Just a little spring cleaning...

Most of you know that I'm always concerned about my house being a mess. Every time I think I get it cleaned, I walk into a new mess made by my wonderful children. It seems like it's never done and that I'm always working to clean up after someone. I guess that's the life of a mom, but it can get frustrating. Well... I think I'm going to have a new little helper. Jake has been entertaining himself for hours with a broom. Every time I open the pantry door, he comes running to get the broom out. He goes all through the kitchen, dining room and living room, sweeping. I'm hopeful that maybe he'll train his sister and dad on how to use this tool. Maybe I'll have less complaints about the floor being dirty now. :)

Home sweet home

I was so happy to see my husband when he finally arrived at home last night at 1 a.m. after nearly 24 hours of traveling on very little sleep. Maybe it was relief that he was back home, in the US, safe and sound. Or maybe it was that I missed his dirty socks laying on the back of the couch (not really). Most likely, it was because my kids have been wild since he's been gone and I am ready for him to give me a break! That Mother's Day gift is going to come in handy...

Jake has transformed, overnight it seems, from the sweetest little baby into the loudest, toughest little boy I've been around. I honestly don't know if discipline is going to be an option with him. He now will turn to me when he's in trouble and point his finger at me and/or slap my hand. My mom and I were totally cracking up at him over the weekend, when he would go to the tv to turn it off (isn't it fun to watch the light go off and on when you hit that button). I kept telling him no and slapping his hand to reinforce the message (the slaps were not that hard, but they were enough for him to understand). He would simply laugh and slap my hand back or point his finger at me. Then, he'd return to the tv to do it again. I slapped his hand so many times, a little harder each time, that it was blood red... yet, it did not work. He kept laughing (and so did we when he wasn't looking). What do you do with a little boy like that?

In all honesty, I'm so happy to see him becoming a little more rowdy. He's been such a sweet little guy and always taking orders from Bailey, so I'm happy to see that he might stand up to her a few dozen times a day. While they really are wild children (so extremely loud that I'm truly surprised we haven't had complaints about noise from our neighbors), they are also extremely sweet. Watching them play together is becoming more and more fun. Among a thousand pretending games that were played today, they wanted to pretend they were leaving us (me and Brad). They kept walking into the other living room, toward the front door, and yelling bye to us waving the entire time. They'd run back and give us kisses and hugs, and then leave again. They'd come back and go again. For some reason, they found pure hilarity in doing this. Jake was giggling so hard, blowing us kisses and coming back with his little arms open for a hug. Our house will never be quiet again... except at midnight when all are exhausted. :) I can't imagine life any other way.

And the fights begin...

I guess fighting would be an appropriate title for this week, since my husband is away in Germany to assist my brother, Cory, as he prepares for a welterweight title against Alexander Frenkel (the fight will be on May 17). They arrived in Germany at about 3:30 this morning (our time), safe and sound.

So, I guess I should have expected my son to decide that this week would be the week to begin defending himself against his sister. Yesterday was the day it all came to a head for Jake. Bailey has been pushing him down every chance she gets for about two weeks now. She'll take things away from him, just for the sake of showing him that she can. His frustrations have been building each time and he's responded with tears and screams, which usually results in me spanking Bailey, or taking toys away from her, or just scolding her to tearful apologies. So, when Bailey pushed Jake down yesterday, I was expecting the same response. Much to my surprise, Jake pulled himself to his feet and slapped Bailey in the face. The look of shock on her face was priceless. I'm sure it is probably not nice for me to laugh about the fact that one of my children slapped the other, but it was truly hilarious. What was even funnier was that Bailey didn't figure it out with one slap. This scenario played out several times throughout the afternoon. A few hours later, Bailey took a toy from Jake and I saw the teeth literally come out. Fortunately, I made it across the room to them and stopped Jake from biting his sister. It's now going to be interesting... I'm sure that my parents will laugh at me and tell me it's time for some serious payback for all of the years my brother and I spent fighting.

Maybe those fights made my brother tougher and will help him to win his bout this weekend. :)

I wish I was bigger...

"I wish I was big wike you..."

"When I get bigger wike you, I'll be a mommy and I'll have my own sweetie..." (Translation... her own baby. I call her sweetie and she thinks that all children are called sweeties).

