Things I Love

I love winter and winter clothing.
I love wind. And breezes. And scarves.
I love bright colors and wearing bright colors any time of the year.
I loved watching C.S.I. when Grissom was on the show.
I love watching shows with my husband and I love t.v. I love going to the movies and sitting at Barnes and Noble.
I love Starbucks and ordering the same drink over and over and never venturing outside my box.
I love my house.
I love the mess in my house and cleaning the messes in my house.
I love my house when I just got done cleaning it.
I love my brand new car.
I love my bathroom. It's pretty. I love all bathrooms. I love to see how different they can all be.
I love traveling and I LOVE Paris.
I love my big backyard, the color of the bricks, and mailbox.
I love being in love with my husband.
I love the color fuchsia.
I love going on road trips with comfy pants on and magazines to look at and books to read.
I love reading, especially reading mafia books.
I love cooking and kitchens. I love kitchen equipment.
Shopping is super fun and I am learning to love it.
I love shoes, watches, purses. Oh how I love purses.
I love dogs and particularly love my two dogs. Drew and Petrie.
I loved breastfeeding. I loved wearing my baby. I loved wearing him when it was cold, not hot.
I love shopping for little boy clothes. And I love figuring out what my boys will wear for the day. I love my parents. Dearly.
I love my brother even though he is going through something awkward right now.
I love God and all that He has blessed me with.
I love my husband with all that I am. I love his smell. I love his hair. I love his face. I love his cute feet. I love everything about him.
I love my two sons. I love their hair and they way they smell. I love how different they are and dread how different they are at the same time. But I do love them...unconditionally.
I love my husband for creating my babies with me. I love our love.

These are some of the things I love. It feels good to write it down. It feels good to think happy thoughts. Maybe you learned something about you didn't know before.

You do the same on your blog. It's fun.

Imagination

So today my beautiful, handsome, wonderful Tristan showed me just how much he has grown up!! He was playing with his Lego's and actually built me a house. A real house. One that looks just like a house. Not a tower of Lego's just put together. He made me a house. I watched him put it together all on his own. No help. No nothing. He is growing up so fast. I cried. I am so happy for him that his imagination is shining through now. He wanted to make his Momma a house. I can't wait to see what his little brain will want to make me tomorrow.

He also had an imaginary friend today. Diego! You know, THE Diego. He didn't create his own name or person, he borrowed Nickelodeon's, but he sure played with him around the house today. They climbed a mountain, went into a cave, hid from bears and lions and tigers, and had dinner together. It was so cute. I accidentally sat on Diego though. Oops! I didn't injure him, I just sat on him and hurt his feelings according to Tristan. He's better now after his peanut butter and jelly sammich. Hope he doesn't have a nut allergy.

All Alone and So Quiet

Tristan is at MDO and the house is so quiet without him. Aiden doesn't know what to do without his big brother. It is precious to see him look for Tristan all over the house. I am at work on Tuesdays and Aiden is at my Mom's house. She keeps him very busy and entertained. Because he only sees her twice a week he is okay on Tuesday's when Tristan is gone because it is somebody new to play with. On Thursday's I think he is extra sad because we are at home where he is ALWAYS with his big brother. I have started "school" for him now to keep him busy. Normally he has Tristan to occupy his mind and we don't get one on one time so this is lovely for both of us.

We are practicing colors, letters, numbers, sounds, words, and objects. I am very far behind in teaching him the basics. Tristan at 18 months knew his colors and could say plenty of words. Aiden can say lots of words but only when prompted by other people. Tristan would talk to us. Aiden talks back. So I feel as though I have been a huge slacker with the second child. Shame on me.

He is doing great though. Come to find out he already knows tons of things. He just doesn't show or tell us he knows them. Now that it is just the two of us he has all the time in the world to show me just how much he knows. I am amazed at what I thought he didn't know but he actually does know. I love it. He is the loud, quiet one. Weird huh? He is loud with whining, he is the KING of whining, but quiet with actual talking. He gets your attention by whining or crying instead of using words. This is a work in progress of teaching him to use words to get me or Daddy to do whatever it is he is wanting us to do for him. We are slowly but surely getting there.

I love my little Aiden. He is such a character once you get to know him. People who try to say hi to him probably think he is horrible. He never lets them hold him, touch him, or even talk to him. He is very strange. He really is. There are only 4 1/2 people who are on the inside with him. Mommy, Daddy, Tristan (he should really be first because he is the closest to Aiden), my Mom aka Dodi, and my Dad is halfway there. Hence the 4 1/2. Other than these four people, Aiden doesn't let you close.

But if you are privileged enough to be in his inner circle, it is an amazing place to be.

Feeling Better

The last two weeks have been a hectic two weeks. My boys were sick, off and on, and then Julian got a cold over the weekend but it was a really bad cold.

It started with the boys getting colds two Mondays ago. Both of them gradually got worse over the day and by night time they were snot nosed cuties. They were not the most pleasant to be around but at they were cute looking. Well, they got over their colds by Thursday but then on Saturday Tristan got a tummy ache that lasted a week. Oh man. That was torture for a Mommy. Everyday was a poo accident that was everywhere and I had at least one load of laundry everyday. UGH. But now he is doing okay and everything seems to be okay. Thank goodness. I was going crazy with all the poo.

