You've Got To Be Kidding Me!

So as my mom, the boys and I ate our gourmet meal last night of velveeta shell & cheese with smoked sausage, our power went out. There was a storm coming in and we could hear the thunder but it seemed like the storm was still far off and it wasn't overly windy or raining yet.

Jason was working on the plumbing for my parent's new pool house so we all decided to head over there and see how things were going. When I got home around 7pm, the power was still out. I noticed my neighbor across the street was outside and it sounded like he was running a generator. He too was without power and pointed out that the transformer next to our driveway had blown up. It had blasted the tree next to it and there were tree parts everywhere. Great!!!! So as my neighbor is keeping his house lit and his refrigerator running, I'm running around our house in the dark packing up clothes for me and the boys so we can spend the night at my mom's. I called Jason to inform him of our latest disaster and he volunteered to stay home and make sure the power company did their job. I called him this morning around 6am and he said he had woken up around 3am to lights on everywhere and the TV blaring. Thank you to the Coweta-Fayette EMC for FINALLY getting our power working again.

I took a shower at my mom's dropped the boys off and raced home to apply some makeup to my exhausted looking face. I was barely running late...maybe 10 minutes. Amazing! If it hadn't been for the accident with injuries just 2 exits away from mine, I probably would have been on time. Gotta love ATL traffic!!!

The bright side of this whole ordeal is that we have the next 3 days to spend together as a family (Jason has been working obscene hours lately) I should've known better. I just got off the phone with Jason who lovingly informed me that he's working tomorrow and Monday. So much for the 3 days of quality family time. But being the understanding, supportive wife that I am, I will continue to look on the bright side...at least we have Sunday.

All I can hope for now is an enjoyable weekend with the boys and hopefully nothing too crazy happens. I could use boring at this point.

Happy Labor Day!

Week #1

Well, today wraps up Ayden's first week of school. I called ReeRee yesterday around 1:30 to make sure everything went smoothly with David taking/picking up Ayden. Apparently Ayden practically jumped out of the car when they got to Flat Creek because he was so excited to be there. Then he let out a high pitched "DAAAAAVID" when he say David in ReeRee's car waiting for him at noon. Thursday's are Spirit Day at Flat Creek so Ayden got to wear his Flat Creek Preschool T-shirt today and it's also show & tell. Each Thursday for show & tell they assign a color and/or letter. Today it was red so Ayden brought his Lilo & Stitch spaceship that he got at Disney World 2 years ago.

So do you remember way back when you were in elementary school and they had the book fair? I LIVED for the book fair. Every year I would bring home the flyer and show my mom all of the books that I wanted. It was so much fun! They're having a book fair at Flat Creek in September so last night I looked over the Scholastic flyer 3 times. Wow, the memories that brought back! Needless to say, I can't wait until the book fair. New reading material!

I am really ready for fall. I'm so over this drought and the soaring temperatures. A cold front came through this weekend so we're back down in the high 80's but I'm ready for the brisk mornings, sweatshirts and tennis shoes of fall. This weekend kicks off our fall festivals. On Saturday we're heading to the Powers Crossroads festival. I remember going last year when Jameson was only 4 months old!

On Sunday Ayden and I are checking out a new church. I've heard fabulous things about Christ our Shepherd so I'm pretty excited. I'm leaving Jameson at home with daddy until I can scope out the nursery and see how Ayden likes Sunday school. It's a pretty church but much larger than I'm used to.

Other than that, all is well. Jason has been working some long hours this week (what else is new) but that usually means the house stays clean. I'm looking forward to having Monday off and pray the weather is nice so we can fit in some pool time. There's a chance for rain all weekend but the weather is so crazy down here we probably won't see a drop. I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

One Proud Mama

Today is Ayden's first day of school! He was such a big boy!! We dropped Jameson off at ReeRee's (he was a little miffed about being left alone) and headed to McDonalds for breakfast. After chowing down his Big Breakfast, Ayden announced that it was time to go to school. I had been staring at him the entire time he was eating wondering how it's possible that my baby is ready for school...backpack and all!

Once we got to Flat Creek, Ayden would only allow me to take one picture of him outside. He was soooo ready to get inside and meet his new friends. He hung his backpack on his hook and then raced into the classroom. He immediately went up to this little boy playing in the sand and said "Hi, I Ayden" and then started playing with him. Over by the blocks I asked for a hug and kiss goodbye. I told him to be nice to his friends, be sure to share and to tell Ms. Elaine when he had to go potty. He put his hand on my cheek and said "It okay if you go now mommy". The floodgates almost opened in front of everyone. I told him that I was going to go home and pick him up at noon. He barely even heard me because he was racing to the next thing to explore.

