What's Going On

In between trying to update my blog on our trip to Disney World (which seems it may never happen) I thought I'd throw in a general update about what's been going on at our house. Most of what's been going on revolve around the boys. They fill our days with soooo much energy, laughter, hugs, and life. I can see that they are becoming the very best of friends and the play well together about 95% of the time (something I hope never changes). When they are apart, which is rare, Raleigh is constantly asking for "Nys". We are thrilled he calls his older brother the same nickname Tennyson gave himself. Actually, he either refers to Tennyson as "Nys" or "brother", which he pronounces something like "Rah-ruh". Too precious!

We got a 2nd hand but newer Mac and since our iPhoto is overloaded it's been a while since I've been able to really do anything with my photos. So happy that's gonna change! Gosh, when Tennyson was little I was the Blogging Queen and never missed a milestone of his, even the tiniest accomplishment was noted. I feel guilty that Raleigh hasn't gotten that same attention to detail.

Speaking of our littlest man, he is really starting to talk! He's putting words together like, "More please" and "Me help" and "Thanks, Mommy". It makes me proud he's so polite all the time! I must be doing something right! Raleigh has also finally become quite the eater and out-eats Tennyson at almost any given meal. He's roughly 24 lbs. now and 35 inches tall and sadly the baby in him is all but gone now. Makes me kinda sad. Another sad thing is that about a month ago he stopped calling me "Mama" and I am now "Mommy". Don't get me wrong, I l-o-v-e hearing him say "Mommy" in that sweet voice, but "Mama" was just so endearing.

As for Tennyson......where do I start? He's getting big...really big. He's roughly 42 inches tall and weighs one pound per inch. He's nearing 80th percentile for height, so he's gonna be tall like me! WOOHOO! Tennyson has always been exceptionally smart, sometimes too much for his own good, and I'm sure he'll have no trouble in kindergarten next year making friends and running the classroom. Haha!! Tennyson has also become quite the comedian. Here are a few of the funny things he's said lately:

~ Tennyson went to VBS at a local Presbyterian the week before his birthday in July. I asked him what he was learning he said, "God loves you. God listens to you, even when you whisper. God hears our hearts...and big people...and lamps."

~ I asked Tennyson one night if he wanted some sour cream on his taquitos because they were a little spicy and his response was, "No, sometimes sour cream makes me do bad things." When I asked, "Like what?" He said, "Like poking you in the eye." Crazy kid!

~ The other day he randomly asked, "Mommy, why don't we have a jack-in-box?"

~ Last week we had a chicken and couscous dish for dinner and Raleigh was shoveling it in. When I joking said, "One of Raleigh's middle names should have been Couscous instead." Tennyson said, "Couscous is my real last name. That's what the old people call me."

Lately Tennyson has been into comparing how much he loves me, this number usually varies between 1 and 1,000, and Daddy, most often it's 1,000,000. Of course, we know he loves us the same, but it would be nice if my number was a little closer to Tom's! Oh, what a bond that father and son share. Tom does bedtime with Tennyson almost every night. Tennyson loves the elaborate bedtime stories, which usually involve playgrounds and chasing "bad guys". I told Tom I miss him asking for the more innocent stories of Thomas the Tank Engine and Disney World.

The boys still love to be read to, play trains, do puzzles (or "puz" as Raleigh calls them), play outdoors, spend time with their cousins, play hide-n-seek, and building Legos. I am trying to put more housework off and really try to listen more to them, their needs, and just PLAY with them. I really want to raise them differently than I was raised. I want them to look back at their childhood and say, "Boy, my Mommy sure loved me and enjoyed spending time with me. I felt loved. I felted wanted. I felt cherished." If I can do that then I've done things right.

I just want to finish this long overdue post with lyrics from an Andrew Peterson song called "God of My Fathers". This verse really speaks to my heart.

