I'm back...sort of

I'm working on getting back to some sort of routine. During the past three weeks, I have been consumed by out of town guests, the holidays, family illnesses and a brand new baby. To say that life has been hectic would be an understatement. Today is a brand new day in a brand new year though and I'm digging myself out of the fog.

I'll be back later with family updates, but I want to leave you with a picture of the boys that was taken at school with Santa. I love this picture! After I get some more recent pictures edited (hopefully today) I'll have a much larger post with all of the Payne family happenings.

Jameson Update

Jameson's behavior evaluation went very well on Monday. There was a therapist and our coordinator at our house for over an hour asking questions and observing Jameson. Basically what we learned is that Jameson is off the charts intelligent, strong willed and requires constant stimulation. Most of his behavioral problems come from a lack of stimulation and/or the need for attention. Basically he doesn't qualify for the program but because they are concerned about his interaction with his new baby sister and he'll only be in the program for 6 months (Babies Can't Wait only works with children 3 and under), they qualified him anyway.

Jameson's therapist's name is Monique and apparently she totally rocks. They've planned for 16 therapy sessions that in the end are more for me and Jason rather than for Jameson. She is going to show us how to cut out the bad behavior through new parenting techniques. I'm all for it! They plan on observing him a few times at Royal Learners as well. Before they left, we received a few tidbits of advice. So far so good.

Jameson has slept in his bed...through the night...without me laying down with him...for the past 4 nights. He has also sat through dinner and finished his meal for the past 3 nights. This is a record! Now we need to work his aggressive behavior...hitting, yelling and temper tantrums. It's so nice to know that with a little patience and hard work, our sweet baby Jameson will be doing much better in just 6 months.

Even though we may not see it yet, there is definitely light at the end of the tunnel and we're working our way towards it. We thank everyone for their love, support and concern.

Maybe I'm Just Selfish

Obviously, everyone is talking about our next president. The Chamber consists of mostly republican employees so there isn't a whole lot of celebrating going on in the halls today.

But I'm celebrating and it's not because Obama will be our 44th president. I'm celebrating because Jameson had his speech evaluation today and I couldn't happier with the outcome. Maybe I'm being selfish, but my family is always my first concern and Jameson trumps our new president.

So, here's the outcome of today's evaluation:

1. Yes, Jameson does seem to have a speech delay but it's not significant enough to qualify for the Babies Can't Wait program. The therapist said that Jameson's delay could be a result of so many ear infections and that our pediatrician is notorious for delaying tubes and ENT referrals.

2. While Jameson doesn't qualify for speech therapy, Wanda did see some behavioral problems while at the house. Not a behavioral disorder, but definite problems. When my focus was taken away from Jameson, he would lay on the floor and kick my legs or he would hit me with his stuffed frog. When I would try to reprimand him, he'd simply laugh at me like we were playing a game. She said she sees nothing that can not be corrected with a little coaching from one of their behavioral therapists. This coaching will involve both me and Jason since we need to be on the same page. Obviously what worked for Ayden is not working for Jameson and we just need to be pointed in the right direction.

3. While we investigate the usefulness of tubes at this point, we will also have the full behavioral evaluation on Monday. After that evaluation the therapist and coordinator will set some goals for Jameson and then actual therapy will start probably the following week. Despite Jameson not qualifying for the program because of a speech delay, most of their behavioral therapists also have a speech background so he'll end up getting help in both areas.

So even though the outcome of today's evaluation wasn't just that we have a typical crazy 2 year old, I feel very positive. Jason and I are going to be provided with the right tools to help our child and that is cause for celebration in my book. I'm so happy that a professional was able to witness Jameson's aggressive behavior and told me exactly what I needed to hear..."we're going to fix this".

Pirate + Chicken = Fun

What a great Halloween! After a quick pit-stop at Mimi's for some photos of the boys, we headed off for trick-or-treating. Hopefully Mimi got more pictures of the actual trick-or-treating. I was kept busy making sure the boys didn't run out in the road!

He Can See!

We were finally able to pick up Ayden's glasses tonight. Here are a few comments he made after putting them on.

Daddy! I can see betterer now!

Mommy...you look so skinny!

