I'm feeling incredibly blessed today

Sometimes you have so much going on that you don't really see how blessed you are.  You are so busy, trying to get everything done during the day, dealing with the day to day activities of cooking, cleaning, caring for kids, running everyone around, etc that all you can seem to see is all you do but not all you are getting in return.  That's how I've been lately.  Just trying to adjust to school and all of that I've been so busy and feel like I'm always rushing kids around, always running late and always stressed out.  I love it, but it's stressful.  This morning was another one of those days, we were running late to a playdate, Hayden wasn't exactly cooperating and Preston was a little fussy.  I was shoving everyone out the door and griping at Hayden to hurry and buckle up and right after that I turned around to buckle and looked up and saw this

It was completely unexpected and completely changed my mood.  I took a deep breath, turned around and helped Hayden and then called Mark.  It's definitely the little things that matter the most.  That note totally made my day and I have thought about it all day.  Even when he's not with me he always seems to be able to calm me down and cheer me up.  We went on about our day, went to the playdate and had a lot of fun, I took him to school, came home for Preston to nap and I cleaned a bit, picked Hayden up and the boys got home right after, had speech and then was supposed to go to a parenting seminar the school district was putting on about the book Love and Logic.  Oh and during all of that, Mark got home really early, before I even left for speech!  While waiting to leave for the seminar I started playing around with the boys and got so caught up doing that I lost track of time and even when I realized I really needed to leave in order to make it I didn't care.  I spent the next hour playing on the floor with all 4 boys and Mark.  Everyone was "beating each other up", tickling the boys like crazy, Preston was totally participating and playing too and everyone was laughing tons.  It was the best night in awhile.  We played so long I forgot all about making dinner too.  So after awhile I threw all 4 in the tub and left them with Mark and ran and got some fast food (bad I know!), came home and we ate, read stories and got all the boys in bed.  Then Mark and I sat and talked for the next 2hrs.  I cleaned the kitchen and made the boys lunches and now here I am thinking back on the day.  Nothing particularly great happened today but it's those little things like the note, the laughs from the boys, the long talk with Mark about nothing in particular that makes me realized how truly blessed I am.  

I have a husband who loves me more than anything in this world.  He is my best friend and someone I know will ALWAYS be there for me and who I trust more than anyone else.  He treats me like a queen and has taught our boys to do the same.  He is the "perfect" father in my eyes (and our boys) and is teaching our boys how to be great daddies some day too.  He is also teaching them on a daily basis how to be responsible, how to treat women, to be honest, hardworking and loving.  I could not ask for a better partner in life!  I love that man more so very much!

I have Landon, who is turning into such a wonderful little man.  He is funny, loving, helpful, artistic and the best big brother a mom could want (or a little brother for that matter!).  We were talking at dinner tonight and we were talking about my "job" as a stay at home mom and I was saying that it was my job I just didn't get paid money and he pipes up and says "no, but you get paid with love" which was so cute and so very true!  I've seen that on some ecards or things like that, but as far as I know Landon hasn't.  

I also have Casen, who is mommy's little boy!  He's always on my "team".  He's shy, gentle, smart, and though he can be a little tough to crack, he isn't one that is all over someone...until you crack that hard shell and then he's the most loving and affectionate little boy you will ever meet!  

And then there is Hayden, who I can't believe will be 5 in just a couple days!  He is becoming quite the gentleman!  He is hilarious, so bright, loving, fun and silly!  Everyone who meets him just falls in love with him.  Such a sweet little boy!

And baby Preston!!!!  He has such a sweet personality!  He's so loving, calm, gentle, laid back and sweet.  I can't wait to see who he grows up to be like.  

I can't believe that I have 5 men in my life who love me more than anything else.  They bring me so much happiness, so much love and I really feel so very blessed today.  I love them so much and can't believe that I'm so lucky to have them all in my life!  I've made the pic of Mark's note my home page background to remind me of that during the day, when everything is crazy busy.  And I need to remember Landon's words "you get paid in love" and remind myself that I do all of this for them, they appreciate it and their laughs everyday, their hugs and kisses every night make it all worth it.  I saw a saying on a church billboard the other day, I can't remember the exact wording but it was something like "if you want to become rich very quickly then count your blessings" love it

Week 2 School Lunches

Ok here are week 2's lunches!!!  They had Monday off due to Labor Day so only 4 lunches this week.  

