the real plants needed fake moss

This first picture you see is of a fake tree we put in an empty corner of our family room. It was on super duper clearance... only $30... which really is super duper cheap since it's taller than Phil.

The second and third pictures you see are of real plants I bought this week. They are supposed to get super duper tall... but they were only $10... not so tall now.

One of Jack's favorite things to do is to take fake moss out of the fake tree pot. Today, I found fake moss in both real tree pots. I laughed. and laughed. and laughed some more. It's funny to get a small glimpse of what a 1 year old thinks. He's not talking... but his mind is definately thinking. Well, scratch that, he talks non-stop... babbles... alot. His head moves and his eyes get wide and his moves his head, but I have no idea what he's saying.

Funny, funny, babies with no big words.

The boy LOVES his belly.

loves it. really. touches it all the time. too funny. I think it's actually his belly button he loves, it makes me laugh.

this was our trip to the jump zone, the first time Jack went while his can walk. he had a blast and all of the kids were sweaty by the time we left!

she'll always be in style more than mom

Last friday, Andrew had a green nose (boogers) so I couldn't go to MOPS. So, we went shopping... I can take a "sick" kid shopping, right?

Love these skinny "jeans" that the children's place is selling. They are like leggings, but have the stitching that makes them look like jeans. With a super long sweater, she looks adorable if I do say so myself :) The sweater is like a cape/shawl or blanket that just buttons under each arm. and a hood. That's my sweet audrey.

Mommy... won't be wearing any skinny jeans any time soon. And, that's just OK!

shhhh, don't tell anyone

I like Dancing with the Stars... and (gasp) Glee. It's like I can zone out and forget everything... for just a little bit :)

don't tell. please. people will laugh... certain of it.

and, if the women on dancing with the stars weren't half naked, I'd let Audrey watch it. She won't get to watch Glee, too much stupid (yes, I said stupid) HS drama.

our secret?

5 years and still learning

My revelations for this week, after a truly horrible weekend with our kids' attitudes. I don't want to say a horrible weekend with our kids, we had a pretty good weekend. Their attitudes though, were just horrible! Whining, crying, whining some more and crying some more. Oh, sprinke in a few fits.

I guess it started when I woke up tired and tired and really tired on saturday morning. Phil was heading to Fayettville to tailgate with a bunch of crazy razorback friends. Oh, U of Arkansas is in Fayettville and they were playing Alabama. U of A was ranked 10 and Alabama 1. Great game. Or, so they say. We had people coming over at 2pm to play in the cool, blowup slide and watch the game, on TV. Before all of that fun started, we had a soccer game at 9am. Did I mention I was tired? Three kids and one mom at soccer isn't really all that fun. Not to mention the soccer player gets there with no shoes. It wasn't just her cleats she forgot, she wasn't wearing any shoes! So, of course, tired single mom of three kids becomes tired single angry yelling mom of three kids. Back home, back to soccer, 5 year old soccer player now had a crushed spirit because of tired single angry yelling mom. Yep, my fault. Crappy.

From there, to car wash. One kid with covered ears becuase he doesn't like car washes and another kid crying through the whole thing. Crazy. Just to note: andrew covered his ears and Jack cried. I calmly tried to calm them. Calmly. Didn't work.

Sam's club. We all love sam's club. Especially saturdays or sundays... sample time. It's so much fun. Our moods were starting to change.

To home: all I asked her to do was clean up her room! Then, she could come downstairs and play or craft or anything. 1.5 hours later... still not clean. Let me clarify, it wasn't really dirty. Really... just a few odds and ends laying around. She made her bed in record time and then whined and cried for the next 1.5 hours! Goodness! I could have cleaned it up in 10 minutes. She wanted me to help. No. Our friends arrived. Audrey was sent back to her room. I told her she would have a concequence if it wasn't cleaned (note: I don't know what that means in her mind b/c I don't use that term very often... tushy pinch, no tv, no before bed book... she knows those things!). She cleaned, it looked great.

After fun swimming... all of the kids were up stairs playing. I suddenly felt bad for making her clean b/c it soooo wasn't clean anymore! Poor audrey, she'd have to clean again. And we'd have to endure her whining again. ohhhh, poor mom and dad.

Oh, to cycle back again... Phil makes it back home around 4! Much later than anticipated. Did I mention I was tired and now entertaining by myself. It was nice I told our friends to make themselves at home and they did. nice :)

I was asleep by 9:30. Saturday night. Our social lives need some help....