Ayden got chocolate ice cream for dinner after the second comment. Here's our little man in his brand new glasses...

Oops...how did that last one get in there? I was so excited that Ayden was willing to wear his glasses that I treated myself to a little cup of hot cocoa with about a million marshmallows. Any excuse for hot cocoa, right?

When life hands you lemons....

...make lemonade!

Ayden - We took our little man to see a pediatric opthamologist on Tuesday. To make a long story short, he's near sighted with astigmatisms which is why is right eye keeps crossing in. Dr. Greenberg said we brought him in just in time...another 6 months and his eyesight would probably have worsened due to the strain on his eyes. We had Ayden fitted for glasses on Tuesday and the lab technician's jaw dropped when he saw the prescription. Ayden's glasses are going to be so strong that they had to send them out to be made. Luckily, his vision should improve over time as long as he wears his glasses.

Jameson - This little guy has been demonstrating some pretty horrible behavior at Marguerite's during the past couple of weeks. Jameson has always been a handful, but apparently it's gotten worse. We love Marguerite very much but her house does not provide the structure and boundaries that Jameson needs. Jason and I have decided to move him to Royal Learners starting Monday where he will join the "younger three" classroom. Jameson is a very intelligent two year old (he knows his ABC's, numbers up to 10, colors and shapes) but we feel like his speech is slightly delayed. We know this is frustrating to him and is probably one of the reason's why he acts out. We're working with a state funded organization called Babies Can't Wait to have Jameson evaluated to determine if he has any behavioral disorders or if he just needs to work with a speech therapist to strengthen his communication skills. I've been pretty upset all week about this. No one wants to think that there is something "wrong" with their child, but it's something we have to consider. The evaluation won't take place for at least 45 days so Jameson will have plenty of time to adjust to Royal Learners during that time.

I'm almost 8 months pregnant and beyond emotional. After a few days of bawling my eyes out, I've finally realized that everything is going to be just fine. Ayden is going to adapt to his new glasses just fine. How exciting that he'll finally be able to see! Jameson is going to thrive in his new environment. He'll finally be spending his days with kids his own age and with rules just like he has at home. Jason and I truly believe this is exactly what he needs.

Speaking of Jason...he has been my rock this entire week. Calming me down when I needed it. Making me look at things rationally instead of basing things on emotion. And he's handled my tears with ease. The Tyler Perry projects couldn't have come to close at a better time. He's able to focus more on family now when we really need him. My mom has listened to me blubber on the phone all week and she has also calmed me down when I needed it. I know I've said it before, but I truly do have the best support system. I love them all and thank them so much for their patience, love and encouraging words this week!

Ayden got his teeth tickled!

Ayden had his first dentist appointment yesterday afternoon. To help prepare him, I said we were going to get his teeth tickled. I didn't feel like that was too far fetched...I laugh hysterically when they polish the insides of my teeth. Apparently the roof of my mouth is quite sensitive.

Ms Angie came out to introduce herself and told me that today was just a "fun" day. Ayden would get to see/touch all of the tools and get comfortable in the dentist environment. Most kids don't make it to the actually cleaning part of the visit out of fear. I just knew that Ayden would do great and walk out of there with polished teeth!Mr. Ayden sitting patiently in the waiting room. His paparazzi mom couldn't wait to start snapping pictures!

Ayden was introduced to "Mr. Thirsty"...aka saliva/water suckerupper.

Here we are showing Ms. Angie how wide we can open our mouth. Not a bad start!

Getting our teeth counted. 10 on the top and 10 on the bottom.

After all the flavors of polish were listed, he chose mint. MINT? I so would have gone for the grape! He's actually laughing in this picture.

A little squirt of water and some Mr. Thirsty action. Ayden had it all figured out by this point.

All polished up posing with Ms. Angie. She was fantastic and and I couldn't thank her enough for making first cleaning an enjoyable experience!

Great job buddy! I'm so proud of you for being such a big boy!!!

My body can't sit still even when I want it to....

