Lovin on the baby

Lately Logan has been changing like crazy. He really is not a baby and it's so much fun watching him learn new things and actually become a playmate for Kinsey. He is talking like crazy and in to absolutely everything. 

He has also become quite the class clown recently. He loves to do things and then watches us for a reaction. When he can make us or Kinsey laugh he will repeat said activity a million times:)

Lately he has been insisting on sleeping with his sunglasses on. He will actually sleep the majority of the night with them on. Hilarious!!

When you party hardy you are gonna crash. This is after aunt Megans college graduation.

Please stay small forever my sweet man

And sometimes you just gotta pose for one of sissys selfies!

I pray that you hold on to this silly, fun loving heart forever

Movie Time

Kinsey went to her first legit movie yesterday. We have talked a ton about taking her but it somehow kept getting pushed to the back burner.
It was a freezing cold day yesterday and I was totally ok just hanging at home with little man.
We have driven by the warren a lot and she always says she wants to go. When Josh told her that he was taking her it was a total 4 year old scream melt down with excitement.
She told me she needed to wear her "very pretty" dress and asked me to help her get ready.

They went to see Frozen and Josh was under direct orders to take pics.
He told her she could have anything she wanted from the snack bar. (He didn't run that one by me beforehand). She chose a large Dr Pepper and Mike and Ikes. He said she drank/ate about half of each. Yikes!
Once they got their seats he said she kept asking where the tv was and didn't understand why there was a curtain over it.
He said after it got started she sat in her seat and watched until about half way through. She made it through the whole movie but was a little restless the second half. 
She came home and told me all about the snowman and all the candy she ate!!!!
So thankful to have a hubs that makes time with his kiddies a priority. Props to you Josh!!

Advent

We started off December right this year!! Its so hard to instill a thankful heart in children who have everything they could want or need. 
We have been talking about the Christmas season and thinking of things we can do for others. Kinsey wanted to bake cookies for her friends. And then off course she added that she would like to eat some of the cookies as well........
I wanted to move a bit out the comfort zone of her friends so we decided we would bake cookies for the neighbors. Some of which we know really well and have children around the same age, but some of which we do not know at all. 

We spent one evening baking and decorating. All the while telling her we are doing this because we want to love our neighbors and this is the way we are choosing to do it. She says she wants to love the neighbors as long as she can eat some of their cookies. (Tough thing for a little one to understand)
The next day we packaged and delivered the cookies. 
This was her favorite part. Because we delivered them during the day a lot of the people in our neighborhood that we don't know work and therefore weren't home. We left their cookies hanging on their door and went on to the next house.
She did great and loved running up to their doors.

What a fun way to start off this Christmas season. I love how much she is learning each year and just how eager Logan is to follow her and do all that big sissy does. Don't worry she got to eat a cookie. (You gotta taste test the product ya know!)
Can't wait to find more ways to celebrate the most wonderful season of the year!!

Thankful Thanksgiving

Carving out a special time to slow down and just be in the moment with family is a much needed thing for us each year. I feel like each year is getting busier and busier. This year Josh had 4 whole days home with us. It was absolutely wonderful. Its very rare that we get that much time with him and went spent the whole time together with family and celebrating.

On Thanksgiving day we had a lazy morning at home. We made cinnamon rolls and just lounged around in our pjs. We went over to his parents house in Andover for a big lunch and lots of lazy time watching football and just enjoying everyone. The kids love love spending time at their grandparents house and its definitely a second home for them.

Friday morning we got out a little early, grabbed a cup of coffee and braved the crowds. We only went to two stores and didn't buy much but it was fun seeing what all the excitement is about on black friday. 

After that we came home and my family was coming to our house for Thanksgiving dinner. I cooked most of the day and was joined by some awesome company. I really do enjoy cooking........I just don't enjoy the mess afterwards:)
We had a great meal and it was fun to have my whole fam over. The kids soaked up family time and were spoiled like crazy. Although I missed out on the white russians (I will make up for it next year) the whole day was a blast. 
I will admit that I'm pretty sure my eyes were closed before my head hit my pillow that night.......But WELL worth it:)

Cookie Decorating

This week we had some good friends over to decorate cookies. This weather just makes me want to hunker down and do inside stuff. I'm kind of a wimp and the cold sends me running inside for warm sweats and house slippers.
The kids all had a blast decorating their cookies. I had lots of sprinkles and glitter and such that each seemed to have a tiny bit left in the bottom. What better way to get rid of it all than let the kids decorate until their little hearts are content.
Not gonna lie, some went a bit overboard and it looked like a glitter bomb exploded on their cookies. In fact, they did not look real appetizing. 
Fingers were licked, sprinkles eaten and everyone had fun. 
What more could you ask for?

