Tired mama...

It's been a busy couple of days- and we sure haven't been short on activities... We had two birthday parties this weekend~ I swear, birthday parties are much more than ice cream and cake these days... We went to a birthday party for one of Chris's classmates on Saturday and the mom blew me away with her creativity- Chris had so much fun... and then on Sunday, we went to Aidan's birthday party (Ben and Rowan's brother) which was a superhero themed party. Batman and Spiderman made appearances (thanks Uncle E for jumping in to play Spidey). All of the kids dressed up and they even had a superhero parade around the neighborhood. It was funny- Spiderman spent two hours with the kids and Chris never caught on that it was Eric... Addie looked right at Spidey and said, "E.E." That girl is too smart. We've had a few playdates, another kid get together at Milwaukee's custard, and even managed to take Chris to see Monsters vs. Aliens... Well, Brendan took him on a date, and Mommy stayed at Papa and Nana's with Addie Tay Tay. Doesn't Chris look fab in his 3-D glasses? Brendan said the movie was actually really good.

This kids continue to crack me up... Chris has started saying he's going to run away from home when he's put in time out... and he wanted to know if he is allowed to "tittle tattle" on kids in his class... I guess he's worried about being a tattle tale:) Addie is just the smartest little cookie and will have complete conversations with me... but is refusing to learn to count. She will proudly say "two." She won't repeat any other numbers or try to count... it's just "two." I think she's just trying to get to me:) She and Ellasyn (Ashley's daughter) have started talking on the phone and proudly announce that they are best friends... what were we thinking encouraging this? J/K!

Bad things come in 3's...

It hasn't been the best of times for me the past couple of days... nothing major, but please tell me bad things come in 3's and I've hit my max... Where do I begin...

1) Yesterday, the little boy next door threw a rock over the fence- we're not talking about a pebble... It was a rock bigger than a baseball with mad points on it... and it hit Chris in the top of the head. Chris started screaming, crying, and blood was GUSHING out of his head- running down his face... not pretty. Brendan and I both freak out when it comes to blood, so Brendan drove Chris straight to the hospital... An hour later, he was cleaned up and on his way home- Thank God, it was just a small puncture cut, and wasn't bad at all... But, I am so glad we took him to the hossy- I wouldn't have been able to clean all the blood up- he had red hair, and after the whole Natasha Richardson ordeal, there's no way I would have been able to sleep without worrying that he had a horrible head injury.

2) Brendan and I love taking the kids swimming... so, yesterday we went to Ida Lee to swim. After playing with the kids, I told Brendan I was going to sit in the hot tub for a few minutes. I was in heavan- laying back, the jets were pounding my neck and back, and boy was I relaxing... UNTIL... I opened my eyes and saw a lady giving me a horrible look... I looked up and saw the strings to my swimsuit floating by my stomach in the water... NOT GOOD!!! My swimsuit had come untied and was not covering me at all! I quickly tied it back around my neck, jumped out of the hot tub, and we took the kids to run around on the basketball court.

3) And then there is the white elephant ordeal... Isn't that a saying? And, no, I'm not referring to me being an elephant! I think that's what you say when there is something that you know is hanging around but you don't want to talk about it... or maybe I'm making that up? To make a long story short, a few days ago, I created a blog to document me losing weight- called "Put down the oreos"... My plan was to post my weight and keep a food journel to help me stay on track... It was a private blog just for me... but I accidentally posted my weight on this blog... How humiliating! I would not have even known, but today at lunch with the whole family, my cousins asked why I posted my weight on my blog?!!! Ever since I got pregnant with Chris, I've had trouble with my weight and eating habits... and I will be the first to tell you that it really bothers me. I'm not one of those people that embraces it- it bothers me. I think about it every minute. I'm the biggest Weight Watchers dropout you've ever met and suck at following diets- so my approach to losing weight is going to be the healthy way- to "Eat less, and move more". I've just finally decided that it's time to lose the weight- when your fat clothes don't fit you, you need to make a change, right? So, as Alexis Wood says- I'm just going to "own" my weight, put it all out there, and take control. Now granted, that was NEVER my intention, but since I messed up, I might as well... Maybe this will hold me more accountable, and some of you can cheer me on:) I can't believe I'm about to do this, but here goes...The day I married Brendan, I weighed 137 (and God Bless the boy, he doesn't think I'm a pound over that now:)), before I got pregnant with Chris I weighed 145-150, the day I delivered both Chris and Addison- I weighed the exact same- 179.6, nine days after having both of them I weighed 159, and now I weigh close to 175-Yikes- only 4 pounds less than when I was nine months pregnant! So, from now on, I will randomly post my weight... and hopefully I will reach the 140's... maybe even 139 again:) And if not, at least I know that I have so many friends and family members that love me just the way I am:) Speaking of that- Todd and Sarah knew how down I was about this whole incident- so they called and invited the kids and I over for a "salad party" and to let the kids play... How sweet is that? I love you guys:)

