Mid-Week Randoms

~Last week Rachel had hand, foot, and mouth disease! None of my other kids had ever gotten that when they were little, so I had no idea what it was at first. I just noticed little bumps all over her legs, and thought maybe there was someway she had caught chicken pox, even though she has had the vaccination. She was crying and wasnt eating, and I knew something was wrong, so I took her into the dr. They looked into her mouth, saw sores all over the place, and said she had it. I didnt even think to look in her mouth! But thats what was making her so uncomfortable the whole time. So for a week we were in quarantine and didnt get to go out, since its so contagious. That was rough for sure!

~I recently finished "A love that Multiplies" (the new book out by the Duggars). It was a pretty good book. I don't agree with having that many kids and I never would, but they also are a very sweet family with good values, and whenever its on tv I just can't look away. It was interesting to read their books to see what their family was like and what they think about things. Not sure what book Im going to start next. I recently ordered "Crazy Love" by Francis Chan-- A christian book, and it looks really good!

~These past 2 Monday evenings from 5-8 I worked at the Pregnancy Care Center. Last week was my first night alone. They hadnt finished my training sessions yet, but were short-staffed, so they just threw me out there! I think I handled it ok, although I was stressed! They told me the phone hardly EVER rings after 5pm, and just the 2 nights I was there, I think the phone ran 6 or 7 times (isnt that how it always is?!) And one time someone was asking me for directions.. so I had to pass that call over to someone else.. yall know how I am with directions! ;) This week it was slam-packed all at once with lots of girls asking questions and wanting to use their Mommy dollars, and me having to fill out paperwork, etc.. so I just tried to breathe and get thru it! Later on one of the staff members told me I was doing a great job, so that made me feel good. Coming up next week there is a banquet for the volunteers, so Arnold and I get to go and Im excited!! :)

~We have started our Fall sessions of Lifegroup! we started last week.. and unfortunately Arnold wasnt able to go since thats when Rachel was sick, but I went because I am helping Ray (our LG leader) with things this time around (emails, attendance, phone calls, prayer lists, remembering people's names for Ray, etc) I might have gotten myself into something.. sheesh. (J/K-- love ya Ray!! ;) Anyway, it looks like we are going to have a great time. Our group has about 12 members as of now. And my very own good friend Erika is joining us too, so I hope she enjoys it like I do!! :)

~I have officially come to LOVE my new hair! I was really hating it at first, because I thought I looked bad, and it was just such a drastic change for me.. so short! But it is sooo quick to get ready and I dont have to do much to it at all. Plus, Ive received TONS of compliments from lots of people (not to brag, seriously.. but it made me feel good!) So i guess if other people think it looks ok, Ill agree with them ;) Anyway, I really like it! I will prob keep it short from now on!

~Brooke and Caleb BOTH got notes sent home from school this past week, saying they werent doing so good this week. Brooke's said she wasnt paying attention, and Caleb's said he had been throwing mulch at other kids on the playground! Seriously?! Arggggh, I had to have talks with both of them about their behavior. Since then its been getting better, so we will see. Brooke got her very first progress report sent home from school yesterday and it said she was doing well on most things but where she needed improvement was with following directions and participating in group activities. I am thinking this is just part of her personality, or she may just be bored at school. I hope she is able to focus more, though.

~Last week was the start up of all the new Fall shows! If im not careful there I am going to turn into a couch potato (that is one of the great things about Summer-- no new shows so you spend more time doing stuff outside!) But anyway, I am watching all my old shows: Glee, Raising Hope, The Middle, Modern Family, Big Bang Theory, and The Office. Ive also picked up watching: Mike & Molly, Up all Night, and the New Girl. I like The New Girl because she is dorky and does random things, and it totally reminds me of myself ;) Anyway, we watched the hugely anticipated return of "Two and a Half Men", and I have always hated Charlie Sheen and swore I wouldnt watch it again, but I was curious. I thought it was ok, but Arnold hated it!!!! It used to be one of his very fave shows ever. He doesnt think its funny anymore. I dont think Ashton is that GREAT of an actor.. but he sure is cute ;) What does everyone else think??? As for The Office, the new main boss is a jerk!! And I am happy with the office manager, I always loved him ;) But I miss Steve Carrell so much.. he MADE the show!!!

~I have planned a girls' day with a few of my close friends next Month. We plan to go to Concord Mills for the day, shop and eat. I hope to save up a little money to take with me, because its no fun if you cant buy stuff while you are there ;) I am going to pick the girls up and head to Lauryns house, and she is going to drive the rest of the way. I will need GPS just to get to her house (the directions thing again, remember?!) But i am sooo excited! I love days with my girls. And for us all to be together at once, and have fun, it will be awesome!!! :) :)

~Congrats to some friends, Ryan and Jenn, on the recent birth of their baby boy, Lowell!! He is PRECIOUS!!! I wanted to get up to the hospital to see him, but I didnt get a chance. Maybe they will let me come over sometime soon and see him anyway. Everyone knows how much I love newborns ;) This is the longest Ive ever gone without a newborn and its like im at a loss!! I want a job where I can hold newborns all day long!! is there such thing?!?! :) :)

~Today Rachel and I went to the mall with Lauryn and Grayson to have lunch and a playdate. We havent seen each other much in awhile, so it was great to hang out!! And Grayson and Rachel had their date ;) Its funny because Rachel will look at pics of him and say GRAYSON!! and seem so excited, but when she gets around him she is so shy :) She was happy because she got icecream after her lunch. Then we played in the playarea for awhile. Hope she didnt pick up anything there. I am not a huge germaphobe, but I think that MAY be where she picked up the hand, food & mouth! Who knows...

