A day at the park:)

It's always a good day when we can spend an hour and a half at the park:) The kids had a great time playing at Trailside Park in Ashburn~ and I was super proud of Chris for making friends and playing like a big boy:) Addie had her first "talking to" at the gym day care today... I asked Chris what she did and he said, "Her was hitting Jalen in the head." If it's not one, it's the other. It was a fun, easy day though:) But please, say a prayer for my family- my dad has the flu, my aunt has pneumonia, and my Nanny was very dizzy today and goes to the doctor in the morning- I hate it when people that I love are sick:(

My cutie patooties:)

I never make my children pose for the camera~ HA:)

Big boy in a little shirt...

Mommy~ this doesn't feel right... Yep, that's my son in size 6 pajamas. Let me remind you he just turned four on October 28th. He's 65 pounds and the height of a 6 year old. We're now buying size 8's for the summer, and hoping Aunt Linda can hem his shorts:)

Like Brother, Like Sister

Addie is a girlie girl... except when brother is around. She has to do everything that brother does... and I do mean everything. She started this morning off by drinking her cereal milk... just like brother...

Then she stood by him while he took this picture- I commented how cute he was with his hands in his pockets...

And then when she couldn't put her hands in her pockets... just like brother, she was sooo upset...

I couldn't help but laugh- she had real tears and kept trying to find her pockets. It really is sweet~ they have such a special bond:) I just hope she doesn't do everything her brother does as they get older... I have a feeling that could lead to trouble:)

Like Father, Like Son

Do you remember how I said that kids pick up on everything??? Well, let me set this story up. This is a poster that my mom gave Brendan one Christmas as a joke. He has his office that I let him do anything to... well, not anything, but it's "his room" in the house, and to get to me, he hung the poster up on the back of his door- we never really talk about it, it's just there.

Well, Gram gave Chris and Addie stickers- and Chris decorated his locker with them. He used Addie's sticker, too.- Don't ya love the Surf Princess.

Mommy~ Oh, Chris why did you use Addie's sticker. It says Surf Princess, are you a girl (making fun of him).
Chris~ No mom, I just did it for fun. You know- like how Dad has that pretty girl on a poster on his door- just for fun.

I'm sooo gonna have my hands full:)

Weekend Rundown...

Can you tell I've been busy- it's not like me to not update for a few days:) Let's see, what did you guys miss...

• I worked a lot~ and Brendan was in charge of the kiddos.
• I came home after an overnight to find Chris sleeping on our floor with a trashcan beside him- He had puked to the point of dryheaving and was not feeling well. Poor thing- but I was actually glad I had stayed up all night with my boys Ben and Rowan... Mommy and puke don't mix well.
• Brendan and I went out Saturday night with two of our neighbors- We had a lovely time until we got called at 11:30 and were told we needed to come home- Addie had not cooperated with Nona and Papa and was still awake. I kind of felt like I had a curfew. I love coming home tipsy to a little girl that wants to "color" until two in the morning.
• Addie finally got to take a class of her own- We visited "My gym" and she LOVED it... We ended up signing her up for "nastics" through Parks and Rec- and we start next Wednesday- It's so fun doing things with her.
• We had a playdate... note to self- HIDE all harmonicas, recorders, and music instruments before the next playdate to keep my sanity.
• Mommy took the kids to see "Flumpa LIVE" at Ida Lee. I was so excited... but it was one of those outings that blew up in my face- Chris didn't cooperate, Addie wanted to sit on my lap (where Chris was sitting) so she hit Chris. I totally looked like the mom that has no control over her children, and we ended up leaving early. It was fabulous. Oh, and I drove through McDonald's to make myself feel better. And I missed my Weight Watchers meeting.
• Chris and I had dental appointments, and neither of us had cavities.. Yippee- I think this is the first time in like 23 years that I didn't need work on my teeth! I just said like. I remember trying to talk like a Valley girl growing up. It was like fun, like. I'm dating myself... I can't believe I'm going to be 31 in a few weeks. I think I'm just going to celbrate the 10th anniversary of my 21st birthday:)
• We had another set of neighbors over for dinner and had a great night. I tried to make "lava cakes" for dessert (can you tell I'm great at following Weight Watchers)- and failed miserably~ but dinner was good. They brought their 2 month old baby and after they left, Brendan talked about how she was so cute... I'm soooo getting that third child:)