Yes, I've lost it... my mom said I should have put... Ha Ha... April Fool's~ I don't weigh that:)

Oh, and if you have any tips on weight loss, please share the wealth:)

Happy Birthday To...

Nanny, Pappy, AND Gramma. Isn't it ironic- three of our favorite people in the entire world have birthdays within 2 days of each other. Today, my grandma, Nanny, AND Brendan's grandma, Gramma, celebrated their birthdays... and tomorrow is my grandpa, Pappy's birthday!!! We stopped by Nanny and Pappy's house today... and of course Addison had to have Nanny read to her- she LOVES it when Nanny reads her a book.

My grandparents literally mean everything to me. They have been married 65 years and are still truly, madly, and deeply in love.

We also got to talk to Gramma McCullers... Here she is on the day Chris was baptised... what a special day. Gramma is a little more hip than Nanny and Pappy- In fact, she's so computer savvy, she reads my blog:) She is such an amazing woman and so full of faith. Eventhough we don't see her often, she is such an important part of our lives. The kids sang to her today and are so happy whenever they talk to her. And Gramma- thanks so much for the puzzle package you surprised them in the mail with- they LOVED it! We love you and miss you soooo much!

Sweet cousins...

This weekend, Nona and Papa took Mage and Chris to the pet show at the Dulles Expo Center. It was a great idea until Chris's eyes started watering, he couldn't control his sneezing, and was clearly suffering from allergies. The trip got cut short- but not until the boys had their faces painted and enjoyed popcorn:) Poor Chris, he definatly has allergies to animals- this isn't the first time he's had problems. After the pet show, the grandparents stopped by a model home with the boys. The boys were being really good- until Nona realized she couldn't find Papa. Finally, Chris fessed up... "I locked Papa in the garage." Ha Ha- Chris had really locked the door to the garage, and Nona had to go save Papa- he was still in the garage waiting for someone to rescue him!

After the pet show, Mage came over to our house to play... He's sooo sweet. After the kids played at our house, we went to our neighborhood park and there were a bunch of boys playing... so Mage and Chris joined in. The group decided to play "superheroes," and the boys started naming off who they were... "I'm Spiderman, I'm Wolverine, I'm Batman, I'm the Incredible Hulk, and then we hear the sweetest little voice chime in... Mage said, "I'm Kitty Cat." He is just too cute.

The cousins have been playing so well together... when we get together with Todd and Sarah, it's almost like we have a babysitter- the kids play soooo well together now. They just love each other so much, and it's so nice to see. It's gotten to the point where the four of us adults can actually relax and hang out... good times:) We keep saying we're going to break out a game or cards to play... but we don't want to press our luck too much!

Fun at the LAKE...

I didn't stay too long in Richmond, I met up with B and the kids the next day at the lake- and we had a great weekend... We can't wait for it to get warm- Chris and Addie are going to have so much fun there this summer!!!

Mommy's Night Out!

Mommy got to have a fun night out!!! I traveled down to Richmond and spent the night with the Pickrals:) Stacie's hubby, Jon, was Brendan's college roomie... and Stacie and I have become good friends, too-we always have a good time when we get together... The boys surprised us with NKOTB... New Kids On The Block concert tickets for Valentine's Day... I was also excited- I got to hang out with Baby Jonathan- I can't believe he's almost a year already!!! How cute is he???

Stacie and I enjoyed our night out- the New Kids still have it:) Does the black and white picture hide my bloodshot eyes?:) We tried to be groupies for a night... we had crimped hair and all... but along with about 100 other middle-aged moms, we were highly disappointed when the tour bus pulled off and headed to Baltimore for their next show:(

Happy St. Paddy's Day!!!

Gram made the trip up for St. Patrick's Day and the kids had a ball... The did Irish jigs, wore their green, helped d.d. Gram, Nona, and Papa home from a bar:), and had a great Irish feast complete with Corned beef and cabbage!!!

Documenting moments with your children...