At the mall with our buddies! :) :)

Awesome Weekend!!

Friday Arnold was able to take another day off from work. We were going to go to the mountains, but it was pouring rain when we woke up, so we decided against that. Instead we went out and did a little early Christmas shopping. I found teacher gift for the kids' teachers, a few things for the kids and some friends, and got to use my latest Kohls cash (I need to stay out of that store, it can get me into some trouble!! ;) Then we went to lunch at Chilis. They have good lunch deals with soup and sandwiches, and I got some of their loaded potato soup, and it is soooo yummy! They are raising money for kids with cancer too, so we let the kids color a Chili and have it hung on the wall, and I got one of the slap bracelets they were selling. Remember those from back in they day?? I loved them when I was little! That day was also Grandparents day at school so Brooke had her Grandma come and have lunch with her, she loved that. My mom also got to take her home from school and so she took her shopping before she brought her home.

Saturday morning we all went to the inlaws' church to set up for a surprise party that we were throwing for my Father-in-law. It was a 60s/Hippie theme, and it was for his birthday. I absolutely love parties as most of you know, so I had fun helping. Jenn and my MIL did most of the stuff, and everything was so cute. That afternoon we had our first Girl Scout event of the year.. Mother/Daughter bowling! Brooke was so excited to get to wear her Daisy tunic out in public. We had just gotten it set up that morning with all her badges.. nothing like waiting till last minute! ;) There were lots of troops there, and we actually got seperated, so Brooke and I bowled in a lane with people we didnt know, but they were nice. Brooke has only been bowling once or twice so she kept getting frustrated that she "couldnt do well" and actually ended up crying, but she stuck it out. She actually ended up finishing 2nd place out of the Daisy girls! (even WITH her not bowling "correctly".. she likes to just roll the ball down the lane really slowly, and once it even stopped and someone had to go get it! ;) But anyway, I was pretty rusty and started out bad but ended up doing ok and getting a few strikes, and ended up second place out of the Daisy Moms. Afterwards they got chocolate award suckers and to pick a prize. AND they got a patch to add to their uniform! It was so fun.

That evening we had the party for FIL. He ended up surprised, although he said he was sort of expecting something. Jenn and Arnold dressed up for the party.. Jenn was dressed like a hippie and Arnold got a Cheech costume from Party City.. he looked ridiculous but everyone got a good kick out of it. We had TONS of food and everything was so good. The decorations were so cute, we had posters that had "60s" sayings, balloons, sunflowers, lava lamps, and even a board set up with pictures of FIL over the years. I LOVED looking at all the pics. Their family has some strong genes, thats for sure. Arnold looks so much like his dad and Caleb looks JUST like his daddy when he was a little boy.. its amazing! I still love seeing similarities between people like that.. im not used to that since Im adopted. Anyway, Arnold had been practicing for weeks and he provided the entertainment for the party. He played lots of songs his dad liked, and even added stories of memories he had with his dad.. it was very sweet! The party was a great success! We didnt have as big a turnout as expected though, so we ended up with LOTS of leftovers and ARnold's mom sent us home with tons and tons of food. Made the kids happy, because a lot of it was sweets and snacks ;)

Sunday morning we got up and went to church. Lauryn, Erika AND Jackie were all there that morning! I love going to church with several of my closest friends.. makes it all the more special :) That afternoon we dropped the kids off with the inlaws and went back to church for a Membership class. We are in the process of officially joining our church! We have been attending since last Nov. or so, and have loved going, and we have joined a Lifegroup, and we figured the next step was joining, since we knew we belonged there. You take 3 classes, meet with the leadership team, and then stand up in front of the church and officially join. Also, I am going to be baptized. I was "christened" as a baby, but they actually BAPTIZE in this church. So... i figure im getting dunked in a fountain! Which is going to be cool.. I am excited about it! (Arnold was baptized when he was younger, in the ocean) The first class was great.. we went over a lot of things that we already knew, but it was good to have a refresher. We also took a "Spiritual Gifts" test (that was 120 questions!!) to see what we were best at, that they could use to see where we could best serve in church. My top 3 were "Mercy," "Compassion," and "Hospitality." No shocker there! So I figure ill be working with children or as a greeter or something like that. Arnolds top 3 were "Craftsmanship," "Faith," and "Helping" which is very much like him also! It was a neat quiz to take. By the way, my lowest 2 were "Craftsmanship" and "Leadership." No shocker there either.. I dont like working with my hands OR bossing people around (although Arnold would beg to differ!!;)

It was one of those very busy weekends that I love, but I think Arnold would prefer to have more rest time on the weekends ;) Oh well, it was fun!

At the bowling alley

My Sweet Daisy Scout! She is so grownup!
Arnold playing at the party

Pop with his Birthday cake

Jenn, MIL, FIL, Arnold and I :)

Weekend in Charleston!

I KNOW.. I know.. I am really late writing this. But better late than never, right?

Most of you know that last weekend I went to Charleston for my cousin's wedding. Arnold had to work and we definately decided that taing 3 young kids on a long car trip wasn't what we were wanting to do at this time, so we after a lot of consideration we decided that I would go on the trip with my parents, and Arnold would stay at home with the kids that weekend. Hed actually have rather done that then listen to them whine the whole 4 hours in the car!! It was bittersweet, because it was the first time I'd been away from the kids for that long. And the longest id EVER been away from Arnold. We were together every day since we got married, and even somewhat before that. We had quite the record going on, over 2,000 days together. I hated that I had to break the record! But we knew it would happen eventually.

