TTT: Season 3, Episode 21

1. It's a known fact that in my 4.5 years of parenting I've tried many-a-method when it comes to taming my crazy monkeys. Yes, they are just little boys. But they're two boys, just fifteen months apart and, if given the freedom, would run the world amok. Really, they are fabulous, smart, good little boys. I just want to keep them that way! So when we returned from our beach trip and sassy attitudes were at an all time high, I decided to give something we did when I was a child a shot. Knowing how in to money and coins my kids have been, I thought it just might be effective. When we were growing up we called it "Dimes." It consisted of us each having a baby food jar with ten dimes in it. Any time we cut out of line, we lost a dime. At the end of the week, we each got to keep our remaining dimes. While it didn't work at all for some (Andy was known to ask my mom to take all of his dimes on the first day...), I used to walk away with my full dollar's worth every week. I decided to mix it up a bit and go from the positive side of things with the boys. They each have a jar on the kitchen counter. Each time I get a "yes ma'am" or catch them doing something nice or they do something the first time I ask etc, etc. they get a money in their jars. (penny) And with each "no" or sass or fighting or whining or disrespect it's a money out. To say it has been a success would be a serious understatement. Especially with Kolbe. He's gone from Mr. Sassy-Pants to Mr. Perfect overnight! I knew from the get-go that while it would be a hugely popular idea to begin with, I'd have to work hard to keep up the results despite the fact that the actual coin-in-the-jar procedure would die down. For example, we went to the coin jars every. single. time. on the first day. By today, I think I went maybe three times. But still had the same fabulous behavior as day one. We just keep a good running tally in our minds! Anyway, I should have known that something that worked so well for me as a child would work well for my little clone. Now to just channel it in to non-stop "yes ma'ams" because Mommy deserves them instead of because a penny is attached!

2. On Saturday I woke up to a facebook post from a sweet friend of ours saying that she was going to the Texas IronMan to watch her sister run. I knew it was in The Woodlands because we went to watch it last year. And we planned on going this year as well. Sure enough, we got to meet up with Miss Lisa Myers twice and watch her sister, Laurie, finish her first IronMan! Can you imagine? I can't even fathom doing one leg of it, let alone all three. (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and then a full marathon) And not only did she finish, from what I hear she actually won her age division. Craziness! But it was so fun to see lots of people complete such an amazing feat and even more fun to catch up with such an adorable friend. We can't wait for her wedding here in Houston this summer!

3. I spent a good chunk of my day today at the dentist. Before I had kiddos I was one of those goody-two-shoes-every-six-months type of patients. But then the kids came and we lost dental coverage for a while and when we got it back, wouldn't you know it, I had another newborn. Finding time to squeeze in a dental appointment was nearly impossible. Especially amongst countless "pregnancy" appointments. (high risk people go all. the. time.) But alas, I finally got my butt in gear and went. No, not because I just up and decided it was time. And not because my teeth were aching and I thought I might have a cavity. Nope. It took a full-on chipped front tooth to finally make me go! And I have absolutely no "dental phobia" whatsoever. Just always chose something else over going to the dentist. (can you blame me!?!) It almost felt like going to confession..."Forgive me, doctor, for I have committed a dental sin. It's been three years since my last visit..." And beyond the chipped tooth, my penance was a return visit next week for fillings. Doh. Guess I better pull out all the dimes from my good girl jar to pay for this one.

My Mother's Day chairs finally in place on the front porch. :)

Every baby needs to have at least one kitchen sink bath, right? This guy loved it.

Watching Lisa and her parents wait in anticipation for their sister/daughter to round the corner to the finish line at the Texas IronMan. No lie, it was just as fun watching them wait and cheer for her as it was actually seeing her run by!