Last night I wasn't feeling my best. I think I may have some sort of stomach virus that's working itself out of my system right now. So after making dinner, cleaning the kitchen, bathing the boys and getting backpacks ready for this morning I plopped my butt down on the couch for a 5 minute breather. Ayden and Jameson were already in their room watching their 15 minutes of Scooby Doo before bedtime. I'm sure that if I had closed my eyes, I would have fallen asleep immediately.

As my body was slowly starting to relax I heard a little boy's breathing to my left. I opened an eyeball and found Ayden staring down at me.

Me: What's up buddy?
Ayden: I want to be by you. (He's been saying this a lot lately)
Me: Let's snuggle for a few minutes before bedtime.

Ayden got all snuggled in next to me with his head on my belly. I had the TV off so I heard nothing but his sweet breathing and there was no movement except for me running my fingers through his hair. All was calm. Next thing I know he bolted up and was looking at me with a very perturbed look on his face.

Ayden: SIT STILL!
Me: Baby, I'm not moving.
Ayden: I was talking to my sister, duh.

Hmmmm. I guess I had been enjoying the moment with Ayden so much that I didn't even notice that Ava was bouncing around in my belly like a gymnast. Apparently the need to be by me was now gone because he got up and pouted his way to bed. Oh well, it's not like I can help it:)

They Make Me Smile

It was a good weekend. I got some things accomplished at home, we ran a few errands and spent a couple hours at the pool to relax. I couldn't help but snap a few pics of the boys after they were done swimming. Their beautiful faces make me smile....Hope you had a good weekend too!

Ayden Conversation

Yesterday I wasn't in the mood to cook but I wasn't in the mood to go out for dinner either. Jason was in Peachtree City at the shop and offered to get take out at Chili's. He wanted me to call him when I had picked up Ayden and was on my way to get Jameson so the timing would be right. I had just picked up Ayden and was cruising down Dogwood when I called Jason...

Me: Hey bunny. I'm on Dogwood right now and about to turn down Farr Road.

Ayden: NO MOMMY! It's not "far", you're supposed to turn right there to pick up Jameson!!

He had screamed so loud out of concern that I might miss our turn to pick up his brother that I almost dropped the phone. Leave it to Ayden to keep mommy on track:)

BTW - Today is his first day of soccer. I can't wait to find out if he likes it. Karate went well last Friday. Apparently they were using a "noodle" (I think he was referring to one of those swimming noodles) to kick at. Ayden tends to be a bit dramatic so I'm sure that the sounds and hand gestures he made to accompany his demonstration were not things he learned at karate that day. He seriously cracks me up!

Really quick update

It's been a rough week and I couldn't be more happy that today is Friday (I think I say that every Friday). Between family illness, doctor visits, horrible commutes, and swim lessons we've been on the go constantly.

After Ayden's shots on Tuesday, I had been waiting for the dreaded fever that he always gets. I could see an attitude change coming on Wednesday morning when I dropped him off at school. He didn't want me to leave, he "needed" me, and was crying hysterically. I felt like the world's worst mom as I left him kicking and screaming with his teacher and raced to work. Yesterday it was the same thing. Leaving my children when they are unhappy drains me. I feel like an emotional void. I had just gotten to the parking lot and pulled into my space, when Jason called to tell me the school had called him. Ayden had thrown up shortly after I left and was running a fever. Being the awesome daddy that Jason is, he offered to leave work, go pick up a car seat at my mom's and pick up Ayden. Knowing that is actually out of the question for him right now (serious deadlines at Tyler Perry's studio), I put the truck in reverse and headed back home to pick Ayden up myself...feeling even more crappy than I already had for leaving my baby when he was obviously distraught and not feeling well. My heart just about broke when I found him sleeping in a chair in the nurse's room. He was burning up! I took him home, gave him some Tylenol and put him to bed. He slept until 11ish and woke up slightly cooler and happier. After another dose of Tylenol at 12:30, his fever finally broke around 4. He insisted on going to swim lessons so off we went.

He felt a little warm to me this morning so I made him take some more Tylenol before dropping the boys off. He wasn't exactly thrilled that I was leaving him again, but I managed to get out the door and on my way to work. I'm hoping for a relaxing weekend. Jason has to work tomorrow, but has promised to be home Sunday for family time.