Tuesday:

Chicken Salad in the container with wheat thins to eat with it, grapes, strawberries, pepperoni with cream cheese, yogurt with granola, carrot and raisin salad with watered down apple juice to drink

Wednesday: 

Casen and Hayden's:  Half a nutella sandwich on a whole wheat thin, pepperonis, string cheese, fruit twists, ABC pretzels, veggie straws, yogurt with granola, strawberries and kiwi with milk to drink

Landon's:  ABC pretzels, Veggie straws, yogurt with granola, strawberries and kiwi, string cheese, fruit twist, chicken salad on a whole wheat thin with milk to drink

Thursday:  Cinnamon bagel with strawberry cream cheese, kabobs of grapes and cheese, carrot sticks with ranch, pretzels, yogurt with granola, turkey roll ups, kiwi strawberries and grapes with watered down apple juice to drink

Friday: apple sandwich, kabobs of grapes and cheese, ranch for the carrot sticks, special friday treat of blueberry creme roll, yogurt with granola, turkey roll ups, pineapple with water to drink

They really enjoyed their lunches this week!  Not sure yet what I'm going to do this week though...

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Go check out Mom Spotted's giveaway for one of 3 Contours Baby products...winner gets to choose which they want!!  

You get to pick from these 3 things:

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You only have until tomorrow night to get in your entries, so you better hurry!  Good luck!

Preston is 15mo old!

Can you believe it?  I know I definitely can't!  The past 15mo have gone by so quickly!  He's growing way too quickly and needs to slow down.  :( 

He is such a sweet little man!  He had his 15mo appt today and is now 21lbs exactly (8th%) and 30in (22nd%).  He's our little man but growing very well.  He isn't walking yet but is taking steps and getting more and more confident every day...it won't be long!  He's not really talking either..he says mama, dada, bubba (to Landon) and gugga (to Casen).  He started repeating bye bye this week but hasn't started using it correctly, he's just mimicking so I haven't really counted that.  But he is babbling a ton and wants to communicate so I do think it'll come soon but for now he's not really talking.  He is picking up signs really quickly though!  He is regularly using more, eat, drink, milk, he waves to go night night..he understands thank you and is starting to use it when prompted but not on his own yet.  I looked up a bunch more signs this week to introduce to him...things like please, yes, no, cookie, hurt, hungry, thirsty and a few more.  

At his appt today we found out his right ear is infected :(  He's also teething like CRAZY, he's getting the rest of his teeth right now.  He's got about 8 teeth coming in, I believe?  After they finish that should be it until his 2yr molars, so he has a mouth full!  He's a little pig and loves to eat.  He is a little weird about textures, he will almost never touch anything wet, sticky, gooey..anything like that.  But what he does eat he eats tons of and always has to have what everyone is eating.  He's mastered a sippy cup and drinks 1 maybe 2 cups of milk (cow's, coconut or almond) a day and then at least 2 cups (if not more) of water a day.  He is still nursing, yay!  He's at about 4-5 nursing sessions a day.  He always signs for milk when he wants to nurse now, finally stopped ripping my shirt off haha.  

Mark is trying to convince me to cut his hair but I just can't do it.  The back where it's getting longer is curly!!!  I can't cut off those curls!  The top is finally evening out more so it doesn't look as bad haha but before he had quite a bit in the back and very little on top...almost a baby mullet.  But I think he'll be adorable with a bit longer, shaggy type hair style with all those curls!  Love it!  

He is absolutely spoiled by his brothers. They adore him, and him them!  He has an extra special bond with Landon though.  He is one lucky baby because they are just awesome big brothers.  They are always aware of him, every time one of them walks by him they stop and hug or kiss him, they play with him all the time, share food with them all the time, carry him all over.  They took him up the slides at a bounce house place the other day which he LOVED!  It was his first time.  He's one very lucky little boy and I'm definitely one very blessed mama to have such awesome little boys!  

Anyway, his appt went well.  We should be getting a referral for a new urologist next week, we had to change because his doesn't take his new insurance.  He was supposed to be seen right after he turned 1 but we've been waiting for the referral.  Hopefully we get good news and his kidneys have healed themselves, or at least haven't gotten any worse!  He is being referred to ECI because of the texture thing with eating, not talking and not walking yet.  They just want to be extra careful since he's a preemie that we don't let him get too far behind, earlier we get help (if it's needed) the better.  

He is still rear facing, of course!  And will remain that way until a minimum of 3yrs old, longer if possible

Oh and we are finally back to cloth diapers!  I got so lazy with it for a few months there.  But he's back in cloth all day long but we use a disposable at night.  It's just easier, he doesn't like being wet and they feel more wet in the cloth so I don't want to disturb his sleep by using the cloth.  Plus I have a huge box to use up.  But he's full time cloth again during the day, yay!  Oh and as far as sleep, probably 50% of the time, sometimes more but sometimes (like now with his ear and teething) he'll wake more often.  But if he wakes once a night if he does, and it's always just to nurse and go right back to sleep.  