We established a while back when Grant got bit above the eye that he has quite the gnarly reaction to mosquito bites. So I've been extra cautious when taking him outside. Using deet free repellent and just keeping a watchful eye. No one wants to stay inside all summer! But apparently I didn't get any repellent on his poor ear...red, hot, and super swollen. :(

His poor ear was so swollen that it stood out like a monkey for the entire day. But he stayed happy and didn't seem to even notice it. And he's still pretty darn cute, if I must say so myself!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 20

1. We are at the beach! Ahhhhhhh. There's no place quite like it, I tell ya. And while sleeping in the same room as my three pups, and thus waking way more often in the middle of the night...like every time one of them squeals or squirms...is not ideal, I really have nothing at all to complain about right now. It's all good and we're having a blast. The boys love the ocean. Sure, they're slightly...okay, very...hesitant toward going out too far into the water. But they love the sand. And the shells. And the tiny little holes the crabs make. The excitement of the beach house. The awesome pool. Watching Looney Tunes on Uncle Dave's computer. It's great. So much fun to see these little guys experience the ocean. And so nice for me to have full time help for five days from three other adults! And of course, nice conversations, good food, and reliving old memories with my parents and brother. Okay, so maybe I do have one complaint. My husband isn't here. And nothing is quite as good without him. He's back at home working. And going through all kinds of hell right now. Really, really, really wish he was here. Dada needs a vacation too! And I wish my other brothers and their wives and kiddos were here as well. But I digress...it's been a fantastic vacation. And we're hoping and praying for a smooth ride home!

2. Though it already seems like a long time ago, my Mother's Day was fantastic! Let me just say that my husband went way over and beyond. First, he surprised me in San Antonio by telling me that on Friday, a cleaning service would be coming to the house to deep clean for me. He knows it's been something I've been wanting to do for such a long time. And I've often thrown out "well, maybe this month I'll splurge with a little bit of the money I made through the shop and get the house cleaned"  but never pulled the trigger. So he just went for it for me. And I'm so thankful he did! The house looked awesome when all was said and done and I didn't have to lift a finger. But that was only half of my Mother's Day surprise. On Sunday morning I slept in a bit before getting up and getting ready for mass. After mass, we went over to my parent's house for brunch made by Mark and my dad. And while we waited for them to finish the cooking, my second surprise was revealed: two white rocking chairs for my front porch!!! I've dreamed of having rocking chairs on my porch since I was little. Like since I imagined my house and drew pictures of it with crayons. Yet another thing I've never been able to pull the trigger on. Just can't justify it! But Mark has heard me mention wanting white wooden rocking chairs for roughly eight years now. And I suppose he just decided that if he was going to over-spend on Mother's Day, he might as well go all in and get me the much coveted chairs on top of the house cleaning. So after brunch we headed home and I took an awesome two hour nap. Followed by a bowl of chicken pot pie soup from Jason's Deli. Awesome Mother's Day! And best of all, it was spent with all four (five, including my dad!) of my guys. And my own wonderful Mama too! I know that only one woman in the world can have The World's Best Husband. So glad that it's me! And who can believe my luck...I've also got the world's best dad too! Many thanks to him for helping out Mark with the rocking chair surprise.

3. Since not much is going on beyond beach, beach, and more beach, I'll cut straight to the photos! More to come when we get home of our awesome vacation.

With my Mama and my babes...the very reasons we celebrate Mother's Day!

A great family pic in my new rocking chairs! Can you tell I was excited!?!

I mentioned last week that I was sewing like a crazy woman last week while Mark was in San Antonio. After I returned on Friday night, the boys went to bed really easily and so I had a few hours to get in a very productive work night. Lots of chevron orders!

On the road to South Padre...when you pass a sign that informs you that the next town is twenty-five miles away and your children are wailing out claims like "It's coming out! It's coming out! It's coming out!" you just have to abandon all hopes of good form and pull over. Hey, desperate times call for desperate measures! And obviously Rudy hasn't mastered the art of just pulling down the front portion of his shorts. He went for the full buns.

Grant's very first feel of the ocean. It's a wonderful place, my friend!

Kolbe was so fascinated by the wind-blown sand dunes and their "zebra stripes"

Making sand stew!

So yes, my kids have been waking up way to early for this to be vacation, but hey, at least I get to witness this every morning!

Three brothers playing on the beach!

