You have 2 choices!

So we have been trying to take the paci away from Avery. I know, I know, yes she is 3. BUT, she only has been taking it for bedtime since she was like 18 months. There just never seemed to be a good time. Well I finally decided to just do it. So, for the last 3 nights it has been a battle to get her to bed. Yes, more than usual. Last night she screamed for 45 minutes. I finally went back in and as soon as I opened the door she sat up in bed and said, "Ok mom, listen to me. You have two choices. You can either scratch my back or scratch my belly." It was hilarious! I said ok I will scratch you for 2 minutes. I lay down next to her and start scratching. Then she says, " You have two more choices mom, you can either get me a drink of water, or read me books, or leave me or scratch my back and belly. You have four choices." With this I proceed to giggle hysterically. Then she says, "Do your choices make you happy?" What a character!

Carnivals, play houses and birthdays oh my!

We have been SUPER busy! This weekend was Avery's 3rd birthday. We went to the Taste of Colorado on Saturday night and had a lot of fun. The kids, Mason and Avery, even rode some of the carnival rides. She is getting to be such a big girl! When she opened her Cinderella costume on her birthday she said, "My not Avery anymore, my name is Cinderella Rella in the whole wide world."

Justin spent the whole weekend redoing the kids playhouse. It was in BAD shape. Took off all the floor, climbing wall, bench and picnic table and replaced it with trex and re painted the whole thing. He also got a Pirate's of the Caribbean set so it has a treasure map, wheel, and telescope. Avery looks the the telescope and declares she can't find the treasure! All the time!

Life gets in the way!

So, I had the best of intentions. Then life got in the way! It has just been crazy lately. Pot had his surgery and is trying to heal. He is in A LOT of pain, but I am confident this will make a huge difference in his quality of life.

Avery has a new name. It is "Avery Superhero!" Said while "flexing" her muscles. I need a picture of it. I took a video, but I am completely computer clueless, so you won't be seeing it! :) She puts her hands in fists right under her chin, and sticks her elbows out to the side. Can you picture it? I am not very good with descriptions.

I honestly can't even remember what we did on Saturday! Let's see. Oh yes, we went to a house warming party Saturday night. The kids were great but hard! Avery is great right now, you can kind of just let her be and check in on her every once in a while. Brody on the other hand was EVERYWHERE! He was up the stairs, around the corner, in the neighbors apartment! Yes, he followed the pretty tenant into her kitchen. Good thing she is a nanny. Justin found him quickly, I think.

Avery started a new gymnastics class. It is AWESOME! It reminds me of Tumbletown, I am going to look into an adult class! :)

I went to the ER for heart palpitations after work on Sunday night. As a result of my kick ass workouts, soon to be kick ass body, I am lowering my heart rate. Yea, good job, right? Well, since my resting heart rate has slowed down I can now feel my irregular, supposedly, nothing to worry about, heartbeat. Off to the cardiologist!

It's a small world after all!

Today we ventured to the Denver Zoo. We bought a family season pass at the beginning of summer. I made 1 trip with both kids by myself skipping Brody's nap, and haven't been back. As Brody is getting older I decided he can take a short nap on the way and hopefully be fine. He was. On the way there Avery and I always, yes twice, go over all of the animals she wants to see. I really try to take EVERY opportunity I get to make things a learning experience. We talk about the animals, what they eat, what noises they make, what they do for fun, where they live, that sort of thing. We talk about it the whole way there. Today Avery decided that she likes monkeys the best. It changes. So, today she says, "Mom, I love monkeys. They are my favorite. I want to bring home one of the monkeys from the zoo today and feed him bananas." To this I reply, "No Avery, monkeys are wild animals and they have to live in the zoo." Maybe that statement doesn't come off strange if you don't say it out loud. So go ahead, say it out loud. Yes, that's right, I just told my 3 year old that wild animals live in the zoo. Not the savannah, not the rain forest, THE ZOO! Well, in her world they do.

So, not more than 3 minutes after walking in Lindsey sees a girl that she thinks she knows from Waxahachie. Wow, she was right. Waxahachie, right here in Denver! She chats with her for a minute and aforementioned Waxahachien says they are here because her husband does roofing. Wow again, we need a new roof! Numbers exchanged, hopeful for a good deal!

