Busy as a Busy Bee

Blog, blog, blog. Blah, blah, blah.

Let's see...the past few weeks can be summed up like this.

1. Hot! Sweating our fannies off hot. Our air has not been cooling properly and we've had to make a lot of trips to the pool in the late afternoon/early evening.


2. My hubby worked late every night last week. It made for some long days. I've realized that when he walks through the door it's usually one of the best part of my day.


3. Busy at night! I've been making lots of cakes. See here.

4. Busy at day. Keeping Mc out of everything is a full time job in itself...no less entertaining Asher too. Gah! He's such a big help though and a great big brother!


5. Uneasy. Out housing situation has been pretty stressful. I'll have to devote a full blog to that later. But just FYI, buying a foreclosure is not a fun process. You've been warned.


Oh, and one more little thing, Maryclaire slept through the night a couple of nights ago...like 9 to 5. Has she done it again? No, but I'm hopeful!

I probably won't blog again until we get moved. This week is going to be SUPER busy! Until then, hope you all have a fabulous week!

The Best Laugh Ever

I get a lot of comments on Asher's laugh. I know, it's a funny thing to get comments on, but anyone who hears him laugh, a real laugh, says it's one one of the best laughs they've ever heard. I have to agree. It is guaranteed to make you laugh too...or at least giggle.

And if you don't get even so much as a smile out of it, well, I'm convinced you must not have a soul!

Happy 8 Months, Maryclaire!

Wow, this month was definitely one of your more exciting. I can't believe that in just a few short weeks you learned how to get in sitting positing, crawl and pull up. My job just got waaaay harder and I am one busy mama keeping you our of trouble.

At 8 months, you...

1. Weigh 15 lbs...barely (maybe soaking wet, fully dressed with a full diaper and tummy-Ha!) You are still so petite and really don't have any sweet baby fat rolls. I have no idea how long you are. You can still wear some 3-6 month clothes but also some 9 month clothes too. Go figure.

2. You are still nursing every 3-4 hours during the day and eating 3 solid meals too. You are a good eater. More and more you are refusing baby food and want what we are eating. You have eaten bread, tortillas, beans, lots of soft cooked veggies, oatmeal and cereal.



3. I am pretty sure you have completely outgrown your reflux and I have even added dairy back into my diet. Yay!

4. Instead of sleeping better, you are sleeping worse and worse, waking every 3-4 hrs (if I'm lucky!) at night. You always want to nurse and then will go back to sleep. You are most often awake when I put you back in your bed and will go back to sleep on your own.



5. You are a thumb sucker. It's so cute.

6. You are on a pretty good schedule now, not just routine anymore. You usually go down for a nap around 10-10:30 and again around 3. Bedtime is usually around 8. You are finally not giving us fits going to sleep and it is so nice to put you in your bed w/ your blanket and you just fall asleep. You still have a few rough nights here and there but it's way better than it was.


7. You have already been cruising the furniture this past week...and trying to climb up the bookcases! Good thing they are bolted to the wall.

8. You love playing with your toys. Your brother never cared for them like you do.You like the xylophone and pretty much anything that plays music.

You are so pleasant, happy and still a pretty easy baby. I can't wait to see what this next month brings!

In 60 seconds

It take us about 20 minutes to clean up Asher's playroom everyday (I'm pretty sure if I didn't help him it would never get done!). That includes sorting all his toys into the designated buckets and bins. Yes, I'm a little anal about there being a "place" for everything.




It takes him all of about 60 seconds to make it look like this.

And sometimes I wonder why at the end of the day I feel so un-accomplished.


Oh, but look at that happy face. I'm thinking the mess makes Asher feel very accomplished. The bigger the mess, the better the fun!

Ha! Perspective, right?


As for the lack of blogging, Mc is INTO EVERYTHING! I can't leave her for a minute without her getting into something she's not supposed to. She's trying to climb the bookshelves, eat every speck of dirt, leaf, trash, etc. on the floor (I promise I vacuum daily, it doesn't matter), get into places she's not supposed to....you get the picture. She's a pure mess and is keeping me rather busy at the moment.

I have lots of catching up to do...including some body's 8 month post....Ack.

Have a great week!

Arrrrgh, Matey!

Asher wanted to play pirates yesterday. He wanted Maryclaire to play with him.