And don't you know that's some hard sleep! Play hard, sleep hard.

TTT: Season 3, Episode 19

1. It's 10:00 am. And I'm sitting in bed, feet propped up, hair wet from a nice, hot shower, TV playing in the background...and no, not any kiddie cartoons! And I just got back got back from a morning stroll with my little guy down at the River Walk! I'm here in San Antonio visiting Mark at his work conference without the "big kids" for just a short twenty-four hour trip. But man, even twenty-four hours can make a huge difference when it comes to feeling refreshed! Back on the home-front I've been taking care of munchkins and sewing during every spare moment as I try to finish up all of my orders before we leave for the beach. But here, I'm just taking time to relax, unwind and breathe! Grant and I drove over here yesterday afternoon and had a fun evening with Mark on the River Walk. We ate steaks, walked and walked and walked, and even got ice cream. I was a little worried about how Grant would do since I knew we'd be up past his usual 8:00 bedtime, but he was a champ! Maybe he's just enjoying all of the exclusive attention from Mom and Dad! He and I are hanging out a while longer to enjoy lunch with Mark and then we'll head back to The Woodlands to go fetch the big boys from Pinkie's house. From what I hear, they're having a ball too!

2. But back to all of the sewing. It's probably a good thing that Mark has been holed up here in San Antonio for the week. 'Cause I've been sewing like a mad woman! I don't like to sew when Mark is at home...I feel like that's our time to be together as a family. So really, I may cut fabric while we watch a movie, or respond to messages on the computer, but I try not to actually sew after the kids have gone to bed. But this week, with Mark gone, I've been in overdrive trying to get all of my outstanding orders done before we leave for a week at the beach. I don't think I've been at a status of zero outstanding orders since Grant was born! And I think it will feel nice to start back up from zero. 'Cause sometimes the always growing, never ending list or orders gets a bit daunting. Sometimes you just have to take a break and start from square one! But that being said, it's also giving me time to digest a few aspects of my little business. To wrap my mind around what it is and where it's going. I always just saw myself as being a stay-at-home mom, but clearly I'm a small business owner now too. Kind of a cool feeling!

3. When we moved down to The Woodlands and looked for houses I had several "musts" on my house hunting list. Things like four bedrooms, a kitchen that opens to the family room, more windows and more space for the kids stuff. I certainly got all of that and more in our new house. But there have been a few things about our house that I've discovered over the past year that will definitely go on the things-to-look-for-in-our-next-house list. One of them being the kitchen dining area. For as big of a kitchen as we have, the area where the table goes is tiny! The main limiting factor is the back door. It's placed on the wall where if we have a table that fully fills up the dining area, you can't open the door! That being said, we've been in need of a new table and chairs for a long time. We inherited my family's childhood dining set when my mom inherited her childhood dining set. (after my Popo died) At the time, we were happy to have it because our existing set was cafe' (bar stool) height and Kolbe was sitting in a high chair and close to transitioning to a booster seat. No so easy for little ones to get up and down! The table and chairs we got from my parents worked great for the past few years...and the twenty some odd years prior...but let's face it: they've taken a beating between a total of seven boys and one girl, countless moves, and more. The legs on the chair were falling apart. The ladder backs were splintering, the table top was completely warped. Not to mention the massive layer of grime on all of it! But with our tiny eating area, it would be really crazy for us to invest in our dream set of table and chairs, knowing it wouldn't fit. And crazy for us to spend a ton on a set that we'd eventually want to replace as the kids get bigger. So I've been scouring the local craigslist, keeping my eyes out for a nice, quality set that would actually fit in our dining area and not break the bank. And I finally found it! It came home to stay with our family on Tuesday, thanks to a lot of help from my dad and his truck. To me, the kitchen and the table are the heart of the home. Like a place instead of an object. And I'm sure this new little place in our home is sure to hold many, many memories in the years to come.

The new dining set! (you can't see it, but the door is just the the right. Grr!)

The boys getting a talking-to before Dada left for the week (they were running around doing major shenanigans just before he left!)