A special friend of mine wrote the sweetest e-mail and asked me to make sure I take pictures of Brendan and I with the kids. She recently lost her dad and she has tons of pictures of when she was a child, but only a few with her father. I'm pretty good about always taking the kid's picture, but most of you probably notice, it's always of just Chris and Addie- Brendan and Shelley are missing. So, from now on, I'm promising to try and take more pictures of us as a family, and not just of the kids themselves... I need to step away from behind the lens:)
So, of course I started the other day- Brendan and Addie were having some father/daugther time reading "Princess" books- Yes, Brendan can get quite girlie with his little princess:) I broke out the camera- and Addie started shooing Daddy away...


And then, there was a priceless Addie face:


Aww- that's more like it:)

My kids crack me up...

Warning- this blog contains dirty humor, so if you think you will be offended, skip it:)
Chris has wanted to spend the night at Nona and Papa's house for the past week. Each time we go over to visit, he has wanted to take his "travel bag," and tonight, his wish came true. After being denied three times, they called and asked if Chris could come "pend the night" with them. Chris was so excited, and from what I've heard already, he's had a great time. Nona and Papa took him to get a movie at Best Buy and then they went to the new Johnny Rocketts for dinner. They had a really cute blonde waitress that Chris had a crush on... and she even signed his cast for him... When they got home, Chris kept going around the house saying:
"I've got a hard on from that waitress."
Yes, he was clearly saying, "I've got a hard on from that waitress." My mom and dad didn't quite know what to say. Judy reports that my dad was practically mortified and didn't know what exactly they should do... Should they talk to him about what he was saying? How did he know what that was? Finally, they decided to talk to him about it- and he pointed to his cast... He sure did have a "HEART ON" from the waitress. She had signed his cast- but didn't write her name- she just drew a heart. My parents hadn't noticed that and since Chris often substitutes a d for his t's... the mystery was solved, they could take a deep breath, and we can all laugh about it now!
Brendan and I have also enjoyed the night... We took Addison on a date to Costco- after having played "Fancy Nancy". She totally calls herself Fancy Addie, and loved going out with us like Fancy Nancy does in her book all dressed up. She thought she was so pretty:) Oh, and doesn't every one year old play ball with a bookbag and tu-tu???

Addie truly enjoyed the one-on-one time with Mommy and Daddy- and we loved playing with our little princess. But we all agreed, part of us was missing- We missed you Poopyhead Chris:)

When Addie went to bed, Brendan and I enjoyed watching the movie "Taken". Shhhhh, don't tell, but somehow my Uncle Butch is getting the hook-up with pirated movies... It was a great movie- and I highly recommend it... and it wasn't even a love movie!

On the go...

We've had a busy couple of days, and I think the weekend is going to continue that way... But I love having things to do:) Today we had a playdate at Chuck-e-Cheese... and it was a success:) Now, I may have bribed my kids with cotten candy (I know, it's horrible for them, but I didn't let them have the whole bag... I helped finish it off;)) to get them to leave, but they were really well-behaved and we all had a great time- It wasn't crowded and chaotic like usual, so Sara and I plan on making this a regular playdate:) Chris LOVES playing the games~



Speaking of games, I thought this was too cute- Addie was caught with brother's DS...

And this is Addie Tay on the Barney ride- She got a little too close to Barney- at one point I think she was trying to cop a feel- J/K- but she really did give him love for about ten minutes.

Tonight, we also went out to dinner with Nona and Papa and then hit up the mall play area. Knock on wood, but for some reason, the kids have been loving it and playing well there!

Last night, we ventured out to Brad's surprise birthday party- It was pretty cool- Jenny rented Leesburg's Tally Ho movie theater for a Star Wars party and movie showing. Personally, I think Brad loses some cool points for having a Star Wars party... But then again, who am I to talk... I'm married to a Star Wars movie buff, and Chris declared it the "best birthday party eva". I think I'm so stealing this idea for Chris's birthday party. Before the movie, I was the hostest with the mostest and had Uncle E and Aunt Jenna over for dinner~ Jenna is a vegetarian, so I tried to make a homemade Italian dish of Pasta Primavera. We all agreed it was good, but only I can manage to make an Italian dish taste Asian with a hint of Chinese flavor- not quite sure how I did that, but it was still good:)

Oh, and Chris got yet another care package today- Thanks Uncle Greg and Aunt Diane... I forgot to break out my camera- but Chris and Addie loved it- I have been searching for one of those dry erase boards for Chris to practice writing his letters... and she sent it in the package. It totally got me thinking- If I had gotten it for him and it was from mommy, he so would not have been interested... but since it came as a "prize" from someone else, he's been practicing his letters all night long... hmmmmm I might be on to something:) Maybe the Easter Bunny will bring some learning things:)

Dress for LE$$!!!