A day full of baking

Last week I was in a blah mood. I didn't want to leave the house. Everyone was feeling kind of crummy. We needed to make some pumpkin bread for the new neighbors and this was the perfect day! We lounged around in our pjs, watched cartoons, listened to music and baked until our hearts were content.

Kinsey was such a great helper. I can tell it had been awhile since I last let her be really involved in the kitchen. She was actually really good at listening and very eager to learn how to make this bread.
I measured everything and she poured and stirred. She was so proud of her finished product. It was really fun to see her so proud of her work.

Logan did great as well and had the very important task of licking each spoon. Its safe to say he loved his job!!! 
Staying home and spending the whole day in comfy clothes just loving on these sweet littles does not happen near enough around here. 
I will be really trying to do that more. My go go go mentality needs chill and we need many more days like these!!

Halloweenie

Halloween (just a tad late) was a blast this year. Best one yet!
Kinsey is getting older and Logan was the most adorable age to watch.
A witch and a spider made their presence around the neighborhood.
Joshs work had a little trick or treat set up where the kids could walk around the cubicles and all of the employees handed out candy. They were all dressed up as well......super cute. Well......except the Hulk. He scared nearly every kid there and no one passed near his cubicle. He had to take his mask off to convince Kinsey he wasn't a complete monster. Meltdown diverted.
Then we came back home where my parents stopped by and dropped off some cute books and candy.

Then Joshs family (the whole clan, dad, stepmom, aunt, uncle and grandma) came over to trick or treat in the neighborhood. Family is good stuff people. It was a blast.
My old work partner Tim and uncle Tommy and Aunt Meagan came as well. We had a crew I tell ya!
We met up with some neighbors as well and the kids were out for at least 2 hours. 
They all went up to the houses with very little assistance and the adults tagged along behind and chatted the night away. 
Kinsey had an outfit change mid evening and spent the rest of the night as Minnie Mouse. Its a blast to watch both her and Logan grow and change and learn new things each year.

Halloween was a total blast this year and I can honestly say I can't wait to do it again!!

Gymnastics

Kinsey did 8 weeks of gymnastics the last two months. It was.......interesting. 
She had a blast and I was being the skeptic. It seemed they did more running and jumping around rather than the cartwheels and handstands I had hoped for.

But my negativity was just that. They eventually got around to a handstand day and a cartwheel day. Both of which seemed challenging with a bunch of 3 year olds so I guess I will just leave it to the professionals:)
Kinsey did not know anyone in her class and it was different to watch her interact with a bunch of kids she didn't know. Refreshing. 
In the end it was a good experience even if she did come home and "practice" which often involved Logan trying to "practice" and that was a whole new sight of funniness.
We may have to try again in another year and see if she still likes it!

I'm back!........with BIG news!

Wow!.......it has been a super long time since I have updated the ol' family blog. I have been under the weather. Just feeling rotten every day, exhausted, nauseated, ect. All due to this:

Yep!!! Our little family is growing!
We are absolutely over the moon excited to meet our sweet little baby #3 on or around May 28, 2014. 

This pregnancy has been a little different than the others. I have been much sicker and more tired than normal. But I am 11 weeks tomorrow and (knock on wood) think I am starting to feel much better. The last 4 days I have seemed to have my energy back and only been nauseaus a few times. 
With both of the other kids I felt sick up until about 16-18 weeks.
This would be a major blessing if I were to be feeling better because this house nearly falls apart with me lying on the couch all day. I wouldn't dare invite you over to see my stacks of dishes in the sink or piles of laundry on the floors. And I wouldn't dare admit that my children have been watching way too much tv and eating whatever it is that makes them happy.
But hey! This is survival time man! And we are doing exactly that.......surviving. 

Kinsey is pretty set that the baby is going to be a girl. The name, however changes week to week, It has been named Alice, Allie, Violet, and Avery. We shall see what next week holds:)

Sweet little baby bean: we can't wait to meet you. You will be so adored by all of us and our house needs some newborn baby sweetness. 

First day of school

On Monday was Kinseys first day of Kids Day Inn. We chose to do another year of that versus 2 day a week preschool. I want to eat up every second I have with her. Before I know it she will be gone all day at school, left in the care of near strangers. My stomach is in knots thinking about it.
But for now she just goes to school one day a week. Baby steps for this momma.
Because she went last year she knew what to expect. She had some of the same classmates but a new teacher. 
Daddy stayed home in the morning again and we had a special McDonalds breakfast. Not healthy but made for one happy little gal!
I did the obligatory first day pics and followed her all the way in snapping pic after pic. 
Someday when she is grown I will look back on these pics with a bottle of wine and box of tissues. Probably sooner than that.......
She kissed me goodbye and marched right into that room like she owned the place. 

Kinsey girl you are a smart, independent loving girl. Please never change that. I hope you learn a ton of new things this year and make lots of new friends. I hope you never lose that sweet innocence. Have a great year of school princess!