I balled my eyes out as soon as I got in the car, called Jason who laughed at me and then called my mom who was more sympathetic to my needs. As soon as I walked in the door, ReeRee was calling to see how "her boy" did. Just an example of how much both ReeRee and David love my boys, she told me that David was actually jealous that I got to take him to his first day of school. He can't wait until tomorrow when he gets to drop him off.

So, after I've dried my tears and look back on my already eventful morning...I'm one proud mama!

This Is Why I'm Crazy...

Last week went by like a blur. On Wednesday I took Ayden to his new preschool to meet his teacher. Both Ms Elaine and her assistant, Ms. Suzy, are totally adorable. I spent way more time there than I had intended (over an hour) but it was well worth it. There are only 7 kids in Ayden's class and I truly believe he is going to have a fabulous year at Flat Creek. I found out that the developer for my mom's neighborhood has his little girl, Katie, going to Flat Creek as well. Katie only lives about 3 houses down from my parent's new house so Ayden will have a new playmate. I have also vowed to always be an active participant in the boys' education so I volunteered to help coordinate the Thanksgiving, Christmas and Valentines Day parties. I even signed up to bring the snacks for the second week of school. Crazy!

I took the APA's Advanced Payroll Concepts course on Thursday and Friday. I got sooooo much out of that class! Everyone I talked to warned me about how difficult the CPP exam is so I'm starting to get nervous. Most of the people attending the class were there for continuing education credits to maintain their CPP status. You have 5 years to accumulate 150 credits...otherwise you have to take the exam over. No thank you! If I pass the exam in May I never want to have to take it again!!!!

Today I'm scrambling like a mad woman to get payroll processed since I'll be out tomorrow for Ayden's first day of school. I'm waiting for ADP to send me my preview so I thought I'd spare a few minutes to get an updated post on the blog. Since I haven't had any time to finish editing photos from the past couple of weeks, I plan to get that done while Ayden's at school tomorrow. I pick him up at noon and then we're heading to Newnan to have a celebratory lunch with Mimi. I can't believe that my baby starts preschool tomorrow....time to have another baby:) LOL! I must be totally crazy to even be thinking of it. I guess we'll just wait and see what mother nature has in store for us....

He's Three!

Ayden actually made it to 3 without us sending him off to boarding school for toddlers! Just kidding. Not like we still don't struggle, but things have been getting better with Ayden's behavior. We had a wonderful time on Saturday celebrating our little man's big day. Jason and I took the boys to the Children's Museum in Atlanta and then to Centenial Olympic Park to run around in the fountains. After lunch at Jocks & Jills we made our way home for nap time. We must have worn them out because both boys slept for 3 hours!

We had a wonderful dinner at Mimi & Bumpa's with birthday cake and ice cream. Then Ayden finally got to open his "big" present. Ayden is now the proud owner of a Power Wheels Kawasaki ATV. It actually goes up to 5mph and can even go in reverse. He is in HEAVEN! All he wanted to do yesterday was ride his new 4wheeler. We're still trying to teach him to look straight ahead when he's riding and to not run over his brother or the dogs. Jameson is now riding the little 4wheeler that Mima & Papa got Ayden 2 years ago and definitely needs more practice. He kept sliding off the seat!

Today I took the boys in for their check ups. They're both doing great!

Ayden's 3 year visit:
39 lbs (95th percentile)
38 inches (75th percentile)

Jameson's 15 month visit:
22 lbs (18th percentile)
33 inches (95th percentile)

Wednesday I take Ayden to his new preschool for orientation. I'm excited to meet his teacher and see his room. I took next Tuesday off from work so I can take him to his first day of school. After that, David will drop off and pick up. I'm going to be a total mess...I was crying most of the day yesterday watching Ayden on his new toy. He's getting so big!

Look for birthday pictures coming tonight on Kodak Gallery and I'll post some on the blog too.

TGIF!

Nothing like a double cheeseburger and fries to get a girl out of her funk! I'm still striving to better myself, but today it's not this overwhelming weight over my shoulders.

