Boys=Handful

Today was rough.  Actually, the past few days have been rough.  I think the heat must bring out the naughty/constant fighting with siblings/whining/tantrum throwing/talking back/sassy side of my children.  Getting the kids ready for swim lessons at 9am Mon-Thurs is tough.  I often times don't even brush my teeth and am lucky if I get to guzzle 1 cup of coffee.  On Monday I actually forgot about swim lessons.  I need to remember to write activites down on my calender.  Thank God Violet's Dr.'s office called to confirm her appointment for tomorrow today or else I would've forgotten about that. 

Lately I feel like I can't pull myself together.  This whole parenting thing is getting hard.  A different hard.  It's not hard, like I have to remember to pack a diaper bag hard (forgot to mention that Baby V is potty trained.  Has been since the end of May.  Woot Woot!  Diaper free for the first time in 4.5 years), it's the discipline and getting my kids to listen and not kill each other hard.

Boys are tough.  I have a much better understanding why Travis is the way he is because of having a boy.  Boys are a completely different breed.  Cash is a handful.  Cash is the reason I am getting grey hair.  Cash is the reason I drink wine and have turned to tequila.  He's the most beautiful little boy, but holy hell he's a handful.  He doesn't listen.  He beats to his own drum.  He's obsessed with dinosaurs and trucks.  Can't get himself dressed if his life depended on it.  Where as the girls get themselves dresses 876 times a day.  Even Violet can get herself dressed.  I am lucky if Cash puts his pants on backwards and forget about the underwear.  That gets handed back to me in a baggy when I pick him up at school almost on a daily basis. 

Can I tell you a funny story about how boys are different that girls?  So, last weekend we had some friends in town and went to Swiftwater to enjoy the sun, get some pizza and sit outside.  Travis had to pick up our case of wine and I took all 3 kids to the bathroom.  I do this quite often, so it was no big deal.  Cash is really into his privacy.  I let him go into the stall by himself while I took the girls.  He took forever.  Kept saying he was ok.  Finally, after waiting what felt like a million years, I made him open the door.  Inside, he was completely naked.  No shirt, no shoes, nothing.  Butt naked with SHIT everywhere.  On his hands, smeared on the toilet, on the walls...you get the idea.  May I remind you, we are in a very nice bathroom.  I freak out.  Tell him to lock to door while I took the girls to Travis.  I run out find Travis give the girls to Travis, explain to him that there is SHIT everywhere.  I return to clean up the mess.  While I am cleaning Cash up, I am trying to explain to him how, "When you go potty, you don't need to get completely naked!"  He's just chilling, singing "Don't Stop Believing" by Journey super loud and knew ALL the words.  I come out to a bathroom filled with ladies telling Cash he's a wonderful singer.  After we are done I find Travis and apparently Presley had informed him that there was "Shit everywhere!" Presley would NEVER do this.  She's such a potty princess!

We are starting Cash in Karate starting tomorrow.  Hopefully that will allow him to channel his energy into something other than doing back flips off the couch and driving me nuts!  He's so forceful and rough.  I wish he would sit and have tea parties with the girls.  He'd rather jump all over the furniture and make messes. 

Anyhow, I wish having kids and being a stay at home mom was this amazingly wonderful gig, but it's not.  It's hard work.  I just have to think that I only have 1 year left until the twinnies are in Kindergarten and Violet will be in Preschool.  1 year. 365 days.  Actually 400 days...I think I may start the countdown!

The 4th.

We traveled down to the Tri-Cities for the 4th to hang out with the Backlund's.  We had a blast.  Kids were monsters.  

*Please note:  Presley has a dead front tooth.  You can kinda see in the pics.  I was so sad.  Who knows what happened.  These kids get hurt on a daily basis, so I can't pin point the exact moment it happened.  All I know is one day she woke up from her nap with a grey tooth.  Poor little lady!

Wedding Season has Begun!

We have 5 weddings this year!  Last we had none and this year 5!  

We celebrated Crystal and Ray this past Saturday!  

Kids danced, Travis drank and I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off in 100 degree weather after my monsters.  Such a fun way to spend my Saturday!

