Our Five Ring Circus: September 2009

Wednesday, September 30, 2009

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane

Come for a walk with me down Memory Lane!
And if you have a "Memory Lane" post, head on over to Scottsville to join in on the fun!


This picture was taken on February 21, 2007...the night before Lexie was born! Dylan was a day away from turning 27 months!

It was 2 weeks away from my due date, and I was so eager to find out whether we were having a boy or a girl!

I can't get over how BIG my belly was! I supposed I wasn't THAT big, but compared to how tiny I was with Dylan, this belly was huge! Then again, a 9 lb, 1 oz baby girl was curled up in there! I had a feeling she was going to be a big one, considering her big brother was 7 lbs, 2 oz, born a month early!

Dylan was so excited about having a baby brother or sister, but I don't think he really knew what he was in for!

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

It All Began With The Birth Of This Boy

Six years ago, toady, my nephew, Brady was born. I was at the hospital on his birth day, and fell in love the moment I saw him. And so began a major case of baby fever!

Brady was the first of my nieces/nephews to be born after I was married, so I could really appreciate him. Today, he turned 6! He's now a big boy!

We went over to his house tonight for cake and presents. It was just a few of us celebrating his birthday today. His big party will be in a few weeks.

After digging into his pile of presents, we enjoyed the cookie cake that he picked out. Then the craziness began!

Brady, Dylan, and Jack ran around with pull ups on their heads.

Brandon pretended he was the man who plays bells at the Renaissance Festival.


Lexie zoned out and desperately wished for a girl cousin. Or a sister.

...and picked her nose.

Look how far we've come since that special day 6 years ago!

Happy Birthday, Brady!!!

Monday, September 28, 2009

Not Me Monday



It's been a few weeks since I last participated in Not Me Monday. I've missed my weekly therapy session, courtesy of MckMama!

I did not inform my daughter that she was miserable, when she refused to try on some clothes that I wanted to buy her. I did not end up just buying the clothes and trying them on at home, only to find out that I need different sizes.

I did not put Lexie in the pack and play for a nap at my parent's house, and fall asleep while sitting on the bed.

I did not have a very red eye, thanks to an infection, and put my contact in anyway, because I couldn't handle not being able to see. Perhaps it's time to buy some glasses?

Last night, I did not sit my cranky child on her bedroom floor, and let her have a tantrum while I picked up her room. Said tantrum was not caused by complete exhaustion, due to skipping a nap. I did not turn around to find this, once I realized how quiet she had become. This did not happen before 7 pm.

We are not the owners of TWO hermit crabs, as of this past weekend. My sister did not give my kids the first one, and my husband did not insist on buying the kids a second one so they can each have one.

My heart did not break when Dylan started sobbing after hearing that Super Snail had passed away. I was not grateful for the hermit crab on my lap, that would help cheer him up.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Remember Bob?

Dylan found Bob Frog 6 weeks ago, today. Bob has defied all expectations, and is actually thriving in his little home!


Dylan holds him and talks to him several times a day. Lexie is not allowed to hold him, but she can touch his head. It's so strange, but I think Bob trusts Dylan. Dylan likes to put Bob on his hand, and let Bob walk up his arm to perch on his shoulder. As soon as Dylan gets home from school, he runs to Bob and tells him about his day.


Dylan loves Bob so much! And if I'm going to be honest, I'm rather fond of Bob, too. I'm hoping that Bob lives a long, happy life in our home.


There's nothing like a boy and his frog!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Wednesday's Walk Down Memory Lane

Come for a walk with me down Memory Lane!
And if you have a "Memory Lane" post, head on over to Scottsville to join in on the fun!

This picture is from April 2005. Dylan was just a mere 5 months old. It is so hard to believe that this picture was taken 4 1/2 years ago! It just proves how quickly time flies by!

We had just spent the day at the National Aviary, in Pittsburgh, with my dad, my sister, and my nephew, Brady. My sister was in town from Virginia, and it was so wonderful to see her and my 19 month old nephew again. While we were walking through one of the rooms, where the birds roam and fly freely, a bird walked up to Brady and grabbed a snack out of his hand, getting his finger in the process. He was so freaked out by that incident, that he still talks about it to this day!

We cheered Brady up by taking him out to the park in front of the aviary. Brady loved the park, but my little man had no idea what was going on. He just happily sat in the swing, looking around.

I love the picture, because it is timeless. It really looks like it was taken a very long time ago.

I can't even remember Dylan being that little!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Tuesday Tidbits

I think it's been a few weeks since I last did a Tuesday Tidbits post! Time just got away from me!