OHHHHH... what did I learn (Audrey's the 5 years)??!!! (sunday was just as bad. I almost cried many times b/c Audrey was just horrible and I felt lost, like I was doing nothing right). Monday and Tuesday, phil's out of town, and the kids are amazing. Really. I've made a conscious effort to relax. Not yell. Calmly direct. Leave early for things so we're not rushed b/c kids don't rush, they just don't - why has it taken me this long to learn that kids to rush, I need to leave earlier. When said kids throw a fit when we're at our destination, I just camly close the van doors and let them cool down. A few minutes later, we all calmly walked to soccer (this example) and had a great evening. Audrey loved it and played well... no crushed spirit this time. So, no rushing... no yelling... no daddy... and we're having a bit more fun. Getting to bed a little later, but it's working for the past two days :)

crazy busy weekend!

I'm not sure what I was thinking when I thought through the plans for the weekend.

First: Andrew has been asking to go to the jump zone for weeks... everyday... for weeks. Well, he wore me down :) We went on friday. It's great, there are about 7 inflatables inside and it's $6/person (Jack and I are free). So, it's a little tiny bit pricy, but the kids get sweaty so it's worth it. Open play from 5-9, so after an early dinner for the kids, we heading in and played until mommy lost it around 6:40. I bribed the kids with ice cream to get them out quickly and headed home. Yes, bribed the kids... I'm fine with bribes when necessary. Getting three kids out of a place like jump zone w/o crying sometimes takes bribing. Jack has his walking feet and no sense of "listening skills" so bribing was necessary.

Home, ice cream in front of kids, then headed out to cut the grass. It's everyone's dream friday night to cut grass, right? Yeah... don't lie... you know it is.

I hate trimming/edging... just a side note. I'd like a new trimmer/edger for my birthday please... anyone? anyone??

Saturday... Audrey walks into our room at 6:17 because we forgot to turn off her alarm!!! Goodness. Hopefully it's the last time we do that! She went back to her room until 7:20ish, thankfully. Quick breakfast for everyone then a creative drop off for Jack at the gym childcare so I could get my hair cut and colored and Phil could take Audrey and Andrew to Audrey's soccer game. Yes, we took Jack to the childcare center. No judging necessary. He's walking and likes to walk on the soccer field. We'd like to watch Audrey's soccer game for just a little bit and not chase Jack around. The childcare center allows you to drop kiddos off and leave the site on saturdays so we took advantage of it. It's costs... but every once in awhile it's worth it!

Then, we blew up this huge slide, water thing that our old neighbors gave us. It's a huge blow up thing with water and a pool at the bottom. You should have seen the kids eyes as it blew up. It was hilarious, really hilarious. Actually, you should have seen Phil's eyes as we blew it up. I knew what they gave us, he had no idea. This thing is massive and it was FREE! The kids had a blast and we all got a little sun burned, in September! They cried when we turned off the water and blower and asked to do it again on sunday. It was such a pain to dry out and clean and fold, that I can see why you wouldn't use it every weekend!!! Totally awesome though. I would have never bought one of these things, but free?! Awesome.

Then, Sunday! To church, home for quick lunch, then a trip to the corn maze. Oh how we loved the corn maze in Shakopee, MN. And, yes, those were my expectations here. First off, it was 90+ degrees. It was hot. Secondly, I thought it'd be a day trip of fun. Nope. It was 20 minutes away, did I mention it was HOT? We left here right after lunch b/c we had to be back at church at 5pm. Did I mention I thought it'd be a day trip? Jack sleeps for all of 20 minutes while we drive there. We get there, and it's HOT. We drop way too much money to wander around a corn maze while Andrew asks to go home. "can we please go home now". We fed a few goats. We rode a cow train: picture 50 gallon drums on their side with a part cut out... to sit in. Wheels are attached to the bottom and it's all pulled by a tractor. Now, picture a 35 year old mom sitting in one and holding a 3 year old. Now, picture bumps... lots of bumps... my back still hurts.

After that horrible trip, we all headed for home and went to our prospective corners to rest and recouperate. Goodness, it was hot and we were tired.

Way too much squeezed into a weekend. Wayyyyyy tooooo much.

I checked out a friend's blog about their sunday; football and picnics in the family room. What a glorious idea. Amazing. Love it. Will have to remember that for next weekend.

I promise, pics to follow. Lots of pics... Phil was having fun.

oh, to forget jack... again.

I certainly can't forget Jack's first day!!! I wasn't sure he'd actually be WALKING by his first day of "kids's day out"... but he started just a few weeks ago. If it weren't for his significant padding in his back side (some diaper, some dohrmann, some shellhammer :) that boy would be sore!!! yikes! We have alot of ceramic tile on our main floor!!!

He's actually walking to class while I try to capture the moment. It was hard b/c it was my first day too!!! My 3 year olds would be in my classroom soon, and yes I was just a tad bit nervous.

Packing 4 lunches (yes, there are 5 shellhammers... but I've never packed Phil's lunch and I'm certainly not going to start now!!! as an aside... phil eats very, very well. he gets leftovers packaged up nicely while cleaning up from dinner. seriously, the boy is spoiled :) In each of the kids lunches needs to be 1 fruit, 1 veggie, 1 dairy, and 1 meat. poor jack has eaten cold cooked veggies each day: baked carrots, canned corn (ugh), and canned carrots (double ugh). He actually ate leftover, cold, diced, popcorn chicken on thursday!!! eek!