If the cheeseburger isn't enough of an indicator, I've taken a two month hiatus from diet and exercise and it's starting to affect my waistline. I'm getting myself psyched up about resuming my diet on Monday...back to Lean Cuisines and fat-free pretzles.

This weekend we're planning to celebrate Ayden's 3rd birthday and Mimi's 42nd (wink, wink)birthday in style. This would include the pool, Buffet tunes and Corona Light with lime. So everyone have a fabulous and safe weekend!

One Of Those Moods

Apparently I'm in one of those self-examinating moods today. Wanting to be a better person...wanting to be a better wife....wanting to be a better mommy. Sometimes I feel like I'm doing everything right but I could still be doing more. Is it just the perfectionist in me? I'm trying so hard to enjoy the simple things in my life...find joy in the routine of my family. I can already see the positive changes in Ayden simply because I'm taking the time to enjoy our life to the fullest. No more later on, no more maybe tomorrow. Keeping our life in order should not take priority over hugging my babies or having a tickle session on the living room floor.

Before I continue these rambling thoughts that may or may not make sense, I'll leave you with this truly inspiring quote. I'm sure some of you have seen this before, but it never hurts to be reminded.

"People are often unreasonable, illogical, and self-centered... forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives... be kind anyway
If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies... succeed anyway
If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you... be honest and frank anyway
What you may spend years building, someone may destroy overnight... build anyway
If you find serenity and happiness, people may be jealous... be happy anyway
The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow... do good anyway
Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough... give the world the best you have anyway
You see, in the final analysis, it's all between you and God... it was never between you and them anyway"
- Mother Theresa

Happy Hump Day

It is so obvious that kids are back in school here in Georgia. Do you want to know why it's obvious (besides all of the school buses roaming the streets)? Every jackass that decided to take the summer off with their kids is back on the road again and apparently they forgot how to drive in 3 short months! Whew...that felt good. Nothing like getting a little residual roadrage off my chest.

Moving on to more exciting things. Holy cow! The double header of The Hills that I watched last night is still giving me tingles!!! In just the first 2 episodes we witnessed a catfight between Lauren and Heidi, Heidi and Spencer got engaged, Audrina hooked up with an ex-boyfriend leaving Lauren in the dust again and Lauren ran home to lick her wounds. The previews for next week left me in total anticipation . If you don't watch The Hills on MTV, you should seriously reconsider.

So while I'm confessing to all of the lame things that I watch on TV, I may as well include the fact that the 2nd season premier of Tori & Dean Inn Love recorded last night. Last season totally pulled me in. Tori is a complete airhead but the stuff that flies out of her mouth is pure entertainment. Something to look forward to watching tonight.

A Good Weekend

Do you ever have one of those weekends where nothing exceptionally exciting happens but it's still a really good weekend? We just had one of those. I really should thank Aunt Kelly, Uncle Lars and cousins Petra, Soren and Annike for kicking it off. When we got home Friday, there was an early birthday present waiting at the front door for Ayden. Do you think he liked it?

Saturday morning was probably the highlight of my weekend. The friendly garage door repair guy showed up at 10:30 to replace our torsion springs. We ended up needing a few other minor (but costly) repairs to our garage door to get it working again, but all I know is that I can hit the button and our door will go up and down by itself again.

Jameson napped through the repair process. When I went into his room to wake him up, this is what I found....

Love doesn't even cover it.

A little play time outside. With temperatures in the 100's lately, outside time has definitely been limited.

Later in the afternoon (after the temps dropped into the 90's) we headed over to Mimi & Bumpa's for a dip in the pool. Ayden is becoming quite the daredevil in the pool and Jameson is just starting to tolerate it.

Here's a shot of Ayden jumping off the diving board with his floaty (a requirement when jumping into the deep end).

We can't leave out my little goober walking around with a goober-sized ball.

What a good day! Presents, garage repairs, nice long naps and time well spent as a family. Who could ask for anything more???

My Confession!

Okay, I confess...I love watching The Hills! It all started when I watch the first 2 seasons of Laguna Beach. When Lauren branched off with her own show, our DVR was immediately set to record The Hills every Monday night. I am soooo excited that season 3 starts tomorrow night! I can't wait to find out about Whitney's new position at Teen Vogue. Will Lauren finally find true love? Now that Lauren and Audrina are roomates, will they be able to remain friends? Are Spencer and Heidi really engaged and will Heidi and Lauren work through their differences?