Dylan and Lexie have been as funny as ever. Life is never boring with those two around! They keep me smiling and laughing! So here are the things that I would never want to forget:

For instance, did you know that The Little Mermaid's fish friend is named Prounder? Not Flounder like I originally thought. Lexie must be right. It's Prounder with a very dramatic rolled r. He must be friends with Snow Wipe.

This face? She makes it all the time. I would never want to forget it. Thank goodness I have hundreds of pictures of her making it.



Yesterday, Grant's cousin had her baby girl, Bella. *Congrats, Ashley and Matt!* In the afternoon, I told Dylan that Ashley was going to the hospital to have her new baby, and that she was naming her Bella.
Dylan replied: "You mean, like Papa's dog, Bella, at his old house?" Bella was my parent's dog, and she passed away when Dylan was 2.
Me: "Yes, she will be named Bella, too."
Dylan: "Is Ashley coming over to our house tonight with Bella?"
Me: "No, Ashley is going to the hospital to have Bella tonight."
Dylan: Now completely confused. "She's having a puppy?"
Me: "No, buddy. Bella is a baby."

Dylan has also taken to holding my hair up, in two big pieces, and telling me that I look like Wolverine. That's just the style I was going for.

Tonight, Dylan informed Grant that his blue, rubber frog was Michael Jackson. Not only was he Michael Jackson, but he danced like Michael Jackson, too. I'm slightly worried about that one.

On the way back from dropping Dylan off at school the other day, Lexie insisted that her daddy had called her for help and that we had to go to his work to save him. Why? Apparently he was being eaten by birds. I actually had to call him at work to reassure Lexie that he was perfectly fine, and bird-free.

Spongebob is absolutely obnoxious. It's even more obnoxious when your 2 year old watches part of an episode, then sings, "It's the Best Day Eber!" over and over again. Locked in a car with you for 45 minutes. Without taking a break. That was on Friday. And she's still singing it. New song, please!

Monday, September 21, 2009

Completely Candid I Heart Faces


The theme this week at I Heart Faces is "Completely Candid." One picture stood out in my mind when I thought of this theme. It is a picture that cracks me up every time I see it!

One day this summer, Dylan and my nephews were chasing around their Grandma (my mom) and wrestling her to the ground. I started snapping pictures of the action. Grandma finally put an end to the chase, by giving the boys wedgies!

It's not a visibly perfect shot, but it's definitely a fun one!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Splash Award


Theta Mom passed on the Splash Award to me a few weeks ago! I am so sorry that I'm just getting around to posting it, and passing it on. Thank you, Theta Mom! I'm honored!

The Splash Award is given to alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive, and inspiring blogs.

When you receive this award, you must:
• Put the logo on your blog/post.
• Nominate & link up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
• Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
• Remember to link to the person from whom you received your Splash Award.

It is so hard for me to pick blogs to nominate! I love all the blogs I read!

I'm going to pass on the Splash Award to:

1. Brittany
2. Kimber
3. Erica
4. Elizabeth
5. Rhonda
6. Kelly
7. Candice

Thanks again, Theta Mom, for thinking of me!

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Quirky

Lexie and Bun Bun have been inseparable since the moment she picked him out of her toy basket when she was just 6 months old. That's not quirky. That's just plain adorable.

But Lexie has a dark side. She loves all things strange and ugly. For some reason, she attaches herself to these items. She's a quirky one!

We'll start with the not so strange, and leave the best for last!

Strange Lovey #1:
She loves her shoes. So much that she sleeps with them. Not ugly. Just strange.


Strange Lovey #2:
Neighbor Dave, who is completely awesome, always sends over stuff for the kids. His mom offered two dolls from the 1970's to Lexie, and she immediately fell in love with them. Not only are they bigger than her, but they are a bit scary looking. We sent one over to Nannie's house to stay. It was getting a bit crowded in her crib at night.



And now it gets weirder....

Strange Lovey #3:
The wooden rooster. My sister moved back to the area, and every time we went to her house, she went in search of the rooster. Or "cock" as she liked to call it at the time. Yeah...that wasn't good. I do believe "cock" has recently disappeared. His leg did break off, courtesy of Lexie. I wonder where he could be?

*Look at how much her hair is grown in one short year!!! That picture was taken in September of last year!

Strange Lovey #4:
The bird lady. My mom won this bird in the annual "Ugly Christmas Gift Contest" she has with my brother-in-law. Lexie adores this "baby" and carries it around my parent's house. Half lady, half bird? I just don't get it.


If you thought the last two were bad, just wait. This one takes the cake. This is one of the ugliest things I've ever seen. This is also an Ugly Christmas Gift winner. It's so bad, that when Lexie takes it out in public, the only thing people can say when they see it is..."Oh my." We try to leave it at my parent's house, but every so often, she takes it shopping or tries to bring it home.

