You never know what is lurking inside of our kitchen cabinets

Just an average morning in our home: Feed the kids & dog, make Mama coffee and then...

Peek-a-boo

I find Abbie hiding in the one cabinet that we can't put a child lock on.

(FYI: That is not mouse poop on the shelf. It is coffee grounds. Abbie likes to shake the bag.)

It is funny because Jake used to hide in there too!

How to win Father of the Year....

Snuggle with you kids

(Geez she looks like Daddy here)

Hog tie them up once in awhile

And give them the keys to your totally rad 2000 cavalier.

Off to Grandma & Grandpa Baby Dog's house for Turkey

We loaded up the minivan for an overnight at Grandma & Grandpa's House. Adam has to work Thanksgiving and the day after so we stuffed ourselves, hung out with Aunties, Uncles, Cousins and dogs, and then put on our PJs and had sweet dreams of Santa coming to town. It was a nice time had by all :)

Party Animals

Daddy & Jake during the Halloween Party
Grandma & Grandpa Kitty during the Halloween Party
Grandma Baby Dog and the kids during the Thanksgiving Party

Jake is fully enjoying his time at preschool. He really likes the party days. I am the party parent for his class and it is fun to help the kids prepare the treats for their party guests. Jake loves to see Abbie, his Grandparents, & Daddy come by a celebrate with him. He loves to show off his school. I hope he is always this excited about school :)

I should probably mention that Jake has named his Grandparents for the pets that they own. Grandma Kitty is Adam's mom and Grandma Baby Dog is my mom.

She's no lady....she's Active Abbie

Fun at the park (notice my chipped front tooth)
Climbing things I shouldn't climb
Silly girl with a big boo boo on her nose
Slide baby slide
I love to play and drool by the looks of this shirt

Oh my little girl is super duper active. For awhile I thought she might be a careful one like Jake, but once she starting walking she was running a few days later. She never did the new walker Frankenstein walk. Abbie is also a climber...couch, table, chair, stairs, you name it she will climb it. She also HATES to sit too long in anything. She wants to be walking just like everyone else. I have to time our stroller time to be around a snack time, so I can keep her sitting with food. She is a busy girl happy to run, jump and explore the dirt. She does have a shoe obsession, so maybe bows and dresses are in the near future. Nahhhh she is MY daughter and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Look at me! I am 3!

Jake the preschooler is forever surprising us. He is starting to venture away from being the careful little toddler we used to know. He rode a horse at the pumpkin farm, which is a huge deal for him (He still won't ride the train at the mall.) He dresses himself now too. He insists on wearing his fireman coat 80% of the time and is now wearing boots 100% of the time...he wore the boots to bed the first night he got them.

The Green Life

Ahhhh nature
Project organic garden
Success
Tree hugger in-training

I'm not sure how many of you are aware of my green living ways, but I have been pretty dedicated to going green for some time now. I think I have always felt a bit of a call to respect the earth since my grandmother and mother had/have very green thumbs. (There are still plants that my grandmother grew being passed down in the family.) It was a very happy day in the house when Jake said the word "Compost."

I could fill up this whole blog about things we all need to do, but instead I will start a list on here of Green Lving websites if you want more information. Or send me a regular e-mail and we can chat in more detail.

We all need to take a step back and think about the choices we make today and the future it creates for our children. I don't want my kids one day to ask me why I didn't do anything to help stop global warming, pesticides on food, and the list could go on and on.

Adam as a Daddy

So sweet!
The boys
This is one of my favorites
Halloween 2006

It is amazing to see your husband become a father. They may not grow the babies or bear the stretch marks, but they do play a huge role in molding children. One of my favorite times of the day is when Adam comes home in the morning, usually after breakfast, and the kids go running to greet him. Even if I don't make it into the kitchen to see the greeting just hearing the little feet run across the house is enough to make me smile.

Need a Laugh???

The endless fun of a drum.
Look Ma! I did my hair with Buttpaste while you put Abbie down for a nap.
Ahhhh pets...don't we own them so we can laugh at them??
Come here and let me kiss you.
Abbie's first yogurt facial.

Just thought you all may need a laugh ! Smile :)

Look Out Betty Crocker

Jake 's 1st B-day Cake

(Farm Theme Party)

Jake's 2nd B-day(Crazy Elmo Phase)
Abbie's 1st B-day Ladybug party
Jake's 3rd B-day party(now Curious George Phase)
Cake for his actual b-day Choo choo

Some people sew, but I bake. I have always loved finding my way around a kitchen, especially to make something sweet. I still get a little excited when the weather gets cold because I get to go on a baking frenzy for the holiday. Anywho, I won't bore you all with Martha Stewart talk this time, but I wanted to share with you all one of our family traditions. The only cake that is hard to see is Abbie's. It was a ton of mini-ladybugs that were baked in icecream cones. It was a pain to decorate them all, but a breeze to serve them at the party. I must give credit to Adam who is always a major part of the decorating. He is sooo much more artistic than I am. Plus it is always nice to have a man in the kitchen. (Also since Adam does decorate the cakes----yes the piggy cake made a poop :( Why are pooping, farts, and burps forever funny)

Other Living Things in Our Household

Chaos everyday during naptime
A boy and his dog
The box turtle at Cosley Zoo
Popeye and Jake

I am not talking about the bacteria/viruses that live on the play food and other various toys ( I do clean them, but every child that comes over has to put everything in their mouth or wipe their nose with them), but the dog (Chaos) and new addition a Russian Turtle (Popeye).

Chaos is fine most of the time. She tore her ACL and is not getting surgery---can't afford it and she is getting to old. She still pees in the house out of spite and gets my blood pressure going everytime, but she is soooooo good with the kids. She is so gentle when they give her treats and she keeps a watchful eye on them when they all play in the backyard. She is starting to go gray....but she is now 63 in dog years, so it is to be expected.

As for Popeye the turtle....he joined our family in October after a fun fall day at Cosley Zoo. Jake & Abbie plopped down next to a box turtle and that was it. We now have a turtle, well actually a tortose. Jake named him Popeye because he eats spinach and Jake loves Popeye the Sailor Man Toot Toot.

So now I am in charge of poop detail for myself, a boy, girl, dog, and turtle. Thank goodness Adam is potty trained!

Where does the time go????

Jake September 2004
Jake September 2007
The Family May 2006

Abbie Girl August 2007

Where does the time go??? I went from having a Big Baby Boy to a mini-Adam who runs to the door to go to preschool. And a Chubby Cherub Baby Girl to a Busy Little Lady with her first bad haircut. And crap I am almost 30 too!!!!!!

Fall Fun

Here is a little preview of some fall fun. Why can I never get a picture of myself with both kids looking at the camera??? Jake is now 3 and Abbie is 17 months and Mommy is forever chasing after someone.....even Adam sometimes :)