I got nothing...

I don't have anything to blog about lately, but I'm sick of that depressing last blog entry about Carson's tantrum. Speaking of him, he has been pretty good lately. He is definitely testing and learning his boundaries, which can be frustrating, but he is so fun too! He loves to ask me "mommy, will you play toys with me?" He is also using his imagination a lot more lately. He'll say things like "see that giant bug over there" or "I'm going to work, see you later". He'll be able to describe things he's imagining, it's really fun. Yesterday during nap time I heard him playing with his toys and he was making up different voices for them. On the baby monitor, it sounded like he had split personalities, but he was just playing and talking in a higher voice for one toy and a lower voice for another. It was pretty funny.

Bryn is doing well too! She has been sleeping really well this week. She loves to be played with and will smile when given some attention. She seams to be getting better with her stranger anxiety, which is nice. I love having a baby girl, it's so fun!!

Well, I was able to muster up a blog from nowhere. The end.

Woah...that was ROUGH!!!

So, yesterday Tami and I finally made our adventurous trip to the Offray Ribbon outlet. Yes, we drove 1 1/2 hours to go buy some ribbon! But, the prices are unbelievable and so it's totally worth it...I mean, you get 100 yards for like $5-$10, instead of 5 yards for $2. The whole trip up there with Carson and Bryn was GREAT!! Bryn slept and Carson looked out the window and played with toys. I talked to my mom on the phone most of the trip and even commented to her how Carson is "generally a really good kid" and "pretty well behaved". Wow...did I speak TOO soon!!!!! Our trip to the ribbon factory and then McDonalds was the WORST outting EVER for my sweet boy Carson!!! So, at the ribbon store, the employee told Tami that there was no food allowed in the store, so we had to put our fruit snacks and treats away for the boys (first problem). So, then the boys wanted out of their strollers and started playing with some holiday gift wrap ribbon (something that they really couldn't hurt). Well, the same grouchy old lady came over and said "these are not toys" (which I agree and don't usually let my child terrorize a store, but they really weren't being too bad)....so, we put the boys back in their strollers which started a fit from both of them. Then Bryn started up...so Carson is SCREAMING and Bryn fussing and all *&^*&^ breacking loose. Anyway, after checking out we left the store and thought....wow, that was really rough! It was pretty bad, but I guess I was pushing my luck since both Bryn and Carson were perfect angels for TWO hours last week at Joanns. So, we thought since we tortured the boys with a ribbon store, that we would let them play together for a while at Mcdonalds play place. So after we ate, they went to play while Tami and I got to talk. After about 20 mins, Carson got upset about some girls he was playing with were leaving. He really likes girls and loves to make new little girlfriends. So, he started crying/screaming about that. Then he saw another girl with a McD TOY and he realized he didn't get one and started screaming "I want an Old McDonald toy!!!". I was feeding Bryn and could only do so much to discipline him (besides the grab the face and talk stearnly directly in to his ear). Well, he had a MAJOR meltdown and started screaming and screaming and SCREAMING!!! After about 10 mins, we finally left with Carson literally screaming the whole way out. He was holding onto the door jam to stay there and get his "Old McDonald Toy". Then he fell, then he screamed some more and more and more! I basically just dragged him to the van...with a bulky carseat in the other arm! It was pretty embarassing and I felt like one of "those moms". I don't know what that means, but I'm sure I just looked pathetic. I'm not as much worried about what I looked like, but what I need to do to teach my kid not to be a brat! I refuse to yell in public (or really anywhere for that matter) and so once we were on our way back home he got a very stearn talking to about how "mommy can't take you anywhere if you behave naughty and...that is unacceptable behavior and....I'm very sad that you were not nice and screaming and....I know you are a nice boy and I love you....blah, blah, blah". But, I just don't know if I got through to him. I know it will take lots of repitition, but I want to make sure that he learns from this. I feel like I discipline my kid pretty well...I'm not super layed back, but not super strict. But, I just feel like he is getting a little bratty. On the other hand, he can be a sweetheart and so polite a lot of the time. Does anyone out there have any advise about disciplining a 2 1/2 year old??????