"I'm getting so much bigger... wook how big my muscles are..."

This seems to preoccupy Bailey more than I would have ever imagined. At the age of three, I don't recall ever thinking about being a mommy or worrying that I needed to be bigger. I'm sure that it was all there, but Bailey seems almost obsessed with growing up. She tells me about growing up and I laugh to myself at her concepts of "being big." She has even become aware that I don't want her to grow up too fast. She'll look at me and tell me how big she is, only to follow it with, "Don't be sad 'cus I'm gwowing bigger... you aren't sad, wight, Mommy?" Of course, I try to explain that I want her to stay little as long as she can, but that I'm so proud of her for growing up.

Me being proud of her is also something that she worries about. Last week, we were driving home from day care and she was telling me about what a good girl she had been at day care. She went on to explain that all the other kids throw fits, but that she is a very good girl and never gets in trouble. She was going on and on... and I was partially listening. My ears perked up when she asked me sweetly, "Are you pwoud of me, Mommy?" I could feel the lump form in my throat. How could she ever wonder if I was proud of her? One of the two best things I had ever done... how could she ever doubt it? I explained to her how much I loved her and how I was so proud of her, everyday, even when she was in trouble. I guess she is even more grown up than I realize sometimes.

Mother's Day

I enjoy writing about my babies. I always wish I had more time to sit and share all of their little quirks and record all of the funny things they do and say. I know one day I'll look back and wish I could remember what Bailey called her pacifier (her dapsi) and what noises Jake makes when he's walking around (he spends a lot of energy grunting and flexing his arms as he walks!). I probably spend as much time worrying about forgetting these things as I do actually noticing them. But I know that I'll wish that I could look back and remember each second.

However, tonight, I need to record something else to my blog memory... for 100 reasons. Most imporantly, I want to recognize how wonderful my husband is. But, also, I guess I'm giving him some ammo when I forget how he really does appreciate me. :)

You may or may not know that I am now working from home three days a week and in the office two days a week. It's been a balancing act, trying to figure out a schedule that gives everything enough attention. There have been times that I have thought I'm crazy for trying to take this all on, but when it comes to pay day, I like the extra money... and when it comes to spending time with the kids, I love being at home with them so much more. All in all, it is working out best for me and for the kids. BUT... sometimes when Brad gets home, I've had enough pressure from the kids and/or from the lack of work that I've accomplished in the day, and I take it out on him. I vent about needing more time to myself or just time to relax or just time in general. I never feel like it's Brad's fault that I don't have enough time. He just ends up being the only person that I can lay this all out on. And, he's probably the only person that can make a real difference in this arena.

I guess it should not have come to a shock to me when my extraordinary husband was the sweetest man in the world and went and bought me a present from the kids for Mother's Day - a day at the spa, including a pedicure, manicure, and a massage. Of course, I haven't gone yet (and who knows when I might be able to make that happen), but I was truly blown away. It was really nice to feel appreciated and to feel like he really does listen when I say repeatedly that I'd love to just spend a day relaxing.

Thank you, honey, for being the person that puts up with me when I need someone to vent to and for taking the time to make me feel so special.

Almost Yellow Grass

When we compare Bailey to members of my side of the family, my middle brother, Cory, is typically the person was compare her to the most. They have some very strange similarities and have always been known for their energy and attention-getting personalities. It is not often that Bailey reminds me of Colt, my youngest brother. His personality is much more like that of Jake's... quiet, laid-back, relaxed... So, today, when Bailey reminded me of Colt, it was noteworthy.

I took Bailey and Jake to the park today. We were the only ones there, so Jake was wandering around and I was following closely behind. Bailey was running back and forth between the slides, tetter-totter and swings. It was one of the only times that I've been able to just let them go without concern that they would get hurt or hurt another child. I returned a call to my friend, Cilla. Amidst our conversation, Bailey came up and told me that she needed to pee. I told her that we would go home and go to the bathroom and come back. While I was trying to round up Jake and talk to Cilla, I turned my back to Bailey. When I turned back to get her, she was in the grass, shorts and panties around her ankles, sitting to go pee. I rushed over to her, laughing hysterically, and pulled her clothes back on and rushed her to the car. I couldn't help but laugh. In some ways, it was my own fault. A few months back, we were on our way back from Ashland and she needed to go to the bathroom. I had to pull over on an exit without a restroom and let her pee in the grass. I guess she thought it was OK to do this anywhere!

