Whew. I didn't realize how long it's been since I last posted!!!! Where to begin?

My baby  is now in Kindergarten...(Cue the violin music. I am sad!) How can it be that my munchkin has grown up and fled the coop?  Day three and I already miss him like crazy. My house is so quiet and I find myself counting the minutes until I go pick him up. Niki lives on the street where he gets picked up, so that's been pretty awesome hanging out with her, the baby and (My)Amaia. Still, I wonder how I am going to fill the rest of my days with him gone....

Here is my lil boogerbutt  on his first day.

 

Evan is in fouth grade and he is being so helpful with Gus. He keeps an eye out for him on the bus and keeps talking about how he is going to teach him to read. Awww....gotta love big brothers! Evan's teacher this year is the first male teacher he has ever had. To say he is excited would be like Neil Armstrong walking on the moon was "neat."  Evan was at CSI camp this summer with Mr. Sherlock, so he's already gotten a chance to know him a bit. This should be a great year for him! I hear fourth grade is hard and I have a feeling Evan may get his world rocked when he actually has to study for "real" grades! To be continued.....

 



Evan, first day of fourth grade.

 

Gus is a lil stinker!!!!!

I finally found one drawback to having a son (Evan) who reads well above his reading level. Sometimes he reads words he ought not. Tonight he checked out a book from the library that said "crap" and he proceeded to tell me when Gus was sitting in the same room. Of course, Gus starts saying it too. After I told both boys they were not to say it again, Gus still insisted on repeating it! Uggh!!!!!! Here's the rest of our conversation.

Me: Gus, if you say that again, you are going to get a spankin.
Gus: Can you just ignore me, then?

HAHAHA!!!! It was soooooooooo hard not to laugh!

Sickle Pickles

Yesterday morning I got off work and came straight home. I was hoping to catch a few zzzz's before beginning our busy weekend. Almost immediately upon walking in the door-all my plans flew out the window. As I was smearing my just purchased "fresh from the farm REAL butter" on my whole wheat bread, Craig flew past me and into my butter knife (thank goodness it wasn't sharp!) and proceeded to vomit into and along the side of my garbage can. Yum. I put the bread down, appetite somehow gone and got the cleaning supplies and removed the garbage bag from my house.

After all was cleaned up, I climbed into bed and snuggled up to Gus. Just as I closed my eyes, Gus sits straight up and starts yelling, "My throat is sucking in! My throat is sucking iiiiiiIIIIIIiiiin!!!!" Not knowing what that meant, I asked him what in the world he was talking about at the same moment he upchucked ALL over my bed and carpet. (And darn it if it isn't the only room in the house without hardwood!)After I cleaned up Gus's mess, I began to get a little queasy myself-but chalked it up to the germs that were swirling around in my head now that I knew we had a virus among us. Nope. Not in my head. I got it the worst. Thank goodness sweet Evan was spared, and Craig and Gus didn't end up having it too bad.

I need to give a shout out to my Evan because he actually cleaned up my "mess" as I was getting sick. He really is the most fantastic boy in the world. I told him that he was going to be the best husband in the whole world someday and that he will be an absolute treasure to his wife in the event she should get sick. Evan, heart of gold-stomach of steel <3

Today was clorox and clean sheets day. I did laundry sun up to sun down. I think I did a great job, too because Evan never did get sick. Praise the Lord!

Mom of the Year right here!

This morning when I got off work, I was rushing and in my haste forgot to stop at Kroger to pick up a few things so Evan could pack his lunch. Gus had enough for his, but Evan is super finicky.  He kind of whined, then asked me to look up on the school menu what they were having. I totally forgot and sent him off on his merry way. Later, I looked at the school lunch calendar and realized they were having Mexican Pizza. (THAT SOUNDED AWESOME to me, but I knew Evan was going to be bummed and would forgo lunch, yet again.)

