6 Weeks

For the next 4 weeks I'll be in graduate school classes during the week. I'm taking 12 hours in the July session that starts Monday. Things will be pretty busy during the week. Sooooo......I won't be posting much during the week for the next few weeks. I hope to keep posting pictures of the boys and our family, probably on the weekends.

My classes are over at the end of July and then 3 days later both my husband and I are doing VBS at our church the last week of July. Then we all leave for camp for a week (including travel we'll be gone for 10 days). A busy 6 weeks or so!

Thanks for those who keep up with our blog, hopefully posts will get back to "normal" after camp:) A big thank-you to my parents who are watching the boys while I'm at classes!

VBS

This morning I went over to a friend's house to pick up my Vacation Bible School packet. Our church is having a 4 day long VBS at the end of July. I'm the crafts person for all the age groups and my husband is the activity guy for the groups. I went to her house with my oldest, he played with the kids while I chatted with her about details, crafts, etc for most the morning. It should be a fun week.

We went garage sale shopping after that. Boy, was it hot outside! I picked up some 25 cent books and a $1 train set for my youngest. We went out to Mexican with my family after that for dinner. Now I'm getting ready for finish reading my book (I know, we're boring this weekend) and drink some lemonade and snack on some watermelon. Don't you love summertime!

Changing my summer to do list...

Last night I came across a list of goals I made at the beginning of the summer, which was about the beginning of may for me. I put it in a drawer several weeks ago and forgot about it. While I was cleaning last night, I came across the list. At first I thought, "crap...I haven't done my list of goals for the summer yet...". So I sat down and started looking it over to see what I would still have time to do this summer.

As I read down the items, I noticed that I did the first two already without even knowing it. I crossed them off with a pleasant confidence. I kept reading and realized number 4 and 6 were done also. I crossed them both off with a big smile of shock and sudden motivation and energy. After reading through the list of 10 items, I counted how many were actually already completed....6! I had done six of my summer goals/to-dos without even keeping track. Wow, only 4 to go. Looking at the final four gave me a sudden feeling of overwhelming stress. Four more goals to accomplish, four more things to do, four more projects to take up my time.

Then I paused thinking, "I went several weeks this summer without even remembering this list or its importance, do I really need to do these things?" They weren't things that had to get done or things that really mattered much at the end of the day. I made a command decision...I put the list back in the drawer and closed it. I wasn't going to stress myself out trying to be super mom getting a long list of things to do completed.

I'm not saying to throw anyway the to-do list all the time or that some things aren't important. I just needed to remember that I can't do it all. Having goals isn't a bad thing, I just wanted to re-do mine. It doesn't really matter that my photo album is outdated, or that my pantry doesn't have labels for the shelves, or that the cosmetic cabinet in the bathroom is kinda a mess....okay a big mess.

My new summer goals: Enjoy every minute with the boys, call friends more often instead of them always calling me, start date night again with my husband, laugh everyday with my family. I like those summer goals better.....

Green is Everywhere....

I have really been into the color GREEN lately. As I mentioned a couple times, we re-decorated my youngest son's room. Ever since we moved them into their own room, there hasn't been much on the wall or much of a theme for my youngest son. I was determined to do something with his room for about $100, not much more. I went to a kid's store called Kid's Stuff (which is way too expensive for me), but I really liked some of their stuff. So I took some ideas from their store, bought some of their cheaper wall decorations that were on display, and pieced together a room. NOTE: We haven't painted yet, due to running out of time. But when we do, the walls will be a green color to match a green in one of the wall hangings.

Three piece wall decorations: $36 Green Crib sheet: $10 New Blanket: $18
Storage containers and hanging: already had from a different room

Wall hanging: $18 (The green in this picture is the color of the paint for the walls)

Other decorations not pictured: $20

Paint for walls: $17 (already had paint supplies)

Total: $119 for an updated look for his room, I'll try to post a picture of the final product after the painting is done. I have a feeling it will look 10x better after that.