Today I was reading one of my favorite blogs, Kelly's Korner, and she had a great post on Recession Fashion. She invited everyone to join in, so I decided to give it a try. I know- how crazy is this? It's actually a blog about something other than my kids!!! Some of you may not know this, but back in the day, pre-baby, I was in love with fashion... maybe because things looked good and I wasn't trying to hide the extra pounds:) I still LOVE clothing and accessories but I tend to spend everything I have on Addie and Chris's clothes and I have to really budget and find deals when it comes to shopping for myself... I spend most of the day in workout clothes or pajamas (I know, I know, I'm working on this) but if I use what's in my closet (and lose some weight), I really do have a killer wardrobe that was bought on a budget... so here are some tips:

~I now shop at stores I never would have set foot in... JC Penney, Kohl's, Target, and Wallyworld are my faves... and where I get most of my clothing.

~USE coupons and shop sales... and before you pass on things, price check! Recently, I was shopping for summery clothes for a trip to Jamaica... Ann Taylor Loft is one of my go to stores, but things can be rather pricey. I always head straight to the back corner where the clearance section is... Most of the shirts were marked down to $10-$19- not bad, but not great for something that isn't to die for... But when you read the teeny tiny sign that says "Take an extra 40% off clearance, they turn into must-haves.

~Shop non-mom stores... Eventhough many of us are mommy's, we still haven't lost all of our coolness. Sometimes I feel crazy walking into Express, the Buckle, and Charlotte Russe while dragging my son and pushing a stroller- I'm not the hippest... Their underwear may not fit me, but their earrings, bracelets, and forgiving shirts look fabulous and still work:)

~Look at mannequins for inspiration. My mom used to buy outfits straight off the mannequin for me and people thought she was crazy. But looking back, she was quite brilliant. People get paid good money to come up with those ideas and I'm sure they have a backround in fashion- so why not use their skills... and if you can't afford it- find similar pieces at cheaper stores to replicate the look.

~Monogram, Monogram, Monogram... Can you tell I have a thing for monogramming? Last season, I bought a swimsuit from Target for $7.99 for my two year old- and I had her intitials monogrammed on it- it was the cutest thing ever... I resold it on ebay this year for over $15... I made money by buying a swimsuit and using it for a season! Today, I had on this sweatshirt and got so many compliments... It's an $8 sweatshirt from Wal-mart that I added an "S" and made it different.


~Also- shop your local art and craft fairs. They have the neatest jewelry and handmade items that can really jazz up a wardrobe. I'm also in LOVE with http://www.etsy.com/ . This website is filled with people that make things- if you want something, I'm sure you can find it on this website- They have wonderful jewelry, clothes, purses, etc. at great prices... and I always feel good when I know my money is going towards helping a stay-at-home mome! Here is a coat we got Addie this weekend at a craft fair- It's unique and cost half of what I'd spend on a spring coat at a store!


~Who ever said women shouldn't fake it?!? I totally disagree... :) This is an old picture, but if you can find a really good fake, buy it and use it... Burberry scarf~ $120... this good fake from Hecht's~ $12:)

~Sometimes, I think it's important to spurge a little if you get your money's worth. I bought this Vera Bradley purse for a little over $30- but it can totally make an outfit- It makes this $4 Walmart No Boundaries shirt pretty cute- especially with white shorts and $3 old navy flip flops:) My best friend always says that you can tell a woman by her purse and her shoes... If you have a cute purse and coordinating shoes, it can make any outfit come together and fashion worthy!

~And finally, shop online... Many stores offer free shipping and free returns. This saves gas which can be expensive and time... and time is money!

Cast take two...

Today we went to the orthopedic doctor... and Chris had to get a new cast. The good news is that his bones did move back together- The bad news is that the doctor didn't like how the moved back together... So, the plan right now is to wear his new cast (another blue one per Chris's orders) for a week and recheck it next week. Today, the doctor "moved" his bones in the office by using pressure and put on a "tight" cast. After the second X-ray, he liked how it looked much better once he had moved it, so keep your fingers crossed that it heals. Bless his heart though, it looked painful when he was manipulating it- but Chris didn't complain- he has been so tough through this whole process. Dr. Gavin still thinks he might need reduction surgery- so send us extra special prayers that this week we have better results- the poor fella has been through so much. He still has his spirit though... yesterday he was soooo happy and excited. He was in the bathroom and he started yelling...