Here we go again:)

My awesome Uncle Chuck (Chuck Diz-hul to some of you) and his music writing partner are again honored to place in the Top 15 final songs in this year's contest out of over 2,100 songs entered. Chuck writes country music songs and I'm convinced he's our family's ticket to music stardom:) The song is called "A Thing or Two," and it recently won both first place (country) and the overall contest Grand Prize in the Mid-Atlantic Song Contest. Starting today and for the next 30 days or so, "A Thing or Two" will be available for on-line voting at:
http://www.cmt.com/asm/contests/nsai/cmt_choice/2009/ or http://www.cmt.com/asm/contests/nsai/cmt_choice/2009/vote.jhtml
It's the last song on the list... and you can vote as many times in one day as you want! Can anyone come up with something that automatically votes for it every 2 minutes or so?! We're not afraid to cheat! J/K:) Please forward this to anyone who might be interested... If he wins, he wins a CMT Music Award and gets to go to the award ceremony!

i HATE winter!

I really, really do. I LOVE spring, summer, and fall, when we can get out and play! I am trying to find new activities for the kids so we're not bored... but sometimes, they don't turn out like I plan:) Today we made home-made pizzas... using Christmas tree and snowman cookie cutters- Can you tell I'm not a baker- that's all I have?:) It was a great idea at the beginning until Mommy thought it would be so much fun to spread flour on the table... WHAT A MESS!!! My entire kitchen was covered in flour... and to my disappointment, the fun lasted all of ten minutes... and took about thirty to clean up. Oh well, it was worth a try:)




Oh, and do you like Addison's modeling? Thanks Boat-Boat for teaching her oh so pretty poses:)

At least the kids have kept me entertained today... When I was getting Chris dressed today, he made me stop and pointed to his breast... and kept saying, "Mommy, look at my nibble, look at my nibble." And Addie's new thing is when she passes gas, she holds her bottom, looks up and shyly says, "I tooted." It's so girly and precious... Nothing like bodily part and function humor to make the day go by faster... I better run- we're off to Open Gym at Douglas Community Center... Can you tell it's one of those days I'm trying everything to wear them out so I have an easy night?:)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

O.K... so it may not have been the most romantic Valentine's Day, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world:) Uncle Todd (he is no longer Rich Uncle Dave like Chris called him the first three years of his life- I think Chris realized he's Todd to everyone else, and he's not as rich as he thinks he is j/k) pulled through and gave us free tickets to the Maryland vs. Virginia Tech basketball game plus a parking pass... being the Tech fans we are, we snacthed them right up and ventured to College Park to watch our Hokies. Too bad they didn't pull off a win. It was fun though, and the kids loved seeing the game- But it's funny how things change when you have kids... We were on the second level, but in row one- so there was extra foot room, and they were awesome seats- except for the fact that there was a glass wall in front of us, and I was overly paranoid about our kids going over the wall or breaking it... Luckily there were no accidents and we had a great time... We then went to Five Guys for Burgers and took them to Chuck and Jackie's house to eat- I'm such a cheap date now:) I think the best part of the night was seeing Chris and Addie walk through the Comcast Center holding hands and loving it- they were each other's true Valentines...

Oh, Brendan and I did exchange gifts... He came through with tickets for me to the New Kids On The Block concert... and I got him (with his hard-earned money) a ticket to the Nascar Race in Richmond- we're oh so classy- nothin' like high-class white trash:)... How's that for romance?

Playdate at Aunt Ra-Ras

Just a normal playdate full of fun at Aunt Ra-Ra's... but why, oh why, must my kids always wind up naked?

Hanging out at Nona's...