Anyway, I left on that Friday around lunchtime. Dad drove, and Grandpa went with us on the trip too since he lives nearby, and mom and I sat in the backseat together. I tried to get some reading done but it just made my stomach hurt. I have always felt queasy on car trips. And i HATE long car rides, I get so bored. I took my IPOD to listen to, but of course as soon as I turned it on I realized I had left the house without charging it and it was DEAD. So I just tried to enjoy the trip as best I could, and got some rest. We left out around 11 am, but after factoring in lunch, dropping Grandpa off at his hotel, and then all the crazy traffic, we didnt get to our condo until around 5pm that evening. So it was a LONG day to say the least. We stayed at the Island of Palms and it was sooo nice. Our Condo was right there at the beach. The view from the living room was amazing!

The first evening we went out grocery shoping to get food for dinner that night and for breakfast and snacks while we were there. It was strange to be with mom and dad again, for that length of time, but I did enjoy their company. I loved being away and getting my first real break in the 5 yrs since ive become a mom, but at the same time I was missing my family like crazy!! I actually cried the first night I was there! While mom and dad cooked I lounged in their bed upstairs and watched tv and watched the ocean from their window. It was soo relaxing, I almost fell asleep before dinner. Then dinner was shrimp, baked potatoes and salad.. soo yummy! I loved having my parents to cook for me again.. they are BOTH awesome cooks!

The next morning we went out for an early morning walk on the beach. It was dreary all weekend long, which was a bummer, but at least it didnt actually rain. The beach was BEAUTIFUL. Im not too much of an actual beach person that likes to swim and stuff, but I do enjoy going and the beauty of it all. I took lots of pictures of course, yall know me! ;) I took a long a teddy bear that I have had since I was born, that was made by my Grandmother. (his name is PJ!) and took pics of everything we did that weekend with him there, to show the kids later ;) After breakfast we went to the downtown market and looked around for awhile. I wanted to find the kids little gifts to take home to them. I found Brooke a jewelry set with shells, and Rachel a little pink & purple stuffed unicorn. I didnt find Caleb anything until later. I also found an "Elf on the Shelf" kit and bought it! I am so excited to try it out with the kids this Christmas season. The girl at the shop told me all kinds of stories about how people do it, and it just made me so anxious to have one of our own. After awhile dad was seriously rolling his eyes.. I think he regretted going shopping with a bunch of girls all morning!

Then we went out to lunch. We went to a place called A.W. Shucks. They had some of the best food I had had in awhile! I got shrimp again, and it had some kind of amazing spices on it.. they didnt last for long! I took a pic of PJ there with his arms around my dad's empty beer bottles.. it was funny ;) Im sure people wondered why a girl in her mid 20's was taking a little stuffed bear every where she went ;) After lunch Mom and I met up with my cousin and her bridal party at a nail place and got manicures. It was fun to have some "girl time." I hadnt gotten one in forever and was glad to have someone make them look better. I picked a silverish color for them which was really pretty. The girl told me to get manicures more often and let them grow! I always get picked on at these places because I am a nail-biter (yes I know its a nasty habit!!) Anyway, that evening my younger brother and his girlfriend came into town for the wedding too. We all met up and went out to dinner together. The first place we went was PACKED and you had to have reservations. So we went to Dad's plan B and it was really good too. I had Mahi Mahi that night (did i mention that I had seafood ALL WEEKEND LONG-- so its a good thing I love it!! I ate good on this trip!!)

The next morning Mom and I headed to the Tanger Outlets to do some shopping. We went to Oshkosh and mom got the kids new raincoats for this fall. And then we went to the Gymboree outlet and they had one of my fave lines out so I had to get Brooke an outfit, and Im planning on using it for her Fall pics next month at school! I found Caleb a gift finally.. A starwars thing.. which I knew hed love. We also went into a few more stores but didnt have a lot of time since we had to get ready for the wedding. When we got back I realized my outfit for the wedding had gotten very wrinkly on the trip so Mom ironed it for me (like I said, there were definate benefits to being with my parents again!! ;) Then we headed out around 3:00. My cousin was getting married at the Citadel. We ended up getting lost (even WITH GPS) and my parents were arguing over directions and dad was getting angry and saying some dirty words (aw just like old times! ;) And i was trying just to stay calm and hoping we werent late-- but we got there just in time!!

The wedding was BEAUTIFUL! I am such an emotional person... I kept tearing up the whole time. i cant imagine one day we will watch our daughters get married. I dont know how Im going to handle that! It was nice to see all the family again, we dont get to see each other that much except maybe at Christmas or other big events because everyone lives so far apart. Then we went to the reception afterwards at the Historic Rice Mill building at this Marina. It was beautiful too. But all of Charleston DID stink.. with the smell of ocean and fish and other things.. so I had to get used to that. I was the only one there without a date.. everyone joked and said Grandpa could be my date ;) I felt like I followed around my brother and his GF and became the 3rd wheel ;) The food was awesome (more seafood--are you surprised?!) And they had a Macaroni and Cheese bar.. ever heard of that?! You could get all these different toppings added to it, like chives, crab meat, lobster, asparagus, etc. It was sooo yummy! Anyways, after getting back to the condo I watched part of the Emmy Awards and then fell asleep. I never realized just how tired I have become until I got a weekend away and actually got some time to rest!

The next morning we all got up really early, packed and got ready to go. By then I was actually SAD we were having to leave. The weekend seemed like it flew by once I started having fun. I went for one more walk down to the beach, and took a little video of the beach for the kids to see. I ran into a woman on the beach and had to explain to her what I was doing so she didnt think I was crazy ;) After the long car ride home, I finally made it back to the house around 12 noon. I was soo happy to see Arnold and the kids again! When I picked up the big kids from school that afternoon they almost had to be held back by their teachers because they were trying to run to the van before I had gotten to a stop. But it was nice to see everyone so excited over my return and to have Arnold realize what I go through in a normal day ;) he had a pretty good weekend with them even if it was crazy and tiring. I am so thankful for a husband that was willing to do that for me!! :)

My cousin Steph and her new husband Anthony

Mom and I ate lunch at A.W. Shucks

Dad and I at dinner on Saturday Night

Alex and I at The wedding reception

Trying Tuesday!

