TTT: Season 3, Episode 17

1. Got a little time to listen to me spill about my business? Good! Thanks for listening! Here's the deal: I started my "little" etsy shop almost two years ago with no clear plan or goal in sight. Just sort of a who-knows-might-as-well-give-it-a-try type thing. As things have progressed, I've really fallen in love with my business and it has grown in to so much more than I could have ever dreamt it be when I first started out. Still a small business in the retail sense, but not so small any more. Heck, I was happy to get five-ten sales in a month! Now, I kid you not, it's roughly five-ten sales...a day. I've done more in sales in the four months of 2012 than I did in the entire year of 2011. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. I feel like I'm nearing a point where I'm torn. I really do love my business, but my kids have always been my priority. I've always said that I don't ever want my shop to interfere with me being their mom. But it seems that it's gotten to the point where the shop is demanding more from me than  I can possibly keep up with without interfering with their time. I suppose it's a fantastic predicament to have--too much business!?! Most people would be thrilled! And honestly, I am. I've got a fun, thriving  business on my hands. One that can continue to grow and develop as my kids get older. But right now I feel like I'm at a point where I need to make some decisions as to how I can control it right now. Thoughts of outsourcing some tasks are starting become legitimate ideas or even concoctions of how I can realign the shop to control the quantity of orders each day play out in my head quite a bit. It's that strange conversation going on in my head of feeling like this is something that God has given me the talent and skills to build, he's helped me make it successful, now what exactly does he want me to do with it next? How can I control it while still taking care of the most precious and most important gifts he's given me...my boys? Thanks for hearing me rant. And though seemingly frivolous compared to many far more important things going on in the lives of many others, a little prayer for my peace over this matter would be appreciated! (read: I'm probably being a little neurotic and just need to chill out.) The End.

2. The past weekend was a blast! We haven't had very many social "events" since moving down here that haven't involved my family, so whenever we get invited to do something as a family with other families, we usually jump at the chance. Last Friday night, we had dinner my parents' next door neighbors who we got to know while living with my parents prior to moving in to our house. They have kiddos roughly the same ages as the boys, and while the boys and I have had a few play dates with them, this is the first time we've hung out as families. We had great time, and man, I think Mark and I just really enjoyed having some good adult conversation with someone other than each other! Then on Saturday we went to not one, but two crawfish boils. They're all the rage down here this time of the year. For lunch we attended the one hosted by Mark's office. Complete with a bounce house for the kiddos and a margarita machine for the adults, it was a lot of fun and I got to meet a lot of the docs and medical professionals that Mark works with daily. After a much needed siesta, we then took off down in to Houston for the second crawfish boil hosted by some friends of ours, the Kims. (my sister-in-law, Abby's sister Jenny and her husband Jae) Again, a wonderful time! Mark had fun pigging out on all the crawfish he could stomach and I had fun girl talking with a lot of Jenny's friends. And of course watching all the cute little ones play together! Plus, we managed to make it back to The Woodlands with my brother, Andy, who had flown down from Lubbock to job hunt in Houston this week. We've really enjoyed getting to hang out a bunch with him, too. So while last week was pretty lackadaisical, this week has been way out of our non-social norm. And very enjoyable! There's lots of fun to be had in the springtime!