Prepare yourself.

Strange Lovey #5:
Pumpkin Man.

Yes, that would be a doll with a pumpkin head. This thing terrifies me. But to Lexie, it's the coolest doll in the world.

* For the full effect, I'd recommend clicking on the bird lady and pumpkin man pics to enlarge them. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out on the details.

She's a strange one! I just look at it this way: She finds beauty in everything. That's a good thing! Embrace those quirks, baby girl!

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Birthday Gal

It's my mom's birthday today! She's 64 years young!

She'll probably kill me for posting her real age. Posting pics of her in her scrubs and pj's will seal the deal.

We celebrated my mom's birthday yesterday. She works today, but we will call her and sing "Happy Birthday" to her. The kids and I had dinner with my parents and we presented her with her birthday present. I picked out her favorite perfume, and Dylan and Lexie lovingly chose a candle and a fall decoration. Dylan eagerly helped her open the gifts.


I *heart* my mom! She's awesome. She is my shopping buddy and game buddy. We play Yahtzee and Rum twice a week. Nobody shops like we do. She cooks amazingly delicious dinners and desserts. She would do anything for her children. She is an amazing grandmother. Sometimes, I think she loves her grandchildren more than her own children! ;) I have been blessed in the mom department!

Happy Birthday, Mom! Here's to many more! We love you!

Monday, September 14, 2009

School Daze

Life has been a whirlwind since Dylan started school. I imagined our lives would change when he went to school, but I didn't realize just how much!

Dylan LOVES school. He talks about it all the time, and is so excited when I tell him it's a school day. When I picked him up from class today, he walked out and exclaimed, "Mommy, I had a great day!" He is very friendly, polite, and outgoing, so I knew it would be easy for him. The fact that he loves it so much makes it easier on me when I leave him behind.

Lexie is not a happy camper. She is missing her brother so much, and sobs every time we leave him at school.

Today was Dylan's first regular day at school, with all of his classmates. Last week was hour-long split classes. Each week, the class focuses on one student, who is the "shining star." Dylan was the first shining star. This weekend, we had to fill a special bag that the teacher sent home, with pictures, his favorite book (that I have to read to the class on Friday), his favorite toy, and a story that he illustrated then dictated to me. This week, the class gets to learn all about him.

I am so overwhelmed right now. We are so busy already, and then we added school to the mix. This is a big change for all of us. The kids are going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. No more 12-14 hours of sleep a night for them! And no more staying up until 2 AM for me. I just can't do it anymore. Which means I had to alter my schedule to get in internet/blogging time! No more late night blogging for me!

Our schedule is so structured now. I was amazed at everything I accomplished today while Dylan was at school. I got in a 2 mile run, cleaned all of my floors in the house, put laundry away, cleaned Dylan's room, played 2 games with Lexie, and had a few minutes to get online, before I had to get Dylan. I am liking that! I guess there's something to be said for waking up earlier.

I can't believe everything *I* have to do for school! When Dylan gets homework, it means Mommy has to take an hour to help. I have made 2 runs to the store to pick up pictures that I had to print out for homework/projects. There are permission slips to sign, papers to turn in, class parties to volunteer at, books to read to the class, snack days to remember, picture day, orientations, meetings, field trips. So many dates to remember, on top of the many things we already have planned! I am so overwhelmed, and really need to get organized! I think I need a command center for all of this information!

It's a big adjustment for all of us, but I think we'll be just fine! This new schedule is going to be good for us. I just need to get out of this daze!

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Camp In

Dylan and Grant were supposed to go camping today. Their bags were packed, but as I was getting Dylan ready for bed last night, I realized he was burning up. A quick temp check revealed a 103.8 degree fever.

Cancel plans.

Dylan has never gone to the doctor for a sick visit, until today. After one short week of school, he ended up sicker than he's ever been! The kid is lucky, and just doesn't get sick! Whenever he caught a bug in the past, it was so minor that you couldn't even tell he was sick, and very short lived. Wish I could say the same for rashes! ;)

This morning, Dylan still had a very high fever, was congested, and was coughing. He slept all morning, and had no energy, so we headed to Urgent Care just to make sure he was okay. Poor kid was so sick that he fell asleep during his exam.

They did a flu swab and a chest x-ray. The x-ray came back "questionable" so they sent it to radiology, who will review it, and call us back tomorrow. If he does have pneumonia, they will phone a prescription for an antibiotic into our pharmacy. For now, the doctor suggested keeping him on a regular Motrin schedule and giving him Delsym twice a day. The cough suppressant really helped with his cough, and when the fever went down a bit, Dylan perked up.