Yesterday was one of those days. You're thankful for the day, but you just hope and hope that it will hurry up and end!!

Should have known it was going to be a bad day when I forgot to send Brooke's homework back to school with her! Yikes! But anyway.. Rachel and I headed out to Rack Room Shoes because I needed to buy shoes to wear to the wedding this weekend. Like mom said "Cant wait flip flops to a wedding!!" :P I was looking around for awhile trying to find what kinds I wanted, and Rachel was getting anxious. She tried to take the shoes out of the boxes, and then she ran around looking at herself in all the mirrors. So i kept busy with trying to keep her calm, too. Thank goodness for lollipops as a bribe! And thank goodness we got there when it opened so there wasnt a lot of people to annoy.. although I think she gave the salesman quite a laugh a few times :) I finally found a pair I liked and they didnt have them in my size. Argh. So I got the pair I liked next best. They had the buy one get one half off deal, so I got Rachel a pair of tennis shoes for fall. Originally $25 and got them for $12 something so not bad at all! And i had a coupon for $10 off $60 and was almost there so I got Arnold a pair out of the mens' clearance section (which later found out didnt fit him, so oh well!) and so I ended up with 3 pairs for just over $50! Not bad.. gotta love good deasl on shoes.

Later that afternoon I had to go pick up Brooke and Caleb early so that they could go to the dr for their school physicals. I got to the school and there was no parking in the teacher lot so I had to park down the hill, and walk all the way up with Rachel, then walk allll the way to the back of the school to pick the kids up, then alll the way back down to the lower parking lot again. By the time I got back to the van I was all hot and sweaty! I did NOT want to be going to the dr appt. But i knew It had to be done.

We have switched the two older kids to our dr, so this was their first time going. That was interesting, to say the least. The waiting room was packed, so there were lots of people there to witness me try to handle 3 bored, annoyed and anxious little kids under 6. They had to get all their paperwork entered and we ended up having a 30 min wait.. even though we had gotten there early! The kids played in the play area for awhile but got bored of that. Rachel knocked over a display with flyers that went everywhere that I had to pick up. Caleb and Rachel got into a fight over Monkey. And Brooke wouldnt sit still in her chair. At one point I saw a little boy whisper to his mom and they looked in our direction. I was pretty embarassed at this point. Then we finally went back. The kids had to pee in a cup and had never done that before. Brooke got "stage fright" and couldnt go at all. Well Caleb on the other hand whipped it out and peed right then and there for me.. Arnold says he will pee anywhere! Then we went to the room, and they got their blood pressures taken. The whole time Rachel kept saying IM SCARED, IM SCARED.. i think she thought it was a dr appt for her too!

Finally after ANOTHER wait.. the dr came in. He examined the kids, and everything checked out ok, thankfully. The nurse had to check their vision and they both passed. When it came time to the hearing test, it kept messing up because the kids wouldnt be quiet (it has to be really quiet in the room to work) and it didnt help that Rachel was crying and whining (hadnt gotten to take her nap that day!) and Brooke kept trying to talk to Caleb. Argh! They had to actually SEPERATE them and do their tests in different rooms! Finally we were done, after almost 2 hrs of being there. I was exhasted, and my stress levels were out the roof. The nurses let them all pick out a sticker, and then gave them a sucker. Caleb rippd off the paper and THREW his trash on the floor! I know i taught him better than that!And while I was waiting on drs notes for school, Brooke decided to lead the pack outside before I was ready to go. Lets just say If we ever have to do something like that again, ARNOLD can take the kids!!!

**On the plus side, everything checked out ok at the dr. Caleb was 41 lbs and 42 inches tall. Brooke was 52 lbs and almost 48 inches tall. They were both off the charts like usual. They were surprisingly caught up on their vaccines so that was a relief.. I dont think I could have handled any more crying!!!**

We finally got home late that afternoon, let the kids play outside for a little bit, then I fixed the kids some dinner, and they ate real quick before I had to get Brooke ready. She had her first night of Girl Scouts. I took her to the meeting and she was SO excited. My Sister-in-law is the troop leader, and she knows a lot of the girls in the troop already, so thats great. We are soon starting our Fall sale of NUTS.. so let me know if anyone wants to buy any! They are soo good.. seriously. And dont worry.. cookie sales come early next year! ;) I know we all cant wait for that! Anyway, we finally got the kids to bed last night and Arnold and I collapsed in the bed. Then I realized that Brooke hadnt done her homework in all the craziness that afternoon, so she had to do it this morning! But at least its done!

At the dr

Waiting on the dr. Ah, still getting used to the hair!

Brooke and her cousin Bekah at their girl scout meeting. Bekah is sitting in an old cookie box. LOL!

Haircut

So i was getting tired of my hair again. Every couple of months it just starts to really bug me. Whenever my hair gets any kind of length to it, it lays so flat and will not do anything! My hair is thin, straight as ever, and no volume. So when I go shorter it usually looks better. I decided I wanted to get it cut short again so I wouldnt have to deal with it anymore, and really wanted to get it done before I head to Charleston this weekend.