Ayden Update

Well, my baby is definitely trying to grow on me. We had his 4 year check up yesterday and Ayden weighed in at 43lbs (92nd percentile) and 42 inches (75th percentile). They performed a hearing, vision and minor dental screening on him as well. He passed the hearing test and his teeth look beautiful. Unfortunately, he didn't do so hot with the vision test. I already had concerns that he may have a lazy eye but after the vision test, Dr. Goza recommended he see an optometrist. It's also time to initiate Ayden with the dentist even though everything looks good. He's just at the age when we should start his cleanings. We ended the visit with 3 shots in the leg. He took it like a trooper but was very whiny and clingy this morning. I'm convinced that there's something in those immunizations that knocks our kids off course for a couple of days. We don't exactly have a choice though if they are to attend school/daycare.

Well, that's about all I have time for. I'm looking forward to a nice evening at home. We haven't actually had a night at home since last week Friday. I want to make dinner, take baths, get our PJ's on and play Hungry Hungry Hippo with my boys. Wow, has my idea of a fun evening changed drastically from 5 years ago!!!

Note: This picture was taken by Mimi and I found it on her blog this morning. As usual, my pictures haven't even been downloaded yet.

My baby is 4 years old. Where have the last 4 years gone? I took one look at him this morning and wanted to squeeze him tight and not let go. I'm so grateful for the times that he still wants to cuddle and snuggle and be right next to me. I love that when I wear a dress to work, he tells me I look pretty. I love that when we go brush our teeth in the morning, he has to hold my hand to the bathroom. And I really love that when I drop him off at school in the morning, he pushes the security button and holds the door for me...and then asks for one more kiss and hug.

Mimi always tells him that she's going to put a brick on his head so he can't get any bigger. So this morning when I asked him how I was going to keep him from getting sooooo big he told me "Mimi is already putting a brick on my head so you can't do that one". If I hadn't just gone to the bathroom, I'm sure I would have peed my pants while laughing. He's not only sweet, but totally entertaining as well.

We celebrated our big man's birthday on Saturday with dinner, presents and cake. Mimi and Bumpa were there as well so we turned it into a joint celebration since Mimi's birthday was on Thursday. I think his absolute favorite gift was his brand new big boy bike with training wheels from Mimi & Bumpa. Tonight we'll be heading to Partners Pizza for their yummy salad/pizza buffet. I took a few pictures on Saturday but haven't had a chance to download/edit them yet. Tonight will probably be my only chance before the week gets crazy...starting with tomorrow.

So HAPPY BIRTHDAY my sweet boy. We all love you very much!!

We're Loving Royal Learners!

We're on day 3 at Royal Learners and I couldn't be more happy with our choice of school for Ayden. Every day I pick him up and we get a daily report. It tells us what they did during Circle Time, songs they sang, stories they read, what took place in each of the Learning Centers, what was for lunch/how he ate and if he napped or rested.

There are 6 Learning Centers:
Phonics & Writing
Math/Manipulatives
Creative Art
Science
Home Living
Blocks

Yesterday they were focusing on "friendships" and made a friendship salad for cooking class. They'll be introducing Spanish lessons a little later.

And let me tell you...those kids eat well! For example, here's what they had yesterday:

Breakfast:
Pancakes w/Syrup
Bacon
Applesauce
Milk

Lunch:
Ham & Cheese Quesadillas
Green Peas
Diced Peaches
Milk

Snack:
Pizza on Whole Wheat
Fruit Bowl
Juice

Jameson is doing better than ever at Marguerite's. I think he really enjoys having time away from his big brother. Normally they would fight over who was going to carry the backpack in, who was going to open the door and who would get a hug goodbye first. Jameson would have a total meltdown the second he saw me heading for the door and just sit in the window crying as I backed down the driveway. Now he tells his brother goodbye, walks into the house and barely has time for his goodbye hug before he gets busy with David. It's now his job to put the vacuum cleaner away and help water the outside plants. He's in heaven! It's all him doing "big boy" stuff without his brother in the way.

Even at night, I think they're getting along better. Since they haven't been trying to kill each other all day, I think they actually enjoy playing together and hanging out watching cartoons. Hopefully the peace lasts because it's making me one happy mommy!

