A video from Christmas

ok- so I cant seem to post the one video of Owen not enjoying the beginning of Christmas... Though- I can post the video of him enjoying one of his new toys. Lets just say that I hope, for everyone's sake, that he chooses to follow a different path than a pilot...

Not much is going on with us. I am enjoying my vacation time, and sad to think it's already more than halfway over. I have a lot that I would like to get done today while the kids are at daycare and I think Hunter and I are going to do a little shopping/bonding time. Tonight- dinner with some girlfriends- and so excited because the location chosen is literally 5 minutes from my house!

On a sad note, my heart hurts for a mommy friend. Please keep Jen and her family in your prayers. I can't even begin to imagine what they are going through. :(

Weekend Recap/ Tell All Tuesday

Next year, we won't wake Owen for Christmas...


Sean was so excited for Owen to celebrate the first Christmas that he would "understand" Santa Clause...so he may have accidentally woken him too soon. Major backfire... I need to figure out how to post the video from the actual event (I really need to learn how to hook my blackberry to the computer).

To backtrack- and I will add pictures and videos at some point this week, we went to my brother in law's house for Christmas Eve. It was really nice- a dinner of steak, twice baked potatoes, sweet potatoes, zucchini and squash followed by pumpkin rolls for dessert. We stayed until about 7:30 when Quinlin started to Melt down. Sean's dad dressed as Santa Clause and Owen never even made the connection that it was Grandpa in the suit. he came up the stairs and Owen yelled "SANTA!!!" priceless. The kids opened gifts and we came home and went to bed. Hunter said he was so excited that he was up all night. Nice to see that even at almost 14, he still gets excited!

Christmas morning, the kids were downstairs opening presents by about 8am. We took a break for pancakes around 9am and Owen finally finished at about 10am (I think Hunter was done by 8:15). Sean's parents and sister came over at about 1pm. We deep fried a turkey and had a nice Christmas day. Nowhere to go or be rushed- I didnt even put make up on. Sean's family left about 8pm after the babies bathed and that was it!

• I am on vacation this week and am trying to enjoy and savor every minute of it! It is so nice to be able to shower in peace, for as long as I want, and not be interrupted by a certain 2 year old. Sean doesn't understand how that can be such a highlight to my day, but it is. I have been dropping the kids off to daycare in my running pants, pony tails and sweatshirts and rushing home to my quietness. LOVE.
• I had minor oral surgery today. Back in June, I had 4 impacted wisdom teeth pulled plus a 5th tooth for a failed root canal and had a bone graft done to prepare me for my implant. Today was the day of the implant. $3,000 later, I still have a gap in my teeth but the "implant" is in. Now I need to wait 3 months until my dentist (no longer the oral surgeon) puts the crown on. I guess I thought that I would leave there with a new tooth but the process is long.
• We have been having a heck of a time with owen lately and bed time. He is almost in a "seperation anxiety mode" and needing someone to be with him. I do not want to start the habit of having him in bed with us, so we have been laying on his floor to calm him down for the night. He stalls "must say good night Hunter, must say good night daddy, etc". if we leave and he gets angry, he peels off his pajamas and diaper immediately, because he knows we'll come back. After he did this yesterday and peed on the floor, I posted to my facebook looking for help. We're trying the supernanny technique. I used to loved bedtime, my kids went to sleep so easily. Now- I dread it. DREAD.
• Hunter comes home tomorrow. He spent Christmas Day and the following days with his dad. I'm ready for him to come home. I do enjoy though that he has cousins his age and is really enjoying himself, but nice to have my complete family together again!
• On Monday, Sean and I boxed up all of Quinlin's old clothes and went through everything I had left from Owen that he has since outgrown. I am going to attempt to sell some of the items on ebay (sad that I have Ralph Lauren outfits, for example, with tags on them because I was too afraid to use them...what was I thinking?) If I dont sell any, or decide its too much work, those clothes, in addition to two boxes of clothes are going to my nephew that will be here in February, Charlie. Quinlin's clothes- 2 boxes worth- have been boxed for our friends Jimmy and Tanya, who after 3 boys, are finally having a little girl (ironically the duedate is the day after Charlie's duedate). At least I know all the clothes are going to good homes and will get good usage. sad to box things up already. Especially Quinlin's clothes- and even sadder to look at her newborn sleepers and barely remember that she was really that small!