Now we're counting stars
and counting sand
Little feet and little hands
We're counting joys

Constantly Feeling Behind

When Tom went to the gym this afternoon I decided enough is enough, that I REALLY need to get caught up on the blog. It's sad. I just can't seem to find time (or remember) to post photos or even write about the daily goings on in our household. I constantly feel behind (right now the kitchen needs to be cleaned and there's always laundry to do), but I am tryyyying to not let myself get so stressed about the state of my house in the hopes of getting caught up here. I don't journal, and though I am constantly taking photos, posting them on the blog can get time consuming (due to an overloaded iPhoto). But I need to be better about keeping up with posts. I want to be able to look back and read about what our day-to-day life was with a 3 and 1 year old in the house.

I have so much to post about from the past 2 weeks. Exciting things, like Disney World!!!! And bad things, like Raleigh's injury and 14-hour ordeal at 2 hospitals on Monday night. But for now, it's late. I have been blogging and posting photos on here solid for the past 5 hours. Tomorrow I am taking Raleigh to the hand surgeon at UVA and then hopefully I'll be back at it here. Desperately trying to get caught up to April 2011. Though our days are so similar to the one before, each one is special and different and I don't want to forget any of them (well, okay, maybe some can be forgotten). I'll get photos up soon of the end of 2010 and the start to 2011. Stay tuned......

Looking Ahead to the New Year

How can it be 2011 already?! It's been 10 years since I graduated college. 8 years since Tom and I started dating, 6 1/2 years since we got married, and nearly 4 years since Tennyson was born. Why couldn't time go this quickly when I was in school? Why do I look at my boys and think, "Didn't we just bring you home from the hospital?" *sigh*

And here I find myself months and months later and still not much closer to catching up on my blog. I was doing so well when I just had one, but with two (and a 3-year old that no longer naps) my free time is very limited. When Raleigh is napping Tennyson wants all of my attention. Somehow he's lost that blessed ability to play by himself. So we're working on that. Part of me thinks, "Oh, it will be so nice when Tennyson goes to preschool 3 mornings a week in the fall. I'll get so much done!" But then the thought of being without him for 10 or so hours a week makes me want to cry!

I am not a New Years Resolution maker (Hmm, perhaps I should make one though - to keep up with my blog?), but I do have a few things I'd like to accomplish and there is so much to look forward to in 2011: Disney World (March), celebrating 7 awesome years of marriage (June), the boys turning 2 and 4 (July), and Tennyson starting preschool (August). My major "goal" is to make Team Leader (or get close to it) with Wildtree. If I put my mind to it (and become a master at time management) I think I can do it!

So yes, there's much to be excited about this year, and I'm sure before I know it, I'll be writing about how I can't believe it's 2012 already!

Catching Up

Oh my, I just can't seem to find the time to blog anymore. These little men keep me so busy! And when I do find a few minutes to myself I always seem to spend it cleaning....or sleeping. Not that I am complaining, so goes the life of a stay-at-home mommy. Part of me thinks "but I have nothing to blog about. Who wants to read about my 'boring' life?" But truthfully, it's so NOT boring! I mean, it might be to some, but I really need to keep up better with my blog so I can look back and remember these days, when my boys were little and what our day-to-day lives were like. Right now it's my whole existence, raising these boys, but in the not too distant future I will forget all the little things that make up our days like:

~ Tennyson correcting us if we "accidentally" call Raleigh "Sweet Boy." He says, "No, I am Sweet Boy. He is Baby Raleigh."

~ Raleigh waving bye-bye with his whole arm to Tom as he leaves for work. (He used to do a cute little backwards wave with just his fingers.)

~ The boys playing in the tub together and then endlessly kissing and hugging each other good night.

~ Tennyson hiding under the covers during storytime when the other parent comes into the room. Like we don't hear him giggling and see the covers moving.

~ The boys holding hands in the back seat as we run errands and then Tennyson says, "Look, Mommy, we being friends."

~ Raleigh "dancing" during the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song by holding on to the table and rocking from side to side.

~ The sound of Raleigh breathing through the baby monitor.

~ Or the way they smell after a bath.

~ Or the sight of them playing ball together in the backyard.

~ Or how tired we always seem to be yet supremely happy.

I don't want to forget any of these moments. I've waited for them my whole life. To see my children playing together is bliss (when they play nicely, of course).