Rudy working on filling his shopping cart

The guys decided that all of their toy cars needed to be washed so we had a huge car wash in the kitchen sink

Isn't this guy pitiful! He cries every single time I put him in his booster chair...and then proceeds to pig out!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 18

1. Can you believe it's May already!?! It feels like Christmas was just yesterday. It's so true...when you're young, time goes by so slowly. But as you get older, it flies by. Really. Yesterday was Christmas. And the day before yesterday I was pregnant with Grant. And now look. Tomorrow is already summer. In fact, we're just on the brink of entering full on summer mode around here. Making plans for going to the pool, signing up for sports and vacation Bible school, filling out a calendar of all kinds of fun stuff for the months to come. Actually, the next two weeks are going to be pretty eventful around here. Mark leaves on Sunday for a training conference in San Antonio. He'll be gone for a full week. A full week. Should be interesting! On a high note, I'm going to sneak over there on Wednesday with Grant to spend an evening on the river walk with the hubs and help my brother Andy out on Thursday while he's at a job interview. Kolbe and Reagan get to hang behind with Pinkie for the night! Anyway, Mark returns Saturday night, we have Sunday together, and then the boys and I take off for South Padre Island for a week of long-desired beach time. I. Can't. Wait! I'm definitely a beach person. There's really nothing quite like the feeling of awe when standing beside the ocean. It's just amazing to me and makes me feel so close to God. But I digress. We are spending the week at the beach with my parents and brother Dave. The only bad part being that Mark has to stay behind and work. Sad. A vacation just isn't quite the same without our whole family. But I still plan on having a blast with everyone else. And hopefully Grant-on-the-beach won't be too much of a nightmare! Let the summer fun begin!

2. I've been more than forthcoming with my iphone obsession. Oh, the convenience! And though sometimes I've felt that it has a negative effect on my parenting/life, there are aspects of it that I feel really enhance our life at home. Case in point, Pandora. Pandora brings music in to our home and music in our home means peace. There's just something about music playing when tensions are running high that seems to mellow everything out. I play it when we're cooking. Play it when I'm sewing. Play it when we're working on puzzles. Or coloring. Or cleaning. I've honestly noticed times when the boys have been at each others throats and then completely chilled once we have music playing in the background. Of course, there are times when things just get too chaotic, the noise is out of control, and the music has to go. But for the most part, it has been such a positive addition to the house. Hook it up to my trusty ipod dock that my cousin Mandi gave me, and we're good to go.

3. We finally got Sir Grant's mosquito bite under control. Just in time to take on the arrival of his top two teeth. Can someone please tell me why God thought it would be best for teeth to emerge after birth? I mean, I know they don't need them for roughly the first year, but come on! Wouldn't it have been easier on moms if they were born with a full set? (other than the obvious biting potential) I guess they'd look pretty creepy and not so baby-esque if they came out with a bunch of chompers, but I think I'd take a creepy looking baby in exchange for no teething. Grant did well with the bottom two a few months ago, but the top two came in over the past week and we weren't quite as successful. Mis.er.y. I don't like to pump up the kids with non-stop medicine, but I'm not going to lie. Grant got several doses over the past few days just to keep things under control. Today was finally a lot better. Less fussy. Less drool. Less biting on everything. So now he's ten months old with four teeth. Standing un-assisted...until he realizes it and then he immediately panics and dives for me or crouches down to the ground. He's the happiest, friendliest fella I've ever seen. (other than while teething, of course!) He readily offers a smile, even to strangers. Is so very flexible with the constant chaos and is still a great sleeper. And like I said, it was just the day before yesterday that I was pregnant with this perfect little guy...

10 months

rubba dub dub, three men in a tub...

Kolbe, my little reader, with his magic reading pen

I've always loved chambray, so I was so excited when my mom got Grant an adorable chambray baby shirt. No kidding, it matches his eyes perfectly!

Pa surprised the boys by showing up at the park to show them his truck full of sod. They thought it was so cool!