Julian ended up getting a massive cold on Wed/Thursday night. I can't remember which one but it was really bad. He couldn't breathe and was coughing up a storm. Nights were horrible. Julian couldn't sleep and Tristan kept needing assistance with his tummy so that meant that Mommy did not sleep. Boy, sleep is important folks. I felt like I had a newborn again. Intermittent sleep and taking care of everyone else but yourself.

I am happy to say that we are all doing good now. Kids aren't sick and Julian was on the mend as of yesterday. This is great news for me.

Happy children make a Momma happy. A happy hubby makes a wife happy.

Four Years

Saturday was my anniversary. Four years married to the imperfect man who is perfect for me. It has been a great four years filled with every emotion possible. I wouldn't change it for the world.

The day was wonderful...minus an hour of it. It is our tradition that every anniversary we have pictures taken. This year was CRAZY. I have learned that my boys are NOT picture takers at all. Aiden refuses to sit still or be near anyone. He won't smile. He won't stand still either. He is the most horrible "model" ever for taking pictures. I was so stressed out during the process. I can't believe the photographer got some good shots. I got one of Tristan smiling and one of Aiden just being Aiden. It isn't the greatest picture but it isn't the worst. By the time she got around to taking pictures of Julian and me I was done. My cheeks were all pink from being frustrated and I just wasn't in the mood for being all smiley. Although we did get a good family picture and Julian and I still got a good picture of us, I wasn't the most satisfied. I call a re-do!

But other than that, it was a perfect day. Julian and I woke up early to make breakfast together. We ate as a family (which isn't abnormal) and then Julian got the boys ready as well as himself so that way I could spend all my time on myself. That was super sweet. No stress at all getting ready or getting to the studio. It was the taking of the pictures that was overwhelming. Afterwards though, it was all good. We dropped the kids off at my Mom and Dad's and then we went home to enjoy the day together.

We cooked all day. Just cooked and enjoyed each other's company. HOW ROMANTIC AND AWESOME. I love to cook and Julian loves to eat so it works out great. We made this fantastic shrimp and crab dip as an appetizer. Oh man...it is DELICIOUS.

I am drooling right now. Ok, done drooling.

We then watched a show together and then prepped for dinner. We started marinating our steak the night before in wine so all we had to do was chop veggies. Our dinner was amazing. We had Red Wine & Rosemary Flank Steak with Homefries (not french fries or fries for that matter) and Roasted Veggies. HOLY MOLY it was good. I don't like to drink that much so I got some sparkling apple cider to put in a wine glass and seem fancy while Julian got Shiner.

We cleaned up together, sat together, and talked together. It was a day to be together and be with just each other. It was magical. We were going to do a ganache with fruit but we were stuffed. We picked up the boys about eight and put them down to bed as soon as we got home. We spent the rest of the night cuddling and talking and falling in love with each other even more. I could stare into his big, brown eyes forever.

mmmm mmmm good

Things are good. Life is good. My children are healthy and happy (most times but they may think otherwise when they are in the midst of their fit because Mommy said no to something they wanted). My husband is doing good in his new job. He likes it and seems to be happy. I have been doing good. I am trying to take more time for myself and I am loving it. I have been going to the gym (I only just started going back so it is farely new and I will have to see if I continue it) and I really enjoy it. I used to go all the time before marriage and babies. I would go four to five times a week and spend at least an hour and a half there. I go now and don't do nearly as much as I used to and only spend a little bit of time there but it feels great. I am reading more because I LOVE to read.

I sort of went through a lot this year. I had family issues and personal issues but now things seem to be looking up. I am looking very forward to the fall. I absolutely LOVE cold weather (the clothes are wonderful because they cover everything...no short shorts or shirts barely covering your bits and pieces). I am waiting for the cold weather to come but it will. I am anxiously awaiting it. This fall is going to be a good one.

Even our dogs are doing good. Aiden is in love with Drew and he will chase Petrie around trying to get her nub of a tail. It is funny. Drew lets him sit on top of her and poke her in the eye. That dog is so incredibly good with my children. She loves them like they were her own puppies. Petrie is good but would rather cuddle with me. She will play with the boys but gets tired of them quickly.

Life is good like I said. We are healthy, happy, and full of hope.

Tristan's first day at MDO

It was great. Tristan was ready to start school a long time ago I think. We would talk about it and he would say "let's go now!" How cute. He already knows his colors, numbers, and shapes. He is learning that in his school right now so he is a bit ahead for now but I am happy for him. He is going to learn spanish and has a computer class. How exciting!!

He was perfectly fine when we got there. He went right to his seat that he picked on "Meet the Teacher" day. He posed for pictures with me and then went to go play. He was happy to see me when I picked him up. His teacher said that he didn't take a nap and I experienced the consequences of that. He was happy to see me but quickly turned into cranky boy. He fell asleep almost as soon as we got in the car but was still super cranky the rest of the day.

I cried when I got in the car after dropping him off. I kept my composure in the classroom and almost let loose a tear on the way out but didn't.

I am amazed at the stage we are at. I can't believe he is going to preschool. Crazy. I have always said I would wait until Tristan was three to send him to MDO and now he is old enough to go. Where did the past three years go?

I know that this is going to be great for him and he seems to really be enjoying it.