Obviously some days are better than others. Some days I feel like all I do is carry Raleigh on my hip, discipline Tennyson, and clean up their messes. Getting the laundry done and taking a shower is still cause for rejoicing. But I rest in the knowledge that I am right where I need to be. And that's enough for me....every day.

Cathing My Breath

Oh my. Where do I even begin? There are so many posts I have wanted to do, but finding the time to sit and write is nearly impossible. Even now after the kitchen is spotless, dishwasher is running, and the bathroom is cleaned I am fussing at Tennyson for destroying his slinky and Raleigh is waking up from his nap. I really am loving being home full-time, raising these boys, and cherishing every moment. But.some.days.....

As you can tell I haven't even had the time to post about our hasty move out of the only home we've known since getting married. Or about our wonderful Christmas with my family. Or about the sad, devasting news of my dear brother-in-law's cancer diagnosis 3 days after Christmas. Or about Tennyson.....oh Tennyson. I could write a million posts about that boy! And Raleigh just turned 6 months old. Just so much to write about.

I wake up each morning and essentially do the same thing: nurse and change Raleigh, change Tennyson, get his breakfast, get him dressed, clean something, try to answer e-mails, more housework, play Playdoh, more diapers, snacktime, stories, tv, blessed naptime, etc. etc. etc. I tell you, if I ever get a shower 2 days in a row I think I'll explode with excitment!

Sometimes my mind drifts back to those days of going to the office every morning, working with numbers, helping people buy a house, business trips, meetings, conference calls, lunches, and constant adult interaction. I do miss the 50Gs I used to make, but I still wouldn't trade my life for anything in the world, even on the toughest days.

I know most of you reading this can probably relate to the Career Woman Turned Mommy syndrome. Ah, so good to know I am not alone.

Revised Baby Tally

I just remembered the baby tally I started a few weeks ago and was wondering how things were shaking out. So in case you are curious, like me, here is an updated baby tally (of the 10 pregnant ladies I know):

Boys - 5
Girls - 2
To Be Determined - 3

Hmmm, I have a feeling it might be the year of "the boy." My brother and sister-in-law found out last week they are expecting a boy, so that will make 8 grandsons for my parents! I LOVE it!

I will be working on finishing up the Cocoa-Vegas Part 2 post and a detailed one about our visit to UVA this afternoon. Hopefully I'll get those done this weekend, in between bookkeeping, lunch with a friend, and cleaning out the closets in Tennyson's bedroom. I am purging BIG time in prepartion for a Memorial Day yard sale at my sister's, and his closets are the last stronghold. Baby Boy is my motivation. I must get ready for his arrival in a few short months!

Someday I'll Update This Blog

Okay, so a few of you have been asking "Why haven't you updated your blog lately?" There is no excuse other than I have been going to bed earlier (and the evenings are the only time I get more than 2 minutes of free time), been too tired, feeling too sick, scratching my rash, taking care of other people's kids, chasing after Tennyson, trying to keep my house from looking like a tornado hit it, training on Quickbooks so I can work from home, cooking, laundry, and blah blah blah blah blah.

So there you have it! Hopefully, I'll have some time this weekend to update you all on my doctor's appointments and the baby's progress, but mostly I need to blog about Tennyson. It seems he's learning new words at the speed of light now.

Speaking of which, I think I hear him.......I guess his nearly 3-hour nap had to end some time. Oh well. Tomorrow is another day.

Healthy Eating

When I was pregnant with Tennyson I read a lot of parenting and pregnancy magazines. There is so much talk about whether or not to feed your baby organic foods, and after much thought I decided that for the first year of his life he would eat all, or mostly all, organic food. (Of course, only now do I realize that buying such things as organic bananas was a waste since they have a thick peel.) And with this baby I will definitely be mashing my own. In fact I am going to try and make most of my own baby food this time around. I know, I know a LOT of you have done that, but frankly I was SO overwhelmed with other things that I just didn't want to feel like I was spending all weekend, every weekend making baby food.