Last night, we went to Nona's and Papa's to hang out. My parents were babysitting Mage and Jack, so Nona and I had a playdate with all four grandchildren ages 4 and under. The kids LOVE playing with each other... but it's definately pure craziness. After storytime, making Valentines, singing songs, a dance contest, and a couple hours of straight playing and entertaining the kid's, Nona looked at me and said, "If I had to work and be a babysitter, I would rather be homeless." Ha ha- classic:)

O, Beautiful Day:)

Today was just one of those days where I love my job:) I always love staying at home with my kids, but some days are defiantely much harder than others. Anyone that knows me knows I am a warm weather girl. I hate the cold, and winters drive me crazy... The kids and I usually live outside, and during the winter we hate being cooped up. We started the morning off by taking Chris to preschool- he stayed late today for lunch bunch, so Addie and I got to have a mommy/daughter date... We went to story time, and it was so much fun- for both of us. I got a little sentimental, and remained that way all day. Poor Addie is always busy going places for brother, and sometimes I feel like she hasn't had those special moments like Chris did... By now, Chris had been in a hundred different classes, and Addie just went to one of her first activities where it was just the two of us without Chris... and it dawned on me- she's almost two!!! She has grown up soooo fast. She had a blast and was the cutest little thing singing along with the songs, clapping when they were done, and just loving the individual attention... I'm no longer slacking- she will be enrolled in gymnastics next week:) After we picked Chris up from school, we visited Douglas Park... We took a short nap and were back on the park circuit for a couple hours in the evening, visiting two more parks... We had soooo much fun. The kids and I always stay active... but sometimes, I'll be the first to admit, I find activities just to "wear the kids out" so that they take a good nap, or are ready for bed. Today, we just had so much fun- we laughed, played, and loved on each other all day... it's days like these that make me realize how lucky I am. Next time I'm in a funk, I'm just going to think of today and remember that these days go by way too fast and I need to cherish every moment.

They love each other sooooo much:)

Chris and his friend at the park.

Little Addie Tay-Tay... she was so funny- I put her on a big girl swing, made her hold on, and was giving her baby pushes... she turned around, looked at me, and said.. Underdog, Mommy, Underdog:)

Little Topher- doesn't he look older, he got a big boy hair cut... Oh, and at lunch bunch today, they had a Noah's Arc Workshop- kind like Build-a-Bear- He got to stuff and make this bear... He named his bear "Chocolate"- such a good name for a white teddy bear:)- I asked him why he named a white bear Chocolate... and he said- I love Chocolate, and I love my bear. Genious:)

Yea, Mon.

Well, we made it back from our trip, and have almost recovered:) We had a great time- good drinks, food (I wish I could say it was good... although I did manage to gain six pounds), good friends, and good times were had by all! It was so nice to relax, get dressed up, and hang out with our closest friends without any worries! We stayed at a Sandals resort- which we've heard great things about- but will have to say that none of us were too impressed- but that didn't stop us from having fun:) I think we got our money's worth just from our drinks:) I've never been to Jamaica, and I learned many things:) Our resort was two hours from the airport, so we had to take a bus... and we got to see the "real" Jamaica- Wow- I definately have lived a sheltered life, and it really was shocking to see the way some people live... from now on, I definately want to see more of the world... The people of Jamaica are so awesome- I think we all need to take some of their way of life with us- they are soooo laid back. For example- I saw a sign by the pool that said no food or drinks on the pool deck... Now in America, if I had food and drinks on the pool deck, I'm sure I would get yelled at... In Jamaica, I asked the worker if it would be o.k. to eat by the pool- and he said "Sure- rules are made to be broken- so we even proceeded to eat on our chair IN the pool:) The ya-ya's enjoyed relaxing by the pool and the yo-yo's definately enjoyed themselves... I promise to have more pictures within a few days- I was bad about carrying my camera around... Some of he highlights... the guys went on a zip wire through a Jamaican rain forest and rode Jamaican bobsleds, we, girls, lounged by the pool and I actually read a book!, we relaxed in a private cabana, sat in the hot tub in the pouring rain for over an hour, did waterslides, played volleyball- we were quite the scene:), visited several bars, had 5 course meals, ate on the beach, and most of all just enjoyed the wonderful company of our best friends... I'm looking forward to our next trip- and if the boys get their way, we'll be on an Alaskan cruise... fun fun...