Our magnolia in the front yard is in full bloom! I love magnolias. They remind me so much of living in Mississippi, the Magnolia State. So when we looked at this house a year ago, the magnolia tree was one of the first things I noticed and loved. They're such pretty flowers and smell so good!

All of our April showers definitely brought May flowers to our yard!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 17

1. Got a little time to listen to me spill about my business? Good! Thanks for listening! Here's the deal: I started my "little" etsy shop almost two years ago with no clear plan or goal in sight. Just sort of a who-knows-might-as-well-give-it-a-try type thing. As things have progressed, I've really fallen in love with my business and it has grown in to so much more than I could have ever dreamt it be when I first started out. Still a small business in the retail sense, but not so small any more. Heck, I was happy to get five-ten sales in a month! Now, I kid you not, it's roughly five-ten sales...a day. I've done more in sales in the four months of 2012 than I did in the entire year of 2011. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this. I feel like I'm nearing a point where I'm torn. I really do love my business, but my kids have always been my priority. I've always said that I don't ever want my shop to interfere with me being their mom. But it seems that it's gotten to the point where the shop is demanding more from me than  I can possibly keep up with without interfering with their time. I suppose it's a fantastic predicament to have--too much business!?! Most people would be thrilled! And honestly, I am. I've got a fun, thriving  business on my hands. One that can continue to grow and develop as my kids get older. But right now I feel like I'm at a point where I need to make some decisions as to how I can control it right now. Thoughts of outsourcing some tasks are starting become legitimate ideas or even concoctions of how I can realign the shop to control the quantity of orders each day play out in my head quite a bit. It's that strange conversation going on in my head of feeling like this is something that God has given me the talent and skills to build, he's helped me make it successful, now what exactly does he want me to do with it next? How can I control it while still taking care of the most precious and most important gifts he's given me...my boys? Thanks for hearing me rant. And though seemingly frivolous compared to many far more important things going on in the lives of many others, a little prayer for my peace over this matter would be appreciated! (read: I'm probably being a little neurotic and just need to chill out.) The End.

2. The past weekend was a blast! We haven't had very many social "events" since moving down here that haven't involved my family, so whenever we get invited to do something as a family with other families, we usually jump at the chance. Last Friday night, we had dinner my parents' next door neighbors who we got to know while living with my parents prior to moving in to our house. They have kiddos roughly the same ages as the boys, and while the boys and I have had a few play dates with them, this is the first time we've hung out as families. We had great time, and man, I think Mark and I just really enjoyed having some good adult conversation with someone other than each other! Then on Saturday we went to not one, but two crawfish boils. They're all the rage down here this time of the year. For lunch we attended the one hosted by Mark's office. Complete with a bounce house for the kiddos and a margarita machine for the adults, it was a lot of fun and I got to meet a lot of the docs and medical professionals that Mark works with daily. After a much needed siesta, we then took off down in to Houston for the second crawfish boil hosted by some friends of ours, the Kims. (my sister-in-law, Abby's sister Jenny and her husband Jae) Again, a wonderful time! Mark had fun pigging out on all the crawfish he could stomach and I had fun girl talking with a lot of Jenny's friends. And of course watching all the cute little ones play together! Plus, we managed to make it back to The Woodlands with my brother, Andy, who had flown down from Lubbock to job hunt in Houston this week. We've really enjoyed getting to hang out a bunch with him, too. So while last week was pretty lackadaisical, this week has been way out of our non-social norm. And very enjoyable! There's lots of fun to be had in the springtime!

