Soccer Saturday

Today was another round of soccer for S. He had pictures early and then a game. It was soooo blasted hot. His poor little cheeks were fire red, like his shirt, when he was done playing. Daddy got a soccer picture with him, much to Daddy's dismay. He hates doing pictures like that.

Anyway the game went good. S is getting better. He is sure loving playing with no tears or break downs like last season. He is playing up a level this time, for our convenience since his coach is our neighbor : -) It's amazing though how well he's playing against kids 1-2 years older than him. There was kid on the other team playing today that was a head taller and about 20 pounds heavier than any other kid and twice as big as S. Daddy Piper made the comment about checking his birth certificate and the other coach overhead and laughed that he was legit. It reminded me of our friend's daughter in MN. She is quite a bit bigger than the other kids her age. It reminded me of her and made me miss seeing them so much!!!!! L enjoys S's games since there is another girl to play with while S is playing. They conspire, snack and giggle... just like 5 year old little girls should be doing. S was running up and down the field and then turned and said "Am I doing good Mama?" I assured him he was doing AWESOME. He asked me later if he was my favorite soccer player and I smiled with reassurance that he totally was my favorite.

The game was followed by a pet store trip for food for Pongo and then lunch at Sonic. We tried for Quiznos but our favorite location was closed : -(

Dinner was steak, mac-n-cheese, green beans, and Ranch Style Beans (YUM!). We took a bike ride after dinner. I think the kids are getting ready to graduate from training wheels. S is enjoying is Harley bike. L crashed and when she hit the ground yelled "TOUCHDOWN!". I have no idea where that came from but at least there were no tears shed. She did almost start crying though because she wanted to ride through the empty building one more time. I turned back and when with her. She was pleased. Bike riding is so much fun as a family. J loves to ride in the bike trailer, thankfully. Everyone just rides along, laughing and chatting. Great times!!!

Later tonight was family coupon clipping time. I had gotten behind so everyone got out their scissors. S & L got a bit carried away and ruined some but no hollering from this mama. I just let it go - something I am learning more and more.

Oh and J did great last night. He slept from 11 until 6:30 AM. But I guess L and S didn't get the memo about sleeping through the night since they were each up once due to bad dreams or maybe just extra snuggle time from Mama.

Nursing Baby J

Nursing Baby J might be coming to an end. My goal was to nurse for his first year and that's coming up in less than a week. I won't wean him but he's less and and less interested these days. He is so cute at bedtime though when he nurses. He makes this gurgly, cooey sound when he pops off and plays with his milk (i.e. my ni&*ple) and then he looks up at me, all smiley. Oh how I love that baby of mine!!!!

Baby Boy

I took my baby boy tonight to get a haircut before his soccer pictures tomorrow (S). Okay so he's not my baby, baby boy but he'll always be a baby to me. He is growing like crazy. He likes to talk and talk and talk. He looked so handsome after his haircut tonight. Now I can see his green eyes sparkle instead of a curtain of blonde locks and his eyes peeking out from behind.

S is developing quite the temper lately. He is prone to kicking things when he gets mad yet shows the most tender side when playing with J. Such a contrast in behaviors at times.....

Friday Fun

Life is going good. J is great, L is marvelous and S is utterly adorable. I am feeling positively positive these days.

Wednesday morning I woke up about 4:30, realizing that J was still asleep. He slept until.... 5:16 AM - the longest sleep ever for him!!!! Everyone else was up by 6 or so. We had homeschool group. We made a quick trip to a local grocer for free plates (gotta love those coupons) then it was off to Walmart for some more coupon shopping before we met up with homeschool group. That trip failed miserably. I had no luck using my coupons at Walmart. They are soooo hard for me. I never get good deals there like others I know. Off to the park we went. This was a failed trip as well, for me anyway. The kids enjoyed themselves. I had my feelings hurt by another mother. It was weird for this to happen. I don't usually get offended by things but man did I feel attacked on 2 separate occasions by this particular mother. I am the worst at letting things fester and then not dealing with them so I emailed her. The matter is dropped - not resolved but dropped. I did feel better dealing head on with the issue though. Maybe this is something I should learn more about - dealing with things like an adult.