Theres a Salon in the area that I go to usually with my mom, but she only has day appointments and I wouldnt have been able to go this week. I have gone to Great Clips before and they did a good job so I didnt mind going back again. After all its just for a cut, nothing special, and its cheaper ;) So Arnold took the kids to the mall playarea to hang out for awhile while i went. I was afraid it would be a long wait but I waited less than 5 minutes, I was impressed!

The girl who cut my hair ended up being a girl I went to highschool with! So that was cool, we got to chat. She asked me what I had been up to so I whipped out my wallet to show her the picture of all 3 kids. Well its the truth, I HAVE been busy ;) LOL! It felt so strange sitting there in that chair with her cutting my hair, with her license on the wall, and knowing that I have 3 kids at home. And I found out that she has kids too. I felt SO old! haha! I cant believe its been 8 years since I graduated. The years have just flown by since I had kids.

Anyway, she asked me how I wanted my hair cut. I didnt know how to explain how I had it before, and didnt have a picture, so I just told her to do whatever she thought would look good. (after all shes the one who went to school for it!) She started cutting and when she was done I was shocked at how much she cut off! I thought a little above shoulders, but it was at my CHIN! Wow! Ive actually NEVER gone that short before. So i didnt know how to feel about it! Needless to say though, it did have TONS more volume and bounce than before! She did a great job on it. As i walked up to pay I noticed that 2 women had been watching me get it done and they smiled and said that it was a drastic cut! I was like yeah.. no kidding! But they said it looked good and I should see the back.. that it was cute! So i felt better geting some compliments on it!

I went back to the mall to pick up Arnold and the kids. I didnt know how Arnold would react. Like i said, hes never seen it that short before. But he smiled and said he liked it, so I guess that was good enough for me. I woke up this morning shocked all over again when I saw it in the mirror. Isnt it funny how you can forget things over night and then its like ahhhh! Haha.. and of course when I tried to get it to do something this morning before I went out it didnt look at all how it looked when the girl styled it.. but I guess its still cute! I will get used to it eventually! :)

Weekend Review

We had a pretty busy weekend, but it was fun!

Friday evening we took the kids to dinner at Pizza hut, then we took them to a thing called Fantastic Friday at Mandy and Joanne's church. They took kids on a trip over to a park near their church. They actually took the kids in the church van and we were supposed to come pick them up at 9pm, so that was awesome! We tried to get Rachel to go too, but she had missed her nap and was fussy, so we gave up on that idea. I had dressed Brooke in a new outfit before I knew that they were going to the park and they came home DIRTY. Which of course I know that happens when kids play, no biggie. But now there are huge dirt stains on the knees of her new pink leggings. Any tips on how I can best get the stains out????

Saturday morning Arnold got up early and went out to help his cousin and her family move. So I stayed at home and hung out with the kids. Sometime that morning I had a phone chat with one of my best friends, Jess. I dont get to talk to her as much anymore so it was awesome! Its cool how a chat with someone so close to you can instantly brighten your day :) She is getting married in Feb and Im so excited for her. I hope to get to go with her to look at wedding dresses one weekend! When Arnold got home I left to take my Dad out to lunch for his birthday. His bday is tomorrow and its a big milestone but hes in denial so I wont mention his age ;) When Brooke heard I was going she threw a fit, so I took her with me. So dad got to have lunch with both his girls! We went to Dos Amigos, a fave of ours.. and I got chicken fajitas.. YUM!! Afterwards I took Brooke to the mall for some girltime. We did a little shopping. Went to Bath and Body Works and picked up a few new soaps for the house. they have their fall scents out now and they smell awesome! Have yall been in there lately? I also had a coupon for one free item with a $10 purchase, so I got a new bodyspray. I tried "Twilight Woods" this time and it smells so good! We went to a few more places and after awhile Brooke said she was tired and wanted to go home. I actually shopped her out, haha! All the while Caleb had been at home with Arnold watching the 2nd Star Wars movie (his new obsession by the way!) Arnold got rented it him for having such a good week at school and doing better about not crying when he went in in the mornings.

That night Arnold and I had talked about going on a date, but his parents werent able to watch the kids, so we made different plans instead. He said he wanted to take the kids to the Morganton Festival. Yes ALL 3 kids by himself. I told him he was crazy! But he insisted so I didnt argue with that. I went out shopping and for some girl time with Jackie while they were gone. We went to a few stores looking around for awhile and then went to Ritas for some italian ice. They didnt have either of my flavors that night so I tried a new one.. Strawberry Margarita. And it was soooo good! I think that MAY just be my new fave ;) And Jackie hadnt been before, so she tried it, and I think I got another one hooked on Ritas ;) Its about time! When I took her home and started heading home I called Arnold and they were JUST on their way home as well. They had stayed for a long time, riding rides. Arnold said the lines were soo long and it was packed, so I guess im glad I didnt go after all! But they said they had a good time, so Im glad.

Sunday we got up and got ready for church. I had us all get dressed in something patriotic. The only person who didnt have something was Brooke! But she wore her new dress that she had gotten for her bday from Lauryn. We took a few pics outside before we left, because you know how i am ;) Then we went to church, and this week Lauryn finally came back and visited! ;) And she brought Andy with her too. It was a great message as always. And a somber moment as we remembered 911, and it marked 10 years. Cant believe its been that long. After church, we went to lunch across the street at Wendys with Lauryn, Erika the kids. We took up 2 big tables! The kids had fun though, and Rachel finally got to have her date with her man Grayson ;)

That afternoon Brooke went to her first Girl Scout outing.. she was so thrilled she talked about it all morning, even to strangers at church ;) While she was gone, Rachel took a nap and the boys watched yet ANOTHER Star Wars movie, and I went grocery shopping alone, it was nice!! When Brooke got back from her GS thing we had dinner. Jenn and Bekah brought her home, so they stayed for dinner. Then when they left we took the kids to the park again. The sun was starting to set and the weather was beautiful, perfect evening to go to the park! Caleb had an accident while we were there, and then lied about it, and Arnold ended up in the park bathroom rinsing out his underwear, so needless to say Arnold was not happy, and Caleb was not happy either, because he had to sit out from playing after that.