It is fun seeing what other kids moms put in their lunches. One of my students gets a beautiful sandwhich!!! It is turkey, cheese, and lettuce! check one off for dairy, meat, and veggie! good job, mom!

lettuce... lots of vitamins in there! :)

He loves it though. He never cries, always happy... love that third child.

First Day of Preschool... for three of us!!!

Andrew started preschool last thursday!!! He's three... and in the "young three's" class. He goes to school on Mondays and Thursdays and would prefer to attend EVERY day if we let him or could afford to!!! It's funny, it's called a "kid's day out"... there are alot of programs called "mother's day out" around here (I guess it's a southern thing). I call it preschool b/c there is curriculum, it's structured, it's not daycare, etc. It's sad, when we first moved here and I was looking for preschools for Audrey, I stayed away from Mother's Day Out programs because they didn't sound like preschools! Oh well, guess I may have missed out on some good "schools".

So, Kid's Day Out. It's the first year this one has been opened. I sought it out for Jackson, to sign it up one day a week so that I could get some time to do stuff without kids! Then, Audrey started kindergarten and I got bored. I know, sounds weird, but I just stare at my walls and look at what needs to be done and what needs to be cleaned and what should be touched, moved, put away, etc. Drives me crazy. I get up and go to the gym and run errands and cook and clean and play with kids and do it all over again.

Remember, when we were in MN, I worked 15-20 hours a week!!! Granted it was very, very flexible. Most of it was done during naptime or on sundays. But, it was something I claimed.

Wow, I just hijacked Andrew's first day of school post.

So, I contacted Jack's Kid's Day Out program... signed Andrew up and interviewed for a job. I am now a 3 year old teacher at their school. No, not Andrew's teacher... that would be NUTS.

Love the program! Very academic. Very organized. And the teachers are amazing!!!! (just kidding, sort of).

So, Mondays and Thursdays we're all going to school. It's awesome and it's tiring... very tiring.

And, I no longer get a mom's day to myself. What was I thinking :)

My big three year old. Crazy, talkative, crazy three year old. He finally has his own thing. He will meet his own friends and have his own class and learn his own stuff. His own... not Audrey's!!! Yes, he's still the tag-a-long to many many of her things... but he has his own school now!!!

looks like she's FLYING!

But, no... she's the slowest one on the team. She'll kill me someday for saying that. No, not saying it, typing it. I certainly would NEVER say that to her!!! She's an AWESOME soccer player! GREAT!!! Keep trying, You'll get better!!! Practice makes perfect!!! (and all that jazz).

(oh, in case you're wondering, Audrey's the one kicking the ball. I'm at the games with the boys in tow so I don't get too much time to actually WATCH her!)

Twice a week for soccer practices/games. yikes! I could have signed Andrew up too, but that would be crazy. Two different weekdays and then two times on saturday. No, I'm not ready for that one yet. With three kids, it's bound to come... but I'm learning that I'm a procrastinator. yep, put it off because it's bound to come and it'll just be hard to do!

crocs? it's all about crocs.

Audrey loves crocs. She'd wear them everywhere and everyday. This is the 5th week of school (I think, maybe 4th... yes, 4th!) and she hasn't worn them one day yet. I asked her last week if she was allowed to wear crocs to school and she said no. Then she said just not today. Then I knew she was lieing. Then she said no again. This sort of surprised me. She wasn't supposed to wear them last year for AR preschool, but she's not in preschool anymore and I wasn't sure what the reasoning would be for a kindergartener. Oh well, don't push it.



I asked her again last night. She wavered on her answer again. I told her I was going to email her teacher and ask. If I found out she was lying, I would take tv away from her for the rest of the week. I then got the real story... (we'll deal with the lying later, she's been doing it alot lately and I'm not quite sure what to do).



Apparently, a girl wore crocs to school and got made fun of. The crocs had eyes on them and were super cute. Not just plain crocs, but crocs shaped like an animal. Audreys are the same, pink, eyes, cute. She doesn't want to wear them because she didn't want to get made fun of. She didn't want kids to laugh at her. My heart broke little bit... we'll deal with the issue at a later date.



I so want little children that don't care what others think. Kids that can stick up for themselves and for others. Kids that do, wear, say what they want to and what they believe in because they have the self confidence to do so. I pray that she did not join in on the laughter... that she stuck up for the other little girl.



I also pray that we can figure out how to teach her truth from lying. Telling stories is fun, but pretending they are the truth is not.



Homeschooling, protecting kids from bad outside influences is soooooo tempting. It's certainly not for Audrey and I, but it's soooooo tempting. I know, I can't protect them forever. I can want to, right?