We headed home and Daddy was here! The kids hadn't seen him in about 14 hours and they were overjoyed with seeing his big truck in the drive. S clung to Daddy Piper like he hadn't seen him in 14 days instead of 14 hours. J was the same way when he woke up from his nap. They were all over him for the morning. Daddy slept the afternoon away after being up night. We had a successful Target run. My coupons work great there : -)

Thursday was L's testing. It went ok. I thought it might have gone better but oh well. The worst part was her failing her eye test so now we need to see an optometrist. S and J stayed home with Daddy. At one point he and I were texting and he said one boy was fussy and the other was happy, guess which was which?! J just doesn't like to be away from his mama for very long. We also hit the farmers market, where we scored a TON of stuff for $18. So yummy to have fresh fruits and veggies aplenty this time of year, especially since my own garden went to hell with this horrible heat. S soaked up the extra attention from Daddy Piper while we were gone. Those two are best buds lately. S loves to be with his Daddy. He is all boy these days - running and jumping just to do it and climbing trees - HOLY COW!

J is still walking some on his own - not full on walking yet but enough for me to worry about chasing three soon :-) He is so happy. He just lights up when he sees his Mama coming for him. My only wish would be that he sleep better but on the other hand, I LOVE to snuggle with him and nurse him alone in the middle of the night - such a special time : -)

Tuesday Stuff

I woke up today with my baby boy nestled into my neck. Life doesn't get much better than that. He woke up, rooted around, found my neck and back off to dreamland he went. It was such a peaceful moment, one which I wished to capture forever.

Now the rest of the day didn't quite go like the wake up did but that's how it goes sometimes.

Daddy Piper and I started the morning off being snippy with each other. Trying times we are facing right now but we are facing them together and that is so, so, so wonderful. We got L caught up on schoolwork after taking a day off yesterday. It is so unbelievably easy for her right now. We are going on Thursday to test her up at least one grade, if not two grades. She is off the charts smart (and yes she did get that from me!). The day did get some better. S participated in lesson time. J napped some in the AM - until he was woken up by the noisy duo. We got some business matters settled so that was a relief. L & S played outside in the water while I hosed down the driveway then they played in the sprinkler while I fixed lunch. They enjoyed their PB&J's while J had black beans, craisens and cheese. He is a bottomless pit these days. Must be his walking that makes him extra hungry :-) After eating and watching Space Buddies, it was time to head to art lessons. S was not going today but changed his mind at the very last minute. J stayed home with Daddy. I dropped L & S at their lessons and got my eyebrows waxed. You know it's past time for some personal grooming when the hubby suggests "getting those things whacked off already". I was able to get some coupons clipped while their lessons finished up. I had a hard time with the conversation during this time though. We are having a hard time business wise - things are slow and it's rough to hear about people househunting, looking for something bigger, others going on vacation. I am just at a bad place right now. I am a crabby friend and I am sorry for that.

So I came home in a bad mood, only to find the kitchen destroyed beyond recognition. There was J's food all over his chair and floor. I was disappointed to walk in and find the house like this. I cleaned it all up and got ready to run for some coupon shopping. I got L&S down for a quick nap and loaded J in the van. We were gone for 10 minutes when Daddy Piper called that he had to go out of town for work. I was floored - WORK?? What's that????? I came right back home. I got his food box ready. This was about 3:30 this afternoon. He ended up not leaving until 6:30, waiting on some equipment to come in so he could go get it and haul it 3 hours South of us. He'll be gone until sometime tomorrow morning. I know he'll be so tired but he should be able to sleep all morning since we'll be gone with our homeschool group all AM.