I had a complete flashback when this all happened though. And yes, Colt would kill me for telling it. When Colt was about the same age as Bailey, we threw a pool party at my grandmother's for Cory's baseball team. Colt was very accustomed to swimming in his little white underwear and hopping out of the pool to pee in the grass. So, low and behold, in the middle of a huge party, he jumps out of the pool and runs over to the fence and starts peeing in front of everyone. Cory and I were mortified!! Everyone found it hilarious, except for us. :)

Anyway... it's nice to finally have something that I can tell Colt that Bailey gets from him. Maybe it's just one of those Joe Dirt things... maybe these things are just bred into us rednecks from eastern Kentucky. :)

Sweet Kisses

Today was a very affectionate day for Jake... I woke up at 8:30, much later than usual, with both babies still asleep (in the same bed as us of course!). While I was still forcing myself to wake up, Bailey started to move around. Jake followed shortly after. The typical day started... Bailey began asking for breakfast, more specifically, pancakes, and telling me to turn on cartoons. Jake was crawling around the bed, trying to get out of reach of my hands as I grasped onto his ankles to keep him from toppling over the side and into the floor. Jake crawled up to the top of the bed and leaned over me, planting an open mouth, slobbery kiss right on my mouth. This wouldn't be that unusal if it were Bailey (except that she doesn't give open mouth kisses any more - yay!). With Jake, this is a new development. He's always been cuddly and thoroughly enjoys being hugged up. He'll even sit with his head on your shoulder for 5-minute spells just to get some affection. But, kisses have not been something that has interested him that much until now. He's getting plenty of practice now though... we've had kisses all day long. Sweet little surprises for all of us, out of the blue and completely unsolicited. Maybe that's what makes them even more sweet!

Stairs, older women, and days with grandparents

I feel like I write more about Bailey than I do Jake. Mainly because Bailey is saying so much and doing so many things, while Jake is still in the development stage and is much more laid back. So, this one is totally about my little man. While he is laid back, he is also learning to be aggressive. And he's sneakier than Bailey ever was. She would always do whatever she wanted, regardless of who was watching her. Jake, on the other hand, waits until he knows you aren't looking and then moves as quickly as possible to achieve his goal. Lately, his one and only goal seems to be going up the stairs. He'll sit, pretending to be interested in some toy, until he sees me turn my head. As soon as I do, he'll take off, crawling or walking in an almost run, as quickly as he can into the other room. As soon as he hears me coming, he begins moving faster, giggling a nervous, raspy little laugh. It's frustrating (to say the least) when I'm trying to do something, but adorable to watch him as he sincerely tries to sneak away.

He has the sweetest, sneakiest little smile of any little boy I've ever seen. Something about it reminds me of his daddy, but so much of it reminds me of Cory. For those of you who know Cory, yes, it does terrify me. :) Every time we go anywhere, Jake is working his magic with the older ladies. He knows exactly how to get their attention. He'll smile and stare at them, sometimes reaching out to them or waving his backwards little wave. Then, as soon as they notice him and start to respond, he'll turn his little head like he's shy. I have even caught him looking out the corners of his eyes and grinning, trying to pretend that he's not interested. It's quite adorable and it has all of the women going crazy over him. I can see why... that little dimple just melts my heart every time. Poor little Bailey is 100% frustrated by Jake's new attention-getting scheme. She's used to being the ham of the family, so I'm not sure how long this will last before we have a super meltdown.