You can't see me or Vaughn, but I was donning a captain's hat and Vaughn an eye patch. Oh, the fun things you do for your kids.


And, if you have a kid into pirates, this is a really cute book.


Hope y'all are having a great weekend!

First Day of School....Ever

We sent Asher to his first day of preschool on Monday. We were all excited. I barely slept Sunday night...Asher slept fine. Ha!

Special breakfast for a special day!

We decided to put Asher in a church 3day/wk preschool instead of full time GA pre-k. Vaughn and I both felt this would be best for him at this point.

I was definitely ready for him to go. He was definitely ready to go. We are all very happy with this new chapter!


Funny story though. I stuck around for a few minutes when we got there and took pictures, talked to his teacher, watched the other children come in, etc. When it was time for me to go our conversation went like this:

Getting our sillies out before school.

Me: Ok Asher, come give me a kiss...I've got to go.
Asher: Where are you going?
Me: Home
Asher: (very confused look on his face) You're leaving?

I guess I forgot to over the part where he is at school by himself! He was fine by the way...it didn't phase him a bit...it was just unexpected.

Already hard at work

When I picked him up, being in typical boy fashion I had to pull all the details out of him. From what I gather, he learned about ants, the letters A, C, S and a "few others", germs, went to the "port-e-potty" (???????) and played outside.

I'm looking forward to this big step for Asher. I can't wait to see how he grows this year!

The Happy Caker

Last weekend I went to baby shower for my cousin Amanda. She is going to be having a sweet baby girl. I can't wait! She's going to be a fabulous mom.

I asked if I could make a cake to bring. I've made lots of birthday cakes, but never a shower cake, so this was a first. I had such a hard time deciding on the design...baby stuff is just so darn cute!




My mom said it was the best tasting cake I've done yet...I won't tell her there was crisco in the icing. Yikes, I know...but in this GA heat, I have to have an icing that can't take these temps.

This weekend I wanted to try these...cakeball ice cream cones.



They were so fun!

I have so many cake ideas lately and I just need the opportunity (and time-ha!) to practice them!

OH, which reminds me-I have a new blog (as if finding the time to manage one isn't enough, right? I'm a glutten for punishment, I suppose!) I wanted a place to showcase my caking without it getting all mixed up with my personal stuff. I'll hopefully be adding lots to it in the next few days, weeks, months...you get my drift, right? You can check it out here at http://thehappycaker.blogspot.com.

We are having a lazy weekend so far...My favorite kind! Hope you all are recharging for the week ahead!

Tick Tock

Last night as I checked on the kids before I went to bed (do all you other mama's do that too?) I stood over Asher's bed in amazement at how big and growny he is...there is nothing baby about him anymore. He is 100% pure little boy.




I walked across the hall to Maryclaire's room, somewhat in a state of disbelief that my baby boy could be so big, and gazed at her sweet little self...thinking how she's almost doubled in size since she was born almost 8 month ago. And thinking how I will soon be thinking the same thoughts about her as I have about Asher.

It feels like someone is holding down the fast forward button.

Tonight, we went to Asher's pre-school open house. He starts 4-k next week...and once again time is slapping me in the face. It really doesn't seem possible that he was born 4 years ago, that we have already been back in Atl. for 2 years, that Maryclaire will be 1 in just a few short months. Where does the time go? Am I making the best of it?



I think of all the sacrifices we make so that I can stay home with these precious children and I don't have a single regret. Not one. Nada. Zilch. Zero. I don't care that we don't get to eat out often, that I don't wear the trendiest clothes, that we don't have a lot of frills and extras, or that I drive an old car that's too small for us. I don't regret all the stuff we do without or the stress of just trying to pay our bills each month because I am privileged to spend everyday meeting the needs of two of God's precious children.





As I think and type, I am reminded that I cannot consider any part of my life in terms of "doing without" when I am so clearly blessed beyond measure.


Psalm 23:6
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

Summer Fun

We went to the neighborhood playground the other morning. It was Maryclaire's first trip. Looks like we had fun! We sure will miss having a playground in the neighborhood when we move!

(I don't know why the above text is underlined and I don't have time to fix it!)

It's been so hot here that we really don't go outside after 11am, unless it's to the pool of course! I know many of you are in the same boat.

What indoor activities do you do to pass the time with the kids?