Ayden, Jameson, Ultrasound, Closet and Week #21

I had expected yesterday morning to not go well for two reasons.

1. I was going to be dropping Jameson off at Marguerite's while Ayden remained in the car. He was going to go hang out with David...by himself...for an hour before the other kids got there. He hasn't been without his brother at the sitter's in 2 years. I was worried.

2. I was then going to drop Ayden off for his first day of PreK. Was I worried about Ayden? No way. I was worried about me. I had my fingers crossed that there wouldn't be a lot of parents dropping off at 6:45am and my tears would go unnoticed.

Well, it went better than expected. Way better. When we arrived in Marguerite's driveway Ayden turned to Jameson and said, "Okay brudder. You go into Mar-reet's and I stay in the car so I can go to school.". Jameson turned to Ayden and said, "Bye-bye! Day!!!". We walked into the house, he gave me a hug and kiss, told me "Day" and proceeded to put the vacuum cleaner away. BTW - "Day" means have a good day.

After the 2 minute drive to Royal learners, I insisted that Ayden stand by some wicker furniture so I could take his picture with his new backpack. He couldn't have been less interested in having his pictured taken and only wanted to get his butt through the door. We put his backpack in his room and joined the rest of the early arrivals to hang out on the comfy couches they have in the entrance area. I had to force a hug and kiss from my baby and it was then that I started to bawl my eyes out. I hid in Ayden chubby cheek hoping no one would notice. Ayden put his hand on my cheek and said "It'll be okay mommy". Hmmmm. My soon-to-be-4-year-old was consoling me. In front of like 6 parents! I gave him one last hug, told him to be good and ran out the door to may waiting vehicle.

To make matters worse, this is a very nice school and we're paying out the rear for it. As I looked up to leave, I noticed all of the Land Rovers, Escalades, BMWs and Mercedes. I was the only Eddie Bauer Ford Expedition with more dents than a single human could possibly count (thanks to downtown Atlanta parking!). I'm sure that I've been labeled the "Crazy Mom Who Can't Leave Her Child Without Crying And Drives a Ford".

Oh well, Ayden loved his first day and I spent some quality time at work spying on him online. I love that they have all sorts of cameras inside the classroom and on the playground.

I also had another ultrasound yesterday. This one was pretty important to me. Dr. Korotkin announced at my last ultrasound that we were going to have a girl, but I needed one more confirmation. At first, Ava's legs were crossed and curled in toward her body. Great. After poking at my stomach and jiggling it all around, I got a few kicks and asked if they could look one more time. Ava had uncurled her legs just enough that Dr. Korotkin was able to see that despite my suspicions, our baby had not sprouted a penis during the past 5 weeks. He was still trying to convince me that it couldn't be "tucked" away somewhere as I was walking out the door. I'm definitely feeling more confident that Ava will remain a girl. This is a good thing, since this what her closet is starting to look like...

Hmmmm...see any pink in there?

Anyhoo, here's what's going on during Week #21!

Your beautiful little miracle-gro baby will be putting on a full ounce and a half this week (and weighing up to 16.5 ounces), but that’s just the beginning! Within the next five weeks, they’ll really be packin’ it on! For now, we’re pleased to report the addition of rapid eye movement (REM) a key component to any healthy baby’s sleep schedule. While in the dermatology department: their thin soft skin is very red, rather translucent, and a bit wrinkled. Not to worry, it’s not a premature aging disease. It's just their clever little body setting them up with extra space that will smooth out once your little one starts packing on the baby-fat. That won’t be for a few more weeks, though. So for the time being, your munchkin is still a little lean mean growing machine! The beginnings of what is commonly called “brown fat” is just starting to fill in to help your baby retain some body heat, which is crucial as they’re not yet capable of regulating their own body temperature.

It's mornings like this...

that set me up for a happy day.

Ayden woke up on the right side of the bed for a change. I greeted him with my typical smile and tickles. Normally he just moans and moves over to the other side of the bed where he knows I can't reach him on the top bunk. This normally turns into an argument and tears, but not this morning. I helped him down with his friends and we moved to the living room for a little Jo Jo's Circus. He got dressed and we brushed his teeth without a single whine. There were lots of smiles and hugs for mommy. Jameson had migrated to our room around 4:30 this morning and was wide awake watching daddy get ready when I flew in to get him dressed. Again, a few tickles and he was all smiles. Cooperation from both of my boys? That's normally unheard of!