I made a decision right then to do something my mom would have NEVER done in a million years.  I skipped my much anticipated slumber (night shift workers can understand how big a sacrifice this is!!!) and turned my car into his school parking lot.  I pranced into the office and told the staff that I wanted to take my son out to lunch as a surprise. I was giddy with the knowledge that Evan was going to be on cloud nine. He was. He picked Mickey D's, of course and he had a blast. He told me about a bazillion times that this was the best school day ever and I was the best mom in the world. Yep. Today I agree :)

My baby brother isn't a baby anymore

My mom's birthday was Oct 2nd and as her birthday treat, she went jaunting off to Tennessee for a week long vacation with my stepdad. Little did dear Momma know, that while the ink was still wet on her contract, her baby (OUR baby, my little brother Dakota) was asking a girl out on a date for the first time! To his first high school Homecoming!!!! Oh, horror of horrors-it was the same weekend my mom was out of town!!!!

Guess what happens to the poor kid stuck with three older sisters when his mom goes out of town and he has his first date?!?!?! Yep, you get three picture taking, nagging, embarrassing adults gushing all over you and the lucky gal who accepted your invitation.

Dakota was a trooper.All week, he let me, Jessica, Aimee, and my brother in law Steve all contribute to and pick out his attire. We commented (rejected and replaced) pants, shoes, hair style, shirt, tie and he even let me do a test run with my flat iron! He hated it, but still-he let me.

I know my mom was so sad to miss it, but she should take comfort in the fact that it took three of us to replace her.

Just a reminder to myself, mostly....

The Vintage Pearl: happy birthday to me. (BIG giveaway!)

The Vintage Pearl: happy birthday to me. (BIG giveaway!) Go sign up to win a gift certificate! This is the cutest website!!!!!

Just something cute...

Gus has a little buddy at preschool named Andrew. Thursday when I went to pick Gus up from school, his teacher, Mrs. Birmingham pulled Andrew's mother and me aside. With tears in her eyes she told us the about the sweetest thing that had happened that day. Andrew was so worried about Gus's hand, he leaned over to Gus and said, "Don't worry, Gus. I'll take care of you and make sure you don't hurt your hand again." Soooooooooo cute!!!!

Well, Andrew must be trying to get a good citizen award because his tender little heart reached out to Gus at school again today! They did an art project where they dipped both hands in white paint and stuck them on black construction paper. This was made to resemble x-rays of the childrens hands.  All of the kids were able to do it, except Gus as his left hand is still wrapped up.  Instead of two symmetrical (well, probably not exactly! They're only three...hahaha)  hand prints, Gus's paper has two different sized palm prints.  Gus's right hand and Andrew's left.

 I cannot wait to see this adorableness! I will post a picture as soon as I get the "x-ray" sent home :)

My poor little Gussers!!!!!

Monday night, my sweet baby boy got burnt on the stove. We were coming off the most amazing day. We had gone to the park, uncovered a new coffee shop, and then had a picnic at the airport viewing area. It was awesome! The time came to make dinner and I made the (now) regrettable decision to let him help me.

We prepared the food together, dipping chicken breast in a beaten egg, then coating it with a crumb mixture and then put it in the oven.  Then we moved to the stove, where I was boiling a pot of water to make mashed potatoes....I kept telling Gus I no longer needed help and that the stove top was super hot. I did not however ask him to leave the kitchen. Instead, I reveled the the glow of our glorious day together, not entertaining the notion that things quickly might turn....

As I was removing the pot of boiling water I told Gus to be careful because the burner was hot and as I set the potatoes down on the other boiler-Gus threw his left hand down on the red hot, newly vacant burner. Ahhhhhhgggggghhhh!!!! What followed next can only be described as utter chaos. Gus and I were both crying, I was calling my sister Aimee (an ER nurse) and trying to get Gus dressed and out the door. After a few minutes, the burns that at first looked clear, began to darken and I knew he had 2nd degree burns. My sister talked me into driving Gus to Children's ER and I am so glad she did.

He cried the entire way, apologizing for not listening to me. It was horrendous. 
"Mom, I should have listened to you!" (He was in so much pain, he was twisting an elastic band that goes to his carseat cover around his other wrist trying to transfer pain away from his injury.)
"You're the best mom in the world."(Crying.Followed by screaming....followed by growling.)
"I never cooking with you again!"
(more growling)
"Oooohhh. It's all my fault!"
(I kept telling him it was 100% all my fault. I had no business having him in there with a hot stove.)
"I want to sit up front with you! I want you to touch me!"
(By this time I was hysterical myself)
"My hand is on fire!"
(screaming)
"Am I still the best boy in the world?"
(broke my heart!)

