May 30, 2013

Preschool Graduation

 

Last Friday, Wyatt had Round One of his Preschool Graduations.  I say round One because we decided instead of sending him on to Kindergarten, that it'd be best for him to go through another year of Preschool.  He won't be 5 until September, we think it's probably best to wait.  I want him to be as ready as he can be before he starts the big K. 

 

The Graduation Ceremony was adorable, and I'm not going to lie, as soon as the kids walked into the Gym doing the Graduation March, I was fighting back tears!  I think with him being the baby of the family, these milestones are REALLY getting to me.  He's growing up fast, and unfortunately, I can't slow him down.  After they walked in, they went as a group and sat on a rug where they played us a slide show of the school year.  Wyatt kept looking over to Creag & I and just smiled so big.  He was so glad that we were there and we wouldn't have missed it for the world! 

 

 

After the slide show, the older class went to sit in a different area and Wyatt's class went through their typical school day for us.  They did the Pledge Of Allegiance, the Calendar & then they sang a few songs.  The Days of the Week and a song about the Months of the Year.  Wyatt's shy in front of an audience, so it surprised me that he sang along.  He stood there with his hands in his pockets & looked like such a little man:)

 

 

After their songs, it was time for them to get their diplomas!!!  With his hands still in his pockets, he walked over to his teacher to get his diploma.  I was so proud and again, fighting back tears!  He gave his teacher a shy little hug & then walked back over to his spot.

 

 

After that, his group took the spot where the big kids were sitting.  It was their turn to do their songs and get their diplomas.  At the end, all of the kids got together and did a dance together called the Tooty Tot.  It was hilarious!  At the conclusion of the Graduation, we had lunch together in the gym & then the kids swam for a bit.  I stuck around while he swam with his friends and then we got everything together to head home for the afternoon, just me & my graduate!

 

 







May 29, 2013

Memorial Day Weekend Recap

 

We spent the holiday weekend at The River and it was exactly what we needed.  A 3 day weekend spent with family & friends.  We fished, we got our boat in the water for the first time of the year, we grilled out, we cooked smores over a fire, the kids did the Tooty Tot, I could go on and on about everything we did, but I won't.  Instead, I'll just load this post up with lots & lots of photos.  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



May 23, 2013

On Seeing Someone You Love Suffer

 

 

I've mentioned on here before that My Uncle Steve was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Lung Cancer.  News that was heartbreaking to hear.  It was like being punched in the stomach when I heard and especially with Creag's Aunt fighting the same disease.  You never, ever want to see someone in your family get sick, suffer and eventually die from such a horrible disease.  It's heart breaking.  He is not married and doesn't have any children, so I worried about him being alone through all of this.  Sure he has my Dad and my Grandpa, but is that the same as having a spouse or children who will take care of you?  I wanted him to have that.  My husband is my rock & I just couldn't imagine being diagnosed with something like Stage 4 Cancer and going home alone.  My heart broke for him.  I wished that there was someone there to take care of him, like I knew Creag would be there for me or vise versa.   

 

In the beginning, we weren't told much, just that he had a tumor on his lungs & one on his spine.  The Dr. said that he was surprised that he was even walking and that if the tumor on his spine grew any larger that he would eventually become paralyzed.   He started Radiation on the tumor on his spine.  He was on the fence about doing Chemo, because he knew that he didn't have too much time anyway and the time that he did have left, he wanted to enjoy it & not be sick.  We were all together back in April to celebrate my Grandpa's Birthday & Steve was there.  He still looked the same, but seemed down.  He didn't talk about the cancer at all.  He didn't want to & I didn't pry.  He still laughed & cut up with the kids.  He seemed himself, but we all knew what was ahead of us.  That he wouldn't be with us for much longer.  The drive home was a somber one.  The kids had a lot of questions.  They are really scared by all of this and it's not something that you should have to explain to children.  My kids love their Uncle Steve and don't understand what's going on.