***And in case you were wondering...yes, we did buy LOTS of ribbon!!!!

5 months ALREADY!?!?!

I can't believe our Brynlee is 5 months old! Time has really flown right by! Let me tell you a little bit about our little lady:
*She loves attention
*She loves attention from people she knows, but not always strangers
*She has a very sweet smile and uses it often
*She has a funny little grunting laugh
*She doesn't usually like church (she's getting better though)
*Sometimes people think she's "anti-social"...she's just sensitive sometimes
*She has had a very moody first 5 months
*She loves sleeping in her crib
*She usually does great when we're out and about
*She loves her big brother....and he loves her!
*She just discovered her feet and always plays with them
*She has big blue eyes
*She's started to grab and hold on to toys
*She's just so darn cute!

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We've had a fabulous weekend! On friday night we got a babysitter and went out for dinner and dancing with two other couples from church. We first went to a japanese steak house, where they cook all the food in front of you. It was sooo much fun!! There were huge flames, onion volcanoes, flying knives, and people catching meat in their mouths. It was tons of fun and we all had a blast!!! After dinner we went to a church dance and had more fun making fools of ourselves...I mean, dancing!

Today was President's day so we wanted to do something fun. The weather forecast said it was going to be rainy, but when we woke up this morning the forecast said sunny and 67! That is crazy warm for February, so we took advantage of the warm weather and headed to the zoo. It was a PERFECT day for the zoo. The weather was perfect and all the animals were out playing. I have never seen all the animals out before...but today they were ALL out, it was great! We had a wonderful time and Carson and Bryn were so good! It was a great weekend. I wish we had 4 day weekends all the time....I'm sure Dan does too!

Valentines Day '08

We had a great Valentines Day. We were really laid back and didn't do anything fancy. We are going on a triple date with some friends tomorrow night and are really looking forward to it. For V-day, we went to the Christensens for fondue and RockBand. We had great food and lots of fun jammin'. We all wore RED and the kids were super good all day. They both took a 2+ hour nap in the same room at the same time...yeah! It was a great day! Here are a few pictures of them in their RED and some other pictures of them this week. The last pictures are of Bryn in an outfit Carson wore when he was little...and the picture of Carson in the same outfit...do you think they look alike?

Less sleep makes you FAT!!

I've decided that if you don't get much sleep you'll just get fatter and fatter...atleast I will! It's 1AM and I'm up doing a bunch of nothing. Not because I don't want to be sleeping, I already tried that, and some little baby girl won't let me. So, I've already eaten a nice big bowl of yummy ice cream...making that my second for the evening. If I was sleeping where I should be, I wouldn't have any need to eat yet another bowl of ice cream...so, getting less sleep really WILL make me fat! And why won't Brynlee sleep?? I don't know! Both kiddos have been sick the last few days and Carson has a nasty croupy cough, but he is sleeping like a champ. Bryn is congested, but I think right now she just doesn't WANT to sleep...what's up with that? I finally gave up playing the Binky game and just took her downstairs. Now we're watching the Grammys that I recorded and she's just all smiles...punk!!! If she thinks she gets to sleep the day away tomorrow and stay up all night, she's got another thing coming! We just need to get everyone in this house healthy so we can all get back to normal. I hate having sick kids, or being sick...blah!

So, whenever I'm up with a kid not sleeping, I can't help but think of my sister. She is the BEST! Most of you know about her daughter Claire and her health problems. Well, let's just say that Claire has many serious health problems, but not only that, Claire does NOT sleep. She really only sleeps a handful of hours a day. I have NO idea how Katherine does it. I for sure would've snapped by now. Claire was just in the hospital again all last week, so maybe something will change soon (although the last 9 hospital stays and change of medications never proved to help her sleep better). Katherine has been dealing with some very challenging things with little to no sleep in the last year! Katherine you are amazing! I always have to remind myself when I start complaining. I really hope something turns for the better soon and that family can get some sleep!!

Well, now Bryn is getting restless. Maybe she'll actually go to sleep now. We'll give it a shot! Wish me luck! Good night!

So Sweet!

3:00AM

Brynlee: aaahh--ccchhoooo

Carson: Bless you!


So Sweet!!