I also bought a new netbook for grad school this summer. I arrived here yesterday....and yes, it is green too.

I don't know if I'll be over this green phase anytime soon. I'm thinking of doing the new baby's room in a green.

A quick update: We had a good father's day on Sunday, we went out to eat with my family. We went garage sale hunting on Saturday morning. Yesterday was super hot here so much of the day was spent at the pool. A couple of our friends are currently in Puerto Rico, which is making me wish we were there! This morning I spent awhile cleaning the bathroom floor because my oldest still doesn't aim well in the morning when he first wakes up to potty. This afternoon we'll probably head to the pool again since it is 95 or so degrees lately here. My youngest is such a pool boy. He loves the water. My oldest just sits in the adult pool with me and doesn't like to swim around much. I stayed up way too late last night reading a new book after the boys went to bed. Pregnancy is going good, no complaints right now. I talked to a friend last night at the pool that found out the gender of the baby with her first and second, and then waited to find out at birth with their third. She talked about how good of an experience it was and much more surprising and exciting. So, I'm still debating on what I'm going to do. Okay, there is the update:) Have a wonderful, warm day!

Pictures from the Week

This may be boring to Read...

Last night was full of errands. Today is also....we're trying to wrap up a lot of things on our to-do list before the weekend (which is why I don't have much else on my mind right now to post about.......

Last Night: (amazingly enough we finished this list)
-Go to the Bank
-Buy Meat for Father's Day BBQ with my family at the local Farmer's Market (they have the best ribs!)
-Get Groceries for the Week
-Pick up my book order
-Help oldest son pick out a toy for playdate at his cousin's house Friday night (he picked a $3 pack of bubbles that comes with one for him and one for her:)
-Wash the car
-Clean out the inside of car (we found sticky caramel corn stuck to the floor mat...ewww)
-Clean out the fridge and organize the groceries so they fit (it takes a lot of food to feed 3 guys and a pregnant me)
-give my oldest a bath a wash his hair for haircut tomorrow (it may be gross but I only wash his hair every 2 days because he doesn't like water in his eyes)


Today:
-cook ribs for family dinner tonight (I oven bake our ribs, easier to baste that way)
-clean house....well, maybe just pick up the big stuff
-sort the boys clothes (I went to a garage sale last weekend where they had boys clothes 12 months to 4T...perfect! They were 50 cents a piece, so the boys got basically a whole new wardrobe for $20)
-finish laundry (about 3 loads left)
-give my oldest a haircut
-get the boys ready by 3:00 to swim at their cousin's house

Okay, it may not have been exciting to read but that was/is our life the past day or so. It is all so that we can have the whole day tomorrow and Sunday with nothing to do. Our plans Sat/Sun: pool, relax, pool! I have about 300 pictures to sort so I will post some of those over the weekend....So, pool, relax, post pictures, pool.....Have a good weekend!

The Big Question....

The biggest question I've received from people is "Are you going to find out if you're having a boy/girl".

Hmmm....am I going to find out.....I honestly can say I don't know yet. I haven't been able to think much about it actually, which is why I haven't been able to decide. The summer is filled up with the boys and grad school and camp and the list goes on and on.

The second biggest question that I get is "Do you want a boy or girl?". I think I can answer that one. Do I want a boy or girl? Yes, I want both. Is that possible to want one of each? Well, it isn't possible really since (to my knowledge) I'm not having twins. I get happy and excited when I think of having a boy. I get happy and excited when I think of having a girl. So, I don't really have a good answer for that question (luckily it is only the 2nd most popular question I get:)

With my oldest, I wanted to find out but was so busy with work and my husband that I didn't even have my ultrasound till past the 24th week. With my youngest, we decided to find out when we had the ultrasound around week 20.

Even though I don't really know if we'll find out or wait, I feel like I need to at least come up with an answer for people when they ask, "Are you going to find out?". Right now when people ask (which is pretty much everyday), I just say "I don't know, maybe, I go back and forth, so probably not.....oh, I don't know". Which doesn't seem like a good answer....