Once we got to CCHMC, they ushered us into a room within 10 minutes. I guess they felt awful for the poor little guy. He ended up with 1st and 2nd degree burns-but no 3rd. Praise Jesus!  We have to wrap it and do dressing changes a few times a day-but the dr thinks he will be just fine. As bad as it was to see him in so much pain, I realize it could have been so much worse. I am going to be more careful and protective of my kiddos from now on. It just stinks it took something like that to teach me a lesson.

Book club!

I  am thrilled to say I am back in a book club. It combines two of my favorite loves....reading and talking! HAHAH!!!! This month the book selected was The Hate List, by Jennifer Brown. The book focuses on one of my biggest fears :BULLYING. Uggh. I hate bullies!  I am so scared that someone will someday make my child feel less than what he is (perfect) and worse yet-that he will believe it.  The book is based around a tragic school shooting and all the blame flinging that ensues. I loved it.  If any of you end up reading it-let me know! I'd love to discuss! :)

Bedtime prayers

Lately, as they boys and I are doing our bedtime prayers, Gus has decided God is in the business of granting wishes.  He starts out with "Dear God way up in the stars" or something just as goofy and then lets his list fly! Here's a few:
-"Um, God, I wish that everybody in town was robots and you got fired." (Yeah...I was not a fan of that one!)
-"God, I reallllllllly wish we lived in a big, giant cupcake."
-" I wish I lived on a boat with an elephant and he could sleep in my bed"

So, needless to say, a talk was in order! Craig and I always tell the boys that God is in their hearts, and also in everything around us in the whole entire world.  Tonight, as Gus was laying down, he asked me, "Mom? Is this where my heart is?" (He was patting his chest.) "Yes dear, that's your heart." "So....that's where God is? And Jesus? They both fit in there? I must have a big heart!"  (Then he leaned with his chin to chest and whispered) "Good night God and Jesus....sorry you're smooshed!"

Ahhhh....he is the funniest!

So proud of my boy!

Today Evan came home from school and immediately asked Craig and I if he could go door to door to all of our neighbors and ask them for money.  Knowing him as we do-we knew this could be for a multitude of reasons...so we didn't even try to guess. Evan then handed me a packet of paper and explained that he wanted to participate in JumpRope for Heart, an event at school geared towards raising money for the American Heart Association to help kids with heart conditions.

 He proceeded to email all of our family and then ran into his bedroom. He came back with his piggy bank and a screwdriver. He told me that he wanted to give all his money to help kids with heart disease. With all his money (really only about $60) he figured he could save a thousand kids lives!

 Ah....I love this boy! He has the sweetest heart. I let him donate $10 and then told him we'd help him raise the rest. He is so special and I couldn't be more proud!

He asked for my help to set up a web page. He began to fill all the info out himself. Imagine my surprise when he added a zero to the default fundraising goal of $100! Yeah. He wants to raise $1000 dollars :)  The entire school's goal is only $2500! We lowered it to $300, because you can always overshoot that goal-but I really wanted him to feel accomplished when he met the goal and not bummed if he doesn't.  So far, he has raised $170 with the help of FB and family!

If you'd like to help Evan raise money for the AHA JumpRope for Heart, you can follow this link: http://honor.americanheart.org/site/TR/JumpforHeart/GRA-GreatRiversAffiliate?px=2761974&pg=personal&fr_id=1439

Mmmmm cookie party!!!!!

Today was our annual cookie party with my "gym friends" and a few other fun gals. In the past we have gone to Carrabas and also to Cheddars. The problem with that is all the other other tables stare at you longingly and at times even let their kids come over and beg for free samples. SERIOUSLY!  This year we decided to go to the Panera in Florence because they have a private party room. What a great idea! We were able to shut the doors and have some privacy and we also had yummy healthy dinner!

