So Long October!

Here we go! I asked if I should continue on my tradition of trying to blog every day in November, and it was an overwhelming yes. (All 16 of you..ha!)

I'm always sad to see October end. It's my favorite month of the year, and although it started off kind of hot, it ended perfectly. For some reason this October in particular seemed to fly by. We were constantly on the go, but I still got to enjoy so many moments. I am all about making memories with the boys.

The start of the month was a little bumpy. I had hyped up the Homecoming Parade and that we were going to Iowa. The boys and I were excited about both. The day of the parade, James woke up at 12:30am with a shriek, followed by Daniel racing in to tell me that James was puking. My entire day was spent catching puke in a bucket and doing laundry, while praying he'd be okay to travel the next day.

I did end up getting to take Daniel to the parade, even though James was a little bummed.





We were able to make the trip to Iowa the next afternoon, although I didn't decide we were for sure going until 10:00 that morning, and if you know me, I like to pack the night before...but I got 'er done.

Iowa was fun, but we didn't get to do much as planned because it decided to rain the whole time we were there. I did get to enjoy the changing colors because they start earlier there. No pumpkin patches for us, but we made our own fun. The highlight was my sister and her boyfriend getting engaged! I knew it was coming, but didn't know quite when. I'm so excited to be gaining a brother...whose names is also James.



Daniel's school had a family literacy night for each grade, and so we got to attend 1st Grade night. Both of the boys had a great time.







I had been wanting to redo the boys' bedroom for awhile and transform it into a baseball theme. My amazing friend, Leslie came over one day and painted the room for me. I know people say that I could do it..and I'm sure I could, but I don't have the patience and I'm clumsy. There would have been a huge mess involved. Instead I got to sit back and chat with my friend, while she did all the work!

I was actually really sad a few days before because painting the room would mean taking down this quote that has hung in their room since I was pregnant with Daniel.



I'll tell you what though. Getting that quote off the wall was the biggest pain in my butt. It took me a good 45 minutes to get it off and scrub the sticky adhesive off the wall, and by then I was over it. I'll always have the picture though. And now we have a beautiful blue bedroom, although I don't have pic with all of the decor up yet!

The following week my parents came to help me with the boys room (we got James a big boy bed...so long crib/toddler bed) and to hang our Christmas presents (new curtains for the living room and dining room. I thought the bedroom would be the easy part and the curtains would be trickier. Nope. The bedroom was tricky because the bed is longer than the crib, and we had a to find a way to get both beds to fit and have the room be functional and not look stupid. I may have cried from stress at one point, but in the end we found a way that worked, and I honestly love it more now that I did when it was arranged the other way!

We had planned to go to the pumpkin patch on that Saturday, but it was supposed to be windy and we just weren't sure. We finally decided to go for it. 40mph wind gusts, but we still had a fun time, and none of us blew away.







Daniel was losing his voice by the end of the day and I knew he either had a cold or allergies, but he was feeling fine a few days later other than a runny nose. There was no school on Thursday and Friday for conferences....which went amazing for both boys. It's so good to hear that your kiddos are doing so well in school.

By Saturday, Daniel was lethargic, and stayed in his jammies all day. He SMELLED sick. A trip to urgent care on Sunday ended with a strep diagnosis, and that resulted in a 5 day weekend for the kiddo. Although by Monday after the meds had kicked in he was totally fine, so I took advantage of the beautiful day to take pictures at the park. I'll spare posting a ton of them here, but a few of my favorites:









Halloween parties took up our Tuesday, followed by me deciding to take the boys around to 4 trick or treating events, because apparently I'm crazy!





And to finish off the month, a night at church for Trunk or Treat. This was the first year we helped. We teamed up with our Life Group and then were able to take turns taking our kiddos around to trick or treat as well. It was an almost perfect night. Only a little chilly. The boys and their friends had fun passing out candy. It was nice to end the month with friends!

Wax On Wax Off

Let's see if anyone can beat my last 48 hours.

Yesterday started out pretty normal. I dropped Daniel off at school, and then I asked James if he'd like to go to Springfield? I didn't have any particular reason. Rain was in the forecast, but I didn't let that bother me.