The best idea I've heard so far is having the ultrasound person write the "sex" down on a piece of paper and sealing it in an envelope. Then opening that envelope at a later date with friends and family, or at a holiday, or a special day like an anniversary or birthday. I think that is what I'm leaning towards doing. I'll actually be out of town at camp when I turn 20 weeks, so I'll have my ultrasound probably after we get back at week 21 or so. Our wedding anniversary is a week or so after that, so maybe we'll open it then. Or at our family barbecue over labor day. Or on my birthday. Wow, I really haven't made up my mind. As soon as I know what we're doing, I'll have a better answer for people:)

Pool Goggles

We went swimming at the pool last night and boy, it felt nice. I think it was 89 degrees or that is what I heard. My oldest didn't like the water in his eyes very much (which is a new thing of his), so I took him this morning to get goggles for the pool. We got home and he wanted to wear them around the house.

My husband has been busy this week with a teen church camp on campus. It started Sunday and ends Saturday. He has enjoyed helping out and the week has gone by so fast because of it.

Last weekend we had fun at the Farmer's market seeing my sister-in-law and her jewelry. We got a lot done around the house too. We didn't get my youngest son's room painted though (I'll try and post pictures of it unpainted to see the progress). Tonight we teach the 2 year old class again at church. My husband and I are counting down the days till camp. Who doesn't love camp!

Sister-in-law at the Farmer's Market

Okay, I'm a little behind on the posts. My husband has been on the computer a lot for a grad school project he turned in this morning....so I'll try to catch up over the next few days. First, here are some pictures from Sat. We went to the Lincoln Farmer's Market. My sister-in-law had a booth there selling her jewelry. (The 1st picture is her with her booth)

Christmas Baby!

I had my 13 week doctor appointment this afternoon and my doctor changed my due date to.....

Christmas Day!! I knew I wanted a "Christmas time" baby but we had been thinking the 20th for a few months and then today he changed it to the 25th. You don't get anymore Christmas baby than that. He said it will stay the 25th till the end, unless my 20 week ultrasound says really differently. I immediately called my sister-in-law and she immediately said the boys will sleep at their house for Christmas Eve and Day, so they can still have an at home Christmas.

(Note: I went into labor on my exact due date with baby 1 and baby 2, so I'm not planning on an early delivery:) I'll have more details and a funny story about the 2 1/2 hour appointment later on. Basically, he said all looks healthy. Right now I'm going to hang out with the kids and have a good Friday night.

Have a good weekend!

Update on the Boys

My oldest is this little grown up boy now. He likes to paint and organize his coin collection he started (which is really just a bunch of change he keeps in a box). Everytime grandpa/grandma come over, he/they give him change to store in his box. He sleeps in his big boy bed and still takes a good 2 hour nap every afternoon. He likes going potty like a big boy but doesn't like it when you make a big deal out of it. (On a side note, some people thought he wasn't potty trained because I never talked about it on this blog. Well, I just thought it was weird to talk about the potty habits on my child on the internet....so, yes, he is potty trained. No, it wasn't that hard. And yes we are happy about it.) He likes to read with his Boingo pen and books. The pen thing turns on and reads the book to you and he likes to follow along with the words and stop and start on different pages. He has a million art supplies because he loves to sit and make things. He starts his summer class of gymnastics next tuesday, which he still really likes. He really likes playing with his cousin and going to the park (what kid doesn't like the park:) He still eats a good sized breakfast, a little lunch, and a big dinner. It is his little eating pattern. He is still very cuddly and gives lots of hugs. He is 3.