That's it for now. :)

All Wrapped Up

With the holidays approaching, I am nowhere near being ready. I have yet to finish shopping, cleaning, baking, wrapping... That's ok though. It will all get done- it always does. Owen decided to help wrap...

he wrapped himself. Pretty good present if you ask me- one of my favorites!

Holiday Cards

My holiday cards have finally been mailed and delivered so I can post what I ended up choosing from shutterfly. I had to send 125 of them, so the 50 free cards really helped me out. Remember the promotion here.

I was really happy how they turned out... family-oriented, a focus on each child, etc. I find it funny to see the cards of the famous. I wonder if they'll look back and wonder "what was I thinking?"

Really, LeAnn Rimes?

or- how about Paris?

and you can't forget the Kardashians...

A flash back to the 2008 Kardashian card... why was there a ladder?

At least Britney is normal... who would have thought I'd ever write that? And, sidenote, I no longer can think of Britney Spears without thinking of Brittany S Pierce from Glee... Sean and I love her character.

I dont think I have ever written this before, but I think my true calling would have been an entertainment reporter. I dont have the look for tv... but I love that stuff. I could read a people magazine or perez and be able to quote back most stories. Ask me to read a textbook and I couldnt comprehend it. Oh well- I like my job and wouldn't trade it in...so I will happily follow the celeb bloggers for my scoop.

Tell All Tuesday 12/21

• I am home from work sick today. I love my children- I love that they are so giving and want to share- but they can stop sharing their germs with me. Owen's sneezing, coughing, snots, etc have finally caught up to me. Oh how I love daycare.
• Though- such a catch 22- I really do love daycare, aside from all the germiness. We found a great one and the ladies take such good care of my children and they truly are learning so much. But- they are sick- all the time.
• Speaking of daycare, I need to get my daycare providers with holiday gifts. The first year, I bought chocolates. Last year, I did wine. I think we're going with wine again...but I have 8 ladies I need to buy for (and actually I'd like to include one of the floater ladies, Louise, and the cook) but I dont know if I can afford to do 10- holy cow!
• I am laying around my house and need to do something, like cleaning, but have no motivation.
• Sean was out of town for a week and that really sucked so much energy. I am thankful that I took vacation time next week and can enjoy some of winter break with Hunter.
• I had to bribe Hunter with a trip to Subway so i could get him to the barber shop. His hair was pretty raggity (is that a word?)
• I need to start planning Quinlin's birthday party! I wanted to do an evite, but feel the pressure to do actual invitations since I did for Owen's first birthday party. Her party will be much smaller than his. It's winter and we simply dont have the room.
• I should finish wrapping gifts since Owen is at daycare...but I just want to stay in bed. I sound really whiny- it is just a bad cold. I also need to finish buying things but that isn't happening today.
• I tried to watch a DVD from netflix this morning but it kept getting stuck...annoying.
• Sean's cousin Jeff's wife, Karen's, dad passed away. Calling hours are tonight. I hope I'm feeling up to going.

Ok- I guess that's my tell all tuesday for the week. Now my sister, who looks forward to these, can feel in the loop since she lives so far away!

Weekend Recap

What we did this weekend!

We hung out with some cool football players...

We went to see Santa... but Quinlin got scared.

Owen got scared too...

 We ate some good food.

We lounged on the field...

We danced....boy did we dance.

We finally decided we liked Santa after all...

We practiced our standing.

We found the pots and pans...

We ate more good food....

We decided we wanted to shower... and stayed in there for 40 minutes.

all clean....

We baked cookies...

Boy- were we tired!