3. To the highs and the lows...peaks and pits...roses and thorns...
Sometimes I feel like all I do is rant about this or that with the boys and fail to take note of all the wonderfulness that goes on around here too. I think that's the way that journals go...a lot of venting with complaints but rarely any recognition of the good. I think it's important to let steam off about things that are difficult or that are bothering you, but also important to be thankful for the beauty. After all, I'm writing this to remember what these years are like when down the road, I look back and want to re-live it all again. So I thought I'd do a little roses/thorns for each one of my precious boys.
Kolbe
thorns: At this age, his name happens to by synonymous with "hard-headed." If this guy doesn't come up with the idea himself, he doesn't want to participate. If it's not on his time table, forget it. If if doesn't focus on him, he'll let you hear about his distaste for it. Because the world is round and rotating...and according to him, he's the axis, don't you know. Sassy and disrespectful at times, our challenge with Kolbs right now is just channeling his hard-headedness into positive things.
roses: It's is so much fun watching everything blossom in Kolbe. His social side. His athleticism. His intelligence. Man, he is such a neat kiddo! He can slap pitch after pitch with his blaster bat in the backyard. He dribbles down the field with a soccer ball like a seasoned player. He sees letters while we're out and about and stops to tell me what sound they make and tries to figure out the word. He befriends strangers at the playground. He's really starting to grow up and is so much fun to watch.
Reagan
thorns: Oh, Rudy. He's still our whiner. That, and he's in that obnoxious stage where he asks "why" to everything. Not in a cute, I'm-learning-about-the-world way. In the "Rudy, can you hand me that towel?"..."Why?" kind of way. I always disliked the "because I said so" response, but it gets dropped all the time with this guy. Sometimes it is the only answer I can think of!
roses: It's so amazing to me to see how unique this little guy is. While he follows Kolbe around and does everything Kolbe does, he still has his own special habits that are just so "Rudy." His little "treasures" that he carries around. The fact that he still loves to cuddle up to Mama. His joy in playing pretend. And he loves music. He's starting to carry a tune well and has certain songs on the radio that are his songs. Rudy is full of life.
Grant
thorns: One word: teething. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. He's been cutting his top two middle teeth for several weeks now. It's not pleasant. One has finally broken through and the other is a deep purple, almost black swollen lump. I really do feel sorry for him, 'cause it looks so painful. But heck, it's painful for me too! The second I try to put him down he leeches on to my leg and wants to be held again. And I don't mind holding him, but heck, I have two other kids who need me and there's only so much weight my back or arms can take before I need a break! And man, oh, man is this guy squirmy. Holding him is like wrestling a greased piglet.
roses: But then I look at that precious little face and my heart melts every time. Watching his face light up when our eyes meet is one of the most gratifying feelings as a mother. As if he thinks I'm the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world. And watching him discover the world, explore everything around him, and start to participate in true human to human interaction is just so delightful. To think that less than a year ago he wasn't even living outside of my body! The first year is no less than moment after moment of amazing miracles.

My assistants pulling my flat-bed for me at Lowes...time to plant some new flowers!

Kolbe getting ready for the day. He's very particular about it...brushes his teeth, washes his face, combs his hair. Every day. Like a little man.

Grant's first at bat with Pa's assistance!

A little jam session with Dada...don't you just love that look on Kolbe's face!?! He sure does love his Daddy.

We've got a situation. My little Grant-ness turned 10 months old this week and usually I take his picture and post about his development, but this is what he's looked like for a good part of the week. Needless to say, he's quite obviously allergic to mosquitoes. He got bit about a half of an inch above his eyebrow and the next day his eye was nearly swollen shut. We ended up having to give him liquid Benadryl in a bottle to get it under control after other attempted remedies failed. Poor guy, his forehead was protruding, eye was hardly open, skin was all splotchy...it might be a long summer with this guy if this is the reaction we get to every single bite.

I love everything about this picture. The grimy post-lunch faces, the new haircuts, the way Rudy is holding Kolbe's finger, the joy on their silly faces. Best, best, best, best friends.

Tuesday: After lunch I tell the boys it's time to go out and plant our new flowers. Kolbe is still eating and says he doesn't want to come out yet. I slather up Rudy and Grant with some sunscreen and tell Kolbs to come on out when he's finished. Five minutes later he emerges, looking like this. "Mom! I've got my worker gloves on and I put on my own sunscreen!" Bless his little heart...at least he tried!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 16

1. It's 9:48pm and I'm just now sitting down to write. Not because the day or week has been so overwhelmingly hectic or stressful, but mainly because it's just been a pretty uneventful week. Mark always says he can tell that there's nothing going on when I ask him "What should I write about for Three Thought Thursday?" It's true. Some weeks I already have the entire post written out in my mind long before Thursday. And then there are weeks like this one where sure, plenty has gone on, but it's all mainly a part of the routine of life. Which, to be honest, is important to me. Sometimes it feels like life is so bam, bam, bam. Non-stop, one thing after another. And I know that the older and more active that the boys get, the crazier life will be. But I want there to be normalcy. Family time. Just routine life. Recently the boys have started asking me "Where are we going today?" or "What are we doing today?" And then they're shocked when I say "nowhere" or "nothing." I want them to love just being at home and being with each other and having days...or even weeks!...when not much happens.  And that's how this week has been. Just life at The Asmussens.

