Crazy days, notes-to-self, February's gone!

We're baaccck. (from Nashville, actually we've been back since Saturday and now its Thursday.)

We had fun, just mainly did some hanging out at Mimi's. Quick visit to see Nanny, and that's about it. 

I did this to the door of the pantry today. (The hubs thinks it would be a great spot to do some chalkboard paint, I couldn't agree more but until then- we'll go with Allstate sticky notes. Gotta support the company!)

Mainly, I did this so I will know what I have and maybe be able to remember what I've planned to cook. Also because I found myself at the store today typing notes into my phone so i would remember what I planned to cook while I was buying groceries--then I realized the chances of me remembering I did that were about the same as me winning the lottery. 

Well, mainly I did this because life is crazy and my pantry looks like this some mornings after one or both kids have decided to play in it...

and mainly because my freezer looks like this...

venison anyone?? Yes, there are a zillion pounds of deer in the freezer and more where this came from. I am trying some new recipes this week. Cross your fingers!

I would LOVE to make a cute little menu display board in my free time. However, I am having a hard time finding my free time these days so, for now I'm going with the notes. 

Speaking of "free time" this was once found during the kids naptime in the afternoons when I am supposed to be cooking dinner, cleaning up, re-charging for round two with the kiddos--however, i fear that "naptime" as we know it is ending. Jay has skipped/protested/fought-tooth-hair-and-nail his nap the last few days. I am afraid this is the beginning of the end and I simply am not ready. I at least wish he'd keep his nap until the weather is better and he can play outside, not in the dryer. 

This happened in 5 seconds while I went to answer the phone today. He thought it was so awesome. I am certain it gave me more wrinkles in my forehead. I am also certain this is the first of many, many times he does this. 

(that warning sticker says nothing about letting your kids climb in the dryer by the way...so I guess its cool with the dryer folks if you let this happen at your house, too. )

Sweet Lizzy is all over the place as well. I think she was in the high chair during the dryer incident. I hope....when she isn't contained she is everywhere, everywhere, everywhere. 

Why aren't there more cute pics of Lizzy these days? Here's your answer. This happens every single time. 

Life is CRAZY here with us this week. Either we'll get use to it and it will seem normal this time next week or we will continue to adjust...stay tuned. 

Tomorrow starts March!! Lizzy turns 1 in March!! How can it be?? Full-on party mode begins in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....

A Few quick finds

Jay and Lizzy have a new favorite restaurant-- FIREHOUSE SUBS!

They both ate great and got cool hats. (4 cool hats to be exact)

**If you ask Jay, his "fravrorite" restaurant is Cracker Barrel--this is due to the fact that he got a toy there on Saturday. He also compliments their chicken and sprite though. I promised him we'd go this week, so it looks like we're taking Mimi there tomorrow.

Unrelated--I bought one of these bunnies at an Antique store for $25 last week (it's vintage!!) the other at Dollar General today for $1.50.

Both will be making an appearance at our house this spring, because I'm eccentric like that. I hope they can be friends.

We're off to Nashville to visit Mimi in an hour and I have 6,000 things to do! Ta-ta!!

Turned around and climbing up

This happened today-

 I turned Lizzy to forward facing and am trying sitting Lizzy in the middle. I have a feeling I'll be moving her and these two won't be riding side by side for long. (in the 4 minute drive home from school Jay told me to tell Liz to "keep hands self" roughly 5,642 times.)

And then Lizzy did this...

No way, no how am I okay with this little stunt. Now I just have to figure out what to do about it. 

While this is not the solution, this also happened today-

(this photo was taken in the utility sink)

Thanks to Sarah for her inspiration!! 

Happy Birthday! {Mommy}

I had a great day.

We took the kids to breakfast at Cracker Barrel--then went on a nice Saturday morning drive so everyone could calm down.

Spent the afternoon at home and had pizza and a cookie cake for dinner with in il-laws, Weston Davis and Jenn.

Life's butadream

Well, a mighty long morning at the doctor, a prescription, CFA drive thru and some time playing in the sunshine--it looks like Jay will be a-okay. Not flu, not strep,sinus nor ears. Looks like a throat infection. ?? Either way doc says we'll be better in no time.

Which is good because Daddio and I have plans to go out tonight. We may just go sit in a parking lot and stare out of the windshield. Its been a busy week.

Just a few random things to remember today--

Jay sings
"Row, row, row ya boat
gennly down the drain.
Belly, belly, belly, bell-ly
Life's butadream."

Then immediately asks-"mommy, whats butadream?" over and over. I have no answer for what "butadream" might be.