3. To the highs and the lows...peaks and pits...roses and thorns...
Sometimes I feel like all I do is rant about this or that with the boys and fail to take note of all the wonderfulness that goes on around here too. I think that's the way that journals go...a lot of venting with complaints but rarely any recognition of the good. I think it's important to let steam off about things that are difficult or that are bothering you, but also important to be thankful for the beauty. After all, I'm writing this to remember what these years are like when down the road, I look back and want to re-live it all again. So I thought I'd do a little roses/thorns for each one of my precious boys.
Kolbe
thorns: At this age, his name happens to by synonymous with "hard-headed." If this guy doesn't come up with the idea himself, he doesn't want to participate. If it's not on his time table, forget it. If if doesn't focus on him, he'll let you hear about his distaste for it. Because the world is round and rotating...and according to him, he's the axis, don't you know. Sassy and disrespectful at times, our challenge with Kolbs right now is just channeling his hard-headedness into positive things.
roses: It's is so much fun watching everything blossom in Kolbe. His social side. His athleticism. His intelligence. Man, he is such a neat kiddo! He can slap pitch after pitch with his blaster bat in the backyard. He dribbles down the field with a soccer ball like a seasoned player. He sees letters while we're out and about and stops to tell me what sound they make and tries to figure out the word. He befriends strangers at the playground. He's really starting to grow up and is so much fun to watch.
Reagan
thorns: Oh, Rudy. He's still our whiner. That, and he's in that obnoxious stage where he asks "why" to everything. Not in a cute, I'm-learning-about-the-world way. In the "Rudy, can you hand me that towel?"..."Why?" kind of way. I always disliked the "because I said so" response, but it gets dropped all the time with this guy. Sometimes it is the only answer I can think of!
roses: It's so amazing to me to see how unique this little guy is. While he follows Kolbe around and does everything Kolbe does, he still has his own special habits that are just so "Rudy." His little "treasures" that he carries around. The fact that he still loves to cuddle up to Mama. His joy in playing pretend. And he loves music. He's starting to carry a tune well and has certain songs on the radio that are his songs. Rudy is full of life.
Grant
thorns: One word: teething. Ugh. Ugh. Ugh. He's been cutting his top two middle teeth for several weeks now. It's not pleasant. One has finally broken through and the other is a deep purple, almost black swollen lump. I really do feel sorry for him, 'cause it looks so painful. But heck, it's painful for me too! The second I try to put him down he leeches on to my leg and wants to be held again. And I don't mind holding him, but heck, I have two other kids who need me and there's only so much weight my back or arms can take before I need a break! And man, oh, man is this guy squirmy. Holding him is like wrestling a greased piglet.
roses: But then I look at that precious little face and my heart melts every time. Watching his face light up when our eyes meet is one of the most gratifying feelings as a mother. As if he thinks I'm the most wonderful thing in the whole wide world. And watching him discover the world, explore everything around him, and start to participate in true human to human interaction is just so delightful. To think that less than a year ago he wasn't even living outside of my body! The first year is no less than moment after moment of amazing miracles.

My assistants pulling my flat-bed for me at Lowes...time to plant some new flowers!

Kolbe getting ready for the day. He's very particular about it...brushes his teeth, washes his face, combs his hair. Every day. Like a little man.

Grant's first at bat with Pa's assistance!

A little jam session with Dada...don't you just love that look on Kolbe's face!?! He sure does love his Daddy.

We've got a situation. My little Grant-ness turned 10 months old this week and usually I take his picture and post about his development, but this is what he's looked like for a good part of the week. Needless to say, he's quite obviously allergic to mosquitoes. He got bit about a half of an inch above his eyebrow and the next day his eye was nearly swollen shut. We ended up having to give him liquid Benadryl in a bottle to get it under control after other attempted remedies failed. Poor guy, his forehead was protruding, eye was hardly open, skin was all splotchy...it might be a long summer with this guy if this is the reaction we get to every single bite.

I love everything about this picture. The grimy post-lunch faces, the new haircuts, the way Rudy is holding Kolbe's finger, the joy on their silly faces. Best, best, best, best friends.

Tuesday: After lunch I tell the boys it's time to go out and plant our new flowers. Kolbe is still eating and says he doesn't want to come out yet. I slather up Rudy and Grant with some sunscreen and tell Kolbs to come on out when he's finished. Five minutes later he emerges, looking like this. "Mom! I've got my worker gloves on and I put on my own sunscreen!" Bless his little heart...at least he tried!