James was beyond amazing for the most part. He walked through Target and "oohed and ahhed" over everything. He thought it was hilarious to hide in the clothes racks. He even got to pick out a new pair of jammies. He recently took a liking to foxes, and when he found a pair of fox pajamas and hugged them, I just had to buy them!

We went to Hobby Lobby, which he loves even though I make him ride in the cart there. He was in awe of all of the Christmas trees and literally made me just stop the cart for 5 minutes while he admired them.

We made a couple more stops and just as we started to head home it started pouring.

Once we got home, I told James it was nap time. I tossed our purchases and the mail in pile on the chair, lit a  3 wick candle and then read books and tucked James in.

Here's where my day started to get interesting.

I started to put away our few purchases. The pajamas were on one of those bulky clothes hangers so I took them off, but of course the bottoms are connected to the top by a plastic tag. I do the tug. You know the one I'm talking about. The one that breaks the band of plastic and frees your clothes.
Yeah. Well, what I didn't take into consideration when doing this was the fact that I might pull too hard and somehow the shirt would practically fling itself out of my hands.
Remember that candle I lit?
The sleeve of the jammies landed directly in a flame! I can confirm that they are indeed flame retardant. I can also confirm that they aren't "hot wax retardant". One sleeve had wax, and of course as I pulled the shirt away from the flame, it dripped on the table (thank goodness I have a table protector), and on another shirt I had bought.
I did end up getting most of the wax off, but the sleeve is still scented like pumpkin apple spice.

We decided to go to Angelo's for supper. About an hour before we went it rained HARD. Our streets always flood. I kept checking the basement. We were getting more water than usual, but not bad. I did think a smelled something a little funky, but honestly James had a poop accident again so I assumed that was it.

Life isn't that simple though. We came home and I hear Daniel yell, "What is THAT SMELL?" My heart sunk. I knew. I called Roto Rooter right away. I told the lady our whole story and she said she could get someone here at 9 on Saturday. I persisted and asked if she was sure there was no one that could come like...now. Bless her soul, she found the on call guy and sent him over by 8:00. He's been here, done that so he knew the drill.

By this point my head is pounding. I went down to assess the damage which thankfully wasn't as bad as it could've been. The plumber had found my mop and cleaned up the worst area. I decided to call it a night and deal with it in the morning.

Went to bed. Plugged my phone in. Nothing. It's been having issues with the charging port for a long time, but last night it decided it was done. I tried 4 chargers before accepting the fact that I needed a new phone.

I woke up today to more rain, but cool weather! I haven't been able to work out in awhile and my weight keeps getting stuck, so I went to the Y and did an hour workout. It felt amazing.

I came home and decided while I was still sweaty I would tackle the basement. Lots of bleach later, I had the floor mopped. I decided I'd grab my hoodie bin and grab an Iowa one for the game. Picked it up and it was damp. Odd. Grabbed another. Damp. Sniffed it. EW. I started digging down and that's when I saw it. Mildew growing all over my clothes! Apparently when I was checking bins during our summer flood I didn't realize water was in the bottom of that bin. So, one hoodie got trashed right away. The rest are on the 3rd load of laundry, but I'm thinking most will end up being tossed too.

Finally got a shower and then off to Walmart to get chili ingredients and phones. You really can get everything there.

Home by 1. Got the boys napping/resting. Then spent an hour talking to "Charlie" from *insert foreign country here* online helping me get the phones activated.

Got the chili cooking. Mixed up cornbread batter and finally got to sit down when the game started at 4. Thank goodness for DVR since we had to pause to do supper, baths and stop fights and such. Daniel was in an awful mood today and tested everything.

Now here I sit. Exhausted, but happy. Nothing caught on fire. My house doesn't smell like poop. I have a phone that works. The Hawkeyes won.

I'm excited to go to church tomorrow. It's my happy and relaxing place and boy do I need that!

Reasons Why Summer Is The Worst

Alright, I know that many people just can't get on board with the fact that I hate summer. I didn't used to be this way. It wasn't until after I had kids that I switched from hating winter to hating summer. Why? I guess my hormones got screwed up. I went from dreading the cold, to dreading the heat.