This is probably not something that the average 30 year old mom of two gets all excited about, but I am definitely hooked.

Bring on the the drama girls...I'll be watching!

Georgia vs. Wisconsin

Last night while getting our nails done, mom and I were having a hilarious discussion over the differences between Wisconsin and Georgia. Well, maybe part of the reason why I was so giddy was because the boys were at home with Jason for a change. Our conversation still sparked enough interest in me that I continued to come up with ways the two states are different during my entire drive into work this morning. I thought I would share...

Georgia vs. Wisconsin
Tractor-Trailer = Semi-Truck
Buggy = Shopping Cart
Catfish = Perch, Bluegill, Walleye
Dinner & martinis at the IMAX = Fish fry & a 12 pack at the local tavern
Church on every corner = Bar on every corner
Sweet Tea = Coke, Pepsi, Fanta, Sprite
A week at the beach house = Camping in the woods
Wreck = Car Accident
Drinking Fountain = Bubbler
Grits, Cheese grits, Shrimp & grits = Who the hell eats grits??
Football tryouts start in 1st grade = Football tryouts start in middle school
Boiled Peanuts = Cheese Curds

Rock On!

Just a quick layout I did for the design team. I just love the new Elsie lines!


Ayden playing the air-guitar with part of his Thomas the Train railroad track.

Baked Chicken Nuggets

I don't know about the rest of you, but I LOVE to cook. I mean it! I just get sick of making the same things over and over again. I'm always searching for new recipes and love to use my family as guinea pigs. If something passes the taste inspection, I'll be sure to share the recipe here.

So I mentioned in my previous post that Ayden had a huge meal last night. It definitely had something to do with this new recipe that I found for baked chicken nuggets. Baked would imply healthy, but I think coating the chicken in butter first sort of screws that up.

Ingredients:
3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Cut chicken breasts into 1 1/2 inch size pieces. In a medium bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, cheese, thyme and basil. Mix well. Put melted butter in a bowl for dipping.
3. Dip chicken pieces into melted butter first, then coat with the breadcrumb mixture. Place well coated chicken pieces on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a single layer and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes.

That's it! They're delicious!!!

Too Much Fun

Okay this is fun. I loved reading everyone's comments this morning! Well, except for my Aunt Judy's....only because I'm not sure if the potty contest that she mentioned is about me or my cousins. If it was something that I did, my only defense is that I had an adventurous personality.

Honestly, I was really worried when I started this blog that there wouldn't be enough to talk about and it would just fizzle out. I've come in this morning with an abundance of yummy info! I would like to start out by saying that after the "Wyatt Episode", Ayden was a very well behaved little boy yesterday. Well, it's either that or Marguerite was scared to tell me the truth. Anyhoo...Ayden got his cartoon privileges back, he made some fabulous masterpieces with his new washable markers that Bumpa brought home for him and he ate a huge meal. Jameson tossed most of his food to the dogs because he knows when he's done that he gets watermellon for desert. He's such a goober! So to make everyone's day I thought I would include a couple of pictures of the monkey brothers.

Ayden in his floaty at my company pool party. He loved playing with the other kids!

Jameson goofing around before dinner. See the fat rolls starting to form on his legs????

Ayden was "dancing" while daddy played some really loud music that made mommy want to hide in the bedroom. The rash on his face, neck & tummy is poison ivy. Since it was so close to his eyes and mouth, his doctor put him on prednisone to knock it out faster. Poor little dude. It was finally all gone yesterday.

He Peed On Someone!

When I arrived at Marguerite's to pick the boys up last night, I found out that Ayden had peed on Wyatt. Yes, actually peed on him! I must have resembled a fish out of water at the news. When I glanced over at Wyatt and his mommy, I saw it. She had that "Oh yes, your kid peed on my kid" look. Great! I've been so stressed out the past couple of months with Ayden's naughty/defiant/3year old behavior. Now I've got another mom looking at me like I'm failing in the mommy department. Just when I thought things were actually starting to get better...

Welcome!

It's not always easy for me to send out large "Payne Updates". Most of the time I can't remember all of the fun things that have been going on with us. Setting up a blog is an easy way for me to post all of the crazy moments in our life as they happen. Please visit as frequently as you wish. In the future I'll post pictures to go along with some of the stories. I always encourage feedback so let me know what you think! You are able to post comments on any of the posts.

Enjoy!