It was a good weekend, always hate to see them end!!

Before church on Sunday

She wanted to wear her hat to match her dress!
Arnold and Rachel showing off their Patriotic-wear!

At the park Sunday evening

Rachel's Day Out

On Friday Arnold surprised us and took Friday off. The big kids were in school so we decided to take Rachel out and have some fun. (Like i said before, so much easier with just 1 kid!!)

First we went up to Ihop for breakfast. Loooove Ihop. Arnold and I got our usuals and we got Rachel the "bowl of fruit." She actually ended up eating more of our food than her's! Isnt that how it always is, though? Then we decided to go out shopping for a little while. We went to Oldnavy to look at their kids costumes. They have some really cute ones this year, including a cupcake, icecream cone, and a strawberry. I think Rachel is going to be the strawberry, I just love it! But they were out of her size, so I will probably have to order it online. We looked around and got a few more things because their baby sale was going on and there were lots of good deals. I was at the back looking at some women's clothes when Rachel turned the corner and when I went around the corner to get her, she was squatting on the floor and peeing! Right in the middle of Old Navy! And thats not the worst of it-- a lady (who didnt even work there) Was staring at me with a look that could kill! Well excuse me! She is 2! It was an accident.. seriously!!! Rachels diaper was already full (I didnt realize it was that full though!) so when we went again it just went straight through her! I was soo embarassed. i went to change her in the bathroom (thank GOODNESS I had an extra change of clothes with me that day-- I usually forget!) And had to stuff her brand new owl outfit back in her diaper bag. She hadnt even gotten to wear it that long! I went back outside and had all intentions of telling someone about what she did and apologizing, but a cleaning lady was already out there and the puddle was gone. I bet you money it was that lady who was staring at us earlier. Geez! Some people. I still cant get over that. They probably wont want us back in there again for awhile ;)

Anyway, after that we went to Ross'. I always like to look through their movie deals and found a new Max and Ruby movie for the kids, and another collection of old cartoons on dvd. I also found cheap Littlest Pet Shop sets (what Brookes really into these days!) So i found more stuff for my Christmas gift collection. Its safe to say I am on a roll now! Now I just need to find places around here to store the stuff! Where does everyone else store their Christmas gifts until time? Anyway, we also went into the petstore. Rachel absolutely loved walking around to all the tanks and looking at the fish. Something soothing about watching fish! They had a lot of dog toys on clearance and so I got some things for Oreo and Pepper. Lastly we went to TJ Maxx. Usually can find some things in there, but didnt this time around. Looked through their halloween costumes though, and they had a CUPCAKE FAIRY!! OH goodness, it was so cute. If they had had it in Brooke's size I probably would have gotten it. But then.. I probably would have ended up feeling bad that I didnt let my daughter pick out her own costume :) :)

We started heading back towards home and went to school to have lunch with Brooke and Caleb. This was our first time of going this year, and BOTH of us got to go, so it was an extra treat for the kids. When they heard we were both coming, Brooke nearly wet herself (haha.. she gets way too excited about things--wonder where she gets that from?!) :) Thankfully their lunches are back to back so we got to see Caleb first and then hung around to see Brooke too. Arnold and I were still stuffed from that big breakfast we had, so we didnt get anything, but we sat with the kids. We actually spent most of the time chasing Rachel around.. she was excited to be around all those big kids and wouldnt sit still. We had several little eyes around that lunchroom watching us that day, haha :) Brookes class was the quietest in there! Her teacher is old-school and really ups the discipline, so the kids really listen to her. I wish Brooke was like that at home-- HA!!!!

After we had stayed for 2 lunches we didnt have much time left to do anything before we had to go back and pick them up from school, so we decided to take Rachel to the park right down the road from us. We pushed her on the swings and let her slide a few times. She had to take Clifford with her to the park, too. Actually she took Clifford with her EVERYWHERE that day.. it was cute. I think she MAY be replacing Monkey (say it isnt so!!) After awhile we were all sweaty, so we went back home. We had a great day and I wish Arnold had more Fridays off! :) :)

Rachel in her new outfit! From Target. I think its so cute!!!

Breakfast at Ihop
Lunch with The kids at school

Rachel having a blast at the park

Mid-Week Randoms

~Caleb is doing much better at school! Today he didnt shed a single tear. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Arnold promised him to watch another Star Wars movie this weekend if he was a big boy this week at school :)

~I started a new book, called "Firefly Lane." It is so good so far, I read 6 chapters last night before I went to sleep. I am glad I am back in the reading groove again, Id forgotten how much I love to curl up with a good book!

~I have LOST my glasses. Say it isnt so! I have 2 pairs.. my black pair that I wear every day, and a backup pair that are wirerimmed glasses. I dont know WHY i didnt just get two pairs of the black when I bought them. I hate wearing the backup pair, they make me look like such a dork. I have looked everywhere. I swear there is a big black hole in our house that things just fall into, never to return. Because somethings have vanished from our house before and I never could end up finding them. And yes ive checked the kids' hiding places!!

~I think I wrote in another blog about Rachel burning her wrist last week on a pan of chicken I had just pulled out of the oven. Well, it finally scabbed over, but today the carseat belt rubbed over it and tore the scab off. Poor baby was screaming while blood was going all over the place. At first I didnt see why she was screaming, I just thought she was having a tantrum. After I cleaned it up, and put a Dora bandaid on it, she was a lot better though!