Thank you to my 2 wonderful children for a great day at the zoo! I don't think I will avoid it for so long this time!

Best Friends

So one of Avery's new hobbies is fixing my hair. Last night, after a particularly trying day she was going at it. She is not very gentle, even though the whole time if you flinch or say ow she says, "I being gentle." Don't believe her! So after a ridiculously painful brush stroke and me saying, "Avery you are hurting me." She replies, "I am not hurting you, you are a princess just like me and you are my best friend." Apparently being a princess, or best friend, makes you immune to crazy head pain.

Avery went to the doctor yesterday for her chronic constipation issues. I am going to the doctor today for a different reason, but she is convinced that mommy has poopy issues too and talks about it all the time. Maybe I should have warned daycare.

Awwwwwwwww

So, obviously my kids are hilarious. What may surprise you is they are sweet too! I was putting Brody down for bed and Justin and Avery were still playing in the floor of the den. I walk back in and they were playing with the new doctor set I got for Avery. Justin says, "hey Avery, what are you doing?" And she says, "I am playing doctor, I help people like mommy." Awwwwwww. How cute is that! Oh, I guess I must say that a lot because now Avery also informs me of how cute everything is. Like, "Look at how cute my dolls are mommy" or during the Miss Universe pageant last night, "look at how cute all those girls are mommy, they are my favorite."

Today is day 3 of Brody in cloth diapers. I LOVE it! I am so glad I switched!

Brody "shows" his love by licking now. Like sticks his tongue completely out and licks whatever body part is closest! He licked Pot in the mouth last night.

Mom, you are not a chipmunk!

Avery's favorite movie right now is Alvin and the Chipmunks. Yes, I know, totally annoying, but she mostly just watches it as I workout everyday. So, this afternoon she was grumpy and wanted to watch it when she got up from her nap. We turned it on and Justin, Brody and I went outside to play. I came in to fix her a snack a little while later and the chipmunks were mid tune. I start dancing and singing along. Avery looks at me and says, "mom, those are chipmunks." I say, "I know, and they sing and dance, isn't that fun!" She replies, "Mom, you are not a chipmunk." I guess that was my curtain call.

Oh yea, and Brody pooped in the tub. Thank God Justin is home!

Pee in the shower? No.....Ok

So yesterday I was taking a shower. Avery usually watches cartoons or colors and I shower while Brody is napping. Of course, I asked Avery if she needed to potty before I got in the shower, the answer....a resounding "NO MOM!" I am so sorry I bothered you! So in the shower I go. Not more than a shampoo and half a conditioner later she comes running in....." Mom, I have to peepee NOW!" Well, it is bath night anyway and I don't want to get out mid shower, I get cold easily, so I tell her to strip and come pee in the shower. What? Yes, I just told my almost 3 year old, been potty trained for a year, to come pee in the shower I was taking. She looks at me like I am crazy, then says "OK" and starts stripping. She got in, did her thing, I washed her and that was that. Maybe I am a little crazy!

Don't cry over spilled milk

Justin comes home tomorrow. I am almost through! Avery and I both have a pretty good cold so I am exhausted and just generally speaking done. I figured, hey I don't want to be stuck at home all day alone with the kids again, so I packed us up and headed to Build a Bear. What was I thinking? Avery got a pink unicorn in a purple prom dress. I have said she is girly right? Then we attempted lunch at Qdoba, but all the seemed to accomplish was no one eating anything and
Avery spilling her chocolate milk everywhere. Don't cry over spilled milk right? Oh yes we will, especially if it is the coveted chocolate milk she has had a total of 3 times in her whole life. Well, 3 times that I know about at least. So on the way home I decide 15 minutes at the park would be a good energy release for the kids before nap time and Avery would get over the milk. 30 minutes later I could been seen carrying both kids back to the car, both kids crying, all 3 of us sweating, and I am pretty sure Brody is sunburned.

A little background for this new blog attempt. I was reading Tori Spelling's book sTORI Telling. I read it in 2 days, I guess I have a lot more time on my hands with Justin gone than I thought. I just thought, my life isn't that interesting. She has some crazy stories. But then I figured just because I didn't grow up with a Bitch for a mom, and an out of touch rich grandpa of a dad doesn't mean that my life isn't interesting. At least it is interesting for me. I don't want to forget all these times with the kids as they grow. I want to remember, cherish, and loathe everything just like I am doing in the minute.