TTT: Season 3, Episode 16

1. It's 9:48pm and I'm just now sitting down to write. Not because the day or week has been so overwhelmingly hectic or stressful, but mainly because it's just been a pretty uneventful week. Mark always says he can tell that there's nothing going on when I ask him "What should I write about for Three Thought Thursday?" It's true. Some weeks I already have the entire post written out in my mind long before Thursday. And then there are weeks like this one where sure, plenty has gone on, but it's all mainly a part of the routine of life. Which, to be honest, is important to me. Sometimes it feels like life is so bam, bam, bam. Non-stop, one thing after another. And I know that the older and more active that the boys get, the crazier life will be. But I want there to be normalcy. Family time. Just routine life. Recently the boys have started asking me "Where are we going today?" or "What are we doing today?" And then they're shocked when I say "nowhere" or "nothing." I want them to love just being at home and being with each other and having days...or even weeks!...when not much happens.  And that's how this week has been. Just life at The Asmussens.

2. One thing that was out of the ordinary for our week was an unplanned trip to the movies for Mark and me. A few weeks ago I jumped on the bandwagon and started reading the Hunger Games books. Of course, just like everyone else, I got hooked quickly on such easy and action-filled reads. Truthfully, I don't get to ready nearly as much as I'd like to. Before children, I read all the time. And even after Kolbe was born, I did somewhat. But once you have kids running around...ones that are very active...ones that no longer nap...kicking back and reading a book is next to impossible. The only time it gets done where I'm actually comprehending the words that I'm reading is after they've gone to bed! So books that normally would have taken me mere days to read have stretched out across a few weeks...and I'm still on the third book...but man, it sure has been nice to read again. As a child I loved to read, as a teacher I loved to teach literature, and now I just don't want to "give up" on a favorite hobby just because it's not exactly easy to do anymore. Anyhow, after enjoying The Hunger Games, I just had to see the movie. So I was thrilled when my parents offered to come over and watch the boys on Tuesday evening so Mark and I could go see it. It was very entertaining, and even Mark enjoyed it, though I still always prefer the book. And the time alone with the hubby was second to none! Definitely the highlight of my week.

3. Several weeks ago I mentioned that I finally broke down and created a "cleaning schedule" for myself as part of my 2012 Bucket List. I also promised to divulge it if it actually worked out. Weeks later, I'm still following my little routine and I think it has actually stuck! So here's what I've been doing:

First, I broke up the cleaning in to daily, bi-weekly, weekly, bi-monthly, and monthly categories. Daily chores, like dishes and picking up toys, are just understood and don't go on my to-do list, but everything else gets thrown on there as a reminder. It looks a little something like this:

Monday-
laundry
hard floors touch up (swiffer vac and wipe any spots)
Tuesday-
vacuum downstairs
stip beds/wash sheets or full mop of all tile floors (alternating weeks)
Wednesday-
vacuum upstairs
clean toilets or clean showers (alternating weeks)
Thursday-
hard floors touch up (swiffer vac and wipe spots)
wipe down bathroom counters
Friday-
vacuum downstairs
dust

There are also what I consider monthly chores, like dusting/cleaning all the mini-blinds or wiping the baseboards, but those just get added on. And that's about it! Like I said, so far this is what has worked for me. And I like that it's what works for our house and family. I think each person/family has their own hang-ups or unique cleaning "behaviors." Like some of you might be thinking There's no way I'm doing the laundry all on one day or She only changes her sheets every other week? or I can't believe she changes her sheets every other week! To each their own with cleaning. I think whatever makes you feel comfortable, not stressed, and in control of your household is what you should do! Just glad I've nailed down something that works for us. Oh, and if you happen to have any "assistants," put them to work, too! The cleaning list should be for the whole family!

My "assistant" vacuuming out my sewing nook with the crevice tool. Atta boy!

Grant, Blankie Blue, and his thumb

I rarely, rarely, rarely get to do this anymore. Nothing like getting to cuddle with your very first baby, no matter how big he may be getting.

Two little monkeys getting ready for a bath.

The new Joann opened in The Woodlands! Sewing heaven. If only each of these machines didn't cost as much as car.  