Special thanks to all my ladies who participated: Julie, Janae, Sarah, Sandy, Niki, Shannon, Lacey,Elaina, Aunt Judie, my mother in law Barb, and whoever else I forgot- SORRY!!!!

The cookies are all sooooooooo good! We had white chocolate macadamia cookies, cherry chunkies, peanut butter, sugar cookie snowmen, mint chocolate, wedding cookies, turtle pretzels, peanutbutter chocolate bars, pecan bars and snowflake sugar cookies! I am seriously considering doing this more than once a year! These ladies can bake!  :)

Here is the link for the iced sugar cookie snowflakes I made. (My first attempt at royal icing,too!)

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/cooking-school-perfect-sugar-cookies-and-royal-icing

Zombie baby! Ahhhggggg!!!!!!!

I walked into the bathroom earlier this evening only to see Gus smearing halloween face paint all over his body and face. (Think Braveheart.....)  I asked what he was doing and replied, "Imma be a zombie, Momma."  This is what I saw.

Okay....Not looking overly much like a zombie, but just wait.....I guess in order to get the zombie look, you must go ala gremlin and get em wet!

I know, scary, right?

Halloween with cousins

For the second year in a row we went trick or treating in Aunt Jessica and Uncle Joe's neighborhood, Harmony. For the second year in a row-we had a great time! (Not really hard when you knock on a door and someone hands you candy just for looking cute...!)  What made this year even better than the last was that Aunt Aimee, Uncle Steve, Gammy and Pumpaw also joined us! All the kids got along and each scored enough candy to fill a candy store! Isaac's bucket handle even broke twice!

Batman Gus, Ninja Evan, Superman Isaac and Gammy

Fairy Princess Addyson

Fairy Princess Kendall

Elvis Welsey (haha)

After trick or treating, Craig and I took the boys over to Grumpa and Mamaw's house to show them their chocolate-y loot!

Hallowfest at Kings Island

So we had a busy week doing all kinds of Halloween themed activities. Craig and I took the boys to Hallowfest at King's Island. The boys had a great time. Gus especially loved all the characters and wanted his picture taken with all of them...including the  Red Gold Tomato Guy?

We ran thru a maze

and then the boys played in a ginormous bubble pit. (Not the best idea on a chilly day because their legs got drenched-but I am convinced kids don't feel cold when they're having fun!)

The best part of the day was when we met up with The Pearce family. (Well not the triplets. They stayed home.)  Evan, Gus, Catcher and Hagen had a great time running thru the pumpkin patch, but those Wild Rice boys were sooooooooooooo ready for a nap when we left! We could barely wake them up when we got home!

I love my friends...and soup!

I have been blessed to become fast friends with a group of ladies I met at Fitworks. I call them my "gym ladies", but really we are more like "support team/group therapy ladies"! We've been thru alot together including, but not limited to MELT DOWN MAMAtime, scary pregnancy (triplets!!! What's scarier? HAHA!), deaths in the family, one of the ladies moving (TO TURKEY!!?!?!?) and all sorts of other stuff. What's amazing is that we've just grown closer during this time and always make it a priority to get together even if it's only once a month. I love them. (And though it could be argued that I have plenty of sisters already....these girls feel like mine.)

Tuesday we all met at Sarah's house and had our second annual soup party. Would it be arrogant to say that all us mamas are darn fine cooks? We had the most amazing salad, two delicious soups, YUMMY pumpkin chip cupcakes, pumpkin spice coffeecake, panera bread asiago bagels, mimosas, cider and cheesecake! Oh my!

As we always tend to do, we overcooked! It was fine because we could all take home some extras!

Although I enjoyed having Marjie there (She's Ju's bestie since high school who has become like a little sis to me and is also the triplet's nanny)

and I got to meet Janae's new bundle of joy, Corynne- the highlight of the day was definitely the wind storm. It really puts it into perspective how much you are loved when your friend (Sarah in this instance) was shooing us all into the basement to ensure that we would all survive the terrible storm.  It really was wild.  Probably seven adults, 8 children and Bailey the shivering shih-tzu, were all cuddled up in the basement.

The kids were none the wiser, and I really enjoyed chatting on the couch with my girls :)

HallZooWeen 2010!