2. One thing that was out of the ordinary for our week was an unplanned trip to the movies for Mark and me. A few weeks ago I jumped on the bandwagon and started reading the Hunger Games books. Of course, just like everyone else, I got hooked quickly on such easy and action-filled reads. Truthfully, I don't get to ready nearly as much as I'd like to. Before children, I read all the time. And even after Kolbe was born, I did somewhat. But once you have kids running around...ones that are very active...ones that no longer nap...kicking back and reading a book is next to impossible. The only time it gets done where I'm actually comprehending the words that I'm reading is after they've gone to bed! So books that normally would have taken me mere days to read have stretched out across a few weeks...and I'm still on the third book...but man, it sure has been nice to read again. As a child I loved to read, as a teacher I loved to teach literature, and now I just don't want to "give up" on a favorite hobby just because it's not exactly easy to do anymore. Anyhow, after enjoying The Hunger Games, I just had to see the movie. So I was thrilled when my parents offered to come over and watch the boys on Tuesday evening so Mark and I could go see it. It was very entertaining, and even Mark enjoyed it, though I still always prefer the book. And the time alone with the hubby was second to none! Definitely the highlight of my week.

3. Several weeks ago I mentioned that I finally broke down and created a "cleaning schedule" for myself as part of my 2012 Bucket List. I also promised to divulge it if it actually worked out. Weeks later, I'm still following my little routine and I think it has actually stuck! So here's what I've been doing:

First, I broke up the cleaning in to daily, bi-weekly, weekly, bi-monthly, and monthly categories. Daily chores, like dishes and picking up toys, are just understood and don't go on my to-do list, but everything else gets thrown on there as a reminder. It looks a little something like this:

Monday-
laundry
hard floors touch up (swiffer vac and wipe any spots)
Tuesday-
vacuum downstairs
stip beds/wash sheets or full mop of all tile floors (alternating weeks)
Wednesday-
vacuum upstairs
clean toilets or clean showers (alternating weeks)
Thursday-
hard floors touch up (swiffer vac and wipe spots)
wipe down bathroom counters
Friday-
vacuum downstairs
dust

There are also what I consider monthly chores, like dusting/cleaning all the mini-blinds or wiping the baseboards, but those just get added on. And that's about it! Like I said, so far this is what has worked for me. And I like that it's what works for our house and family. I think each person/family has their own hang-ups or unique cleaning "behaviors." Like some of you might be thinking There's no way I'm doing the laundry all on one day or She only changes her sheets every other week? or I can't believe she changes her sheets every other week! To each their own with cleaning. I think whatever makes you feel comfortable, not stressed, and in control of your household is what you should do! Just glad I've nailed down something that works for us. Oh, and if you happen to have any "assistants," put them to work, too! The cleaning list should be for the whole family!

My "assistant" vacuuming out my sewing nook with the crevice tool. Atta boy!

Grant, Blankie Blue, and his thumb

I rarely, rarely, rarely get to do this anymore. Nothing like getting to cuddle with your very first baby, no matter how big he may be getting.

Two little monkeys getting ready for a bath.

The new Joann opened in The Woodlands! Sewing heaven. If only each of these machines didn't cost as much as car.  

TTT: Season 3, Episode 15

1. Last week I was eagerly anticipating our trip to Dallas for Easter, and let's just say that it did not disappoint. We had a fantastic time! I was worried that with it only being a roughly 48 hour trip, we would feel rushed and exhausted and over-worked, but somehow it really just flowed well and we enjoyed every minute. Of course everyone was thrilled to see the boys, and especially getting to know the little Grant that has emerged in the three months since we saw them last. He was all over the place, as usual, and managed to leave unharmed by the hazard known as himself. Well, at least we think...he did consume a few pieces of dog food from what I hear. And the other two boys were just soaking up all of the attention. They crashed very quickly on the way home! To say that Cristi went over and beyond in planning and executing the whole weekend would be a huge understatement. The food was perfectly planned out for each meal and was oh, so yummy. Not to mention all of the little hand-made Easter decorations and goodies spread across their new house. All of her effort made us feel so special! Heck, wonder if they'd let me come back for my birthday!?! (wink, wink) It was a fantastic weekend and we can't wait to see them all again this summer.