 

A few weeks ago, right after he had decided that he would give Chemo a try to see how it made him feel, he suddenly had not 1 stroke, but 4 while he was home by himself.  His friend had called him, and could tell by the sound of Steve's voice on the other end that something was wrong.  He went over to his house & took him straight to the hospital.  We visited with him recently and he is no longer himself.  He's talking, but confused.  He was playing on the kids I Pad and I had to teach him how to do certain things.  He was very curious about everything, almost like a child.  He knew every ones name, but I know he will never be the same.  He'll never stand up and stretch after filling his big ol belly with way too much food & rub it.  I'll never hear his contagious laugh over something funny.  Or see him come into the house with a "Who Dey".  I'll never get a card from him again, signed in his beautiful handwriting or get one of his thoughtful gifts at Christmas.  I'll never hear him & my Dad argue over Football or Politics.  And my Dad will not have his only brother.  His Big Brother.  I can only hope that my kids are old enough that they'll remember their Uncle Steve. 

 

He was moved to Hospice last weekend and we're going to visit him tonight.  He is not going to do the Rehabilitation Therapy that we had thought.  And he will not have the chance to do Chemotherapy.  Maybe the strokes were a blessing in disguise to help him throughout his cancer.  No one will ever know.  We can just pray that he will not suffer too much and that we can always remember the good times that we shared.

 

 

May 22, 2013

Last Day of School

 

The kids made it through another year of school!  Summer Break officially starts @ 3:30 today!!  I baked them a cake last night & let them have it for breakfast this morning as a surprise & everyone but Hank loved it!  Hank is not a fan of sweets in the morning, and he definitely does not get that from me. 

 

The top picture is them on the first day of school & the bottom picture was taken this morning on their last!  I can tell a difference in height on the girls for sure.  It's kind of hard to tell with the boys because they're in a different position but I think the cake & this style picture will be a new tradition at our house!  Until then, bring on the swimming pool, boating & BBQ's!

 



May 21, 2013

 

Being a parent is the most difficult & most rewarding thing that I have been given in this life. 

I have been blessed with 3 of my own children and a step-daughter. 

All beautiful souls with VERY different personalities. 

As a family, we have our good days and we have bad ones too. 

Being a blended family makes it even more challenging. 

We didn't start out together from the very beginning. 

We're building and learning as we go. 

And that is tough!

I've learned that individually, with no one else around, they listen great. 

Get all 4 kids together and it's a different story.

With 4 kids there is way too much distraction and they rarely listen to anything!

When they don't listen, I let me temper get the best of me.

I'm not patient.

I yell & scream.

I threaten to take things away and don't always follow through.

The worst thing is, I'm not consistent in my discipline so why would they listen.

What kind of example is that to set for your children?

Things get way out of hand some nights and it seems to always happen at bed time.

I have to repeat myself over & over & over again over the most simple tasks.

Things that they do every night.

I get so frustrated & it ends up a fight with them every single night for the most part.

A fight over things that should just be done with out me asking.

On these nights, I turn into this person that I don't like.

When the fight is over and they're in bed and all is quiet, I feel like a failure.

I know that I can't be the perfect parent, what parent is?  

The first thing that always comes to mind after everything has settled down is,

"Wow, I really over-reacted!" and I begin to second guess myself. 

Am I asking too much of the kids for them to pick up their clothes that they throw on the floor?

To actually brush their teeth when they're told?

Should I have to tell them? 

Should they listen to me the first time and not the 5th? 

Is this just the small stuff that I shouldn't care about?

What am I doing wrong? 

Why do they just ignore me when I talk?

Did I do too much for them when they were really young?

And now they're incapable of doing for themselves?

Or is this normal for kids their age to still rely on their parents?

Don't get me wrong, I'm fine with doing these things for them if it is normal.

Maybe my expectations are too high.

I'm really not sure.

I'm learning as I go, and this is really, really difficult to figure out.

This being a parent thing.

Because I want the best for my kids.

I want to teach them what they need to know to grow up & be independent, successful adults.

Maybe I should expect all of these things out of them, but just be a little more patient?

I'd definitely feel much better if I could figure it all out!!

May 20, 2013

Weekend Recap

 

Friday night, we laid low and just hung out around the house.  I did a little cleaning and Springing up the place & then we went across the street to our neighbors for a bit.

 

 

Saturday morning into mid-afternoon, we were busy with games.  Hank had his game at 11 at a field that was about 35-40 minutes away and then Skylar's soccer game was at 12:45 and it took just as long to get to the field she was playing at!

 

 

Their Grandma took the kids back to Dayton with her because it was their weekend with their Dad and Creag & I stopped at the Pub for a Bloody Mary and a light lunch.  As always it did not disappoint.  We went with a Scotch Egg & their Spring Rolls and it was delicious!