Swim Lessons

I've had the twins signed up for a 2 week session.  It started last Monday.  Cash has been kicked out almost daily because he doesn't listen.  He won't stay on the freaking red line.  What is it with boys?  Omg.  Violet is so sad because she's not old enough (you have to be 3) and I signed up too late for the mommy and me class, which is such a WASTE of time, but she loves it.  I have them signed up for another session in August.  I really want the kids to learn how to swim before we move into our new house because we are going to build a pool.  

Speaking of new house, totally off subject, but we are looking for an architect right now.  We have a few in mind.  Travis will be designing the house himself, but we need an architect to obviously help out with engineering.  The home with have a modern mountain style, with a flat roof, exposed beams/pipes, and  have an industrial feel.  We are leaning towards concrete floors and a garage door in the kitchen/living room that will open out to our outside patio.  It's going to be pretty awesome!  Building will start in Feb, so we can be in by Christmas 2013.  Fingers crossed! 

Nashville.

 In June we headed to Nashville with our good friends, Jenny and Logan.  We were there for 5 days and had the best time.  If you have never been to Nashville, I suggest you book your trip NOW!  Seriously...the best time ever!  We stayed at the Marriott right downtown and were a block away from Music Row.  Music Row is blocks with bars and boot shops.  Live music from open to close.  It was soooo much fun.

 Saturday we had tickets to the Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Jake Owen and Grace Potter concert.  We had sand bar tickets, which is a general admission ticket to the front row.  Amazing seats.  AMAZING!  It started at 4:30 and didn't get over until 11:30.  It was the best concert!

 It was a million degrees out of humidity.  Fun curly hair times, let me tell you!  Shots of Jack Daniels....yuck.  But, when in Nashville, right?

 This is how close we were to the stage.  

 Travis went boot shopping buzzed......$700 boots later we have a lonely cowboy!

 My best impression of Daisy Duke.  Logan is obsessed with Dukes of Hazzard, so of course we had to go to the museum!

 Those are my new boots.  I bought 2 pairs, a brown and red pair and I love them! 

We are going to try to go back as soon as possible.  Now, I am obsessed with country music and wearing my cowboy boots.  

Everyone should visit Nashville.  I miss the fried pickles too!

Our Family

Cheers people.  Here is the latest and greatest family photo.  As you can see, everyone in the picture is not smiling (only mom and dad) because my monsters are not very eager for photo ops.  They've been monsters.  They are no longer children, they are monsters.  We've been busy.  Actually, we have hardly even been at home and if we've been at home, we are busy.  Busy. Busy.  I am exhausted.  I want summer to already be over and it has just started.  It finally just got hot.  Not 85 degrees and enjoy outside hot, like 105 degrees oh-my-gosh-i-am-melting hot.  My garden has been growing like crazy though...so I am pretty excited about that!!   

The kids enjoyed themselves a day camp the entire month of June.  Tues-Thurs 9-1.  All 3 kids gone. Gone.  As in, I can sit on my ass, drink coffee, watch my reality tv and go to the gym all by myself without being interrupted!  It was amazing, however very short lived!  June went by way too fast!

I am going to bombard you with pics......

I missed everyone.

A new post.

So, I've been gone.....for a long time. I know you all miss me and my monsters, so I was sitting here today and was going to download a bunch of pics (2 months worth) and I cannot find my laptop! Who looses a laptop? I do, obviously. Thanks to my hubby, he's bringing me home a new one and blog posts will resume tomorrow! Wahoo!

April's Favorites.

This book is ridiculous.  I couldn't put it down.  Read all 3 books in 5 days.  Ignored my kids, didn't watch tv, spend a hour at a time on the stairstepper at the gym all because of Christian Grey. 

Nars is my favorite makeup brand.  I've been bit of a junky lately.  Nars Laguna bronzer is my favorite.  I've been waiting until my previous bronzer had run out before I bought this, but now that I have it, I love it!

I went into Sephora this past weekend and OMG, that place is deadly.  As in, deadly to my Amex.  My friend Tamara and I spent at least an hour in here, filling up our baskets.  Nars's blush Gaiety is my new favorite.  It gives your cheeks a perfect little pop of pink, which is perfect for spring.  

While I was in Sephora, I got to recieve my FREE birthday gift.  They gave me this Sugar lip treatment that I've heard such great things about, but with a price tag of $22, I was a bit hesitant to splurge on a chapstick.  Wow, I love it!  I've been using it non-stop and when it runs out, I am going to make that splurge because it's amazing.  My lips tend to get really dry over here in Eastern Wa, so this is perfect!