2. With the celebration of Easter this past weekend, my Lenten Facebook fast came to an end. I have to admit, it was one of the harder things I've ever "given up." And I'm pretty sure that's the way it's supposed to be. As a stay-at-home mom, this house is my world. Sure, I venture beyond these walls to go to the store, the park, church, etc, but let's face it: on any given day, I talk to roughly two-three adults on average. But social media, like Facebook, somehow gives me the effect of being in touch with other people. Like I'm a part of their world within my own little world. The whole "living vicariously" thing. So to draw an abrupt halt to Facebook was definitely challenging in the beginning. But it comes as no surprise that I'm really glad I did it. And going cold-turkey kind of helped me re-evaluate how much I should be using Facebook outside of Lent. Really, I don't need to know what's going on with everyone on an hour-to-hour basis. So I've decided to just go with once in the morning and once in the afternoon. No more hoping on my app on the couch while the boys play with puzzles. Beyond the fact that I need to be down there with them, there's only a ga-jillion other things that need doing around the house far more than reading everyone else's status! Can I get an Amen!?!

3. If you've seen my little Reagan lately he's more than likely had some form of a box in his hand. Rudy has always been somewhat of a habitual little fella. He likes things a certain way, becomes territorial over certain items, and in particular, loves "little" items. You know...the things that typically fall to the bottom of the toy box. The ones most people throw away. Happy Meal-style toys. He loves them. He calls them his "treasures." Months ago, he would typically carry one or two with him throughout the day. Then Dada gave him a tackle box for his birthday in February. And that became his first treasure box. He quickly upgraded from one or two items to a whole little box full. Then, after our little money counting/ bank visit day, he purchased a long-desired metal Cars lunch box. Stylish treasure box. And he got new shoes for Easter, so of course, the shoe box became the easy flip top treasure box. He never carries more than one box, but always has one. It's become his little thing. He even sleeps with it in his bed. And gets his feelings hurt when I won't let him take it inside of a store. On any given day, other than the random mini superman/spiderman/batman/super hero toy, you might also find a fishing worm, plastic ring, small notebook referred to as his "checkbook," gum, rubber bands, quarters, and at least two to three hot wheels. My little Rudy...he's definitely his own little person.

The treasure box hanging out at the park

I'll try to control myself and not post too many Easter pics so I can save them for my Easter blog post, but I had to throw in a few. Here we all are dying our Easter eggs!

My handsome big boys, ready for Easter mass

managed to get all three in a picture before they destroyed their outfits!

G-ma loved getting to cuddle her little Grantness

It's impossible to escape this guy. He's so quick now, that I can rarely sneak off. He follows me into the bathroom to get dressed each morning and usually ends up plopped in the sink so I can get ready without holding him on my hip or having him hang on my leg. He loves it.

My little Rudy Boy

Kolbe the climber!...He has become such a dare devil at the playground!

My sweet baby. Doesn't that face make you want to love life a little more?

These two love each other! Kolbe is so good with Grant and Grant just adores Kolbe.

TTT: Season 3, Episode 14

1. Is it warm where you are yet? I'm pretty sure that Houston just went straight from fall back to summer. No winter. No spring. It's already full on hot, humid, sweaty ick. We've had the AC on for several weeks , but now it's the point where it's running all the time. I have to admit, that while I love the fact that it's always green here, I do miss getting all four seasons in Lubbock. We spent most of the weekend working out in the front yard and apart from the occasional breeze, it was pretty miserable. But we figured we better get it done now, 'cause Lord knows that when May and June roll around, you won't be seeing me out there picking weeds. We got some new flowers planted, new mulch down, and patched a few spots in the yard with sod. We were quite productive for one weekend! Even with the baby trying to eat leaves and pine bark non stop. And the mosquitoes leaving us spotted all over. But the best part was just being together. On a weekend. Which, for us, is something new considering Mark was on call all. the. time. with his old job. Not any more. He's actually home on the weekend, and it has been fantastic for our family.

