I am raising a family not running a Museum!

I am always worrying someone is going to just stop by my house without calling and it's going to be the biggest mess ever! I am not sure why I worry....anyone that has kids especially more than one knows they are messy!

I can clean one room turn around and all of the toys are out again! Fold Laundry and turn to get something and two kids are laughing hysterical as they throw them in the air! Especially Caroline!!!

It's hard for me to just accept the fact that my house will just be a mess until one day it's empty and I will be wishing I had the mess instead of the emptiness!

Jacob and I are disorganized (A.K.A Messy) people on top of having kids! Were just not that organized so add two kids to the Mix and well.....you've got a huge mess!

I was reading one of the blogs I read and saw a picture of her living room and above it she said...just in case you are under the false impression I had it all together, my living room on any given day has the coffee table moved to the side, a zebra tent in it's place and toys EVERY where. I am raising a family, not running a museum! (I love that)

THANK GOODNESS!  I feel like every picture I ever see, everyone's house looks nice and neat and playrooms put together! I guess no one really wants to post pictures of a mess! But I like to see that I am not the only one that has a living room that looks like the toy store blew up in! In 20 some years I plan on having a clean house until then...I will just continue to raise my family and TRY not to worry too much that my house looks like a bomb went off in it! :-)

 

Snack time today! Ummmm doughnuts from Krispy Kreme last night!!!

 

She still loves her Mum Mum's

 

Birthday Planning Sneak Peak

I am so excited to be planning Caroline's first Birthday party! 
I mean...she only turns 1 once! We can't wait to celebrate with family and friends.

It's hard to believe it's almost here!

So here is a little sneak peak!

I wanted it to be lilly-ish just because I love the colors and Lilly but it's easter weekend so thought we should incorporate some bunnies!

Below is the picture on her invitation.

And then the next two pictures are her cupcake toppers.

I decided to go with cupcakes because they are just so much easier than cutting cakes!

My friend Pamela is making her smash cake and cup cakes! She is very talented and I cannot wait to see them!

I am going to cut the pictures below out with a circle cutter and attach a stick to put in the cupcakes!

 

 

I will post more as I get it done!

Next will be the very Cute Wreath I hope to finish this weekend for the front door!

 

Pop Pop and Nana

We went to play with Pop Pop and Nana yesterday and snapped a few pictures!

Of course Crawford was on the go but we did get him in one!

and I am sure Caroline is sick of me taking pictures of her this week! It has been a little excessive! But I love practicing with her and think I better while I can because soon she will be like Crawford and I will rarely get them!

 

Mamarazzi

By the looks of the pics below you can tell we have been taking picture after picture at our house!

Crawford loves to make Caroline laugh for pictures and then.....he decides if she's getting her picture taken he wants his!

Not sure how long that will last!

I LOVE watching them together. Tonight Crawford made Caroline laugh for what felt like hours! It was our entertainment to just sit back and watch!

She thinks he is so funny! I wonder how long that will last! :-)

 

nothing better than Baby Kisses!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Many Faces

Crawford has so many Sweet Faces!! Thought I would share! At 3 1/2 it's rare I get many pictures of him...but today he was feeling the camera and kept asking me to take pictures of him....:-) so this Mommy is not complaining!!!

Now if we could keep miss Caroline still! She makes me sweat trying to keep her from crawling! :-)

 

 

Three and 1/2 this month going on 16

Well these are just a few pictures.....more to come this week! Once I bribe him to sit still and not give me a funny face or blank stare! :-)

My first baby is 3 1/2 going on 16! Seriously he talks sometimes like he is 16. When I woke him up this morning he said .....leave me alone I want to stay in my bed!!!!! I about fell over! What happened to my sweet baby who's eyes would light up when I walked in to the room to rescue him from his crib! Now he wants me out of his room so he can sleep pass 8:15!

There is never a dull moment with Crawford! We do have so much fun! Even with a few tantrums along the way! I guess it's an age thing! Hope there not here to stay though! As I am typing this at 10:15.....I hear something drop upstairs and it is sweet Crawford! AWAKE! and guess who else he woke...his sweet sister!

Each morning when he wakes up he goes to wake up Caroline by Crawling in her crib! He has done it since she she first starting sleeping in the crib! We have finally broke him of it! I hope! I love watching him on the monitor because it's just the two of them and he is talking to her like no one is watching! He is so sweet...except he throws everything out of the crib including her paci's which ends up make her Mad!

at 3 1/2 he is such a picky eater and we are trying hard to break it!

He has been potty trained since 3 and is doing great!

He loves to play baseball and golf and soccer and football but he is really good at baseball and golf! He has great hand/eye coordination!

We of course think he is so smart...but what parent doesn't think their child is smart!

He is so funny and I really have to bite my lip from laughing at some of the inappropriate things he says!

He is very Sensitive, he gets his feelings hurt easily and gets embarrassed!

His favorite toys are anything that has to do with Cars. He watches the movie 3 or 4 times a week and more if we would let me!

He goes to pre-school 3 mornings a week! He is 1 of 3 boys in the class room!

In the last year his eyes have changed from Bright Blue like Caroline's to Gray Blue!

He love the Demon Deacon and Bolt form the Winston-Salem Dash!

He is lucky enough to go to all of the WFU football and basketball games. He love them even though the loose! His favorite part is watching the Demon Deacon ride in on the motorcyle.

He prays for everyone so if he has ever met you....you better believe he is praying for you! Then sometimes he gets carried away and prays for the door, ceiling fan, tree's, pillows and anything he can think of! His prayers go on and on and on!