I use Urban Decay's eye primer which you need to buy NOW.  It's the best...ever!  So, I got this to see if it helps with my face makeup because I hate when you go out at and come back and all your makeup is off?  I love this spray.  It works!  Keeps your makeup looking fresh.

My Little Cheerleader.

When I was a little girl, my dad used to take me to WHS basketball games.  I spent the entire time watching the cheerleaders.  I was obsessed.  Unfortunately I wasn't blessed with the ability to play sports, which was fine by me.  Cheer it was. 

So, when the opportunity came up to sign little Presley up for a cheer camp with the EHS cheerleaders, I was so excited.  And fortunately she was too!  She loved it.  She stood in the front row in front of 100's of people and performed her little heart out.  I actually was so proud I cried.  Yes, I cried.  I know, I know...... but it was one of those parenting moments when you just couldn't be any happier. 

So...here she is my future cheerleader and her popcorn-eating supporters!

GO BULLDOGS!

She seriously rocked it!

On a side note:  I am so behind on blogging, this happened in January.  Ooopss......

Random Ramblings: March Edition.

• Hello, bloggers.  I've been MIA.  We've been busy.

• I turned the big 3-3.  Holy hell, that seems old.  Almost mid-thirties. My birthday day itself, was pretty uneventful.  Travis sent me flowers, brought home ice cream cake and a good bottle of wine.  That weekend we celebrated with my sisters and some friends.  We rented a limo and went up to Swiftwater for a great meal and cocktails.  

• We bought land!  As in 2 acres of land that we get to build a home on!!!  Just a few miles down the road, across the street from the elementary and high school!  Building won't start for another year or so.  Travis is going to work on the plans with an architect, then we'll get an idea of how much saving we have to do.  I am so excited. We've outgrown this house and now I know exactly what I want.  I guess it's time to start pinning.  Seriously, beside getting married, having kids, being able to build a home is something I have always wanted to do.  Thank God I married the best builder around!!!

•  Travis left last week on a last minute trip to Arizona.  I was left on Sunday-Thursday ALL by myself.  Luckily I survived! 

• Kids are on spring break this week.  Which means I might loose. it.

• I hate figuring out what to make for dinner every night.   I used to love to cook and now I hate it.  Between picky kids and trying to eat super healthy, I am stumped.  I swear, I make soup every night.  Either that or turkey meatballs.  Or sometimes, I'll just pop in chicken nuggets, while I eat something else.  It's so annoying.  I've been finding sneaky ways to get some veggies into their mouths.  I always stick handfuls of spinach, flax seed, and chia seeds in their smoothies.  Spinach in meatballs.  Carrots and celery in tomato sauce.  I really love pureed soups.  You saute onions, and add chicken broth, sweet potatoes, cauliflower, and broccoli, blend it up and add cheese.  It's super easy and really healthy!

•  I got a sewing machine for Christmas and I finally took it out of it's box.  Watched some youtube videos and got it all set up and started sewing away....well, fixing Presley 101 princess dresses that are holding on my a thread because they are worn 24 hours a day.

 Well, that's all I got.  I still have to download all the pics from the twin's birthday party and Hawaii.  Terrible, I know. 

What toys NOT to buy.

Through my years of blogging, I've come across what to are MUST haves for kids.  However, I've never come across a list of DO NOT BUY toys.  Well, in all of my experience of toy buying and toy picking up, here is my list of TOYS TO STAY AWAY FROM.

Here it goes in no particular order:







The barbie camper.  This is a hunk of junk.  In fact, everything that is barbie related should not be bought.  Except for barbies.  The door falls of EVERY DAY and EVERY DAY I have to put it together.  Plus, too many parts.  Like, does Barbie really need a fork and knife?  Seriously, they are maybe 3 centimeters tall.  They've all been thrown away.




These plastic little Army guys will be the death of me.  I find them EVERYWHERE.  This was obviously something that Travis bought.




This was also a toy Travis bought.  Those nerf bullets are also something I find EVERYWHERE and throw away EVERYDAY.





Any Tangled doll.  It's just that:  a tangled mess.  HATE THIS DOLL.






A train table.  We've glued, screwed, and nailed these down to the table.  The kids rip them off.  I hate this table.  MUST GIVE AWAY!

So here is just a few that I've come across that you should stay away from.  I'll keep adding to the list, so stay tuned.