My youngest is in a crazy, all of the place toddler stage. He loves to climb and run around. His favorite person is grandpa and his face lights up whenever they are together. He will eat his meals in 3 minutes and is a growing boy. He will eat so much more variety of foods then his brother did. He loves salsa and he even ate a slice of green pepper the other day. He is trying to talk all the time and can say 15-20 things so far. His favorite thing to do is answer questions that people ask. He just started wanting to sit long enough for our story time at night. He really likes his sleeping routine and will rarely go to bed without it or anywhere else other than at home in his crib (he will fall asleep in the car though still). He loves his brother but sometimes his brother likes privacy, so I made "together" and "separate" playtime for them. He loves to dance to music and he likes when you watch him dance around so he can laugh and smile at you. He turns 20 months in about 2 weeks.

Appointments

Do you ever feel like you have too many appointments?

This week: Lab appt, baby doctor appt
Next week: Hair appt, dentist appt, bank appt

Too many appointments! Okay, so I have to go to the clinic lab, and the doctor, and the dentist. I really want to go to my hair appt (I really like my hair lady, she lets me just sit in the chair and sleep while she does my hair wonderfully) And we should go to the bank appt since it involves changing some retirement accounts and that is probably really important too.

I guess I need to keep all those appointments. Right now I have to get ready for my lab appt. Update on the boys to come next on the blog....

Funny Boys

My oldest has a friend at church in his class that follows him around and always wants to sit by him in class. She really likes him and only wants to be next to him and not the other kids or boys during class. What is funny to me is that he has no idea she likes him so much and he kinda ignores her most the time. I think this is how it will be with him and most girls:)

My youngest is more adventurous than I was at his age. He is fearless when it comes to water. He will literally dive into the tub and doesn't care if he is under water! This, of course, makes for an interesting bath time where both my husband and I have to be in the bathroom because he will just dive into the water head first the whole time.

They are such funny boys!

Busy.....

Thursday Night: We went to the Farmer's Market in town. Bought some Ribs and Bacon from a local farmer. Took the boys to my parent's house while my husband and I went out for a dinner at a local nice restaurant. Went and watched the boys play with their cousin (who was also at my parents). Headed home and to bed.

Friday: I started the weekend re-doing our son's room project (our youngest son). Went to swimming pool with the boys when husband got home from work. Went to a couple neighborhood garage sales after that...didn't find anything good. Came home and put youngest to bed. Rented "Bolt" and watched with my oldest while daddy worked on the weekend home projects. My brother postpones their garage sale till July so we change our Sat plans.

Saturday morning: Got up early and went to the "Preschool Open House" for my oldest son and his new preschool for next year. Signed some papers and read through the schedule/payment/field trip times/etc. (more on this later) Talked to several friends from church there who will have a child in the same preschool class as ours, we're so thankful for that (Love the small town). Went and got coffee after that and ran some errands.

Saturday lunch/afternoon: Went to Lincoln and met my parents and their "out of town guests". (They had company for the last 3 days after they got back from their trip.) Went to Hobby Lobby and planned wedding shower arrangements and decorations for the wedding shower we (my mom and I) were hosting the next day. Then went for a long lunch with everyone and had a nice time chatting and talking memories (we knew the out of town guests from MO where I grew up). Went shopping at a Kid's store in Lincoln to re-do my youngest sons bedroom. We haven't really decorated it ever just for him and thought since he is turning 2 in the Fall, it was finally time to make it special for him.

Saturday evening: Cook a nice meal at home. The boys both fall asleep at 6:30 p.m. due to having no nap in Lincoln earlier that day. My husband and I take the opportunity of sleeping kids to decorate my sons room (I'll have pictures later this week). I pass out by 10:00 p.m. while my husband does homework.

Sunday: My husband teaches church class. He did a really good job. We leave church early to get wedding shower stuff ready. The boys go down for naps after a bite to eat and I head over for the afternoon for the shower at church. It went well and the bride-to-be was happy with it. I don't get home till 4:00 so once I get home I start making dinner. We had Mexican casserole, which we love. We do more house work after that, and then more homework for grad school. Then...to bed.

I wrote this very quickly but I think that is it! It hasn't really felt like summertime for me until last weekend. I finished teaching an online class last Friday so now it is really summer! Hope you had a good weekend!