He's also started showing signs of being my planner. We're on our way to the store he starts asking if he can walk like a big boy and "Just Lizzy in the cart by self". Or we're on our way to eat--"Jay sit on bench dis time and jus' high chair for Lizzy, not Jay." Things like that--I love knowing that he knows what to expect, not really a fan of him calling the shots or trying to negotiate things on the way there...but I have started letting him "walk like a big boy" in some stores and we're trying to let him go without a high chair if we go out to eat. Mainly because his feet are too big to get in and out easily. :)

Valentine's Day 2013

I made heart-shaped french toast this morning and gave out our treats. Jay got a baseball bat, glove, and balls, candy and a card. Lizzy got a new push toy with balls to (hopefully) entertain her while we're outside and a card and Daddy got lots of cards, candy and baseballs.

I think mentally I'm shifting to springtime and hope we're outside enjoying some good weather soon. It's been raining here a LOT lately.

Jay's been running a fever so we kept him home from school today, but we did go by and drop off his class valentines and collected his valentines from his classmates.

We're off to the doctor in the morning with Jay. Hopefully this is something that will go away as quickly as it came.

Last year on Valentine's Day I did all of Lizzy's laundry (we'd celebrated with a baby shower the weekend before). This year on Valentine's Day she dumped all of her clean laundry in the floor helped me do her laundry while Jay napped.

This was Lizzy's last "first" holiday. It just doesn't seem possible that she's almost a year old. We've come so far/done so much/been through so many changes in the last year I can barely wrap my head around it. I hope I can remember all of this one day, but really right now it all seems like a blur.

Back to Valentine's Day....Daddy brought home tons of takeout Sushi which he and I enjoyed, then we moved back into sick-2-year-old-mode and have taken turns with Jay all night.

Here's to an easy trip to the doctor in the morning so we can get back to normal life.

Happy Valentine's Day!!

It's okay to laugh. I certainly am. Three different days we tried for a cute "Valentiney" picture. Maybe we should start Easter pics tomorrow. 

Rockin' and Rollin'

This was this morning before school.

Jay rides this Plasma Car every second he's downstairs. Seriously. He never walks at all on the main level, just rides around and around and around. Watch your toes and your infants!

Lizzy has some wheels these days too.

 What I wouldn't give for a picture of these two together sometime. Here's this morning's attempt at togetherness.

Once again, its Fat Tuesday and I haven't decided on my Lenten Sacrifice. I have only been to Target twice in 2013 (as opposed to almost daily in 2012) so, that may really be it. One of those times was today. I tend to get a little mindless while I'm there. I also have realized that when Target's your only happy place, its time to re-evaluate-so, i've slowed it down and stopped going to Target every chance I get. Turns out I have a lot more "happy places" than I thought. No retail therapy needed. :)

It's February!?!

Here we are in February. The newness of the year has come and gone and time is whizzing by. Even our Christmas pjs are getting too snug already which is a good indicator that life is busily growing and changing for us every darn day.

Here we are today.

Lizzy is drinking out of big-girl cups. Less than 6 weeks until she's 1. It literally stuns me to type that.

Jay. Ohhh, sweet, precocious, busy, independent-yet-sometimes-pitiful, crazy Jay.

Okay, if you would have asked me if I owned or knew where any velcro rollers were at New House I would have said, "I think I had some at one time, but have no idea where they are...". Next time-ask Jay.

I sort of feel like a pinball of sorts--bouncing from the grocery store, activities with the kiddies, and random items on my to-do list. I also feel at the end of the day I have no idea what I did all day, but I am certain it was exhausting.

I also feel like this is a normal way to feel, so we're all good.

At one point today my bank card was MIA and my cell phone was not making/receiving calls/texts. I also think that this is pretty normal.
It was kinda what I think purgatory is for stay at home moms. Found the card and hope to get the phone working tomorrow. THAT should be a fun trip with Lizzy. Oy. Maybe I'll con someone else into gong to the cell phone store for me..

 I spent the first half of the week doing Beyonce impressions for the kids after her Super Bowl Halftime Show...but did manage to squeeze in getting Jay's class Valentine's complete and the invitations to Lizzy's party designed, printed, cut, addressed and oops-gotta buy stamps. They'll be mailed tomorrow.

Oh, and at some point this happened.

Well, actually I tweaked it a little more after this, but this is the wall in the dining room. I really like it.

And this happened...

annnnd this Maple Bacon goodness....

I hope the groundhog was right and spring is just around the corner!!
Goodnight.