing something he wanted. Did I think it was odd? Yes, but I don't have to deal with matching my socks and finishing the laundry I can let my little dude have fun. Did my laundry get washed and dried on Friday and sat in my laundry baskets until today to get folded? Yep, cause a mom told me that why stress over laundry when you could be spending that time with your kids. So I do the laundry and if it has to sit in baskets behind closed doors, who cares. This mom was right and I got to spend more time with my kids and I didn't stress about finishing the laundry which I always try to finish on the weekends. So before I react I am trying to take a second and ask myself why not and would it really hurt to just let it see what it brings to them instead of knee jerking.

I found a new stress reliever! Hanging out on the porch with the kiddos. Let me tell you watching them play and hang out together is very rewarding. I will always be thankful that Larry and I had two kids because it is fun to see how one year there was one and now there is two and how the learn new things. But I will say I don't remember Hunter being this adventurous so early I think Grace climbs and explores everything because she is trying to keep up with her brother. Also, who would have knew sharing would be such a challenge with kiddos? But we are all learning.

Hunter lets me sing now! This is a total change on his part. In the car he would not let me sing at all. I don't have the best voice but I try. I got a hand me down kids CD and for some reason I think it is because it is a lady singing all the songs in the same tone and she sounds like me that he wants me to sing with her and he sings along too! Way to cute! He started this last week and I meant to blog about it.

One last thing. Alot is going on but I have been told to just breathe the air around me and notice things about it and to feel things around me and touch things around me. I didn't to this much before gotta be honest I was a hermit crab in a shell but I am learning and getting it. So for the month of February one more goal on top of the other ones is to just breathe.

No more Sassy (attempt No.2)!

Attempt No. 2 has worked! Hunter has been without his sassy (pacifer) for over a week or it might even be two? Can't remember. He was chewing holes in his 3 sassy. He had 1 and I put it in the trash it was behind help from all the holes he chewed in it and told him the other one he put in Annie's trash the Monday morning when he got at daycare cause I can't remember the reason and he has been without his sassy since! We just remind him every once in awhile that he put it in the trash but he is pretty much forgotten it. What happened to the third? Still in my car in a secret location just in case but I am very proud of my Hunter Bear! Such a big boy!

Hurdle #2...

I started on hurdle #2. I thought about how to approach it and knew I had to do it for me. Was it a hard step to start? Yep. Did I have to do it for me? Yes. Do I feel good about it? Maybe not sure if I can answer that one honestly cause I honestly don't know but I can breathe easier now that I have and know. But I feel better about me and my hurdle than I did 48 hours ago when I started thinking about how to do start this hurdle and move forward with it. Not sure how this hurdle will come about but at least I can sleep at night because it is out, I did it. Do I want it to go my way? Heck yah but not all hurdles work out the way you want them to it is part of dealing with it and making it down that hill. Sorry to be so vague but the people around me will know maybe what I am talking about. So I leave you with a picture I forgot to post with my other porch pictures.

It is time for...

PORCH TIME! Yep, we ventured to the porch today because it was beautiful and sunny. And because Hunter wasn't listening when I wanted to talk them and Misha for a walk and he lost out on having popcorn, which was what he wanted and since he wasn't listening to me tell him to pick up toys when I wanted him to I thought of plan B. I tell you 2/3 year olds are quite different than 1 year olds and I am learning make sure what I said the first time doesn't change and dude learns the right way. Hope it works. Anywho, back to the porch! It has been neclegted and Grace had on her lovely silver shoes and she immediatley steps in dog poop and that is why she has on black dress up shoes that are too small. The porch is still under construction ie I still have to clean it up and figure out where to put everything but it was fun to just go out and play on the porch.

This is Grace's first time playing on the porch where she could walk on her own without a walker and go where she wanted to go! It was her first time in the playhouse and it was pretty cute. She had a blast. It is so different having two kids playing together when last year around this time we had just had Grace. I still remember the summer sitting on the porch with Larry trying to decide her name and having the name books out and not coming up with anything we agreed on. Grace's name was alot harder to decide than Hunter's. Good memories. Hunter I swear has grown 2 feet since the last time he played in the playhouse. I need to get those pictures of him when he was Grace's age and his head was sticking out of the playhouse windows. My buddy is getting so big and growing too fast.

I hope more nice days come our way so we can play on the porch again. Until then Grace says see ya I am going in the playhouse!

Romance!

Introducing my new perfume....Romance by Ralph Lauren! I have wanted this perfume for about a year and I finally finished my good ole faithful Be Delicious by Calvin Klein. This perfume makes me happy. Romance, funny, huh? ;-)

Hurdles

My new word for issues is hurdles. Not sure why I picked this word. It just came to me today. Maybe because to me hurdles reminds me of a hill and once you get to the other side from being on the top that you have accomplished something. I have many hurdles probably more than I can count or even know of. Today, one of my hurdles came to me and I got it fixed. Am I relieved? Yes. Will it take time to set in that I did it? Yes, does it feel good that it is out in the open and talked about and dealt with? Yes.

So thank you to my hurdle who came to me. You don't know how much it means to me and now I have to process it and release it.

One hurdle down more to try to accomplish and deal with.

Whoever reads my blog I hope that you attack your hurdles that you have because once you have it might make your day or life a little easier. Only time will tell.