What is it that I just can't stand?

1. Heat+Humidity.

If I walk outside and feel like I just got blasted in the face with the devil's oven or immediately feel like I'm in a tropical rain forest, you can just forget about it. I hear people talking about basking in the heat and I'm over here melting into a puddle on the sidewalk.

2. Sweat.

It's goes hand in hand with the heat. It's literally gotta be one of the grossest feelings in the world to me. The minute I start to sweat, I'm just done. I see people walking around looking completely comfortable in their jeans and HOODIES. Why are people walking around like this!? I saw a lady with a scarf the other day. A legit winter scarf. 

What do I look like? I'm the one walking around with a giant wet patch on the back of my shirt. (I laid down on the floor of a building at the state fair and left a puddle in the shape of me when I got up). The underside of my hair is soaked. Let's not forget all the other sweaty areas. Nothing like dealing with a soaking wet bra and underwear.

3. Bugs.

I am very attractive to the mosquito community every summer. They feast on my blood and leave me with welts the size of quarters. I just love getting dive bombed by wasps. Oh, and another favorite? Trying to eat while flies land in my food. Yum. There's just nothing better.

4. There's nothing cozy about it.

You know what I love? Snuggling up under a blanket with my fuzzy socks and a warm hoodie. If it's cold out you can layer. There's only so much you can strip off in the summer before making a whole lot of people very uncomfortable.

5. Crowds make the fun things not so fun.

I will do things because I want my kids to experience it and/or because it seems like a great idea when I plan it in the winter. My brain likes to trick me. "Summer isn't as bad as you remember!" "Maybe it'll be a nice cool day!" Next thing you know I'm planning zoo trips, park days, baseball games and more. Everything is crowded, so on top of the heat there's wall to wall people. Of course, I have fun, but not all the time. My favorite thing we did this summer was our weekly bowling trips...in the air conditioning!

6. You practically need an oven mitt to drive.

I just love climbing into a 130 degree car and burning my skin off trying to buckle my seat belt and drive with my hands actually on the wheel.

7. There's nothing after the 4th.

We celebrate our independence and then there's just nothing. Hobby Lobby starts busting out Fall items (insert Hallelujah Chorus) and the haters start to hate.

8. Reese's can't even think of a way to make summer better.

I mean, have you ever seen them come out with a summer shaped Reese's? No. There are hearts, Easter eggs, pumpkins and Christmas trees. 

9. It stinks.

Literally. Get in a crowded area and you're bound to walk through someone's B.O.

10. Shaving.

I wear shorts all summer, and can't stand feeling the hair on my legs, so I have to shave regularly. Winter time? Eh. Every few weeks will do. It's extra warmth.

Looking Forward!

It's been a long while since I've written. Mostly because I post everything on Facebook. Do people even read blogs still!?

If you know me at all, you know that I love to have things to look forward to. Day to day life can be mundane, and just feel like I'm trudging along. When I know I have events coming up it gives me something to get excited about.

It's looking like the rest of the year is going to be great!

In August, the boys and I are heading back to Iowa for a week. While we're there we're going to go to the Balloon Glow. Mom and I are going to the Iowa State Fair to see Reba McEntire too! 19 years ago, she and I went and saw her, and I've always wanted to see her again. My dad will watch the boys and we'll spend the night in Des Moines...kid free!

A couple of weeks later, I get to see one of my favorite comedians, John Crist with some friends from church.

In September, Jacob and I get to take Daniel to a Cardinals autograph party. He's a part of the Cardinals Kids Club, and will get to meet some players and I'm sure do other fun things. Then we'll spend the afternoon in St Louis doing something, and then go back to Busch that night for the game. He has been so excited about it, and I'm looking forward to getting to give him some quality time with both of us.

October...well, you know. It's my FAVORITE month of the year. You just can't bring me down in October. Bring on the pumpkin patches! We'll probably end up going to a couple favorite around here, and I'm sure we'll hit one up in Iowa like usual.