TTT: Season 3, Episode 15

1. Last week I was eagerly anticipating our trip to Dallas for Easter, and let's just say that it did not disappoint. We had a fantastic time! I was worried that with it only being a roughly 48 hour trip, we would feel rushed and exhausted and over-worked, but somehow it really just flowed well and we enjoyed every minute. Of course everyone was thrilled to see the boys, and especially getting to know the little Grant that has emerged in the three months since we saw them last. He was all over the place, as usual, and managed to leave unharmed by the hazard known as himself. Well, at least we think...he did consume a few pieces of dog food from what I hear. And the other two boys were just soaking up all of the attention. They crashed very quickly on the way home! To say that Cristi went over and beyond in planning and executing the whole weekend would be a huge understatement. The food was perfectly planned out for each meal and was oh, so yummy. Not to mention all of the little hand-made Easter decorations and goodies spread across their new house. All of her effort made us feel so special! Heck, wonder if they'd let me come back for my birthday!?! (wink, wink) It was a fantastic weekend and we can't wait to see them all again this summer.

2. With the celebration of Easter this past weekend, my Lenten Facebook fast came to an end. I have to admit, it was one of the harder things I've ever "given up." And I'm pretty sure that's the way it's supposed to be. As a stay-at-home mom, this house is my world. Sure, I venture beyond these walls to go to the store, the park, church, etc, but let's face it: on any given day, I talk to roughly two-three adults on average. But social media, like Facebook, somehow gives me the effect of being in touch with other people. Like I'm a part of their world within my own little world. The whole "living vicariously" thing. So to draw an abrupt halt to Facebook was definitely challenging in the beginning. But it comes as no surprise that I'm really glad I did it. And going cold-turkey kind of helped me re-evaluate how much I should be using Facebook outside of Lent. Really, I don't need to know what's going on with everyone on an hour-to-hour basis. So I've decided to just go with once in the morning and once in the afternoon. No more hoping on my app on the couch while the boys play with puzzles. Beyond the fact that I need to be down there with them, there's only a ga-jillion other things that need doing around the house far more than reading everyone else's status! Can I get an Amen!?!

3. If you've seen my little Reagan lately he's more than likely had some form of a box in his hand. Rudy has always been somewhat of a habitual little fella. He likes things a certain way, becomes territorial over certain items, and in particular, loves "little" items. You know...the things that typically fall to the bottom of the toy box. The ones most people throw away. Happy Meal-style toys. He loves them. He calls them his "treasures." Months ago, he would typically carry one or two with him throughout the day. Then Dada gave him a tackle box for his birthday in February. And that became his first treasure box. He quickly upgraded from one or two items to a whole little box full. Then, after our little money counting/ bank visit day, he purchased a long-desired metal Cars lunch box. Stylish treasure box. And he got new shoes for Easter, so of course, the shoe box became the easy flip top treasure box. He never carries more than one box, but always has one. It's become his little thing. He even sleeps with it in his bed. And gets his feelings hurt when I won't let him take it inside of a store. On any given day, other than the random mini superman/spiderman/batman/super hero toy, you might also find a fishing worm, plastic ring, small notebook referred to as his "checkbook," gum, rubber bands, quarters, and at least two to three hot wheels. My little Rudy...he's definitely his own little person.

The treasure box hanging out at the park

I'll try to control myself and not post too many Easter pics so I can save them for my Easter blog post, but I had to throw in a few. Here we all are dying our Easter eggs!

My handsome big boys, ready for Easter mass

managed to get all three in a picture before they destroyed their outfits!

G-ma loved getting to cuddle her little Grantness

It's impossible to escape this guy. He's so quick now, that I can rarely sneak off. He follows me into the bathroom to get dressed each morning and usually ends up plopped in the sink so I can get ready without holding him on my hip or having him hang on my leg. He loves it.

My little Rudy Boy

Kolbe the climber!...He has become such a dare devil at the playground!

My sweet baby. Doesn't that face make you want to love life a little more?

These two love each other! Kolbe is so good with Grant and Grant just adores Kolbe.