Wordless Wednesday - End of Troy's Career

So, Troy has decided to finally give up soccer!!  After 25+ years he said he was done, and to prove it, he burnt his cleats.  I wasn't sure that he was serious, but I guess he was.  He still enjoys soccer, but I think he missed not being able to go to Owen's practices this past season and missed Owen's last make up game.  I'm happy that my husband is such a family man!!

Troy, you were/are one heck of a soccer player and I enjoyed your watching your games through the years!!!  (I"m also sorry that I made you play co-ed and always picked fights w/the other team....but it was fun right???  )

I love you babe!!

How to get your child to eat.

So...when Owen first started eating table food at about 9-10 months old...he ate EVERYTHING...and by everything...I mean, everything.  He would demolish a can of green peas, steak, chicken, broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, butter beans, etc.  It was awesome.

Then...he magically hit a point in his life when he ate NOTHING...and yes nothing...unless it was chocolate, or sweet.  What happened to our sweet boy who was so easy to please??

So in the course of about 2 years we have tried everything...taking away dessert, no snacks between meals, fixing some things he used to like w/some new things...and well NOTHING worked.  He ate what he wanted, when he wanted.

What we didn't want to happen, was to fix 2 meails each and every night...1 for us, and 1 for Owen.  So we continued to try new "concepts" to get O to eat better, and well dinner time, was such a mess at our house.  Everyone was tired and cranky, and all we wanted was for O to eat more than 2 bites and just maybe try something out of the norm.

Well...just as quickly as his eating habits went away...they came back.  I have no idea how it happened but I'm thankful!!  And what "normal" food did it start with??  Steak!! 

We had cooked steak (2 - one for Troy and 1 for me) and O looked at the two steaks and said "which one is mine, why is there only 2 when there are 3 of us?"  So...being the smart parents that we are, we responded "Owen, you haven't eaten steak in 2 years, if you eat steak tonight, next time we buy it...we'll buy your own steak"

So....lets just say a few days later...we had this:

Don't get me wrong, dinner time is still a struggle for us...but now it's only 3 of the 7 nights so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that we are coming out of this stage!!

So...for all you other parents who are in the fun years of eating battles....just stick with it, and know that it will eventually go away!!

Good luck!

They Get Along!!

For now at least...and I want to cherish each and every picture because I know it won't be long before they will be fitting and yelling at each other.  This way, I can go back and look and see that they can get along!!  That, and I may need these pics for my sanity!

Wordless Wednesday

So..2nd week in a row...write it down!!  This week goes to Brynnleigh.  These pics are older, from May 6, 2011...but she just looks so happy, I couldn't resist.  These were taken in her exersaucer....nothing special...just my happy baby girl having fun playing!!

B & her tongue...her new obsession



B's new sippy cup, she thinks its a toy!



O's 3rd Soccer Season

Can you believe...at 4, Owen has played 3 seasons of soccer?  Crazy, I know.  Shoot, Troy & I weren't able to start until we were 5, O will have 2 years on us.  This was the first season where it looked more like soccer than kickball.  Owen loved it, and told us on the way to his last game, that we needed to sign him up to play again!!

I'm not sure Owen will be as much of a soccer star as his mommy....(j/k Troy) & his daddy but I'm just glad that he's involved in sports.  We don't expect him to be a huge star, I just want him to have a release from stress, and something to take his interest and keep him out of trouble.  I see sports as chance to meet new people and build your character.  We've even been lucky to meet some great friends through Owen's sports just in the past year and a half.

So, his first game....he scored 4 goals....every game there after, he was upset if he did not score 4.  He scored in every game and more importantly, he LOVED going, and had fun.

If you can't find Owen in any of these pictures....he's the one in the bright green cleats!! 

I'm sorry there are not more pics from the season....they had a lot of rained out games and we missed 2 for sickness and trips.

Wordless Wednesday

So, I'm going to try this.  I need some quicker posts to keep me up to date...and who doesn't love more pictures!!

So essentially, I will be posting (at least once a week right!) a picture each Wednesday, that doesn't need words to "describe".  And since we all know me...there will be words..just maybe less of them!!

So this week goes to Owen: (since so many of my posts lately have been about Brynnleigh!)

Owen wanted a red day...so we made it...even up to the snacks!!  (And yes, his underwear was red too).  His socks are multicolored, but the toes, well, they were red of course...too bad we covered up w/red shoes!



Red Day 6/9/11

 So...happy Wednesday everyone!

Happy 7 Months Brynnleigh

Brynnleigh turned 7 months old on 5/4/11.  This milestone was a tad rough for me to take...she's hit the round up mark....to 1 years old.  It's crazy...it seems like just the other day I was pregnant, and just having her!  Brynnleigh, you are such an additon to our family, and I cannot imagine our family without you.  Your big brother, Owen is so proud and protective of you.  He still asks to hold you almost every day, and loves to play with you (and your toys!).  I personally, love to watch you smile and laugh.  You are almost always happy and content!!

This was not a month w/stats...but we thought you were sick and you had a doctors appointment right after your 7 month birthday.  So we at least got your weight!!  By the way...you were not sick...maybe teeth?  But we don't see any coming in so only time will tell.

So...at 7 Months:

Weight - 17 lbs 9 oz  (this is pretty cool since it's my soccer number & Daddy's soccer number)

Food - 5 - 6 oz bottles (8 am, 11 am, 2pm, 5pm, and 8-9pm) rice cereal twice a day, and stage 1 and stage 2 foods twice a day....once Owen finishs up w/school we will try to drop a bottle and add more food.