The kids got in the car after saying good morning to Jason's co-workers (our driveway now resembles a used car lot during the day) and we were off to Marguerite's. Ayden is always very good when it's time for mommy to leave for work. After a few hugs and kisses he crawls up on the couch next to David to watch some morning cartoons. Jameson on the other hand, has a total meltdown. This morning was different though. David asked for some help putting the vacuum cleaner away. Jameson took his hand, started to walk away and as an afterthought looked back at me and said goodbye with a big smile on his face. Being a working parent is so much easier when you can leave your children with a smile on their face!

So you have to check out my mom's blog for pictures from swim lessons last night. I brought my camera but was too busy keeping Ayden in the pool and Jameson out of it to take any pictures. Thank goodness Mimi came prepared.

Ayden was so excited about swim lessons. He knows how to do most of the stuff they're going to learn in Pre-Level 1 but didn't do so hot at swim evaluations. When we got there he couldn't wait to get in the water. I had already told him that it would just be him, his teacher and some other kids. Mommy could NOT get in the water with him. Everything was fine until his little butt hit the water.

I understand why though. He's comfortable with his family in the pool because he trusts us. He'd never met Nicole (swim teacher) before and did not trust that she would keep him safe. I tried walking away into the store area with Jameson hoping that he would be able to concentrate on Nicole and not me. Besides, the pool area was about 150 degrees and the store is air conditioned. There are also a ton of fish tanks to keep Jameson entertained. Apparently my absence didn't work. When I walked back in by the pool Ayden was having a nervous breakdown and wanted to get out of the pool to find me. After some soothing words from mommy and Mimi, we convinced Ayden to give it a try. After every exercise, he wanted to get out of the pool for a hug and more encouragement. Anything to get him motivated!

By the end of the lesson he was all smiles. Every time he would do something well with Nicole, we'd give him two big thumbs up. That was all the encouragement he needed going forward. He even announced at one point "Mommy! This getting easier!!". I'm so proud of my little man. As long as I'm sitting there with my eyes glued to his every action, he seems to do fine. Now that he knows Nicole is not going to let him drown, I think we'll have a better time on Thursday. If I can keep Jameson under control, I'll take some pictures.

Come back later today (or tomorrow) for a few good recipes!

Bad Night/Good Night

Tuesday night was horrible! Ayden feel asleep at 6:30pm after running around Marguerite's with his partner in crime, Wyatt. This is never a good situation because he'll wake up around 2am wondering if it's time to get up.

So....first Jameson woke up at 11:30 wanting to crawl into bed with us. Absolutely not! I finally decided to put my foot down and get that child out of our bed. I took him back to his own bed and laid down with him until he fell back asleep. Ayden crept in at 1:30am wanting to know if it was time to get up. Absolutely not! I marched him back to his bed and promised to wake him up after my shower. Both of the boys made an appearance at 3am and they were both taken back to their own beds. Then at 5am as I'm about to hop in the shower, Jameson poked his head into the bathroom. Desperately needing to get ready for the day, I took him out to the living room and turned on Scooby Doo. I was pathetically tired all day yesterday.

Wednesday night was great! We had a nice dinner with Mimi and went home for bath time. I put both boys to bed promptly at 8:30. It wasn't until 2:30am that Jameson made his first...and only appearance. I decided to stay firm and walked him back to his own bed. I didn't see him again until I woke up both boys at 6am! I'm not sure if this was just pure luck or if this will be the new trend. Hopefully we're on our way to Jameson sleeping the night in his own bed.

Family Time

So even though yesterday was Monday, I just didn't want the good times from the weekend to end. I got this great idea while at work that I would stop off at the grocery store to pick up fruit, chips/dip and sandwich stuff. I was thinking a picnic outside, some sprinkler time and then a popsicle to finish off the day. Well, I forgot that we had gotten hurricane force storms the night before so a picnic outside was sort of out of the question and then by the time I got home I wasn't feeling well (as usual) and didn't really want to eat anything. So we had a picnic on our living room floor and then headed outside. The boys love their Sponge Bob sprinkler! Jameson had a fit when daddy turned off the water, but was more than happy to join us on the deck when I threatened to eat his popsicle...sucker!


