Saturday, January 25, 2014

I have a love/hate relationship with the weather here in Kansas, just as I'm sure everyone else does.  Last week, it was COLD.  But today, mother nature, redeemed herself with a beautiful, early spring-like afternoon.



We love baseball!

We got skillzzzzz!

Evee and I were backing out of the drive way, and I stopped to video Cru hitting....the second one went over the house :)



 



































Impromptu 2.65 miles with my girl ♥

Running/riding conversations....
Reese: Why do you girls run?
Me: To exercise and stay healthy.
Reese: Then why do you still eat so many cookies?
Busted!!!
Towards the end of our run...
Me:  Whew, I need to go to the bathroom!
Reese: Really? (in a super annoyed voice) Go find a bush!

See if I ever ask her to go with me again!  Just kidding!  We had a great time, and she asked if we could do it all the time :)

I'd love to only it'll probably be a while because of the near future forecast....(and I also like my adult time with my running buddies!)



I know, I know, it's still January, but there's still no other way to describe it....LOVE/HATE!

Friday, January 17, 2014

So here I am writing another post about Cru and his nasty sleeping habits....

12:44am
I just got out of the shower; I am a night owl.  Chet had been sound asleep on the couch for hours, I walk out to the living room to shut lights and tv off and Chet's not on the couch....was he in bed and I walked right past him??  I walk back into our room...no Chet.  Weird. I head towards the other side of the house where the Littles' rooms are at. I hear voices in Cru's room....there stands Chet and Cru....what's going on?

Cru wanted jammies...I'm guessing he came out of his room, and it surprised him to see daddy sleeping on the couch...usually it's mommy still up working.  He probably went back into his room, and started yelling for me :)

Chet goes to bed, I help Cru get dressed, then put him back in bed.

1:00am
I'm awake looking at the iPad, and from our cracked door, I see the kitchen light come on. I figured it was Reese. She comes upstairs to get water fairly often...then I hear clanging. Reese never a makes a peep. I get up...it's Cru....chugging Dr. Pepper (he's know to sneak drinks of any type of beverage left out on the counter...at least this time it was nonalcoholic). 
Me: What are you doing? (in my angry whisper!)
Cru: I couldn't find my water. (in his pouty with tears in his eyes voice, like I'm not supposed to be mad)
Me: Your water is right here (pointing to his seat at the table) where it's left every night! 
By now he has taken off sprinting for his room!
Me: (in my mean mommy angry whisper) You get back in that room and DO NOT come out AGAIN or you will be in VERY. BIG. TROUBLE.

I crawl back into bed and start venting to sleepy Chet...

Since I was basically talking to myself, I grabbed the iPad again....

2:03am
I had finally fallen asleep at some point only to be awaken by our door opening then suddenly shutting.  I pop up....EVERLEE!

What in the hell???

She sprints to our bed, climbs up, and is shaking.
Me: Evee...what are you doing?
Her: Silence...lip quivering.
I was speechless....
Me: How did you get out of bed? (She's still in her crib.  She's too big for it, but we have enough troubles with Cru wondering the house at night, we aren't ready to add another to the mix.  She can climb in her crib, but she has never climbed out....until now.)
Evee: I climbed, and I pinched my finger.  (lip still quivering :()

I was still speechless...did she really climb out?  Why did she wake up?  Was she sick?

I decided to just have to her go potty, then take her back to her bed.  When we were in the bathroom, I heard noises.
Me: Was someone in your room?
Evee:  Cru.  He woked me up. 
Me:  Did he help you out of your bed.
Evee: He want to play, then leave me in there.

I carried her back to her bed, and woke Chet up along the way.  He gave Cru a stern lecturing.  When I put Evee back in her bed, sure enough, it was filled with new toys that weren't there when she initially went to bed...toys that were in Cru's bed when he initially went to bed.

At this point, I was beyond frustrated!