2. One of my favorite things about being a mom is listening to my childrens' perspective of life. One of these conversations happened this week and I think we all got a huge kick out of it. We were over at my parents' house (just my Dad was there) and then Kolbe started filling us in on something that happened the night before:

Kolbe: Pa, last night I was in my room and it was dark and my eyes were closed but then a video came on. I watched a video in my room! And in the video Dada was standing there and and and and I was holding on to one of his legs and Rudy was holding on to his other leg and we didn't go down the stairs. We went over by the window and then we started to flyyyyyyy! We went all the way out to the street but we were flying!!!

Pa: This was a video?

Kolbe: Yeah! It was dark and my eyes were closed but I was watching a movie!!!

Later, in the car on the way home, he re-told me the story again.

Me: But Kolbe! How did you watch a movie with your eyes closed!?!

Kolbe: I don't know! It was crazy! Mom, I think that God turns those videos on. He turns the video on in my room so that I can watch it with my eyes closed!

Me: Has this even happened before?

Kolbe: Yes! But sometimes I forget which movie it is before I remember to tell you about it. It's always good movies though. God just puts the movie on and I watch it and then I wake up!

Don't you love it!?! I've explained dreams to him before it's been a while. And it's so much cooler to hear it from his perspective. Makes me want to close my eyes and see his dreams with him. I certainly miss seeing life that way.

3. We are headed to Dallas this weekend and I can't wait! Mark's brother, Brian, and his wife Cristi recently built a new house and moved in a little over a month ago. They've invited us up from The Woodlands and Mark/Brian's parents down from Lubbock for a big family Easter celebration. We haven't seen them since Christmas and we definitely miss them. I know they miss the boys a ton, too. It will be a really quick trip, since Mark has to be back at work on Monday, but luckily it's a relatively short drive and totally worth it. We've got egg dying, egg hunting, lots of eating, and G-ma baths planned. (G-ma gives the best scrubbin's for the boys. She loves doing it. And I've vowed to bring them nice and dirty!)  Sure, we'll probably consume way more sweets in two days than we do in a solid month and spend most of our time trying to keep Grant from scaling the stairs or destroying any decor within reach, but we can't wait to see Brian and Cristi's new house, and most of all, can't wait to be with our awesome family even if only for a few days. 

My poor baby...his brothers put him through all kinds of shenanigans.

Kolb and Ru doing their chores. It's important for us that the boys learn the importance of hard work...might as well teach it while they still think it's cool!

Last Friday we had a money day and I tried to teach the boys a little about how money works. Kolbe managed to glean the whole 100 pennies in a dollar, 20 nickels in a dollar, 10 dimes in a dollar, 4 quarters in a dollar thing. I had them sort out all of the coins in Dada's coin jar. (a great activity if you need them to be busy for a while!) We then took a trip to the bank where they got to trade the coins in for dollars. After dividing them out, we headed to the store where Rudy immediately spent all of his on a lunch box he's been begging for for ages. And Kolbe spent two dollars but decided to save the rest. I was proud of him! I think he actually gets it. Rudy, on the other hand, is still a little young. He was crushed that his dollars only bought him one thing. And that he didn't have any more left over. Guess he'll have to pick up some extra chores and earn some back! Ha1

Kolbe has been on a major Buzz and Woody kick lately. He's been toting these toys that G-ma got him several years ago around day after day. During quiet time a few days ago he came out and told me that he wasn't tired but that he had to be quiet because Buzz and Woody were both asleep. I later found this scene. 

My sweet guy. I had to take him to the ENT this week because he's been having problems with one of his ears. Sure enough, his tube was completely obstructed and had to be removed. We'll have a few weeks of drops to clean out the infection that's in there and then make plans to get new tubes in. The doctor said that kids with clefts usually need them until around age 8. I know it's what's best for him, but I always feel sorry for my little guy. He goes through a lot. So that's new tubes and a tooth pulled within the next few months. He's such a trooper and always the perfect patient. I'm proud of my brave little guy.