~I watched "The Secret Life" finale last night. Did anyone else see it. Wow. I cant believe it finally happened. I was proud of how far Ricky had come ovre the past few seasons, hes really grown up. I dont know why I care to watch the show anymore, its a major trainwreck. But i just had to see what happened. With a lot of the characters graduating, im not sure how well another season would do, but we'll see.

~Its only one week into the school year and I already got scolded! Brooke had gym yesterday and I forgot to have her wear tennis shoes. I sent her to school in her brown mary-jane type shoes. Oops! She said the gym teacher fussed at her. I feel pretty bad. Its harder than I thought keeping up with the schedules of both the kids. They have gym, library and other things at different times and days, so I might as well just hang up a huge calander and be done with it.

~Can everyone get over the weather today? Wow, it really felt like Fall! I think it was in the mid 60s when Rachel and I went out earlier today. We had to go to the post office to ship something for Arnold. And then we went to a few stores to look around. Im such a sucker for my baby girl, I bought her a stuffed Clifford at Kohls. She had made a big fuss over the display. And the stuff is for a good cause, so I figured why not? She loves it, and she almost forgot about Monkey while she was snuggling her new Clifford! I couldnt believe it! Anyway, then we went to see Arnold and Pop for lunch at their work. I am still loving this new freedom of going out with just one kid. People with just one kid have it easy!!! ;) Haha, i am just picking.. mothering is hard, no matter how many kids!

~So, I hand-wrote a letter today. For the first time in I dont know how long? Aside from jotting down a quick grocery list from time to time, I dont even use a pen or pencil that much anymore. I type for just about everything! I guess that is really sad. Halfway through the letter I was getting tired, and after I wrote the letter I had wrist pain for most of the morning. Thats just pathetic. I guess i need to make a habit of writing letters more often. Everyone loves getting mail!

~I love this time of year when they put all their summer stuff on clearance! (along with lots of other stuff to make room for new stuff on the shelves!) I found a lot of goodies while I was out today. Including a few new shirts for Arnold that will be nice for him to wear to work and church. And some shorts for Rachel next spring for really cheap. And even a few toys and games that Im going to save for Christmas. So i guess ive officially started my Christmas shopping! Wow, I am proud of myself, I am ahead of the game this year! ;)

Labor Day Weekend

We had a busy but fun weekend. Friday evening I had some friends over for Girl's Movie Night. I never knew how exhausted id be after the first week of the kids in school! Getting up so much earlier has really gotten to me I guess ;) I was so ready to kick back and relax that evening and see some great girls! I went out and got some snacks and cupcakes and drinks for us to have, and I rented the movie "You Again" which is pretty funny, we all seemed to like it. I told whoever wanted to could wear Pjs, and only one and one other person did but I loved it, it was so laid back and we all just sat there in the dark watching a movie and hanging out. No husbands, boyfriends, kids, or anything else to bother us, for about 2 hours, ahh so wonderful :) Right before the movie was over Arnold came in and the kids came running in. He said he wouldnt have come in yet, but he had to let us know that a big branch had fallen off one of our trees and fallen onto two of the girls cars! So of course everyone was jumping up looking out the window trying to figure out whos cars it was. It had been raining and storming during the movie but I had no idea something had fallen! Thankfully it fell right BETWEEN two cars, and didnt do any damage. Whew! Even though it was the storm I feel sooo bad that two of my friends' cars were hit with my tree! I mean gee, how often does that happen?!

Anyway, Saturday morning we got up and went to Target to look around, killing time before a birthday party. Right before we left Arnold hauled that big tree branch off, and we didnt realize until we got to Target that he had gotten mud on his shirt, so he ended up buying a new shirt while we were there. Then right before the party I met Jessica and gave her one of our old carseats that her friend who is visiting from out of state could borrow for her son. She let me hold 1o-week old Stella! Oh goodness, just holding a baby gives me baby fever. I just love sweet little babies.. I know, I will never get tired of snuggling them! Then there was the bday party at Hickory Dickory Dock. The kids had fun playing games and doing bumper cars.. Rachel actually went on for the first time, with her daddys help :) Then we went back to the party room and had pizza and cake. Rachel had purple icing all over her mouth :) And Ticker the Mouse made a visit to the kids and my kids flipped out (in a good way) and I practically had to drag them away! It was a lot of fun, and Happy 4th Birthday Camryn!! :)

Saturday evening Brooke had been invited to her cousin Peyton's 11th bday party. It was at a local country club, and was an 80s dance party. I wasnt sure how to dress Brooke, but at least I put her hair up in a sideways ponytail! She loved that, even asked me to do it again next day for church.. but I refused, haha. The girls all got to hang out and dance in a big room with the lights off and the disco balls going, and the 80s music of course. They also had a candy bar set up with all sorts of goodies.. Brooke tried her first Pop Rocks :) The adults hung out on the balcony and had some drinks and ordered some appetizers. I had some onion petals.. so good! Ill have to say, that was a pretty awesome party! I felt like I was able to relax! Arnold stayed at home with Caleb & Rachel and let Caleb watch Star Wars (the 1st movie) because lately that is his latest obsession. Well now he is even more obsessed, and says he wants to be Darth Vader. What has Arnold done to him? He is now into the bad guys *sigh*

Sunday we went to church, and then that afternoon I went with Mom and the kids to see The Wizard of Oz. It was the kids first time at a play, and it was going to be 2 1/2 hours, with an intermission, so I had no idea how well theyd do. They actually did much better than I thought! Brooke even laughed out loud several times, and her favorites were the Good Witch and the Lion (he WAS pretty funny!) The actors were all fantastic and it was really worth seeing. Then we went back to Mom & Dad's and grilled out, we had ribs (well i didnt, because I dont eat meat on the bone!) But everything was really good.