2:20am
I hear crawling on our floor.  I look....Reese.  Are you flipping kidding me?!
Me: What in the world are you doing??
Reese: My smoke alarm beeped.
Me: What? (I was trying really hard not to take my frustration with her brother out on her) Has Cru been in your room?
Reese: Yes.  Six times.

I walked Reese back down to her room.  The alarm seemed fine.

Why is Cru doing this??? 

We have issues with him turning on his light after we tuck him in and shut the door.  He falls asleep with it on, then the brightness eventually wakes him up.  I also think he does stuff in his sleep.  I've caught him before just sitting in bed, and I've asked him what he's doing, and he continues to just sit there without acknowledging me, and he was asleep the entire time.  I also think he talks himself into being scared of things. 

I'm not sure where we go from here....

 
To take a nap?  Wouldn't that be nice!
 
Actually, our next move is probably putting together Everlee's big girl bed....she just woke up and appeared in the living room all by herself...no yelling at me to get her out of her bed.
 
Sh*t!
 
We are about to become a crib-free house.....

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Basketball Saturdays

I know it won't be long before our weekends will consist of traveling, bleacher sitting, cheering, and ballin'....with multiple children :/// 

And while I can't wait for that, I am perfectly content spending our basketball Saturdays this way....

Morning games at the Y....


Daddy caught this action shot of Reese making a basket!  She's come so far since last year!

Afternoon games cheering on the Jayhawks....



Evening games in Topeka watching Aunt Casyn....


We've kind of become professional Washburn shirt snatchers!

And where else do you get half time entertainment like this!



































And sometimes you have to dedicate more than just a Saturday to basketball.  And if that's the case, I'd better be here.....





Allen Field House - aka basketball heaven!

Where I can high five some of my most favorite people!





Seldon be like, "Who's the crazy, old chick high fivin' and taking pictures?"  Me!!!



































And Perry be like, "Wait, haven't I seen you before?"  Yep!!!



 Yes, I hung in the tunnel and high fived them all....three times!  No shame in my game!

 I just hope my love for basketball Saturdays continues for many, many years to come no matter how much traveling, bleacher sitting, and cheering we do!


**Short posts about random happenings is my inadvertent way of avoiding long holiday posts :)**

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Our {early} Morning

While the littles are still sleeping, I thought I would document our early morning....there's still lots of morning left.

4:46am
Cru comes into our room....I want to sleep with you.  This is nothing new, and for a while, we didn't fight it, but we all sleep horrible, so we're putting an end to it.  So, I told him no, he asked just to sleep on the floor, I told him no again, crawled out of bed, and walked him back to his room.

5:08am
When kids go into their parents room at night, why do they get right in their face, but don't say a word until the parent awakens by getting the crap scared out of them?  I don't get it...and yes, I did this to my parents too.  And why do they NEVER go to the dad's side of the bed???

So, 5:08, there he was staring me in the face....
Me: What are you doing now?
Cru: I have to go to the bathroom.
He goes.
I walk him back to his bed.
Cru: What's 10 + 10?
Me: 20
Cru: ok, thanks.

5:22am
I hear someone crawling on our floor.  I ignore it...whatever, I'm tired.  I hear more crawling.  Then Everlee starts hollering about something.  I get up, scan the floor...it's dark, I see nothing, and proceed to Everlee's room.  I get Everlee situated, then look in Cru's room because his door is wide open and light on.  He isn't in there.

I head back to our room, look on the floor again.  He isn't there.  I start moving pillows and blankets around on the floor wondering WTH?  Where is he?

I walk back to his room....still not there.

5:42am
I wake Chet up sort of panicked.  I debrief him on what's been going on for the past hour....funny how that works ;)  Everlee hollers again...her covers are messed up.  Still no Cru.  By this time, we are even looking in cabinets; I'm kind of starting to worry.  The front door was still locked and the rug was still pushed up again the back door, so we knew no one had went in or out.

Now, Everlee needs a drink.

Cru wasn't downstairs.

I went back into Everlee's room to check her closet.  He wasn't there.

While Chet was looking on our back sun porch, I double checked downstairs.....