So did you notice that my pictures are all in focus? Maybe that's because I was using my BRAND NEW LENS...oh, happy times!

I love my little monkeys!

Besides tearing things up while I was getting my nails done last night, the boys were so much fun last night. After we got home from from nails, I immediately started their bath. Ayden jumped right in and started to play but I got to chase Jameson's naked rear end around the house....I just love pinching baby butt! After we settled down, I began rinsing half of Marguerite's backyard off the boys. Ayden said the Pledge of Allegiance, sang the Itsy Bitsy Spider and then belted out the ABC song. Oh my goodness those boys were a mess!


Ayden got his PJ's on and then settled into the top bunk to finish watching The Secret of Nimh. I love that he enjoys older cartoons...things that I watched when I was little. He much prefers Scooby Doo, Flinstones, Snorks and the Smurfs over some of today's shows. While Jameson and I snuggled up on the couch to watch Scooby Doo, it took everything I had in me to not smother my child with kisses. He just smelled so good! After he started pushing my face away I realized that I was out of control and needed to leave him alone for a while.

I kissed Ayden good night and switched on his vaporizer. While daddy was taking a shower Jameson and I snuggled in bed. We played This Little Piggy on his toes and then I rubbed his tummy to relax him. It didn't take long before we were both asleep.

Sounds good right? It was actually perfect...and then my alarm clock went off and reality set in. I took a shower, let the dogs out, put the boys washed clothes in the dryer and started a load of towels. I ironed my shirt, dried my hair and applied makeup. I woke up Ayden and moved him to the couch to watch Lilo and Stitch. I climbed up to the top bunk to find his beloved friends and then got him his sippy. Once Ayden was dressed I had to drag him to the bathroom to brush his teeth. We woke up Jameson, who then wanted to brush his teeth. Jameson spilled his cup of water all over the countertop and Ayden fell off of the stool. Ayden's toothbrush managed to fly into my hair...smearing blue Crest in like highlights. Jameson didn't want to get dressed so was kicking me while I was trying to change his diaper. He fell off my lap and landed on his head while I was putting his shorts on. I asked Ayden to turn off the TV while I wrestled with Jameson to get his shirt on. Jameson normally turns off the TV so got pissed at Ayden. He flew off my lap and hit his brother. This upset Ayden who started bawling. Jameson thought this was funny and started flapping his arms around like he'd hit anyone who got in the way. I joined the battle by picking up Jameson and swung him over my shoulder. I grabbed the backpack with their extra set of clothes and both sippy cups. Ayden slammed the screen door in my face on my way into the garage. As I was buckling Ayden up, Jameson found my chapstick and decided it would make a good snack. After both boys were in the truck and we were half way to Marguerite's I realized I forgot to put on earrings and my wedding ring. Bummer.

Despite it all I still love my little monkeys. After the craziness of the morning and a hectic day at work, we make our way home to eat, play and take a bath. That's when my little monkeys turn into sleepy angels.

Happy Friday and I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Funny Ayden

I love the things my little man says. He makes me laugh all of the time! This was a little conversation at dinner last night. When I told Jason, he busted up laughing!!

Ayden: Mommy. Check out this super big bite! (It was a spoon full of mashed potatoes and corn that he managed to shovel into his mouth)
Me: Groovy!
Ayden: Now you're talking my lingo.

My eyes must have bulged out of my head and then I just started laughing! Ayden wasn't sure if I was laughing or if I was mad at something he said. His little lip started to quiver and then he said, "But mommy. That's what Shaggy said to that girl in the alien movie". Since I've seen the alien movie about 100 times I can definitely vouch for the fact that Shaggy did indeed say that. After reassuring Ayden that I wasn't upset, I just thought he was cute, he calmed down and finished his dinner.

This is the same movie that he got "Step back ladies...this is man's work" from. Just goes to show that kids are truly sponges. They hear everything and you just never know what or when something is going to fly out of their mouths.