Sleep - you've kinda stopped doing his (why we took you to the doctor) so we are hoping this improves

Diapers - size 2-3 and soon to be 3

Clothes - 3-6 and some 6-9...I've been pulling out all the 6-9, but just can't part with some of the 3-6 just yet ; )

Favories - your brother for sure....but you tend to like your dolls/stuffed animals and chewing on the backside of your pacis.

We've enjoyed your first 7 months and look forward to many many more....I just hope they come along slowly, I like to treasure every moment with my babies!!

 love this pic

Happy Easter

Easter 2011

So we returned home from the beach 1 whole day before Easter Sunday!!  Luckily the Easter Bunny knew we were out of town and was well planned for our return home.

Our Easter was totally different than our normal Easter festivities.  With us going to the beach for the week, I was unable to get the kids to the mall o see the Easter Bunny.  I was hoping to get them by while at the beach, but the weather was so nice and we were "relaxing" I just didn't want to drag them to the mall.  At first I was okay with it...then when it was too late to take them (Easter Day), I started regretting it.  O has seen the Easter Bunny every year...and this was B's first Easter.  I feel like such a bad parent because we didn't do it.  I even thought about asking a good friend if I could borrow their Easter Bunny outfit and do my own picture...but never did.  Sorry B...but I'll make up for it...promise.

So Easter Sunday, both kids woke up around 8 am and we headed downstairs to see if the Easter Bunny had come, and sure enough he had.  Owen was sooo excited that he had left his trademark eggs in our front yard.  Honestly, O was more excited about the eggs in the front yard, then the "basket" that was left.  Once he saw the basket, he was soo excited.  He went straight to playing with his puzzles and wanting to color & blow bubbles.  I am soo soo soo glad that the Easter Bunny did not leave O too much candy.  He did get a PB egg, M&Ms and some other chocolate & PB candy...but not much.  Brynnleigh got a few surprises too.  Some new jelly shoes, a bag (O got one too), puffs, book, and some teethers.  She was also happy w/just the basket!!

So after explaining to O why he couldn't eat chocolate at 8am, 8:30 am, 9am, and 9:30 am we got the kids dressed and headed out the door to church.  I had gotten them somewhat coordinating outfits, but O wanted to wear a different shirt and well, it was a dress shirt so why not let him pick and not have a fight.  It's just as much his holiday as it is ours.

We went back home for our Easter bunny easter egg hunt, relaxed for about an hour or two, then headed to Missy & Papas (my parents) for dinner.  Normally, our Easter day would have been a trip to King William to spend the afternoon w/my mom's family, and then a quick stop by Troy's parents house.  So we'd get both sets of family in and it would feel like every other holiday, spent w/family.  Well, since we had been at the beach together all week, Troy's parents decided to wait and have us over for a nice dinner during the week.  My mom's extended family, also decided to wait, since Mother's day was only 2 weeks away.  So honestly, it did not feel like a holiday...but we had a blast anyways.

Nana & Brynnleigh

My Nana came by my parents house, so she got to spend time with Owen & Brynnleigh and we did have fun.  Owen got to do another Easter egg hunt at Missy & Papa's and all & all it was a great day.

Owen, I hope you enjoyed your 4th Easter, and B, I hope you enjoyed your first.  I promise next Easter will be back to it's crazy self and filled with lots of family & extended family time!

 O helping B w/her basket

B's first egg hunt

The new way to pick up eggs

So innocent

B's first beach trip!

B's first feel of the ocean!

B under the pier

We decided to head to our favorite place, Myrtle Beach for Owen's spring break.  This was Brynnleigh's first beach trip, and well our timing was perfect.  She was a little older than 6 months old and Owen was 5 and 6 months old the first 2 beach trips.

O..so excited to finally be at the beach

Owen was soooo excited to go to the beach, he asked us EVERY DAY, how much longer until we could leave for the beach!

We left mid morning on Saturday (we were going to go to O's soccer game...it started raining 30 minutes before it was due to start) and it took us 9 hours to get there!!  (should have taken only 5).  The kids did great, but traffic was horrible.  But thank God it was bad, because we randomly got off on Rt. 40 since 95 was so back up....we missed the massive tornados by about 10 minutes.

So on Sunday morning, we took O & B down to the beach so they could check it out.  They both LOVED it.  O walked up and down the beach and even got his feet wet...it was COLD!!!  B just took it all in, but she loved running her fingers in the sand, and I am so glad she didn't put it in her mouth.

Uncle Jamy & B

My brother, soon to be sister in law, and niece came down for 1/2 the week and it was so nice to see O, K, & B interact and play together.  I miss those little steps running around the house looking for "Owie".  I so wish my brother & his family lived closer....and am soo thankful that my brother found such a great women.  L....I love you...you are the best/coolest sister in the world.  I'm so glad that my brother finally gave me the sister I always wanted...that Mom wouldn't let me have!! ; )

We had a pretty relaxing week, the boys played golf, the girls shopped, and we all played down at the beach!  We did not slam pack a bunch of things purposely, so we could just relax and enjoy the vacation.

Like always, the vacation ended too quickly and we all had to go home.  We are already counting down to our return back in August!

Kyra & Owen playing

And we end...with a TON of pictures!!

Cousins!

 B & Daddy

O pushing K

Yes...he beat me

A tad excited...and a lot silly!

Putt Putt #1

Our personal cabana boy

O...sideways! ; )

Cousin K playing

Yes, B, Uncle Jamy is crazy

Golf course #2

O & Papa & the broken boat Putt Putt

B's bling bling

Watch out boys...she's expensive!