Both kids got up last night, hasn't happened in probably 8 months. So I am a zombie today. When I went in to Avery screaming she said, "Pot left me on the train all by myself." I guess the kiddie train around Belleview park we just went to was more traumatizing to her than amusing. Avery is known to say some pretty off the cuff things. Another of her nightmare incidences happened while we went for a girls weekend in Nashville. She woke up screaming and tearing her covers off the bed frantically. I asked her what was wrong, her response, "I lost my diamond ring! Where is my diamond ring?" Umm...if you have a diamond, I want it! She has also recently learned the word "maybe". As in; as we were getting into the car and she peers into the front seat and says, "I know, maybe I should drive." Or, when Brody is upset and crying, "I know, maybe I will make faces so Brody will be happy again." Did I also mention that so far she ROCKS as a big sister! Hopefully she stays so loving as they get older. I know, I am not really that delusional.

Initiation

I have to admit, I am not a blogging virgin. My first attempt at blogging I was very factual, told what I did that day like "you" wanted to know. It was boring, even I was bored writing it. So, this may break the mold of what I thought blogging was supposed to be. I am now using this as a memory maker for me. I want to remember my oh so wonderful, chaotic, beautiful, lucky life.
Justin has been in Europe for over a week now. What was I thinking? No, really, I am doing fine. I am just missing him. I actually have done more with the kids than usual, I have kept up with the laundry, thanks mom!, and I have even done some heavy cleaning that I was totally planning on putting off until Justin got home. The kids have been great. And by great, I mean exhausting.
Avery first. She is in this total independant stage. EVERYTHING is "I can do it all by myself mommy!" I kept her off of candy completely for 6 days. Let me back up. We have been having a candy crisis with Avery. She screams for it daily. It all started with bribing her with tic tacs for potty training, and spiraled out of control from there. I am not completely against candy, but it seems with Avery it is either all or none. She also seems to be the girliest child ever. ALL she will wear is dresses, so I am trying to find fall/winter dresses and leggings. It is harder than you think.

Oh boy Brody! Man, we are hitting a hard patch! He is all over the place, he is into everything. He consistenly climbs on top of the coffee table, and opens up the child proofed kitchen cabinets. He throws his food off of his high chair when he is finished, I clean the floor 3 times a day! His newest trick is that he has figured out how to frown, and now my smiley little boy frowns all the time! His favorite toys are the real telephone, and hairbrushes.
I am trying desperately to be young again. I am going through a mommy crisis. I am tired, and a little loose around the edges. I am as of today 2 weeks into p90x. It is kicking my ass! But I feel great!

Ok, I know this is getting long, the rest should go a little quicker without the background info!

Today has been amusingly frustrating! The kids let me sleep in until 7:30. Actually I got up before them! I have been working my butt off today to get the house ready for Justin to come home to. I have done 5 loads of laundry, changed bed sheets, dusted and vaccumed the whole house, cleaned Avery's bathtub, my shower, done the dishes, took out the trash....I feel like I am forgetting something, but you get the idea. I also actually got in my workout! Then, feeling very much like supermom I decided to puree some veggies for the deceptively delicious meals I plan on making the kids. I got the carrots peeled, cut and steaming. I got the sweet potatoes roasting in the oven. I got the food processor, ice cube trays and big baggies out. Then I figured out that I can't figure out how to put my food processor together. Yes, I got frustrated. But then genius me thought, I can use the blender! Nope, the blender leaves everything chunky! I am going to have a hard time hiding those chunky carrots in the kids pancakes!

I finally decide it is time for a shower, but need to take the completely chipped nail polish off of my fingers. I can't find any cotton balls, not surprising. Genius me again thinks I have a solution! I can use my makeup wedges. I pour on the nail polish remover and go to town. All of a sudden the makeup wedge starts disintigrating in my hand and noxious fumes start filling the bathroom. I run and throw the makeup wedge in the toilet. slam the lid, flush it away and close the door. The steam from the shower distributes the fumes evenly and I shower while holding my breath. Now I am just waiting to see if the toilet overflows.