Just because I love those brown eyes...

...and that smile.

When I Grow Up ....

Miles announced yesterday that he is going to be a golfer. This made his daddy very proud. This is the first time he has declared what he wants to be when he grows up.

Ian is working towards becoming an astronaut, a superhero, a professional football and basketball player, a garbage man, a construction worker that drived a skid steer, and an engineer so he can build things like Uncle Jake.

I remember my list looked something like this...ballerina, Wonder Woman, artist, Mary Poppins, scientist, famous writer, concert pianist.

Now, I dance in the kitchen, I'm a mom, I try to take decent pictures and decorate my house, my church bag resembles Mary Poppins, I identify bugs, rocks, plants, birds, etc for Ian, I blog, and I teach piano. Wow--maybe when you are a child growing up you have better expectations of what you can do then when you actually become a "Grown Up."

What was it you wanted to be when you "Grew Up?"

This One's for You Aunt Mimi

Here I am waiting for my haircut. Look at my beautiful auburn hair that pouffs up so nicely. All the ladies pick me up and say, "Look at that baby's hair."

Alright here we go. I'm not exactly sure what mommy has in mind, but I like all the attention I'm getting right now.

Mommy is nuts. Now I look like a fat, old man in a old white t-shirt. And those clippers were loud. Someone please wipe my nose. What are all the ladies going to say now?

Okay the gel helps a bit. It might be okay.

I can be cute with any haircut. Feel the breeze on my head.

Maybe if I can get my whole fist in my mouth the ladies will say, "Look at that baby he can fit his whole fist in his mouth."

Von Willen..what

Remember back to 09.09.09 and the complications I had after having Wes. Well, after some more blood work, a visit to a very concerned OB, and a few trips to see an incredibly intelligent hematologist I have been diagnosed with one possibly two blood disorders. One called ITP where my immune system freaks out gets confused and gets rid of platelets like it would destroy the flu. The other is a hereditary disease called Von Willenbrands where my blood is missing a clotting factor. No, I don't know what a clotting factor is all I know is this means your blood doesn't clot as quickly as a normal person's blood should. So what does this mean--well not much just that when you have a baby you can bleed out 10 days later, if you have teeth yanked you should let the dentist know, and if you are in a major car accident you might have problems. My doctors are going to run some more tests to see how bad it is and I'm having some out patient surgery that should help out, and then we will probably need to have the kids tested. Kind of crazy, but it is good to have some answers as to what happened back in September. My hematologist told me of some symptoms to watch for that will indicate a low platelet count and then I would need to go get my blood drawn ASAP. This has really made me value my health though. Having doctors appointments every few days and not knowing what is up with your body can really make you crazy.

Now that we have finally figured out what is up I'm hoping to get back in shape. I had grand dreams of running a 10K in May, but my couch to 10K program faded into the distance a few weeks ago. And then Dave went and bought us these fancy smancy (pictures coming soon) road bikes, remember my Lotoja dreams, and hopefully we can find some time to put a few miles on them this summer.

Life with Miles

Here is Miles with his chalk drawing that Grandma Mary did...but this picture says so much more. Look at those boots...moon boots in March and on the wrong feet. I told him they were on the wrong feet to which he said, "the don't hurt." Oh, and he doesn't have on socks because he has some how got holes in every pair of the new socks I bought him about a month ago (there were 10 pair in the bag).

Miles really is two left feet. He falls off the bar stool at least once a day (I still make him sit in the high chair sometimes.) He runs into walls, he slips down the stairs, he rolls out of bed, and he runs like he just learned to walk. This is all very endearing, but I have really started to wonder if we need to get his eyes checked or test his inner ear for problems. I mostly think it is his happy go lucky, I could care less, if it doesn't bother me it doesn't matter kind of personality. This made for the world's best happiest baby, but now I don't know what to think now.

We were out to eat with my parents the other day and I told him his hamburger had to be gone before he could go and play. He looked at my dad, held out the hamburger and said, "Grandpa do you want it?" We have been potty training and he refused to go sit on the potty, and I told him he could only wear his fancy Cars underwear if he sat on the potty to which he said, "Okay, I wear the white ones." When told to clean up or spend time on time out he will take the time out every time.

But on the good side...He is rarely upset, he is happy to play just about anything, he entertains himself, he races to help me when I ask him to do something, he loves to share, and those big brown eyes well they will get me every time.

A Saturday with Grandma Mary

A few weeks ago I was gone all day Saturday and Dave had to work, so Grandma Mary came for the day. The boys were so excited you would have thought it was Christmas morning. Ian had plans to ride his bike, Miles was excited to read the "silly book" with Grandma, and I know Wes was secretly giddy about being held all day long. Not only did all of these things happen, but Grandma added a few to the list. Ian learned to play H-O-R-S-E, everyone had there bodies traced in chalk, and Wes got to spend the day in his Halloween costume! (Grandma couldn't find a coat, but his bumble bee costume looked warm.)