Don't I have the most handsome yard boys ever!?!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 13

1. Another busy, but fun week! I've been struggling to get my posts done before the Thursday hours expire each week, which means there's been so much going on that I haven't had a chance to write-as-I-go like I used to do. One major project that Mark and tackled this week was replacing our kitchen sink. It's something that we've wanted to do since we moved in nearly a year ago (eek!), but just A) haven't had the funds and B) haven't had the time. But a nagging leak behind the cabinet doors finally made us pull the plug on our builder grade cheapo sink and faucet. We "fixed" it several times, but the parts were rusted out and inevitably, we'd either be paying a plumber a lot to come check things out probably just to find that it needed to be replaced. Since we wanted to do it anyway, we just decided to go for it. That is, after we cleaned out the puddle our cleaning supplies were swimming in. Now, I say we were planning to replace the sink. But when I say "we," I mean "me, Mark, and the friendly installation team from Home Depot or Lowes." But when the salesman informed us that installation was $300 plus another $60 for delivery of our items, we decided it was time to get brave and do it ourselves. And I must say, we seriously underestimated ourselves! The hardest part was lifting the cast iron sink and setting it in correctly. The whole process was far easier than we thought it would be. Really, people. Everything you buy comes with instructions. And there's oodles of videos online to help, too. That, and working on a house that's only nine years old as opposed to our Lubbock house that was over thirty years old makes a huge difference. As Mark says, I'm the brains behind the operation and he's the brawn. After a few hours of work while the kids took naps, we had a brand new shiny sink, faucet, and disposal. I'm one happy lady, and considering Mark does the dinner dishes every night, he's a pretty happy fella too.

The old basic-of-the-basics sink. And in barftastic condition.

Mr. Fix-it, hard at work.

The new beauty! We have white corian counters, so we could have gone with an under mount sink, but it would have required refinishing the counter top edges as well. And I've heard mixed reviews on those, as it is. And I know that stainless steel is all the rage, but I really just wanted to go classic since we have the white counters and white appliances. It's very clean looking. And clean is good. I especially love that it's extra deep and has the lower divider in the middle. Great for washing pans!

2. My little nugget turned nine months old this week. It's going by way way way too fast. And I have to admit that eight to nine months is my favorite age. He is just so cute, loveable, hugable and happy. Full of life, full of adventure, full of excitement, this guy is ready to take on the world every waking second. When I say he's all over the place, I mean all over the place. He's obsessed with trying to get on the stairs. As I've mentioned before, the bottom to stairs on our staircase have no walls so the gate is on the third step. He climbs those bottom two, stands with his hands on the gate and just looks over waiting for someone to spot him. As soon as I holler out a long "Graaaaaaaant..." he bursts into a smile as if to say, "Heeheehee! I got on the stairs again!" He's got two shiny teeth and even though he only gained two pounds since his last check up a few months ago, he's still in the 85th percentile. He's thinned out some but is still so squeezable and fluffy. He's developing great friendships with his brothers, especially Kolbe. They love to play together and Kolbe is so patient with him. Grant is eating more and more new foods and isn't afraid to try anything. Pickles are still his favorite when I let him get ahold of one. He's still a barfer. But like two to three times a day instead of two to three times an hour. And he'll even let strangers hold him now without freaking out. We love this little guy. He's fabulous. If all babies were like him, I can't imagine anyone being afraid to have children. :)

My doll baby

3. Today I got to do something really cool in my books. One of my high school girlfriends who now lives in Nashville was in Houston with a Christian band that she travels and plays with. We made arrangements and the boys and I drove to the school she was performing at to meet up with her. I haven't had a chance to see any of my high school buddies in ages. When you move several states away to go to college, not many people can just meet up for lunch from time to time, if you know what I mean. Bethany and I were friends through our show choir, The Front Line, which was the cool thing to do at our high school. And I'm not being sarcastic. Seriously. It was. We've stayed in touch via Facebook through the years, and while our lives have taken different paths, they've also remained the same in many ways. I know that if we lived in the same city, we'd still be close friends. It was wonderful to see her! And other than Rudy wetting his pants in the car, causing us to divert our travels to  the nearest Walmart for new undies and shorts, the boys did fairly well too. (They perform well for an audience.) Hopefully when Bethany comes through town in the fall, we'll be able to meet up again...maybe sans kids for a little shopping! Who says long distance friendships don't work!?! And all my other high school friends, if you're ever near Houston, please let me know!

An oldie-but-goodie...me with my sweet friend, Bethany D!

The church had an Easter egg hunt for the kiddies on Sunday, complete with face painting. We made it home with two cute little bunnies.

We discovered that Mr. Blue Eyes is great at using a straw! He loves sipping water while the boys eat.