"Mama, mama, come here- the coolest thing ever- I have freckles on my fingers. I have one freckle on my finger. I have two freckles on my finger. Wait, I have four freckles on my finger!!!" He was quite disappointed when I showed him it was just dirt from the park:)

And today, on the way to school, our neighbor was saying his full name. Chris then announced to us, "I'm having a name change." He renamed himself... "I am Christopher Lance Hottie Cowboy McCullers." Watchout ladies, I have a son named Hottie Cowboy!:)

Thanksgiving in March

Tonight we ventured to Nona and Papa's house for Thanksgiving dinner- Well, it wasn't really Thanksgiving- I think my mom was a little confused- We were having the "March Birthday Dinner" for Sarah and I, but she had a huge turkey, stuffing, the works. The kids had a ball playing together- they love each other soooooo much!

Kissing cousins...

Old friends can be the best friends

Sunday was a beautiful day, and the kids and I had a playdate at Franklin Park. We met up with Angie and her kids, (we missed you Sara) had a picnic lunch, and let the kids run all afternoon. They had a blast and it was so fun to watch them play. It's hard to believe that I've known Angie (and Sara) for almost 30 years... and 25 years ago the three of us were running on the soccer fields together- and now we're raising our kids together. It's always great hanging out with them- there's no need to impress, we know everything about one another, and we just have so much fun. And speaking of old friends- Sethie, when you read this- please don't be jealous that I spent the day with Angie- HA!
Oh- and Chris has a huge crush on Angie's daughter Abby- I don't know if that's a good thing... a Pearson boy and a Klunk girl could only lead to trouble!!!

Ding Dong...

The kids LOVE it when the doorbell rings... Mommy usually hates it because I'm in my pajamas with my hair a mess and I freak out... but this week we had some of the best surprises at our door. Gram surprised us with a trip up here to visit for a few days. She was such a big help to Mommy- Mommy got to run errands, sleep in, and get some things done- and she also enjoyed the company. The kids of course were in heavan with their Gram here- they get her undivided attention, good food, and tons of hugs and kisses.

Also- Chris got the cutest "cookie arrangement" from Brad and Jenny. It had the biggest, best cookies ever that were loaded with icing- I'm glad I got this picture. I'd like to say that I saved one for a keepsake, but they are are all gone- We can't keep food in this house. I did keep the card though, and added it to Chris's keepsake box.

We also got "Hero, the hot dog maker" in the mail from Aunt Denise and Uncle Bruce. It's this plastic dog that "steams" hot dogs. When the hot dogs are done, the "dog" starts barking until you unplug it- Chris thought this was the coolest thing in the world. Do you like Chris's hat- we ate at the new Johnny Rockets in Brambleton... the malts and shakes were delish, but I didn't think the food was as good as Five Guy's...

Nona and Papa also stopped by today to deliver Milwakee's Frozen custard with M&M's in it... Yummy Yummy! Do you see a theme here- how am I ever supposed to lose weight?!!!

We also got a bunch of cards in the mail- Chris LOVES getting mail- and thanks again to everyone for all your prayers and well wishes. We love you all!

Put down the glue gun...

Being stuck inside has made me want to spruce up the house... and sprucing up I did:) Yesterday, I went to the fabric store and bought some fabric, trim, and odds and ends. We just had a new Joanne's open up a few miles from me- they really should stop sending me coupons- I feel like I have to use them! First, I changed out the flowers on my front door to make it more springy. I even added feathers:) I go from loving this to hating it- I just don't think it "goes" on my marroon front door- but I'll leave it up for a few weeks... If my spring flowers pop through, the purples will all tie together- or at least I'm hoping!

I've never even sewn a button- but ten minutes and a glue gun paid off pretty well if I do say so myself... I made a few curtains and redid my kitchen...They needed some touching up, but look what I made:) I also made a table runner with a tassel... my mom asked Brendan what I'm going to put tassels on next... he didn't get it. HA!

Don't ya love the sign? Whenever we have a party, it's the nights festivities... j/k:) I also added trim to my regular store bought curtains... I think it really livened them up... Fancy Nancy would approve:)