whattaweek

Wow, what a whirlwind week we had. Jarrod had a 3 day weekend so that was cool (last wknd) then my long lost cuzin Ryan and his g/f came Monday, left Tuesday to go see the ocean. Tuesday, Mahna, Cole, Me, Mom and Anna drove to Austin to see Kendra. Cole screamed most of the way there and well although it was fun to 'be' in Austin and to see Kendra's new apartment and her jobby job, I found out the hard way what my mom meant about "it might not be worth it" to make a two day trip w/ two little kiddos. I had high expectations and had to readjust my way of thinking. I don't know how to explain it except that it seems like if one kid is being calm, the other one is not. So there aren't long lulls of peacefullness! :) But we had fun staying in our own hotel room at the seminary housing in Austin. We pushed the two twin beds together and, Cole Mahna and I had a big huge bed all to ourselves. The rooms were like $25 a night, so no TV set in there. That made it better for lots of imaginary playing and reading Mahna books or singing songs. So then we came back Thurs. and Cole slept the whole way home and Mahna was an angel! That afternoon my mom and I took them to get their 1st portrait taken together. Wow was that crazy too. My stress level went thru the roof and I had trouble hiding it, if u get my drift. I think I need some anti freaking out medicine. Like I don't really want to be on anti-anxiety medicine all the time, but if there was some kind of thing you could take just once in a while when you knew you might blow your top..... I don't know. I never thought I'd be saying these things. N E WAY I feel like I am making this post TOO long.

But My cuz and his g/f Deana came back Thurs night and stayed thru Sunday. We had such a great time, went shopping and hanging out w/ the fam, playing games and cooking. I have lots o' great pics so hopefully I can post some in a while.
Thanks for reading!!!!!

guilt trips suck

I just think that guilt trips are the worst way of communication. Granted, you can get things accomplished a lot of times with guilt, but really truly it just makes the giver and taker feel like crap. I intend to make a very conscious effort to not use guilt and avoid people who do.

Just come out and say what your thinking, dammit. Shock me! Today I really need it.

quote

A house without love may be a castle, or a palace, but it is not a home; love is the life of a true home.
- John Lubbock

Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.
Proverbs 17:1

take a trip

"All you need for the perfect holiday is a few clothes and a really good book." - Kipper

Yea well some quote philosophers and some quote kid's cartoons. I need book suggestions, ANY type of book........ for my huz, he just doesn't know it yet.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!!!!

LOVE YOU LOTS
CAROLINE

its a Monday

Sometimes no matter where you are or what you are doing Monday just is ONE OF THOSE DAYS. Ugh.... today is one.


For instance, I wrote that sentence at 11 this morning hoping to blog today and now it is 7 pm and I still don't have time to write anything.

Tuesday will have to be better! Anna and I are painting Mahna's room tomorrow!

bak in da day

All of our wedding pics kinda sucked except for this one. We had a great photographer, but we were both just nervous wrecks I guess. Shoulda had a drink before the wedding. This is the only one I like and it sort of represents us now, too. If we are in sync the world couldn't be better and it's like we already knew that is how it would always be....... way back then.

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HAPPY FRIDAY!

I guess each person celebrates Friday for a different reason. To some it is knowing they are about to have a break from their jobs for a couple of days. As a mom I don't see it that way. I see it as we are about to have Jarrod here with us all weekend which means a totally different daily schedule. Sometimes lots of sleeping in and staying up late, sometimes big yummy Saturday pig out breakfasts, sometimes a crazy four person trip to the grocery store or a visit to family's houses. It also means I need to clean the house cuz it's gotten cluttery and dirty thru the week. Fun fun! So what is your favorite thing about Friday?

Thankful!

The first picture I call HOT STUFF! :) The second one represents Mahna's dear attitude toward her brother. He screams all the time, he hates breathing treatments and he is colicky. She never minds his crying and is always saying "i love u so much Cole". She is a precious child.

I am thankful today becuz...... My taxes are finished! We are getting money back! I finally got the 3-in-1 printer I ordered a week or so ago. I finally don't have to make special trips to make copies! It is a beautiful day and when Mahna wakes up from her nap we are taking a walk! Mahna took a nap today, just by me telling her she had to. We are getting our own condo in Colorado this summer since my parents condo is already full!!! I can't wait to go to Colorado! I got to go to MOPS today, eat some tasty food, learn some valuable parenting info (about how to start talking to ur kids at age 3 about sex) and see Linda P. who I haven't seen forever. Happy day!

SOr-E CathY HEE HEE

You know I don't really think that TV makes kids less intelligent. There are so many educational preschool shows on tv. I feel like Mahna has gotten a lot of different play ideas from the shows she has watched. I mean, I do think it needs to be limited, cuz Mahna would pretty much sit on the couch all day somedays if I let her. But she also has a cute Little Tykes slide (good idea mom) in the living room that she climbs all over while semi-watching or listening to her shows. Anyway I can see as how they get older it could be worse, but for now I think it's all good. Maybe it also depends on us parents paying attention to every element of our kiddo each day. I think the biggest thing that teaches my kiddo, is being around other kids! We went to MOPS last week and I was amazed at how many cute little new things she was doing when we got home. She was also pretty independent right when I picked her up from her "class" at MOPS. She said "me had fun!" and was skipping down the hallway. She wanted to wear her diaperbag/backpack on her OWN back and did NOT want me to carry her across the parking lot to the car. I wish I could take her to church today for sunday skewl but I can't take Cole yet, so maybe next week.

So it is SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! That means lots of yummy foooooood and some funny commercials hopefully. I think I saw somewhere the Prince was doing the halftime show. Did I dream that or was that a joke commercial? I would like to see him perform so if it is really him that is groovy. Have you seen the commercials for that dip you can make with cream cheese, chili and grated cheddar dipped in Ritz crackers? MMM that looks so good and I intend to make it TODAY! That is if Jarrod gets out of bed soon so I can go to the store. I still can't take Cole out in "public" but hopefully by the end of this week I can start doing that.

Sometimes on the weekends Jarrod, me and Mahna stay up until 1 in the morning playing and watching tv *usually her shows* and eating snacks. We did that last night and it was pretty fun. I like well actually love nights like that when we are all just on one level happy and family-like. No one is too busy doing this or that, we can all just sit and chill out. So we did that last night and I was hoping it meant sleepin' in today for Mahna and I but no such luck. She was up at 9 as was Cole. Well I am not tired yet but will be around 3 or so......