Ever need to burn ten or so minutes with the kids? Teach them how to play paper football. The boys love it. Please excuse the gnarly kitchen table. It's a good 25 some odd years old and falling apart.

Last night we celebrated Pinkie's birthday, even though it's not until April 5th. She's leaving for Lubbock for 2 weeks so we had to celebrate early. Pay no attention to the candles...she's actually 39....again.

TTT: Season 3, Episode 12

1. Spring has definitely sprung around these parts. Other than the permanent layer of pollen coating just about everything outdoors, I love this time of year. Oh, and one other thing. It happens every spring and every fall: the bi-annual switching over of the wardrobes. It just never seems to go smoothly. It always entails piles and piles of clothes, bags labeled this and that, bins needing to be pulled down and rearranged...you get the idea. And all of that with three kids climbing all over the place. The most frustrating part is just finding the time and space to do it. For example, I managed to get all of the twelve and eighteen month summer clothes out,washed, and stacked for Grant. And then he took a nap so the project had to be abandoned. Later, I got all of the winter stuff out of his drawers and closet and stacked. And then it was bed time. The next day, piles of both summer and winter clothes covered his entire room. And, of course, big brothers felt the need to mess with said piles every time we entered the room. Eventually, everything was in its rightful place, including multiple items in the donate box that left me scratching my head and asking why in the world did I keep this!?! There are stains all over it! Poor Grant...the third boy and still on the same lot of clothes with only a handful of new items here or there. But I digress. The dreaded clothing switch-over of Spring 2012 is finally over and I think we're set for the hot summer ahead.

2. Two weeks ago I mentioned a big need for us to get back on a schedule and vowed to get to it last week. I wrote this in haste, as I wasn't thinking about spring break and the visitors we'd have in town. We were the farthest thing from a schedule last week! But this week has been much smoother, and I must say, it feels great. I actually wrote out on paper what an "ideal day" would look like for us. Not down to the minute or anything, just a loose schedule with a certain level of structure and regularity. Like "7-8 breakfast, dress boys, clean up kitchen" as opposed to "7:50- unload dishwasher." Lord knows I'd never meet my own expectations with that! Heck, it's been a struggle to meet my expectations with the loose schedule. I'm still working on tweaking it a bit, but maybe I'll share it on here, once it gets to the point that I'm really comfortable with it. And I'm also proud to say that I've included a little cleaning schedule within my daily schedule as well. Part of my 2012 bucket list is to develop a cleaning routine. I've had this sneaking suspicion that if I did 5-10 minutes of cleaning each day, it would be so much less stressful than panicking and doing it all on one day. I can almost always squeeze in 5-10 minutes somewhere within the day. It's just making myself do it! And this week has been great. I've just got to see if I can make it stick. But if I can, I'll share it with you too. Ah. I love me some structure!

3. Back to clothes. But this time for me. Mark and I worked on cleaning out our own closet this past week, and man, there were a few things in there that I found myself asking why in the world do I own this!?! We definitely went with the if-you-haven't-worn-it-in-a-year policy and ended up with several bags to donate. And lots of empty hangers. Begging for cute new spring/summer items. Really, here in Houston, you need very few winter items and lots of summer stuff. And sadly, when I look through my stuff, it seems like all I wear are basics. You know...solid color fitted T, jean/khaki shorts/crops/pants, sandals. I really don't have much money to spend on new spring/summer wear, but if I can scrounge up a bit, I definitely want to get some tops that aren't the basics. There are so many styles out there right now that are cute and feminine and not so blah. I get frustrated, too, because of what I consider my "nursing figure," (I'm sure you can probably figure out what that means...) but I really want to not totally fall in the "mom" look just because I have three kids and am turning thirty this year. I feel like to be the best mom and wife that I can be, I need to take care of myself and feel good about myself and not just let myself slide down the drain. Capisce?

We went to our favorite sandwich shop, Potbelly's, while Abby and Andy were here and Grant had his first run in with the splash pad. He LOVED it! Of course, I was just aiming to get a picture of him with the water, but I love how this picture turned out. Check out the two other little hooligans plotting in the background!

It's wildflower time in South Texas! One of my favorite times of the year. And these pretty bluebonnets are right in our front garden. Love them!