I nearly cried.

I was so relieved to find him, I was so scared that something had happened, and I was so comforted in knowing how much they love each other.

5:59am
My alarm will go off soon, but there is still time to crawl back in bed for a few minutes.  And just as I get comfortable....Evee.  Screw it...if I would have just said yes to Cru the first time, I would have avoided all that mess, so I went to her room, swooped her up, and brought her back to bed with me.

Alarms started sounding.  Then snoozing.  Sounding.  Snoozing.  Ok, I really need to get up.  Evee was sound asleep next to me, so I wiggled my way out of bed doing my bed not to disturb her, went down to wake Reese up, and the first thing she said to me was, "Cru said you wouldn't let him sleep in your bed."

Cru woke up at this time too, came upstairs with us, then disappeared again....



How can I be mad at this?

And this...



They are a team.



A team that will be cranky come late afternoon.

And better yet, a team that will go to bed very early tonight.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

With the ending of a new year and beginning of a new....

no, there's not a new me :)

Hopefully, an improved one!

Anyways, I've been looking back on 2013 and feeling mushy and grateful and sappy and happy...

I look at my family and I could just cry....and squeeze them and never let go!



Christmas break has been great!  We've been busy, probably too busy, but we've been together ♥  Makes me sad to see it end.

I decided to take the kids to spend their Christmas money as a fun last day of vacation activity!



No better place than Target!  At least in this mama's opinion!

But before we shopped, we ate at Bogey's.  Their choice, not mine believe it or not!

Frozen princesses, Onna and Elsa, joined us for lunch....



See little brother back there getting into big sister's purse....the orneriness never stops!

When I was cleaning up our lunch mess and helping Evee put on her coat, Reese and Cru waited by the claw machine.  And as I started walking towards them, a man I knew from Mcpherson (we were in Hutch and my guess is he had no idea who those cute kids standing at the machine belonged to), put quarters on the machine so the kids could play.



A few quarters meant the world to my kids, which meant the world to me.  Good people still exist.

A few quarters also turned into wasting $3 on that silly machine!  Reese could have spent all her Christmas money on that machine.

Once we finally got out of there, it was off to shop!

And after an hour of walking the toy aisles, sweating, listening to how much is this, how much is that, adding and subtracting, seeing double, paying on their own, it was time to get the hell out of there!

Whew!

End result....

Reese spent every dollar plus a few more of her own basically on three stuffed animals...seriously??? Frozen Elsa, small walking horse, and a stuffed My Little Pony.



Cru had almost $10 left over after buying Ninja Turtle gloves that make noise, a sword, five race cars, and a Batman electric toothbrush.



And Evee spent every dollor on a two baby shopping cart and Doc McStuffins kit, which all she really wanted was the phone included in it :)

Then we came home and played and played!



It was a great way to spend our day.  Thankful Chet makes it possible for me to do these things with them.

So, as sad as I am that break is over, I'm looking forward to a new year.  No "new me" just an improved me....rather a more present me...





Thursday, January 2, 2014

Charlee's Pics

My sister in law's sister and mom asked me if I would take some pictures of Charlee to give to Ty and Audrey for Christmas.  I was happy to...but I'll admit, I was a little nervous.  Sure, I take pictures of Charlee all the time, but never like this.  So, one beautiful November afternoon, we went for it....




























In love ♥♥♥

These railroad tracks are the same ones we took our pictures at....right behind our circle drive.

Chelsea bought Charlee the vest, and I rummaged through the girls' closet for the rest, we curled her hair, and rewarded her with a treat of her choice...m&m's.  It was so fun!  And Charlee was an absolute doll.  I was a little worried because she can be picky about her clothes, but when we were all done, she didn't want to take any of it off :)

And most importantly, she never spilled the beans to her mom....at least that I know of!

Chelsea gave them two large prints in frames that she painted and antiqued herself....AMAZING!!!  And the rest went in an album.

Merry Christmas, Ty and Audrey!

Love you, Charlee Mae!