Update on my TLC. Wanna hear two ways I am showing TLC?
~One...dancing with my kids. I am not a good dancer at all. I don't have the hips for it or the rhythm. But when I dance with my kids they have no clue that I am looking like a clown in front of them they just laugh and Hunter stomps his feet and runs around me. I love to crank up the music and take Grace in my arms and dance, dance, dance. I love to tell Hunter to stommp his feet and watch his crazy legs stop and his skinny little body move all around and run around me like a washing machine (his own words). Fun let me tell you. You should try it even if you don't have kids. Crank up the music and just dance!

~Two...tickling. Who would have known tickling could be so much fun? Every night after bath time and this is mostly Grace cause the girl loves her bath. When I am done putting on her pajamas and I tell her ok she flips like no other and starts crawling on the bed and knows I am going to tickle her and she laughs and stands up and I push her down, nicely of course and tickle her and this goes on and on. By this time if Hunter didn't want to take a bath he hears us and comes in for his tickle torture to! If he does take a bath then he gets his pajamas on and the tickling on the bed continues! It actually is an aerobic activity for me I have to stop them just to catch me breath! Fun let me tell you.

Maybe these aren't really TLC but to me they are. I didn't do this much when Hunter was little but I am learning. So try dancing just cause and give some you love a little bit of tickle fun.

Watching Elmo!

TLC

Once again another week has passed another weekend is done. I can't say much about it on my blog. Was it fun, no. Is what I am going through part of my life, yes. Do I know what the future holds? No. What I do know is TLC. Tender Loving Care. That is my next step/issue with my kids. Why? Cause I am not good at it and I need to show it, do it, live it and most important feel and breathe it. My therapist says to breathe the things around you and to feel the things around you to learn how to enjoy the feel of things. So my kids are going to get TLC that is my new mission for this month. Weird? Maybe. Necessary? Yes. Watch out Grace and Hunter cause I hope I can show you how much you are loved and that you need TLC to learn to give TLC everyday until you are old and gray. For those of you who read my blog please pray for me as I learn this very important step and maybe even do some TLC in your life.

I have been bad and haven't taken any pictures since Grace's birthday party. I am going to try to bring out the camera and flash away my January folder on my computer is looking a little sad in the picture department.

Mission of the month TLC!

My Hunter Bear...

I feel like I don't blog about my Hunter Bear so this blog is all about him! He is my little buddy and my stubborn boy. I love him to death but he can still get my goat when he doesn't listen. He is almost a 3 year old and he already says he is in charge. But I try to tell him I am and we are slowly learning together how to get through this trying time. He is so smart it is crazy what he knows and how fast he learns things. He knows his ABC's and can almost count to 20. He can remember almost anything if you tell him something twice. He thinks that his papa fixes everything that is broken. He has this obsession with doing laundry and not sure why at this time but I hope it is a phase it sounds like a great thing to have a son who wants to help with laundry but when your done with the laundry and he wants to do more and throws a fit it just isn't pretty. He is slowly learning how to share with his sister this one is tough for him but sometimes you can catch him giving things to Grace which is really sweet. He loves movies with cats and dogs in them. He makes me laugh and cry but he has a very sweet heart and gives great loves when he wants to. I can't believe my firstborn is almost 3 I am still in awe that he can talk my ear off and that he is such a big boy now! He is so tall and skinny it is crazy. He has turned into a picky eater and does not like veggies much but will eat any color pepper! When we go to Costco we have to go in both "cold rooms" to get milk, strawberries, and peppers. He knows his stores he knows where Target, Costco, Fred Meyers, and the mall is at. If we don't go to them he says they are broken I am trying to get him to realize that they aren't that we are just not going to them at that time. I could go on and on but that is just a little peek at my Hunter Bear. I love the dude to death let me tell you! I could go on and on but I am tired and going to sleep.

Pictures from Grace's cupcake Birthday party!

Birthday Party!

Today is Grace's 1 year birthday party. I can't believe it is finally here. The day I have been planning for months and it is here. Lindsey helped me bake cupcakes, my girlfriends helped me decorate them, my inlaws and mother and her husband helped with the kids and in just a few hours the party will begin! Thank you to everyone that helped in anyway to make this day happen! I could not have done it without you all! The kids are down for hopefully a nice rested nap and than it will be party time. I am excited, nervous, and sad at the same time but for my little girl I will hope to make it the best one year old party for her! She deserves it. I will try to post pictures later today or this weekend. But for now it is the calm before the birthday party! Happy Birthday to my Miss G!

Grace turns 1!

Today my baby turns 1 time sure has flown by since she was born. She is my little joy and makes me smile and laugh not that Hunter doesn't there is just something about her that makes me more. She loves her brother and says Hunter not 100% but you can tell she is saying his name. Other words she can say but in her way is mama, papa, cracker, bath. She loves to talk and loves to climb on everything! Her favorite thing to climb is our couch. She loves it when we take all the cushions off and she can climb all around it. She can crawl like no other and takes little steps when she walks and she walks everywhere. I love to watch her follow her brother everywhere he goes. I still can't believe my baby turns one today.

Here are her stats...

Weight: 20 lbs (exactly on the nose)
Height: 29.5
Head Circ: 18.5

Basically she has gained 4 lbs since her last appt and gained 2 inches in height and her head only grew 2 inches so her head is finally not growing so much! I still have big headed kids that are going to be tall giants but I will still love them. It just adds character right?

Misha turns 4!

Today is Misha's 4th bday! She is such a good girl and I love her to death! If it doesn't rain today I will take her for a bday walk!

4 top teeth!

Grace is growing 4 top teeth at the same time! Grow teeth grow!

New Years resolution

To not give fake hugs anymore to give hugs with feeling and emotion.