Now I am not one of those vegetarian, tree-hugging, organic hippies, but I do believe in feeding my child the best that I can. I think most mother's would say that their children eat healthier than they do. You know, really watching their sugar intake, making sure they get enough fruits and veggies. Tom and I have been making a conscience effort to eat more of those good foods and not feel bad about spending money on them with an already tight budget. Cuz you know it's cheaper in a can! But even though I don't buy a lot of organic food, I am a hardcore label-reader! And I still try to make sure what I am putting in our tummy's is good for us and doesn't have "weird" stuff in it. (Does it make anyone else crazy that there is high fructose corn syrup in everything?)

Aside from Annie's Organic Bernie O's (which Tennyson gets two meals out of per can) a favorite thing to buy is the giant bag of organic mixed veggies from Costco. And the best part of all......NO lima beans!!! They are about $6 and we always have a bag in our freezer. I use it for sides or put it in chicken pot pie or casserole. Good thing Tennyson would eat his veggies over fruit any day. I am hoping that lasts for a while.

Our Week in Review

Well, we are still trying to get healthy over here. Tennyson was running a 102 fever on Tuesday, but I still went out to vote....in the damp weather. Unfortunately, my guy didn't win. I can't believe this liberal, socialist, anti-life, pro-Islamic, pro-gay marriage man is going to be our president. *sigh* I'll miss having a Christian president with morals.

Anyway, after voting I headed to my sister's house to eat before going to my brother's 23rd birthday party. But Tennyson threw up (from coughing) allllll over her dining room and kitchen. Poor thing, he was shaking uncontrolably and crying. I called Tom for emergency supplies because he needed to be bathed before we headed home. We had to take Tennyson to get a chest x-ray at RMH on Wednesday to make sure he wasn't getting pneumonia. Since I couldn't say with 100%, absolute certainty that I wasn't pregnant I had to leave the room. Well, my little guy was noooot happy with Mommy leaving the room. Tom did a great job of trying to calm him and hold him still for the x-ray. And if you know Tennyson at all, you know that child does not do still whatsoever. Thankfully, his lungs were clear!

So now it's Saturday and I am excited because my childhood friend is coming in town for a visit and I am going to the tea room with she and my sister. I love girlie, girlie time! Not sure what else the weekend will hold, but I am looking forward to it just the same!

Bad Blogger

I have been a bad blogger lately. I blame that on the fact that Tom, Tennyson, and I haven't been feeling well for the past week. Of course, now I have joined Facebook so who knows how much I'll be blogging now. Hee hee.

Once we get some more videos backed up I can post more photos. I have lots to share: sunrises, Tennyson's teeth, and just general photos of him being adorable! I'll try to work on that soon. "After all tomorrow is another day."

PS to Previous Post

This may have something to do with why I was in the Christmas spirit today. I can't resist a good holiday flick!

Now You Know Why

I know I have been MIA again on the blogger scene but not without good reason. I haven't been able to upload new photos to iPhoto for weeks because we have so many photos and video (of you know who) on our Mac that it was eating up most of our harddrive. So my brother came to the rescue and helped us backup the videos and burn them onto DVDs last night. Thanks, Cammy! So be prepared to read lots of Tennyson updates, complete with photos (cuz that's the most important part, right?).

In other news, I "lost" one of my two full-time kids that I keep. Thankfully, it had nothing to do with me. Someone offered to care for their child in their home and they couldn't turn it down. I learned a lesson though, I need to put the "termination clause" back in my contract! Oops! Man, I thought my 4-page contract would be enough!

But God is always good and always provides. I will be doing bookkeeping/accounting/admin work from home! I am super excited about that! I have missed office work and working with numbers and now my brain won't turn to mush doing the childcare thing all day. Yipee! In fact, I am off to review statements and invoices now.

Hope your Friday is just as exciting!

More Awesome Finds

Today I really cleaned up at the Barrington yard sales!!! I finished out Tennyson's fall and winter wardrobe, except for more socks and a winter coat. I even bought a Boppy pillow (with an extra cover), some little blue and white striped booties, and a newborn 3-piece outfit for my friend that's expecting twin boys.