Getting Ready for the Weekend

Yesterday was a rough day for my oldest. We haven't been able to play outside very much because the last couple days have been rainy and cloudy, so the crankiness of staying inside got the best of him:) My parents got back in town last night so seeing them and going to church with them made things better for him. Hopefully the sun will come out soon even though it looks rainy in the forecast till maybe Sat.....as soon as the sun comes back out, bring on the pool!

Last night we taught the 2 year old class. It went really well, we sang songs for a longer time which the kids just love. We sang one where you shout "Amen" really loud and they just sang and giggled so hard. It was really cute.

After church we went a got coffee drinks for us and juice for the kids. Juice is a "treat" for my oldest. The boys don't get it much because it is so sugary and so far they don't complain. I'm happy to report he drinks water during the day and milk in the morning. After coffee drinks, my husband then went to a friend's house to watch the soccer game with some guys.

I'm taking the day to get ready for the weekend. I'm a wedding shower hostess, my oldest has his preschool open house Sat, my brother/sister-in-law are having a garage sale we're helping with, and my husband teaches the adult Sunday morning bible class. Busy but exciting weekend coming up!

Middle Child Syndrome

I'm scared that my youngest is going to have middle child syndrome when our 3rd is born. Mostly because of two "middle child" adults we know that are strikingly similar to this description. One that is a friend that always jokes about having middle child syndrome and laughs about it (she said it was okay to mention her). And the other is a relative that doesn't seem to realize he has it and my husband says that is worse. I read about it today and this is what I read:

The middle or second born child often have the sense of not belonging. They fight to receive attention from parents and others because they feel many times they are being ignored or dubbed off as being the same as another sibling. They often look at everything as a competition between siblings. They will have a tendency to compare their lives with the oldest sibling and will often become jealous of that child. Being in the middle a child can feel insecure and often seek out the attention of their parents more than the other children. The middle child often lacks drive and looks for direction from the first born child.

They are not over achievers and just simply work enough work to get by, and typically that goes with school as well as a career. They often start several projects but rarely keep focused long enough to finish a project. The best career move for a middle child would be along the lines of using their creative. Going into a writing or journalism career, and into a career that they could freely express themselves would be good. Anything that would have hours that are flexible, and projects that frequently changed would be good for a middle born child.

I'm scared! I highlighted the parts that are the scariest to me. I am always hearing parents say, "My child has middle child syndrome" or "He is so attention seeking, he must be a middle child". Do parents just say these things or is it really true? I guess we'll find out soon!

Sam's Club

We joined Sam's Club last week...again. When we moved back to NE, we didn't renew our membership. We usually just give my parents money to pick us up a few staple items every now and then when they go.

However, as you know, my parents have been out of town for awhile (due to return tonight...or tomorrow morning) We were in Grand Island on Friday night to look at carpet. We decided to stop at Sam's Club and join again because we needed a couple things from there, and they were running a membership special. If you are a student and join, you get a $15 giftcard. We asked if my husband's grad school counted and they said yes, so we joined again. Since we are in either G.I. or Lincoln every 2 weeks or so, we thought it was worth it.

We came out with 2 Ralph Lauren polos for my husband for work/church for $5 each, a family size package of the most amazing looking strawberries ever, and a couple other food items. We used our giftcard which made it more of a success. I gotta say that I really do like the place.

Weekend

We were subs yesterday for the 2-year old class at church for some people that went out of town. We had church after that and the boys did well. Except for potty breaks they both stay in church for the whole time most Sundays.

We did some things at my parent's house since they are still out of town (they come back soon) and then we took afternoon naps. After everyone got up, we headed to the pool. We ended up buying a summer pool pass so we wouldn't have to take money each time. We had some fun with some friends after that.

I hope you had a nice weekend also!

They don't allow cameras at the pool so I don't have pictures of it. Since I didn't have any pictures of the pool time, I thought I'd just post some random pictures that are some of my favorites.