For the entire month of October I have been planning to take the kids to the Cincinnati Zoo for their annual HallZooWeen Event! We were so excited this morning because TODAY IS THE DAY!!!!! So Gus pops outta bed at 8:15 and wants his costume on, complete with full makeup. I obliged, because really...who can deny such a cutie?  :)

I finished up makeup at 8:45 and woke Evan up. We put on his costume and decided we'd better hurry and eat breakfast because the zoo would probably be crowded. I thought HallZooWeen began at ten. Um, no. NOON!!!! We decided to go to McDonalds as a breakfast treat (and to kill time before the festivities).

At the zoo, we met up with Grammy and the Lainhart family. (Niki-one of my besties, her husband Brennan, and the kids-Braden, Makena and Amaia).  We had a great time and all the kids got along rediculously well! The sun was shining and it was about 74 degrees with a slight wind! Hello? Perfectly wonderful day! Here are a few pics!

Evan is a soccer super star!!!!

Evan's soccer team entered the Nightmare Tournament held at Central Park via BCYSA. They lost their game on Saturday, but only by one goal and actually had possession of the ball 75% of the game. We played again Sunday morning and it looked bad at first. We went 0-0 all the way to half time. Just after half time, the other team scored. Our boys then scored THREE goals in about five minutes! It was so great! Evan had a few shots, but mostly he's a defensive guy. He's got a heck of a foot on him (he gets it from his momma! HAHAH!) and usually helps out by boothing the ball back up the field. So the game ended 3-1! We got to move on to the championship game!

That game began at noon....and ended around 2:30! Yep.....FIVE OVERTIMES!!!! Can you believe that in a U8 league!?!?! They were down 0-2 and then came back and scored two to tie it up. Noone scored until the fifth overtime, so that's how we won. Both teams played a heck of a game! Way to go Blue Aliens!

My little monster (cupcakes)

Craig called me the other day to remind me that this weekend was Sweetest Day. His exact words were, "How much more romantic could sweetest day be than horror flick night at the Egglestons? We can bring the boys..." I WAS SOLD! Anytime I can get out with the husband and spend time with the kiddos is a great time indeed!

To go along with the "Sweetest Day Haunt Night" we made the "sweetest" monster cupcakes you've ever seen. Seriously....they were delish!

The best part of all was that we decorated them as a family. I love watching Craig do this kind of activity with the boys. The men in my house are as thick as thieves and I wouldn't have it any other way...

Oh, the things he says....

On Wednesday, I took Gus to the park to play with his cousins (and hopefully get some energy out since I was mid-week in a 5-night-shifts-in-a-row schedule).  Granted we weren't at the park long, but we'd played at Aimee's for an hour previously. As I was literally dragging Gus out of the playground and cramming him kicking and screaming into the car seat, he began to yell, "I don't like you! You don't let me play at the park!" I ignored him and only responded by saying that my feelings were hurt and I was surprised he was upset CONSIDERING we had just played at the park he said he NEVER gets to play at! We drove home with the windows down and him howling about how he doesn't like me (or anyone in town!).

Once home, I climbed into bed and tried to get him to do the same....He lay there for a while then he rolled over and said the following:

Gus: Mom, I sorry I hurt you feelings.
Me: What did you say?  (meaning what did he say that hurt my feelings)
Gus :UGGGH! I SAY I SORRY I HURT YOU FEELINGS!!!!
Me:I know, honey...but WHAT did you SAY?
Gus: I SAID I SORRY!!!! I SPEAKIN EN-GISH! Can't you hear me?
Me: What did you say that hurt my feelings, Gus?
Gus: Well... I say that I don't like you cuz you don't do what I want and I so sorry.  I  dinnint mean dat. I love you. I miss you mom mom.


Ahhh....how can I stay mad at such a cutie? I couldn't believe that he'd thought about it for that long and came to apologize after the fact without being forced! (Craig and I still have trouble doing that!)

Muse!

I want to thank my dear friend Brooke for inviting me to the MUSE concert this week! It was amazing. We had fourth row seats! If you ever get a chance to go to one of their shows, DO IT!

Ignore my cruddy camera. The lazer light show was amazing!!!