Maggie has suddenly over the past month or so decided she loves him!  Before she was very protective over him but wouldn't go near him, babies seem to scare her.  She's awesome with kids but keeps away from babies.  The most she'd do is sniff a bit then get away..ever since he came home.  But suddenly a month or so ago she started following him everywhere.  Kissing on him all the time, laying next to him.  Just being really attentive and super sweet to him.  He now just loves her, I think they'll be buddies

Well, I suppose that's all!  Long update!  

School Lunches Week 1

Ever since I showed pics of some of the boys lunches 2 school years ago I've had so many of my friends ask for me to post pics of them again.  I didn't really do it last year because adjusting to having 4 kids and everything else going on I ended up not making them as often I would have liked or when I did it was nothing that great so I didn't take pics.  But I'm going to try this year to do it again :)  

You'd think I would have been really prepared for the first week of school, but I wasn't.  I was so busy the weekend before school started that I didn't make a good list/menu and so it wasn't that great but the boys actually really enjoyed them.  I won't be doing as many recipes this year because most that I did 2yrs ago were supposed to be warm and I found that most of them the boys didn't like cold and they have no way of warming food at lunch.  I do hope to find a good thermos that will keep food hot so I can do soups, maybe something like pasta and sauces, etc.  But I have to find one that will actually keep it warm from when they leave the house about 6:50 until they eat at 11:30 and 12:30..so far I haven't found anything.  It also has to be microwaveable so I can pack it the night before and then warm it up in the morning and then it will hold the heat...or I guess I could warm it in another container and put it in that.  If you know of any that will really keep it warm let me know, please!

So anyway, I've been posting them daily on Facebook but I'm going to put them all in one blog at the end of each week.  Hopefully it'll give you some new ideas for your kid's lunches.  And I love hearing what other parents are doing too because I'm always looking for new ideas for their lunches!

First of all, let me tell you about their lunch boxes this year.  We decided on Goodbyn and so far I'm loving them!!  They are by far the best we've tried, I love all the compartments, they are very easy to clean (I've been hand washing but they are dishwasher safe).  The boys loved that they came with sticker to decorate and personalize them (which are also dishwasher safe). The only thing I don't like is they are a little hard for Hayden to open, but he's eating lunch at home (but still packed because he loves his lunchbox) so I'm able to help him open and close it.  Landon and Casen manage with no issues and so far they've fully sealed it back each day so no messes in their insulated bags.  The other thing was it was very hard to find an insulated bag big enough, the ones we got technically aren't quite big enough but they work and have kept their food cold with an ice pack until lunch..so they do their job even though they are a little too small.  The water bottles that come with are great, they don't leak at all!  

Here are the boys decorated boxes :)

Hayden's

His water bottle (says Haydy on one side)

Landon's 

Casen's

Preston's..his is the Bynto size, the boys are the original size

Even the Bynto comes with stickers and a water bottle though

Ok and here are the first week's lunches!  

Day 1

Landon's lunch- Apple Cinnamon Muffin, Babybel Cheese, in the container is applesauce, carrots, grapes, sandwich on whole wheat thin with turkey and muenster cheese, freeze dried tropical fruit mix with milk to drink

Casen's- turkey rolled up on a pick with a grape, babybel cheese, carrots, grapes, apple cinnamon muffin, applesauce, freeze dried tropical fruit mix with milk to drink

Hayden's- turkey rolled up on a pick with grapes, babybel cheese, carrots, pickles, apple cinnamon muffins, applesauce in the container, freeze dried tropical fruit mix with almond milk to drink

Day 2

Landon's- In the container is yogurt, whole wheat thin with turkey and muenster cheese, carrots, strawberry fruit twists, hard boiled egg, cantaloupe strawberries and grapes. Milk to drink. They did ask for me not to send the eggs anymore, they like them but they stink when they open their lunch boxes haha

Hayden decided after the first day to eat at home with me, rather than at school, but he wants his lunches still in his lunch box and would like me to make one for Preston in his so they can eat together. 

So here is Preston's- carrots, hard boiled egg, turkey, fruit salad of cantaloupe strawberries and grapes

Hayden's lunch, Casen's was pretty much the same- Turkey rolled up on picks, in the container his Hayden's soy yogurt (Casen had regular), carrots, fruit twists, babybel cheese, fruit salad of grapes strawberries and cantaloupe.  In his water bottle was his soy/fruit protein drink..Casen had a milk box

Day 3

Pic of Hayden's lunch, but again, him and Casen had pretty much the same- cantaloupe, dino shaped turkey and muenster cheese sandwiches, black olives (Casen had strawberries instead), yogurt granola bar (Casen had an oatmeal raisin trail mix bar..like the one pictured in Landon's lunch for this day), homemade cookie from Grandpa Henry, kabobs of grapes and cheese, applesauce in the container, almond milk to drink (casen had regular milk)

Landon- sandwich on a whole wheat thin of turkey and muenster cheese, homemade cookie from Grandpa Henry, oatmeal raisin trail mix bar, strawberries, kabobs of grapes and cheese, applesauce in the container, cantaloupe with milk to drink