 

 

After lunch, we were wishing for a nap, but instead got cleaned up and went to Creag's parents.  Sammie's Dance Recital was at 7:00, so they invited us over for dinner beforehand.  Dave made Grouper topped w/ Crab Meat, Rice, and Veggies on the grill and it was awesome.  Really hit the spot, for sure.  After dinner, we made our way to the Hilton and checked into our hotel.  We were meeting some friends after the recital and decided to make a night of it in Cincy.  Sam's Recital went well.  She did a tap number to Hey Georgy and looked so cute & grown up.  Her hair was done in an up-do and she had make-up on.  Creag didn't know what to think and was in awe of how pretty she looked!

 

After the recital, we met up with Amy & Scott and walked over to Fountain Square.  They had a live band playing for awhile and beer & food stands set up for a fund raiser.  Our second stop was Cincy's where we saw Marvin Lewis.  He was pretty hammered so that was interesting to see.  Our last stop of the night was the Dueling Piano Bar that I love, The Penguin.  We closed the bar down and it was such a fun night!  I love hanging out with my Bestie and wish we could do it more often.  Amy took all of the pictures, so I had to rob them off of her Instagram and Facebook!

 

 

Sunday, we spent most of the day doing yard work.  When the kids got home on Sunday night, we went out for Mexican & then Ice Cream.

 

 

Today was field day at the kids school & after today, they only have 2 days left!!  Come on Summer!

 

 

 

 

 







May 17, 2013

Frog Giggin'



 

Last night, Skylar's soccer practice was cancelled due to some rain so we actually got to spend a night at home with no where to be.  We had a simple dinner and then spent the rest of the night outdoors!The kids were able to ride their bikes and play with kids in our neighborhood which doesn't happen too often.  While they were playing, I trimmed back some of our bushes & Creag took the white railing down from our front porch.  We took a little time to actually sit & enjoy it while the kids were getting ready for bed.   Taking it down made a huge difference.  We don't feel as enclosed while we're sitting.  The railing used to be so high that you couldn't even see over it and it felt like we were hiding behind it every time we sat there.  We're going to do some rearranging in the flower bed soon, weather permitting.

 

 

Just for fun, I'm posting this cute picture of Wyatt from a few weeks ago.  Creag spotted this turtle in our backyard one morning, so the two of them walked out to the backyard hand in hand while I followed behind.  Of course Wyatt wanted to keep him, but we said no.  Who has time for a pet turtle when you have 4 kids?!




May 16, 2013

Passion

 

One of my many passions is our home.  I want to take our home a place that feels comfortable, homey & of course I want it to look beautiful.  Not just for myself, but for my family and guests who come over.  I want them to think well of our home, obviously.  I want our home to have that wow factor.  With this passion though, I find myself wanting to change things constantly.  I'll put something up on the wall, or put something on a dresser or the counter and if it's not exactly how I envisioned it, I won't like it & it will legitimately bother me until I change it.  This drives Creag crazy!  With trends that come and go, spicing things up, it inspires me.  If I like something, I want it.  Who could blame me and I think everyone is that way.  The white furniture, with the grey walls, the colorful patterns, all of that is gorgeous!  I follow blogs and see photos of all of these crafty women who transform the ugliest mirror or the most hideous piece of furniture into a masterpiece with just a little paint.  I get very envious and wish that I could pull that kind of stuff off.  And if I tried, maybe I could.  Then there's Pinterest.  That's a whole different story.  I get on there and I lust over the Pins that I see on there.  I pin a bunch of things to my boards & I think to myself, I'm going to do that and then I never do.  Well.....I'm gonna start! 

 

Yesterday, just for fun, Creag & I walked through a house that was for sale in our neighborhood.  It was basically our dream house!  Something that we couldn't afford unless we cut out a bunch of other things that we don't want to, but would be nice to have with our large family.  It had 4 Bedrooms, 4 Full Baths, a finished basement, 3 Car Garage and the list goes on and on.  It was a custom built home, so the details in the house were incredible.  I looked around and just loved everything about it.  The wheels were turning in my mind the whole time.  How do we make our house look like this??  After dinner that evening, I found myself looking around our house, inspired to change a few things so I decided to just tackle one room.  Our Master Bath.  I changed just a few things, and really like the feel the room got from just a few minor details.