November is birthday month! We'll celebrate both boys here and again in Iowa for Thanksgiving. Erica is flying home for Thanksgiving too. While, it'll be bittersweet that it will be out first turkey day without Grandma, I'm thankful my sister gets to come be a part of the holiday.

December of course brings my favorite holiday. And not only that, but a trip to California! Erica is getting married, and the boys and I (and possibly Jacob) are flying out to celebrate. Daniel is SO excited for his first airplane ride. And God bless my parents who are going to drive to St. Louis to fly out with us and help with the boys.

Those are just the big things. I know life will get super busy when school starts and I know more fun events will pop up too.

Here's to an amazing rest of the year!

Things About Me

Oh hey. It's me. The girl who never gets on to blog. In my defense I had over half of a post done a few weeks ago that I had worked on for a couple of days, and somehow James managed to select all and delete it and in that one second of panic, the auto save kicked in and saved my blank post. Sigh.

I always have fun making my random list posts of fact and stories about me. So without further ado I give you more randomness from my life.

1. I lost my cell phone the other day. I spent 10 minutes looking for it. Then I found it..tucked under my arm pit.

2. I make escape plans in my head when I'm in crowded areas in case of emergency.

3. I don't like driving under bridges and I especially hate when I have to stop under them. I've always had a fear of them crashing on me. Driving over bridges I'm fine with though.

4. I have never gotten a speeding ticket, nor have I been pulled over for speeding.

5. I very rarely separate my laundry because ain't no one got time for that. It's all lies anyway. I've never had a problem. I wash new things that might bleed separate, but that's about it.

6. I used to love summer and hate winter. Then after I had kids it changed because my bodies inner thermostat broke or something. I can't tolerate heat. I makes me feel crazy.

7. I love to swim. I love to shower or take baths...but I hate being wet. Figure that one out. I don't mind being wet during those activities, but when I'm supposed to be dry I can't stand being wet. Which, is why heat bothers me so much. My body sweats and I'm damp all the time.

8. My first meal after having Daniel was a cheeseburger, fries and apple pie. I begged for a cheeseburger in between pushes.

9. My first meal after having James was chicken strips with ranch, fries and chocolate cake. I hate to wait FOREVER to get to eat. I was sick. And I was hangry.

10. I'm still holding out hope that one day they'll bring back 3D Doritos.

11. At any given time I have about 394893 thoughts running through my head.

12. My favorite holiday is Christmas and my least favorite is Valentine's Day.

13. I'm an introvert who occasionally wants to be an extrovert...but then after about 5 minutes of trying that I'm ready to crawl back into my shell.

14. Growing up I always imagined having girls. Now I can't really imagine having one.

15. For the life of me, I cannot walk in high heels. I would have a broken ankle.

16. I really want a dog. But, they're expensive and it's hard enough cleaning up after small humans.

17. Going any place new stresses me out. I'm nervous I'll be too early. Too late. Get lost. Not know where to go when I get there. Unsure where to park. Just so much stress.

18. I get really competitive when playing games.

19. I used to love horror movies. My mom would tell me how she could "feel" the evil coming from them and it used to make me roll my eyes. I can't really watch many anymore because I get that feeling too. It's very unsettling.

20.I wish I were more crafty. I'm crafty in my mind. Then I attempt to make stuff and it looks like a 6 year old made it.

21.I used to get really embarrassed by just about everything dumb that I did. I'd end up crying or muttering under my breath about how dumb I was. I've gained a lot more confidence and have embraced my awkwardness. I don't put myself down nearly as often and I've learned to just laugh things off or let them roll off my shoulders.

22. I have no idea how people survive Disney with little kids. I can barely make it through Target with kids without losing my mind.

23. A perfect "me" day would include shopping alone, having lunch with my mom and sisters, getting a pedicure, going to a movie and then staying by myself in a hotel room watching TV and eating junk food on my king size bed.

24. My adult life is basically just me winging it and not really knowing what the heck I'm doing. Thank goodness for Google. It's gotten me out of some predicaments.

25. I've actually been sticking to a new year's resolution (and it wasn't weight related as you can tell. Sigh), but it's been kind of  a secret mission and I've been really enjoying it!