I felt horrible that Dylan was missing out on the camping trip with his dad, Papa, uncle, and cousins. He has been looking forward to this for a while, and even had a brand new sleeping bag to use.

What's a parent to do?


Set up a tent in the house, of course!

It worked out so well! Dylan and Lexie played quietly in the tent, reading books, talking, and eating marshmallows and pretzel sticks. They had a great time, and Dylan got the rest he needed.


We even ended up putting the portable DVD player in the tent. The kids curled up and enjoyed a movie!

Before we knew it (really, they were being so good and quiet!) , it was time for bed.

It wasn't the camping trip Dylan was counting on, but he had so much fun, that I don't even think he missed it!

This is a definite do over!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

9th Wedding Anniversary and First Day of School

It's 09/09/09 and we're celebrating 9 years of marriage today!

How did we celebrate? By taking our baby boy to his very first day of school!

Dylan was so excited. He asked so many questions about his school while we were getting ready, and was so happy with his new clothes, new kicks, and new bag! He must have been excited, because he usually refuses to smile for the camera, and today he was all smiles!

What did Lexie think about Dylan going to Pre-K?

My dad came to stay with her while Grant and I took Dylan to school. It was only an hour long class, and we got to stay with him. It was so crazy seeing him in class!

His teachers seem great, and he had no problem interacting with others and leaving our side. I think he's going to have a good year!

The only thing I noticed was that his stutter got a lot worse when he was talking in class. As soon as we left, it improved. He must have been a bit nervous. Hopefully that will change. It's really hard to watch him stutter. He's so friendly, polite, and outgoing. He has no problem initiating conversation or answering questions. Up until recently, he had no speech problems, and he has no clue that anything is wrong. I hope he will improve soon!

Once we got to school, he found his coat hook and then met his teachers.

Then, we did a scavenger hunt to learn where things were. That included making shapes with playdoh, and painting a picture.

I was really impressed with how well he did. This was his first experience in a classroom! He listened well, was polite, and attentive. Hopefully he keeps that up! On Friday, he goes by himself for an hour, and then the regular schedule starts on Monday.

We took Dylan to McDonald's for lunch, since it was his special day. Then we went home to get Lexie Bean, and went to a nearby state park, to go for a hike. It's one of our favorite places to go, so it seemed fitting to go on our anniversary.

Lexie spiked a high fever while we were walking. I ended up carrying her the entire 2 miles (ouch) and she slept in the car while we waited for the boys. I felt so bad, because she was acting normal on the way to the park, and then she was miserable! She has been sleeping off and on since 3:30 this afternoon, and she's spiking 103- 104 degree fevers in between doses of Motrin. I hope she feels better tomorrow!

The boys still managed to have fun! They caught salamanders, crayfish, and Dylan caught a big toad and a little toad. That kid is obsessed with frogs and toads!


Despite Lexie's fever, Dylan had a great first day of school, and we had a good anniversary!

After 9 years of marriage, I'm happy with how far we've come.



Tuesday, September 8, 2009

His Bag Is Packed, He's Ready To Go

It is our very first school night. It is so surreal! I honestly can't believe that it's time for my baby boy to start school! I'm going to admit it: I was in tears last night!

We had a good labor day yesterday. It was rainy, chilly, and uneventful, but familiar. We do the same thing every year: go to Nannie's end of summer, Labor Day picnic. I got to sit around and talk, because the kids are obsessed with Grant's parent's neighbor, Dana...who was the flower girl in our wedding, 9 years ago (tomorrow)! She is so good with Dylan and Lexie, and they adore her.



We were up early today, and I had so many last minute things to do before Dylan starts school tomorrow! We started out with a haircut for Dylan, picked up some pictures, got all the laundry washed and put away, cleaned their rooms, and had dinner with my parents. Dylan got to bed a bit later than I wanted, due to a bathroom incident. Lexie had a massive blowout in the tub...TWICE! Fill tub, kids scream bloody murder, empty tub, wipe with Clorox, fill tub, kids scream, empty tub, wipe with Clorox. Luckily, third time was the charm! In the words of Dylan: "Stupid diarrhea. I am so sick of it!!!" Trust me, we all are!

After our very eventful bath experience, Dylan had to do some homework. Say WHAT?!?!? Homework??? He had to draw a picture of himself, and pick out a few photos of himself to take to school.

Lexie was upset that she couldn't do homework. Bet that's the last time that happens!

The finished product...he had to add his pet frog, Bob, and his name. Gotta love Oylan. ;)

Once he finished his homework, we got his backpack ready and tried it on! It's bigger than him! :(

I can't handle this!



Dylan is going to be just fine and I know he's going to love school. It's Mommy who's going to have a hard time! A very hard time.