Here is Ian a few days later showing me how he almost doesn't need the training wheels.

Ian always wears his helmet, his elbow pads, and his knee pads. He is now saving up to buy some bike gloves. It takes him 20 minutes to get ready to ride the bike. Reminds me of that commercial where the kid is going swimming and he has about 10 life jackets, arm floaties, a noodle, and a inner tube.

Here is Ian with the chalk drawing Grandma did of him.

I think in one day they had more playtime with an adult then they get in a week with me-and Grandma retires this year!

Spring is in the Air...

...in the form of big white flakes. These pictures are from last Saturday, but it did snow a bit yesterday. Dave had just pruned the peach tree when the big flakes started to float down from the sky. I usually love winter, but with three wee ones it makes me stir crazy.

Looks like that silly groundhog could be right about a late spring.

Here's Miles wondering when he will get to play basketball.

Doing the Belly Dance

Yes we have reached a few milestones at our house recently. Miles is in the process of being potty trained and Wes has learned to roll over onto his belly. I figured no one would want to see Miles on the "pot pot" so here are a few pics of Wessy doing his belly dance.

It is much easier to push a car around when on your belly.

It is a much nicer way to drool to--doesn't run down your neck, just all over the floor.

Check out that drool stream. I guess I inherited the Noel slopper gene.

Nothing like sleeping on your belly in a big drool puddle. (oh and Aunt Mimi please tell my mom I need a hair cut)

It is much easier to see out of the crib when on your belly.

Ian's Plan to Catch a Leprechaun

So, for the last month Ian has been creating a plan to capture the elusive St. Patrick's Day leprechaun. He conferred with Mr. Mednick his school teacher and decided to not wear green on St. Patty's. This would hopefully lead to a leprechaun coming to pinch him and being the sneaky boy that he is Ian would grab the leprechaun and demand his pot of gold aso he could go buy a Wii.

Ian has been trying to figure out how to get a Wii since long before Christmas. Here is my weekly menu which he thought was a grocery list and if you look closely he has written"Git Ian a Wii."

Well, Ian spent his St. Patrick's Day without a bit of green apparel. He came home from school without a pot of gold, but knew he was on right track because of the little footprints a leprechaun had left across the classroom white board.

After dinner Ian went searching through the front yard and the culdesac behind the house. He found many "wrappers" which he knew were from the mischievous little man. He came home and found the water in the bathroom had turned green and knew that he was hot on the trail. At bedtime he burst into tears because he did not have the big pot of leprechaun gold. After viewing some you.tube videos that showed how fast leprechauns are he decided to call it a day.

This morning when Ian went downstairs to watch his morning cartoons he found his own pot of gold. Not enough to buy the Wii he wanted, but it made him smile for awhile.

Miles was pretty happy with the loot too.

This is Ian trying to look mischievous in the background. I will have to remember mischievous and disgusted come across the same way.

Might not buy a Wii, but it sure tastes good.

The Take Over of Baby

Wes is growing like a weed, and his hair is growing even faster! He has succeeded in taking over around this house. Ian will stop playing superhero's and commit to a long game of peek a boo just because of those big blue eyes. Miles runs into the room asking if we can wake up "Little Wes" or "Chubby Cheeks." When Wes hears Dave's voice he immediately starts to fuss until daddy is holding him. And of course my day consists of trying to find ways to please this cute little man. My piano students have also become involved in the take over--Wes loves to grin at Danielle, and for some reason he always chooses Alicyn's lesson to scream through (happily I might add, as if he wants to sing to the music she is playing).

Here is the kitchen take over--high chair, chimes, alligator toy, bouncy chair, and bumbo. Not to mention the bottles, formula, and rice cereal on the counter.

Look at those baby blues.

Big brother to save the day.

One happy baby.

A Saturday Well Spent...

Here are some photo's from the workshop I attended on Saturday. It was such a great class. In one day Marisa & Megan taught us what years of experience have taught them. My camera is now on "Manuel", and I'm realizing how much I hated the auto settings. Now I am in control--and being the control freak I am this makes me very happy. I don't know if anyone else can see the difference in my photo's, but to me it has made a world of difference!

(I've been doing all my editing on my laptop--anyone know how to tell if your screen is positioned right? Just a little tilt and everything looks darker!)

JOY-ography

On Saturday I was lucky enough to attend a Joyography Workshop. Their motto is "turning the girl next door into an artist." One of my hopes was to be able to use my camera to capture how cute, loveable, and beautiful my children really are. I had my doubts, but now I can let the photo's do the talking...

Marisa and Megan--Thank you , thank you, thank you!!

(I will post some pictures from the workshop as soon as I can stop taking pictures of my kids.)