Here's what I came home with for our little guy:

2 rompers, 5 onsies, a swimsuit, 2 long-sleeved shirts

a never-worn pair of Carter's shoes (the tissue was still in the toes!)

4 jackets, one of which is LL Bean

3 overalls, 4 pairs of pants (Osh Kosh, Talbots Kids, Carter's)

and 3 sets of pajamas

The grand total - $25!!! I am very pleased with my stash!

Exciting Acquisitions

I decided at 9:30 Friday night to go hit some yard sales bright and early the next morning, and I am so glad I did! I got some awesome stuff, including lots of fall/winter clothes for Tennyson. That was a task! For every yard sale I saw with boy clothes there were 5 with girl clothes. Boys are just harder on clothes, and I am really picky about what I buy so that made it a little more challenging. Aside from 8 gently used onsies, I got a little fleece vest (adorable!), a Baby Gap fleece jacket, and a windbreaker for maybe $15 total!

I also found a bunch of "new" books. The only time Tennyson sits still is when we read to him. We attribute that to the fact that we've read to him almost daily since the day he was born. He'll enjoy these!

By far the most exciting purchase was this jogging stroller. Not that I jog, but we do enjoy frequent walks, and we needed a stroller that was better equipped to handle dirt or gravel roads. It's in nearly perfect condition, though badly in need of cleaning. The best part is that it comes with a tire pump and you can plug the iPod into it and enjoy music as you walk because of the built-in speakers! Oh yeah, it's a sweet ride!


No, I didn't buy face wash at a yard sale. I got this from a retail store yesterday and LOVE it!! It's pink grapefruit facial cleanser and it's lovely. It's so fun trying new beauty products!

It's Been One of Those Days

Do you ever have those days where you wish you could just wake up and start all over? That's been my day today. It began early, way too early. Tennyson woke up crying a little after 5:00am so I went in to check on him. Normally I would just let him fuss and go back to sleep on his own but he was really wailing. So I put him in bed with us and he settled down and started to drift off until he realized Daddy was there, too, and he thought it was playtime. Yeah, that's not happening! So back we go into his nursery for a diaper change. Of course he chooses that moment to pee and therefore soaks the changing pad, but thankfully his clothes were still dry. Back in bed he goes without a fight.

I toss and turn and am finally able to doze off when my phone buzzes at quarter after 6:00. It's one of the dads who usually drops his daughter off at 6:30am (!) saying his wife came home from the hospital where she works in the middle of her shift and that she would bring their daughter later that morning so she could get some more sleep. Hooray! I can get another hour of sleep! About 10 minutes later Tennyson starts fussing. I am not totally convinced he ever went back to sleep. So my darling husband volunteers to go get him since he has to get up in 15 minutes anyway.

I had just dozed off for the third time when Tom's alarm goes off. You've got to be kidding me! I slap it around and finally get it to stop. About 3 minutes later I hear Tom open the front door. I am thinking "That's odd." Suddenly Tom opens our bedroom door and announces that the girl who was supposed to come "later" that morning is here! Apparently her parents didn't communicate very well! So I throw on some clothes and head downstairs. The mother was very apologetic and said something about beating her husband. Hahaha!

I get the kids settled and decide to eat some breakfast before the other 3 kids show up. I had just finished some yummy homemade Belgian waffles when Tennyson throws up on the kitchen rug. He has a very sensitive gag reflex so this is a fairly common occurrence in our home. (Last time he did it was Sunday when I gave him a pea from my plate, just as I had the night before. Well, he threw up and the only thing I had to catch it......my plate. Talk about a lost appetite!)

I get Tennyson cleaned off and tend to the stinky rug. Charlie arrives and his mom informs me that he pooped on the way to my house. Great. My day is looking up and it's not even 8 o'clock yet! I take care of him as soon as his Mom leaves, and shortly thereafter my other 2 charges arrive. Everyone is playing nicely and I finally find a minute to run to the bathroom. And it's then that I realize I had put my shorts on backwards. *sigh* Is it Saturday yet?