 

 

 

 

We recently made some updates in that room.  We tiled the wall that the tub sits on and painted the room, but the minor details of the room just hadn't come together yet.  We have a double sink, and I can never find anything to set on it that I like.  I'll put something there, and in a few days think it looks bad.  I had a candle tray & some potpourri that was given to us the other day and candles that were sitting on the side of the tub so I put it all together on the tray and really like the way that it looks.  The green & white with the brown matches the counter top & the wall color perfectly I think.  The three pictures on the wall have been sitting in our bedroom for months ready to be hung, so I finally took the time to get them on the wall.  They look great.  The top & bottom picture we've had since our wedding in New Orleans.  The top one is the front of the Court of Two Sisters where we had dinner after our ceremony.  The middle one is a wedding picture that was just sitting on the vanity & the bottom is of the Super Dome where we watched the CATS win the Championship the day after our wedding.  They're sentimental to us & I love the way they look.  The brown cabinet was something that we had in the loft holding DVD's that the kids never watch & probably didn't even know where there.  I emptied it out and put it in the bathroom & I think it adds a nice little touch to a space that was once empty.  It now holds some of my miscellaneous stuff that was cramming up my dresser.  I had the orange vase sitting on top of it already, but it was just sitting on the floor.  The mason jar is holding the rest of the potpourri leftover from what I used on the bathroom sink.  I like it, and hope my feelings on it last and I did it all by shopping my own home which is even better!!  Eventually, I'd like to trim out the big contractor mirror above the sinks & get a new light fixture.  It'll get there, it just takes time, love and a lot of passion.

 



 



May 15, 2013

The hike that went terribly wrong!

 

So yesterday, Creag & I had it all worked out that he would take Skylar to soccer practice so I could do a class at the gym.  I've taken a few months off of classes and am finally ready to hit it again.  Bikini Season is here you know.  Anyway, Skylar's practice was from 5:30-6:30.  The same time as my class.  At 6:30 as I was leaving the gym, I looked at my phone and saw that I had missed a call from Creag & he left a voicemail.  I checked the message and he just said "call me back."  Uh oh.  I immediately thought that Skylar had gotten hurt at practice or one of the other kids were hurt.  I called him back right away and he told me that he had taken Hank, Sammie & Wyatt for a hike and was planning on being done by the time Sky was done with practice but they took a trail that he had never taken before and were not sure how long it was going to take.  They were pretty much lost in the woods & had already been hiking for an hour!  I'm not going to lie, my first reaction was being pissed off and worrying about Skylar.  Practice was now over and no one was there to get her.  She was going to be scared and not know what was going on.  I spent a few minutes trying to find her coaches phone # and then called him.  No answer.  I called again, no answer, so I left a voice mail explaining to him what was going on & that we were running late.  I then sent him a text.  No response.  I headed over to the soccer field to pick her up and talked to Creag again who said it would probably be another hour before they found their way out.  Pulling into the Soccer Field, I saw Skylar with her coaches, so I knew she was okay.  That was a big relief let me tell ya!  Her & her coaches had actually been walking around, looking for them and were a little worried.  After getting her and knowing she was okay, my worry then shifted to Creag & the kids.  Would they find their way out before dark??  A lot of things crossed my mind.  I called him again, and he said he had caught his bearings so he would be maybe 10 minutes.  Skylar & I stuck around and waited to make sure they made it out of the woods okay.  Sure enough, 10 minutes later, while we were sitting in the car waiting, I hear, "Mom"!  It was Hank yelling for me.  They had finally made it back safely!!  I hopped out of the car, and had to snap a picture of the Survivors lol.

 

Reunited & it feels so good!

 

 

 

Skylar spoke her mind to Creag of course.  She told him how worried & scared she was and he of course apologized & said he'd make it up to her.  Their hike ended up being about 3 Miles and I guess from what I've been told, the kids loved every.minute.of.it! 

 

 

Creag said he was actually scared with some of the things that they saw.  He had to carry each of the kids over streams & over big branches.  He had to put one down and ask them to stay right there while he carried another kid over, and so on.  As you can see in the picture above, there's actually caution tape around a tree.  Part of the area they were in had actually flooded recently so trees had fallen over and the ground probably wasn't safe.  He said the kids treated it as an adventure, like they were Indiana Jones or something.  It's probably a very good thing that I wasn't with them because I probably would've freaked & made it so much worse!!  So glad no one was hurt and this will probably be something that they NEVER forget.