He is not quiet for a moment unless he meets a stranger!

he is such a joy! I tell him I want to put a rock on his head to keep him from growing so fast! and it's true! I never believed how fast these days would go by! I feel like I blink and he is bigger! To the sweetest boy in the whole wide world!!!!! We love you right up to MOON and back!!!

 

 

10 Month's....Say it's not So

Well the Baby of our family is about to be a toddler and I can hardly believe it! she is almost 11 Months so I thought I should squeeze this 10 Month post because in 1 week she is 11 Months!!!

Wow!!!!

Where do I start!

She is growing by leaps and bounds....not sure her exact weight but I am guessing around 17 or 18 lbs. now!

In Size 3 Diapers

Eats as if she is a three year old! She actually eats much better than Crawford does now!

If she could eat a Cheesburger whole she would! If she is close to my plate she will take my food right off my plate! She does not want to be feed anything! She is very independent!

I feel like I am a professional food chopper these days! Chopping three times a day!

Her favorite thing to do is take a Bath! I can't wait to take her swimming this year! If I even walk into the bathroom with her she starts squealing with excitement and tries to wiggle out of my arms into the tub!

She is a Dancer! As soon as we turn on music or even say the word dancing...she starts dancing!

She gives the sweetest kisses

She signs more! and gets faster and faster the longer I take to get her More!

She has two bottom teeth and is working on her top ones!

She can hold up 1 finger when you ask her how old she is. That's her newest trick! (she makes me proud)!

She is walking around furniture and from one piece to the next!

She LOVES to Swing at the Park! On Sunday she fell asleep in the swing! I wish I would have had my camera!

She has mastered the stairs. Not excited about this at all!

She loves Clapping to If your Happy and You no it and Patty Cake!

She loves to play Peek a boo! If she is waring a dress she pulls up her dress and it is so cute!! Maybe not when she is 16 but it's cute now!

She still loves Dolls! but she also loves Crawford's Cars! Which has become a problem! He still doesn't know that she left one of his trucks at my friend Kristen's house! :-) of all the toys she grabbed in the car to play with, it was his Cars Mac Truck and we left it! It has WAY to many toys so he doesn't know it's missing!

I don't think she has added any new words since last month, I'll update if I think of any.

She gets so excited when Jacob gets home each afternoon. I think she a Daddy's girl for sure!!!

 

MOPS

I am involved in a local MOPS (Mother's of Preschoolers) group here in Winston and LOVE it!

I am not sure how I could do without it and I would recommend it to anyone that is able to be part of one!

I have learned so much about myself and being a mom and met some wonderful girls!

I learned early on with Crawford that there was nothing better than getting to compare notes with my friends on raising a child! I have certain friends I talk to daily and there is not a day go by that I am not asking...does your child do this...what do you do when they do that? What type of food should I be feeding....etc! I am not sure what I would do without all of my friends to give encouragement and advice!

So being part of this group has given me even more resources to learn all kinds of things and has allowed me to meet some really great friends!

I look forward to each meeting we have and even though getting both kids ready and out the door in time to get there is sometimes a challenge; when I finally drop them off in the nursery and sit down with these lovely ladies and get to eat...talk and learn it is completely worth the morning challenges!!

I have learned about Contentment! which I must say is So hard for me! It's hard for me to just be content and not constantly worrying if my house is clean....or something needs to be done! Just to be content in the moment with my Children! I can clean when my children are older and want nothing to do with me! :-) Easier said than done but I am trying! Don't get me wrong...my house is always a mess but I am always worrying about it and trying to clean rather than sometimes just being Content with the mess and let it go and just enjoy these priceless moments I have with my children!!

I have learned so much about faith and parenting!

I have learned that I am not the only one in the world going through a 3 year old who thinks he is 16 and a dramatic 10 month old teething and wanting to be held!

Today we were talking about scripture and I jotted down a few books for children that people were recommending and thought I would share!

I ordered them on Amazon and am excited they will be at my door tomorrow!!! Love Amazon Prime which is free overnight shipping; some program...that has been completely free to me! That's another post but I do have wipes arriving with the books tomorrow that were absolutely FREE! Yay for me or should I say Caroline!

I am a blog stalker! I love reading blogs...I actually read ALOT more when I worked! Ha..Ha.. Go Figure!

Anyway...I don't read nearly as much these days but one that I have always kept on my list to check is Kelly's Korner!

She is just such an inspiration and I love reading it!

Her blog today kind of related to My MOPS session which was ironic to me that I just happened upon her page today.

She recommended a book and I thought it was great enough to share even though I haven't read it yet! I did order it on amazon to be delivered to my door tomorrow! So I'll let you know how it is! I plan to start it tomorrow! Especially since I finished Heaven is for Real which I totally recommend!!!

You can view a little bit about the author below.

"Don't Make Me Come Up There" Blog Tour Promo from Derek Harvey on Vimeo.

If you have been wondering where I have been

If you have been wondering why I haven't been blogging as much it's because of this!!!!

Read it! it's amazing!!!

and because I have been busy take some Adorable little babies and kids pictures!!!

More to come on that! But if you have time get this book it's a really easy read!!!

 

 

Visit to the Barn

After being inside all day we decided to visit Pop Pop and Nana at the Barn! Could not resist taking my camera!

Loving these pictures...I have similar ones from when Crawford was younger that I need to dig up in my Free Time!! :-)