We rode our bikes up to the neighborhood park on Saturday...the first time this spring and the first time since Grant has been mobile. Needless to say, he had a lot of fun!

The obsession with doing Mama's hair continues...everyone loves a good shampoo.

A little blurry, but I love this picture of all four of my guys cuddling in a little twin bed

My family always had an Easter tree growing up. It seems like you hardly see them anymore, but I decided it was time to make our own. A few branches from Hobby Lobby, a few packages of little Easter ornaments, and an hour or so of kiddie decorating later and this is what we ended up with. It's prettier in person. I promise.

We swung by Old Navy after mass on Sunday to pick up a few things and I nearly died over this little hat. Grant looked SO cute! I had to peel myself away....

TTT: Season 3, Episode 11

1. Spring break is in full swing here! It's funny, because as a college student, it was a week I anticipated for months and months. Now, it just kind of happens upon us and is a welcomed break. Since these kiddies aren't  in school yet, every week is the same. But luckily, spring break still manages to bring people we love to us! My brother Dave came down Monday night and stayed until yesterday morning, so we got to spend a good chunk of time with him on Tuesday. The boys love their Uncle Dave. And then last night Andy, Abby, John, and Baby Will all arrived in town and are staying until tomorrow. We finally got to meet our itty bitty new nephew and he's precious! Of course, his big brother and parents aren't so bad either! I love weeks like this where we have a break from our norm and get to be with people we love. Even though it's far more busy than our typical week, it's somehow refreshing.

2. Part of Andy and Abby's reason for coming down was for Andy ("our attorney") to perform a will execution ceremony for both my mom and dad as well as Mark and me. Yes, Mark and I broke down and got a will. It still seems pretty funny to me, considering we don't have much to "leave behind." Andy says that we're worth more dead than alive, though. And I suppose the most important things that we have to leave behind are our three precious boys, and we just wanted to make sure that in the case of the unthinkable, everything would run smoothly for them. It's one of those "Why are we doing this?" type things, that when further pondered just makes a lot of sense for peace of mind. That, and it makes us feel all grown up. Ha! Now I can officially say, "Kid, don't make me write you out of my will!!!"

3. Though Rudy has had a pretty good imagination for quite a while, Kolbe is just now finally starting to enjoy "pretending." One of their favorite new activities is called "Santa Claus." Not only is it fun for them, but it's one of the most precious, endearing things for Mark and me as well. At night, before bed, the boys insist on Mark and me pretending to go to sleep in their beds. (after leaving our play-food cookies by the door) Then, they take their pillow cases off of their pillows and head out to the play room to load them up. Next, they bring their packed bags to the entry of their bedroom and carefully take things out one at a time. My favorite part is when they oh-so-quietly tiptoe into the room with each item, stand in the middle of the room, look back and forth between Mark and me as if to decided who should get the gift. Like they are actually putting real thought in to it! And then they pile the gifts high on the end of our beds. And scramble as fast as possible if either one of us "snores." It's so adorable! We let it go on for a good twenty minutes or so, and then of course we have to wake up to "the best Christmas ever!!!" They jump up and down in giddy excitement watching our excitement as we discover what St. Nick left for us. Really, it's such a small thing that will probably die in popularity in the weeks to come, but I know will stay with me forever. They are so precious and their joy is so tangible.

Somebody crashed with Dada on the couch

We finally broke down and took Rudy's birthday giftcards to Toys-r-Us and invested in new bikes! These two love to ride bikes at Pa's, but now they can ride bikes with Mama and Dada too. (mainly, I'm aiming for a mode of transportation to get us to the neighborhood pool once it opens!)

We took the new bikes down to the waterway with Dave on Tuesday and Pa brought along some bread to feed the ducks. We didn't end up seeing many ducks, but the fish sure were happy to get a snack!

Cousins at our family's favorite Mexican restaurant...Los Cucos! Poor little Will doesn't know what he's getting himself in to! And we sure wish Jackson and Kennedy were here too!

We've got a gate set up at our house, so Grant hasn't had any practice with stair climbing at home, but at 8 months, he sure did manage to make it to the top of Pinkie and Pa's stairs in under a minute. He is all. over. the place!

Two brothers getting ready for St. Patrick's Day with shirts that G-ma sent!