Preston's- a mix of what the others had.  He only ate the sandwich and some grapes, I couldn't believe he ate the grapes because he usually won't eat things like that, like he wouldn't touch the other stuff because it was wet/sticky feeling

Day 4

All had the same so only one pic- apples (which I soaked in pineapple juice so they wouldn't turn brown...worked perfectly!!!! They don't like it when I do it with lemon juice because it makes them too tart, the pineapple juice was perfect!) cubed cheese with a pic, carrots, fruit twists, pineapple, shaped graham crackers, nutella on whole wheat thin, peanut butter for grahams and apples.  Watered down apple juice to drink

Day 5

All the same- kabobs of chicken and cheese, half a whole wheat thin with nutella, veggie straws, peanut butter, cantaloupe and strawberries, strawberry dessert "pizza" and apples.  The pizza ended up getting gooey and gross from the moisture.  I'm going to try it again because I know they'll love it but I think I might put it in it's own baggy in the box so moisture doesn't get on it.  The sections are sealed really well but just from being cold it makes some condensation so it ended up wet.  Watered down apple juice to drink

The boys had a great first week back to school, I hope your kids did too!

Back to School!!!!

Yes, yes, I know how horrible I have been with keeping up with this blog.  This summer was really busy and it was just too much to try and keep up with this.  But now school is back in session, let's see how well I can do now that I have 3hrs to myself everyday!!!!! 

Well it's official.  I am now a mommy of a 4th grader, 2nd grader and preschooler!!!!  I really can't believe it!  They are getting big way too fast!

They started back to school on Monday and have been having a great week so far.  

Landon really likes his teacher and has already made a new friend that he talks about constantly!  He is very excited for this school year.  I always think it's fun to remember some of the things they liked from year to year, so I'll tell you a little about what each boy is into right now.  Landon is now 52in I believe and he's about 57lbs.  He is still really into Lego, it's pretty much all he plays with.  He's also into Halo still, Star Wars, Batman.  His best friends are Kolten and Adrian..his new friend is Andrew so we'll see how that goes over the year :)  He is most excited about science this year and the experiments they will do, he's also very excited about math.  He's least excited about the writing portion of the STAAR test.

Casen is thrilled for summer to be over and him to start 2nd grade!  He's even more excited that he got Landon's 2nd grade teacher!  He is now about 48in and 47lbs.  He is starting to really get into lego as well, he also loves his gears toys.  His best friends are Max and Connor.  He is most excited about learning multiplication and cursive this year.  He is least excited about....nothing!  Haha he said he's excited about all of it.  

Hayden is now in pre-k!!!!  For now at least, he is on the waiting list for another program that would be full day and also help more with his speech so it's possible a spot will open up in the next week or two and he'd be switched over to that.  If not he'll remain in pre-k halfdays.  He goes in the afternoon so he has lunch at home then I drop him off at 11:50 and pick him up at 3.  He is loving it so far and really likes his teacher.  He is doing really well following rules so far.  He was very excited that he brought his crocodile book to school and his teacher read it to the class yesterday.  He is SO into alligators/crocodiles right now.  He is most excited about learning how to write and learning all his letters this year, and least excited about nothing :)  He is now almost 38in and 37lbs.

I do still have Preston home with me!  But he's started napping the entire time Hayden is at school so I pretty much have those 3 hours off to clean, relax, catch up on some tv and clean some more!  He is doing great but he has his 15mo appt tomorrow so I'll update on him then :)

Hope everyone's kids have a great school year!!!

Camp Sunny Patch Melissa and Doug!

Repost from Melissa and Doug!!!

  Melissa & Doug is thrilled to announce the launch of our first-ever virtual summer camp: Camp Sunny Patch!

All season long, our blog will feature exciting original play ideas to help you add a little bit of structure and a whole lot of fun to summer vacation. Each weekly camp activity, written by ourfavorite bloggers, features a creative new way to get your kids moving their bodies and using their imaginations in the great outdoors . . . and you never have to leave your own backyard!

Just check out the weekly activity online to get inspired, then get outside and start having a blast. Download a weekly badge for each session your kids complete, and you can paste it on the printable Camp Sunny Patch poster (available exclusively on our blog and to our email subscribers!).

We’ll have special camp-themed surprises throughout the summer for Melissa & Doug Facebook fans, too. Remember to sign up and tune in to get the latest on giveaways, albums, contests and more.

Best of all, camp is just around the corner–June’s activity calendar will be available in just a few short days. It’s free. It’s fun. And it could be the start of the best summer ever.

See you at Camp Sunny Patch!

For all things Camp Sunny Patch see our Camp Sunny Patch Guide.

You can also click the button on the right hand side to access their Camp Guide