But It Started Out So Well

Our Labor Day weekend was overall a good one. Tom, Tennyson, and I spent lots of quality time together just playing around the house, running errands, and being with family. Friday evening we headed out to my sister's house for my niece's second birthday. I just have to show you a picture of the cake! Bethany's favorite food is spaghetti, so what does the cake look like: a giant bowl of spaghetti and meatballs! It was amazing and delicious! It was the same lady who made Tennyson's polka-dotted cake. (Yes, Beth, she'll be doing the cake for your shower!)

Saturday evening I went out with a bunch of the women from my church for dinner and then we watched the wedding of a good friend of ours, who now lives in Kenya. It was such a beautiful wedding! And it was nice to have some female conversation without having any kids around. I love my son with all my heart, but every Mommy needs a break.

Monday was my mother's 61st birthday so we all gathered that night for pizza and homemade carrot cake. (Thanks for the recipe, Lisa!) The only downside to the long weekend - Tennyson came down with Hand, Foot, Mouth disease AGAIN! In addition to that he's been unbelievably fussy and clingy because he's actually getting his first tooth. Yes, we are sure this time. It's about to pop through his swollen little gums. So I haven't been able to have kids in here this week because HF&M is highly contagious. Unfortunately no kids means lost income. (I don't think it's fair for the parents to pay if my child is ill.) I have to admit though that I am really enjoying having Mommy and Tennyson time, even though he's out of sorts, it's still precious to have just him to take care of and no one else for a few days.

After a visit to the pediatrician yesterday, I may get kids back in here tomorrow or Friday depending on how Tennyson is doing. We were supposed to go to a college friend's wedding this weekend in PA, but that's not happening now for numerous reasons. I am sad to miss it, but all plans are tentative with a little one!

Tennyson is carrying around a set of headphones while I type. I don't know why, but it's really cute! The dryer stopped and there's another load in the washer that needs to be transferred. And the dishwasher still hasn't been emptied........I was hoping to take another nap this afternoon, but housework always takes precedence in my book. Isn't that a shame?

Uh oh, better go. Tennyson is now chewing on the cord to the headphones. "Uh, sweet boy. Daddy might not want you to do that."

M.I.A.

Yes, I have been kind of MIA lately with the whole blogging thing. Since I have a houseful of 1-year olds 5 days a week I have NO time to do anything until after the kids are picked up. Then it's dinner time, cleanup from dinner, bath time and bed time for Tennyson. Then after he's in bed I rush around like a crazy person trying to get my house put back in order, from picking up toys and Cheerios off the floor to folding 2 days worth of laundry on our bed before I can even get in the bed to sleep. *sigh* I feel like most days I am just trying to keep my head above water.

I'm sure I'm the only Mommy in the world that feels like this, right?

Back on Track

Ever since we got the stomach flu last month I haven't been diligent about posting weekly recipes, but hopefully I'll get back on track tomorrow. Maybe if I hadn't just spent 20 minutes disassembling and cleaning out the fabric softener dispenser on the washing machine I would have posted one tonight. Yes folks, these are the kind of projects I choose to do right before bedtime. *sigh*

So much for disinfecting

All three of us have been hit hard with a stomach virus going on day 4 now. Pray that we get better soon and that someday my house will be clean again.

The Exciting Life of Tennyson's Toys

As most of you probably know I am now a full-time childcare provider since having lost my job while on maternity leave. (Gotta love the fickleness of the real estate market.) Well, after being home for so long with my newborn son I couldn't bring myself to go back to work, though I had several offers.

Having said all that, those of you that know me know that I am a bit of a neat-freak. I like my house clean and organized! Though it's great being in my own home all day it's still difficult to stay on top of the house with so many children here. (I currently keep a 6 month-old, 1 year-old, and a 2 year-old, not to mention Tennyson. In August I will take on yet-to-born twin girls.) Therefore, most every weekend is spent doing housework, at least that's what it feels like. But I do love cleaning....a bit too much according to my husband.
And because Tennyson's toys are in constant use by "strangers", disinfecting them is routine. Here's a picture to demonstrate just one of many household chores I tackled on Saturday: laying out his toys on a plastic bag and spraying them on all sides with Lysol. Hmm, better start buying it from Costco.