Today Arnold was off work (he never gets off Labor Day!) So it was a great surprise, but since it rained all day there wasnt much to do. We did end up going out to Coldstone to get some icecream this afternoon, and I ended up taking a nap when Rachel did (which was awesome!) And we ordered out tonight and tried to get some cleaning done around the house. Now we're just gearing up for another busy week! At least its a short school week! Hope everyone had a great Labor Day!

Girls at Movie Night!

The big branch that fell down!
Rachel on the bumper cars with Daddy!

The kids with Ticker the Mouse!

Brooke and Bekah at the 80s Party!

End-of-Week Randoms!

~This week has been very strange, getting used to the big kids both being in school all day. I come home from dropping them off, and the house is SO quiet! Rachel is really eating up all the attention. She loves having me all to herself, and keeps bringing me toys or books to play with her. I know shes thrilled not to have anyone around to fight with, and she gets free reign of all the toys in the house ;)

-The first day of school we went to playdate with Erika and her daughter Makenzie. Rachel was actually the oldest one for once! They played together in the mall play area while Erika tried to comfort me haha. Poor thing, I know she got tired of me talking endlessly about the kids, and how I wondered what they were doing and if they were ok ;) Then we all had lunch together at Chick Fila. Rachel and Makenzie got icecream after they ate, and Rachel took it upon herself to feed Makenzie.. it was so funny.. and so sweet! She even shared Monkey with her! Now that means she is someone she really loves and trusts ;)

~Caleb had a rough couple of days adjusting to school, and he cried for several days when I dropped him off. Two days were so bad that his teacher had to hold him back while he screamed "I WANT MY MOMMY!" as i left the room. It broke my heart! But I knew I had to leave b/c me staying would only make it harder. I DID wait in the hall the first day though, until I heard that he had calmed down. But the teachers said he did fine the rest of the day!!

~Rachel and I went out shopping all morning on Thursday. A perk to having the big kids in school is that it is soo much easier to shop with just 1 kid. I mean it is a HUGE difference! I actually wasnt stressed! We went into Target first, and I got Rachel a snack, and she sat still the whole time we walked around. I have to mention that at Target they have new clothes out now for fall and there are some of the cutest TUTUs for $5!! I saw an outfit (with an owl of course!) that id really like to buy soon. Next we went into Kohls to look for a birthday present for one of the kids' friends. I also ended up finding some dishes on deep clearance, so got some new things for the kitchen. We dont have a complete set of dishes at all! There have been so many things broken between washing dishes, and the kids, its unbelievable! And then we took a break and went to have lunch with Arnold at work. And lastly we did the weekly grocery shopping at Walmart. I HATE going in there, but it wasnt too bad with just Rachel. And of course I got the groceries so much cheaper, so it was worth it;) On the way home Rachel passed out ;) Poor thing had just had too much day!

~This past week my inlaws celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary! I just wanted to take a moment and point out what a wonderful and amazing milestone that is! I am so happy for them. They have stuck by each other through thick and thin. I am so thankful for their good example they have set for us in their marriage (along with my parents, who celebrated their 39th anniversary last month!) They raised a wonderful son who is now my husband. And now they are wonderful, involved grandparents to my 3 kids! :) :)

~I have been on a roll with reading again! I have really picked it back up. I find myself reading so much more at night now, and not on the internet as much (shocker, right?!) I recently finished "The Help" like i had written about before, then I read a book called "Misconception," Then Dr Phil's wife's book, which was a mix of a book on her life, and a self-help book. I had bought it one day at Ollies cheap and figured it would be a good pastime when I was bored, but It was actually really good! I learned alot about their family I didnt know, and I admire them even more now. Last night I started on "Firefly Lane." It seems like it will be great as well. Ive heard lots of good things about it.

~I cant believe it is September already! I am looking forward to so many things this month. My dad and Father-in-law are both turning 60. (although my dad doesnt let me talk about it ;) We are actually in the process of planning a big surprise party for my Father-in-law, later in the month, its going to be a hippie/60s theme. I can write about it on here b/c there is no way in blank that he will ever get a facebook! He's still trying to figure out his smart phone! ;) Love him ;) Anyway, I am also looking forward to a weekend trip to Charleston w/ my parents to go to my cousins wedding (a whole blog about that later, it should be interesting ;)

~I am also very happy that it is almost FALL! (one of my favorite, if not THE favorite seasons) It has been a lot cooler in the mornings. I am looking forward to the kids wearing all their cute, new fall clothes we bought them for school. And I am looking forward to all the fun things that come along with Fall! And the scents too.. I need to get an apple cinnamon candle to burn!

~Poor little Rachel had her first big boo-boo the other day. I had just taken some chicken patties out of the oven and had turned my back for a second to get something, and she reached up and touched the pan! She started screaming and I put two and two together and figured she had probably burned herself. She was pitiful and kept saying "my fingers hurt! they hurt!" I felt soo bad. I tried to do all I could. The next day it was looking pretty bad. She had a blister on her wrist that burst, and now she has a big mark that is going to scar, im sure. Im just surprised it happened so quick.. thats what they always say though! My big kids never got burned before. Im thankful, because thats one of the worst kinds of pain :(

~Arnold recently surprised me and told me that he has taken off Labor Day! so we get to spend the day with him! I am so happy. He never gets off Labor Day (they have to ask for it off if they really want it) and he did. So we will have to find something fun to do that day :)

Rachel feeding Kenzie some yummy icecream :)

Playing at the mall