Such a great weekend. My company party was Friday night and the kids had a blast! They really did such a nice job with it. Owen couldn't stop talking about it- I know I have a little party animal on my hands. He did not want to leave the dance floor- neither did Hunter, in fact.

Saturday, my sister in law and I decided to attempt to go shopping with the kids... horrible idea. It was so crowded, I think we lost our patience after 2 stores. Needless to say, I have so much to get done this week.

Sean came home this morning from a week long fishing trip. So glad to have him home. These kids are exhausting...I now need a vacation...

Ornament Exchange Link UP!

I participated in my first ever ornament exchange via blog and I was so glad I joined. Thank you so much to Shannon and Karen for hosting! There were 44 participants and I got linked up with Suze . It's so fun to meet new people!

I came home the other day and was so excited to find my package. Sean brought it inside and I wouldn't let him open it.

Inside she included a cute little Christmas card with such nice writing. I felt bad as when I sent mine, I put in a quick note, but didnt think to do a card. Oops!

And here is the gorgeous ornament I received. I LOVE it! It truly is one of my favorites I have ever gotten!

Owen loved it too- he thought it was the greatest ball he ever saw...

He didnt want to put it down....

I finally got him to help hang it on the tree...

Isnt it great???

Owen did not enjoy that it was hung though...he wanted to keep playing with it!

Suze- thank you so much! We love it. Wishing you a fantastic holiday season!!!



Now I know why my child gets bit

See this face? Cute and Innocent? No...

I picked Owen up from daycare yesterday thinking it was going to be a good night. We were on our own, I had a plan, I thought it would be great. As soon as I got to the room, the teacher Angie was having the remaining four kids left for the night clean up some toys. She asked Owen to come help and instead he looked at her, looked at me, walked away and went up to a large toy (taller than him) and started dismantling it by throwing it across the room. "Owen, no" I said- a common phrase in my household. He continued throwing the toys. Danny, an 18 month old, came over and took the top piece that Owen threw. Owen grabbed him and tackled him and pulled him to the floor. Ok- I thought... here we go. Owen started throwing more toys and Lucas, a 20 month old, came over and Owen grabbed him by the hood of his sweatshirt and brought him to the ground. I couldnt believe it. Not my angel. Not my sweet little boy. I had never seen such aggressive behavior from him, in my life. So- now I know why he gets bit at school. He's an instigator. Though- it's always Nora who bites him and she and Owen have a love hate relationship. They are very much like brother and sister and I used to question why she always bit him. After seeing Owen today, I know why this happens.

So- back to last night...Owen then went to the cabinet where they keep suckers for the kids who stay dry all week and demanded a sucker. Both Angie and I told him no, and he threw himself onto the floor. Screaming, crying, full blown tantrum. I was so embarrassed. I told Owen I was leaving and was going to get Quinlin. I went into Q's room, and could still hear Owen throwing himself around. (the other kids in the room looked at him like he was nuts, by the way). I left Quinlin's room and tried to drag Owen with me. That didnt work. It was so bad that one of the assistant directors came down to try and help. Nothing was working. I finally, with the help of Q's teacher, Karen, got her coat on and ready to go and tried to focus on Owen.

I always thought I would be one of those parents who never would have to bribe their kid...Yep- no. I bribe. At this point, I choose which battles I want to win. Otherwise, it just isn't worth it for me. So- I talked calmly to Owen and had a brilliant idea. I offered up Quinlin's extra daycare binky. Oh- did that work wonders. So- he toddled on out, binky in mouth (purple binky with Quinlin's name on it), happy as a clam. I really need to break the binky habit. He uses it only at night in bed, so I felt like the one time walking out of school would be ok. But- what a disaster it's going to be when we take away the night one. I am dreading that day!

Off we left- to McDonalds- mother of the year- and came home, ate dinner, got my washing machine fixed while my friend Kerry and her son Adam were over and that was our night.