I'm happy to report that the kids were happy to see me when I got home and that was one of the best parts of the trip:)

Mommy- I missed you sooooo much Chris.

Chris- Me, too.

Mommy- I love you sooooo much.

Chris- I love you morer.

Mommy- I love you with all my heart.

Chris- I love you more. I love you 40. I love you 40 miles per hour.

Wow:)

Over the river and through the woods...

to Gram's house we go. Joanie was gracious enough to watch the kids while we ventured to Jamaica- and let's just say, I KNOW they had a good time:) I'm so thankful that she is always willing and ready to watch them when we travel... I know that they are taken care of and have a blast... While I hope they miss their mommy, I also hope that they aren't sad:) And I know they had a blast while we were away. They actually went to Gram's house to see Pop Pop at Smith Mountain Lake... and I guess the question is, what didn't they do:)? They fed fish, played on the dock, went to the lake, baked, went on a trail walk, went to the park, played with flashlights, read stories, colored, the list goes on and on... I really don't think they had time to miss me:) Joanie was crying this morning when she left because she was going to miss the kids... and sometimes she feels bad that she lives far away... but I really think she makes up for not seeing them every week- They have their "special" time, they can't wait to see their Gram and Pop Pop... and if she heard how much they talk about them, she would realize that it's like they live a mile away... Chris and Addie definately love their grandparents~ and I do too- I can't tell them enough how much it means to me when they step in and take over for us:)

Had to share...

This is my sweet baby girl getting one of her nebulizer treatments... Isn't that pitiful? She would hold onto the neb and totally take it as long as we were reading books... It was so sad- but thank God, she was better in three days:)

Jamaican Me Crazy...

The Ya-Ya's at our 10 year High School Reunion... I see a pattern here- Jen is pregnant again for this go around:)



Sorry for the shortage of blogs, but it's been a long weekend... Brendan has been hard at work in L.A.... or should I say in Los Angeles, playing lots of tennis, enjoying nice meals, and sitting in the audience of The Tonight Show~ which he reported was really cool- and there was this really good rapper- Acorn... ha ha- he meant Akon- that's my hubby for ya:) While he's been MIA, Addison was really sick~ I took her to the doctor on Friday for what I thought was a cold, but I wanted to make sure- She seemed to be getting sicker... Yep, she had an ear infection, and her oxygen levels were really low, so we had to rent a nebulizer and do breathing treatments every few hours... return Saturday, and then again on Monday... But I'm so lucky to say, on Monday, they deemed her healthy:) It has been a long week though, being stuck in the house. Luckily, Chris has been a sweetheart, and my parents helped a LOT... taking Chris out to Chuck-e-Cheese, watching the kids while I had a ladies luncheon on Sunday, and fixing us dinner last night- Thanks Nona and Papa:)


It's a good thing Addie is better... because Mommy and Daddy are about to get away for a little R&R:) Woooooooooooo Hoooooooooooooooo!!!! Can you tell how excited I am? I really think I have the best friends in the world... There are 5 of us girls that like to call ourselves the "Ya-Ya's"... ever since we had our initiation ceremony over ten years ago in a dark hotel room with candles crowning ourselves with special names... I'm Princess Butterfly Daisy of O'Ryan... you think I'm kidding, but I'm not:) We make a point to see each other eventhough we live all over- 2 of us are in Leesburg, one in Dallas, one in Charleston, S.C., and one is in Hoover, Alabama. Usually we do girl trips, but sometimes, we let the guys tag along- they like to call themselves the "Yo-Yo's:)" Sometimes we even do mother-daughter trips- even our mom's are best friends:) Gram is headed to Northern Virginia tomorrow to take over our house and watch the kids, and we're leaving Friday to visit the Sandals Resort in Ochos Rios, Jamaica... something tells me this resort will never be the same:) I promise lots of pictures and stories when I return:)


And to my girls- I can't wait for this trip- and thanks for always being there for me- You truly are the best friends a girl could ask for:) Ya-Ya's for life!!!