3 years

3 years

that number has been really hitting me lately! It is amazing how fast 3 years can fly by. It is amazing because just 3 years ago I sat home most days with a 3 year old, 2 year old and 4 month old. Today I am not home much because I am taking 2 of them to school and the other to school 2 days a week. We then spend the other 3 days running errands, playing, cleaning, and watching TV. There really is something to how the youngest gets to live life very different than the first. Yes part of it is that they are the baby, part of it is that you know what to expect (you've been down this road before), but mostly I think it is more circumstances. I wish for Ali to have all that Dash and Sammie did at 3, but that is not possible. Some of those things are my choice, I choose to babysit more now than before. I choose to be head of the Effortless Fundraising Team at the kids school, sports for the older 2. Some of those things are out of my control, like school it self. I have to have the kid to school on time EVERY day, my job position change, and daily duties as a mom. In the past I would just ignore them or put them off, I now make an effort to be more tidy and cleanly.

I don't think I would make any changes other than to soak up the time I have. I love my kids dearly and I miss them while I am at work or they are at school. I wish we could just go wherever whenever like we did before there was school. I wish we could have lazy days everyday. I wish for so much that we had.

I am thankful we are in a GREAT school. I just need help transitioning into this new phase of life. I don't want to forget what life was like before when I could say "yes" more then "no". I don't want to forget what life was like when we were not on a daily time schedule.

so as I think about 3 years, I am remembering the past and trying to figure out how to make that happen within our new phase of life.

3 years, I just can't get you off my mind.


3 years, why this specific number?
3 years, God, what are you trying to teach me?

dOUBLE d

I think we belong together

Current Favorite Worship Songs

You can hear these full blast at my house right now. The best part is the kids know the words to 2 of the 3 and they belt it out with us!

Broken

This song really stuck out to me while I was watching an old Criminal Minds rerun. It then came on my Pandora playlist. Such truth in the lyrics!

A little right

Over winter break Dash was arguing with me about the date he went back to school. He was dead set on 1-1-12 and I told him that is Sunday, he goes back on Monday 1-2-12. He didn't believe me even after I showed him on the calendar. So I said, Ok, you go to school and when you get home you can tell me who was right you or me.

When he got in the van after school he was quick to say, "you were right mom, today is 1-2-12 and I was wrong. You were right and I was kinda right."

Golf

This weekend was my work marathon as was Ryan's. That meant, Ali was at the Gallamore's, Sammie at the Mikesell's, and Dash with me. I kept him with me, because he is great at self-entertaining. I also was really looking forward to some one on one time with him and I know he has been really craving it since school started and all the extra chaos. Saturday morning he woke up and said,
"Mom, today after we are done working, can we go golfing? Because it is just one kid and one adult."

Well, it is December WI so that means, no thanks to golf. I said, "We'd see."

We didn't go golfing, but we did go bowling. I won the 1st game (98-74) and he won the 2nd game (97-92)

I had a GREAT time working with Dash, he did AWESOME!!

New Tree

Ryan and I have never bought a tree in the 7 years we have been married. We were given 2 trees when we got married, that we lost in the flood. We were then given a pre-lit tree from a lady at mom time when they asked what we need after the flood. That lasted us 3 Christmases. Well the lights started to go and Ryan really wanted to get a new tree. So, we got 2. We got this white one and then a green one and are going to alternate the trees between the years. We were able to get both trees for $87!

St. Nick 12-6-11

St. Nick brought the kids Jammies, Winter Hats, and Slippers. He brought Mommy some pens and Daddy some baseball cards.

Birthday

Today was/is my birthday. Awhile ago I had arranged with a friend that she were to take the kids early in the morning and over night so I could enjoy a day to myself. My plan was to scrapbook all day long by myself, followed by dinner and a movie with Ryan. Ryan was given the day off of work, surprise! When the kids woke up, Ryan took them to the store to buy doughnuts, (something new we have started this year; serving doughnuts for breakfast with a candle in it symbolizing the cake) and flowers. When they got home they gave me my flowers and we had breakfast. Then all of us went to Ms. Heidi's house and we came home. I began getting my "sanctuary" ready! After 2.5 hours of scrapbooking, we went out to Applebee's and a movie (Zookeeper). After which we came back home and I scrapbooked some more. I am so excited, I have almost completed Dash's 1st year album!!!

Cars 2

Dash was quite excited this morning when he woke up! He knew that today was the release of Cars 2! We went to the 7:45 showing. I have heard mixed reviews; there is a murder, might be too scary for the kids, Cars 1 is waaay better, this one tops Cars 1. So as you can see with the whirlwind of reviews, I didn't fully know what to expect. However, here is the attitude I went into the show with, "I have yet to be let down by Pixar!" So the four of us piled into the car and headed out to the theater.
I do not want to give away the movie! So I will be brief:
murder? yes. Did the kids get it? no
Which is better 1 or 2? If you are going and expecting the film to be about McQueen and his racing, you will be disappointed. Unlike the first, that is not the main plot here. If you go in after watching some of the trailers, you will expect it to be more of a spy movie and therefore be very satisfied.
The Cohan family loved the movie! I will be out purchasing the DVD on it's release date and will hopefully see it again in theaters!

2 Ali Babies

I am not so sure why Dash has this thought:

On Wednesday while I was napping with the girls, Dash drew this picture of me. I am holding my tummy because I have a tummy ache. He then went on to tell me that I had to go to the hospital and get the baby out of my tummy. Then we will have 2 baby Alis. I told him that I don't have a baby in my tummy. He was obbessed with this idea. I sure hope he isn't predicting anything I don't know.

funny

2011 Blizard

The snow over here was soooo deep that even I got stuck. The drifts over here were up to my waist at points.

Sammie in the driveway.

He is wearing his lucky packer hat, the team hasn't lost since he got it!

Sammie buried herself in the front yard. Thankfully at this point, the plows hadn't been down our street, so I wasn't worried them coming down and burying her. So we had some fun!

She was having a blast! Playing in it like it was a bath.

Now we are all burried! Ryan helped shovel us in.

Ryan gave us a pillow of snow! The pile next to Sammie is her dinosaur. It is currently on our front porch.

Dash left and we hung out together until my butt was cold.

hanging out in the snow :)

Dash went to shoveling like Daddy.

He is only getting half way down the pile, no where near the ground!

AFter some time our neighbor came out to help with his snowblower. Ironically, we as Wisconsinites do not have a snowblower. We have the BEST neighbor ever. He enjoys "playing" in the snow, so he likes to do our sidewalk and driveway. It works out perfect, the snow gets taken care of and the kids have a fun watching him. This year Sammie was scared a bit by him in his "orange costume" but when I explained it like that she thinks it is fun.

trying to get a show of just how deep the snow is!

Sammie didn't want Dash touching her.

thats our snow!

This is just from this week!

Our neighbor Bert snowblowing the driveway. It was interesting to watch at sometimes during the day, I felt bad for the guy, the wind would blow it right back at him while he was blowing it other ways.

this was taken from inside the house. It was so cool to see the snow blowing!

Today was the best snow day ever! The city pretty much shut down until noonish. As a matter of fact, I had no desire to go anywhere~which is a big deal since whenever there is a major snow storm I am ready to go out and tackle it. We measured in at 22.5 inches from the two storms this week. Each bringing in about half of it! Thankfully Ryan was off today and he was able to leasurly take care of the snow and not worry about getting it done to get to work. He did later go in to shovel at the bookstore, but it was not until later in the afternoon. Him and Rick tackled it and it took a few hours.