Quinlin's first McDonald's cheeseburger:

I gave her some spinach to make her dinner a little more healthy...

a much happier Owen (and a happy Hunter- who is always happy)

Oh- for those of you reading- avoid large loads with little socks. $100 later, we found a sock stuck in the pump of our washer. Yikes!

Home Tour Tuesday

I would normally do a Tell All Tuesday post but I guess there isn't much to talk about today. I'll say when it rains, it pours (or since its winter in Ohio, when it snows, it blizzards). Of course, everything seems to happen at once and in the most non-opportune times. That's ok though- we get through!

My new friends Shannon  and  Daphne host a Home Tour Tuesday each week and I finally can participate! I did a post on what she is covering, last week, so a re-cap if you will! It didnt make sense to retype it out so just click on the link below if you're visiting from her site. My tree and favorite ornaments are listed- in addition to a few stories.



Home Tour Tuesday

I will include a few pix just in case the link doesnt work.

Thanks for visiting!

Dear Quinlin- 11 Months Old!

I say this every month but oh my goodness- 11 months already? This was a huge month for you!

• You had a healthy month so I dont know how much you weigh but my guess is 22 or 23 pounds. You are still a hefty little thing. Your thighs alone are quite edible. Everyone tells me that I shouldnt worry because as soon as you start walking, you will slim down.
• You are finishing your last pack of size 3 diapers and moving into size 4's (which is the same size Owen wears).
• You wear 12 month clothing. I struggled last week to find some clothes for you so had to dig into your Hanukkah and Christmas gifts early to find some new outfits. Thank goodness for grandma and poppy too who brought you a ton of clothes this weekend!
• You are still eating 3 bottles a day (5 oz each) and are on all table food. I still try to give you a little bit of the purees but you don't really want them anymore. You like to eat what we are eating.
• You are loving books. You sit there and turn the pages very contently. You are so calm. Much like Hunter, not so much like Owen.
• You love Owen's toys and love playing with your brothers. You love when Owen tries to wrestle with you. I think you're going to get hurt or scared but instead find you laughing. You love lamby (Owen's stuffed animal lamb). He will even give it to you to comfort you if you are crying. Little does Owen know that lamby was supposed to be yours. I won it as part of a prize from thebump.com and Owen discovered it one day in your room before you were born.
• You can stand on your own- in the middle of the room- for as much as 30 seconds. You are starting to get more confident in yourself. You furniture walk like a champ and love walking behind your walking toy in the basement. So far, you have done everything about 2 months ahead of schedule compared to what Owen did. So- I expect you to be walking around 12/13 months. Hunter didn't walk until he was 18 months, and Owen started walking at about 14 1/2 months. Your time is coming soon.
• You love being mobile so much that diaper changes are an adventure. You twist and turn and scream in torture because you want to be on the move.
• Bedtime is now definitely no later than 7:30pm. weekends we can keep you up a bit later since you can sleep longer in the mornings, but my weeknights are definitely cut short.
• You wave hi and bye, say mama and dada and owen and uh-oh. I think this morning you said more. I'll keep working on that one.

I'm typing this realizing that there are so many milestones in the first year yet still so many after that. Owen will need to have a Dear Owen post written soon. His language and cute sayings have definitely exploded as of late!

Here is Quinlin this morning as I was getting ready for work. Such a big girl!

Quinlin- one more month until you are one!!! I want to cherish every moment... don't grow too quickly baby girl!


Weekend Recap
I would do a normal weekend recap post but this weekend blew chunks... literally. Owen was sick on Thursday night/Friday morning so my parents came and bailed us out and watched him for the day. Sean got home from work and then he was sick Friday night into Saturday. he woke up Saturday and all was fine so we went on with our 6th annual holiday party. It was a great time- had about 30 people over. The usual suspects which make for a fun time. We missed seeing our friends Jason and Stacy who came in from Columbus. They went to Jason's parents house during the day and while there, Jason's dad had a major heart attack. Stacy, a nurse, had to give him CPR as they waited for the ambulance. He's in critical condition- thank god she was in town...not sure what would have happened if she wasn't. Towards the end of the party, I started not feeling well and went to bed around midnight. I was up all night- sick as a dog- and spent the entire Sunday in bed. Luckily today, I feel fine. Gatorade next to me, I'll go on with my day and pray that Hunter and Quinlin can stay healthy!