Jake is growing up in so many ways, and sometimes I tend to treat him like he's a little baby still, much to his frustration. I guess it's easier for me if I feed him instead of letting him get it all over the place while he's learning to feed himself. It's just one of those things that I need to let go of, but didn't even realize that I was doing it. It was pointed out to me this past weekend. :) My parents kept Bailey and Jake for me last Friday so that I could work our Season Finale concert and a fundraising event. They had a wonderful day, playing outside at Mimi and Big Poppa's with Eian, Braden and Gage before going to a baseball game. Jake's highlight was when my parents were taking him to their home in Ashland and stopped at McDonald's. In the car, we let our kids have fries. Bailey gets apple juice in a box and is able to drink it without spilling it everywhere, so we let her have her juice in the car too. However, Jake typically and promptly pulls out the straw and turns over the box to pour the juice everywhere. So... for that reason and because of my inability to let him become a complete mess, we don't give him his juice until we get out, unless it's in a sippy cup. Mom and Dad made his day when they reached him the juice box on the way to Ashland. They said he was so proud... he just kept smiling and laughing over it. I guess the little things in life really do make it worth living. Made me feel like crap for withholding this experience from my little man... but I'm glad that he got to have it with his grandparents. How special he must have felt and how cool he must think they are. :) The Reese cups at the baseball field, along with the Ring Pop, and, although it was not reported, the gallons of pop that he probably drank when he was with them, probably helped a little too.

Sick...

Brad recently celebrated his 27th birthday. As a result, we hauled both kids to the Outback to celebrate. We LOVE their cheese fries (calories do not matter on birthdays). The kids are huge fries fans... I think they could both live on them if we would let them. Jake sat at the head of the table in his high chair, eating fries and drinking fruit punch for most of the meal. We were having an enjoyable time, you know, a regular dinner out (a few occasional yells for more food, and a couple of spills, but typical).

Jake was getting tired and fussy, so I thought I'd take him to change his diaper and get him ready to go home while Brad and Bailey were finishing up. The bathrooms were conveniently right behind our table. As I came out of the bathroom after changing Jake, I felt his tummy rumble. All of a sudden, Jake decided to throw up everywhere. I had a white shirt on... he had drank fruit punch. It was not pretty. The poor little couple sitting across from us and the poor bus boy. :) It was 100% embarassing. lol

Has anyone noticed a trend that my kids like to throw up in public? :) These blogs are becoming more and more a medical record of my kids' decisions to get sick in public places!

Long time...

Well, it's been more than a month since I last "blogged." I guess that's a perfect indicator of how busy it has been. I could write at least 20 separate blogs to catch up... which I might try to do over the next few weeks. There are just certain things that I'll have to record, if to only help me remember them years from now.

Bailey and Jake both celebrated birthdays since my last blog. Bailey turned three on March 24 and Jake turned one on April 9. We had a pool party with a Finding Nemo theme at the Ashland YMCA to celebrate both of their birthdays together. It was a lot of fun, especially for Bailey since she enjoys swimming so much. It was bittersweet for me. I have watched Bailey grow up before my very eyes over the past year. She is honestly in the throes of becoming a big girl. I am thrilled that she doesn't wear diapers anymore and even more excited about her going to sleep without being held down. But, she also is now moving from being that sweet little baby to a little girl who will way too quickly start school and grow up. I guess it was just hard to look at her and realize that there are only two more years until she will start school and be gone. I realize that she won't be "gone," but it seems like once they hit that age, it flies by. Colt, my youngest brother, is now driving and dating, talking about college and careers. I can remember his first day of school like it was yesterday. I think that's what makes it even more difficult!

I also saw my little boy become a toddler. Jake began walking before he turned one and he has not slowed down since! Although he still wants his bottle and his mommy for most everything, he is more rowdy than ever and into everything he can find. He is still my little baby, but it blows my mind how fast the past year has gone... it seemed to go by even faster than Bailey's first year... which scares me just a little bit. :)



On each of their birthdays, Brad and I took them to Chuck E. Cheese's. They enjoyed it a lot... Bailey loves the slide (which is FREE!) and Jake loves the Bob the Builder dozer and the Teletubbies ride (thank God he doesn't want to watch Teletubbies though). Bailey was hilarious on her birthday... it evolved into a whole day of celebration. We made cupcakes and played whatever Bailey chose. She had recently gone to two birthday parties for her friends, Emma and Kaylee. Each of them had princess parties, in which Bailey and the other little girls dressed up in princess dresses. So, right as we were walking out of the door to go to Bailey's "party" at Chuck E. Cheese's, Bailey looked at me and said, "Hold on a second... I have to get something." She ran up the stairs, as quick as her little legs would take her. A few seconds later, she yells from the top of the stairs, "Where is my princess dress?!" I thought I would crack up. She completely associated her birthday with the princess dress. Thus, we arrived at Chuck E. Cheese's with our little princess.