Weekend and a Sicky

Well I would normally be excited for the upcoming weekend, except that we were up all night with a pukey Owen. Three times in the middle of the night and once this morning. And- we all know how I feel about puke. I sat next to him this morning, hovering, with a large cup (you know those big 32 oz they give you at the hospital when you give birth) waiting for him to start so I could catch it (gross). I am now waiting for my parents to come over to relieve me (thank you Mom and Dad) so I can go to work. My boss told me if easier to just stay home, but I have so much to do there and I dont want to jeopardize my time off scheduled at the end of the year. So- better to come in and work. My day will consist of wrapping more presents, working on his address labels for holiday cards and of course, the ever present art project. We talked about the project yesterday and I feel very good about it. He reitterated that there wasn't a deadline so to not stress about it and that he knows I have so much on my plate in addition to it. It was nice for piece of mind, but makes me more motivated to stay on top of it.

Hopefully Owen starts feeling better. Tonight Sean's sister is coming over to babysit. We are hoping to do some shopping and cleaning. We have our 6th annual holiday party scheduled for tomorrow night. Should be a good time- they always are- so here's hoping the snow doesnt keep our guests away. We are expecting about 35 people. Smaller than previous years, but I'm ok with that. Too bad our bar wont be ready. We havent heard from the granite place yet so I need to make a note to have Sean follow up with them to see when they will be ready to install. My luck is that it will be one day when Sean is in Wisconsin. Yes- he is able to go after all. He had to adjust his plans and now needs to be at work Monday and Tuesday, so his partner will still drive the 12 hours to the tournament with all their gear on Sunday and Sean will fly to meet him there Tuesday night. We did get a decent flight for him, but had to get a rental car to drive from here to Pittsburgh as the flights from Pittsburgh were much cheaper. I'm glad he gets to go, he was bumming pretty hard about it, just hoping the kids all are healthy!

Sunday will be just a day to stay at home and relax and watch football. And because posts are always better with pictures...

prior to getting sick... in my heeled boots...

Let It Snow

So- where we live, you expect to get snow on the East Side...I moved from the East side to the south side of town thinking I was getting away from the snow... um no. I moved to the secondary snow belt. Little did I know, downtown would sometimes get hit as well. Major snowstorm yesterday afternoon/evening.

Getting out of downtown was a nightmare... luckily, I dont work downtown, but Sean does. And from what he experienced getting home from work, I'm glad I wasn't a part of it. The only bad part was that we missed this:

We had floor seats (yes Floor Seats) to the Cavs game and we didn't go. I was so disappointed... but, the weather wasn't worth the attempt. So, instead of cancelling our babysitter, we decided to stay local and venture a little further south to do some Christmas shopping.

We spent an eternity at Dick's Sporting Goods but walked out with a new winter coat for Hunter. We bought it big (an adult M) so here's hoping this kid doesnt have a huge growth spurt. Those North Face coats are EXPENSIVE. We then went to Toys R Us...guess who we ran into?

I wonder how many people take pictures with him like us losers did last night? Oh TRU- the trickery! We got a few items for Owen and Quinlin and some PS3 games for Hunter. The Holiday shopping is now done for our three kids, my niece and future nephew... we're getting there!

After TRU, we went to a little local bar and grille we have been wanting to try. Total dive looking place on the outside but we had heard good things about it (Muskateers for you locals). It was really good. It was late so we didnt order much, but we had an order of wings and a gyro and watched the end of the Cavs game (they lost). Got home about 10pm and that was our night. Nice to have a date night every once in a while... a shame the weather affected it a little bit. 



Because they're cute (part II)