Talking with the kids tonight while getting them ready for bed. L doesn't know what she wants to be when she's big. S really wants to be a daddy. He thinks being a daddy is the best thing in the world. We are in discussions about Halloween costumes. They think they want to be crayons or maybe AC/DC - no final decision yet : -)

Monday Stuff

J slept so great last night. In fact he slept so wonderfully, he made me oversleep this AM! We were going to my sister's this morning to hit her produce co-op. I needed to leave at 6:30. I had no doubt that I would be up since I have been up at the time or earlier everyday for the past 11 months. Not today. J woke up at 1:30 AM to eat, ate like a champ, Daddy Piper put him back in his bed and next thing I know, there was daylight shining through our window. I spent the whole night in our marital bed - a rarity these days!!! I got up and hit the ground running. Daddy Piper got the kids ready while I got ready. L & S were just waking up. They were excited to get dressed and hit the road. I had most of the van loaded last night with coupons to swap and such. We hit the road only 30 minutes late.

The drive was great. I had in iPod for L to watch in the very back and S had a DVD player to watch. J enjoyed some of S's show : - ) Everyone was relaxed and the ride went quick. The produce wasn't much to speak of but my sister's company more than made up for it! We hit Wal-Mart where I got some air fresheners and the coupons allowed for overage so I got the fabric I needed to make the bags for J's party. After hitting Walmart and Fry's, we headed to her house to let the kids hang out for a bit before conquering the long drive back home. J did fine - he just needed some down time from the carseat and the wrap I wear him while shopping.

We came back to town together to eat lunch and then we headed home. J slept all the way home. L and S watched their shows. S actually talked most of the way home . He talks so much these days. He can talk and talk and talk. Conversations with him are such fun!!!

Tonight I made a yummy shrimp dinner but unfortunately, I put too much red pepper flakes in it and everyone else thought it was too spicy. OOPS!!!!

J is 11 months old!

I can't believe my baby is only 1 month from being a year old - WAHHH!!!!!! I took some pictures of him tonight to try to capture his spirit at this wonderful age....

New Bike

S has needed a new bike for a month or two now. He completely outgrew his hand me down bike from L. We were talking about getting him one for Christmas. We have been taking nightly bike rides and Daddy Piper didn't think he could wait that long though. I was able to get 6 bags of free dog food from Target using coupons. We don't have a dog currently. So here's where things get great. Our neighbor does garage sales for a living. He had a Harley-Davidson bike just S's size in great condition. S LOVES anything red and Harley-Davidson. They have a dog..... so we traded those 6 bags of dog food for a Harley bike and 2 dozen canning jars, which I used to can 32 pounds of peaches the other night. So we got all that stuff for free since the dog food was completely free!!!!

Museum

We went to a Native American museum today with our homeschool group. It was another outing that proved to be so much fun! We learned about Native Americans from all over the world. There was a whole section of the museum dedicated to children, where they had projects to do and exhibits they could touch. The tour guide said our children were well behaved. It is always wonderful to hear our kids get complimented on their behavior. I always respond with "It's because they are homeschooled" :- )

Tonight was such beautiful weather so I ditched the dishes and headed out. I am not the best at this. I try to finish chores and then play and that doesn't work sometimes - the chores get done but the playing doesn't. I grabbed J and my camera and headed out to have some fun with my babies. They all enjoyed the swing set for a spell. I was trying new functions on my DSLR so some of the pics were blurry but still cute. Daddy came along and pushed for bit too while I snapped away. J still holds his breath for the first second or so after getting pushed. For a baby that spent his first 5 months of his life in a swing, he shouldn't be so scared of a swing.

The kids played soccer in their undies too. L put her dance moves to use while playing goalie tonight.

L is currently on her play computer checking her email and told her Dad - her blog is so cool. Yikes - they really do learn just what they see don't they?!

Funny Words

After tasting some spicy salsa and drinking a whole glass of water, with watery eyes S said "I am DEFINITELY NEVER eating that stuff again EVER!!" We tried to tell him it was spicy but he insisted on trying it.

Getting out of the bath after an hour long bike ride, L said "My legs hurt like DEATH!" Yes L - I would guess death would hurt.

Grandparent's Day

Today was Grandparent's Day. We went to my mother's house for a brunch. It was okay. I was able to get a good pic of the kids last night for her. Although like everything else, the picture wasn't right. It needed to be horizontal instead of vertical...nothing is ever good enough for her. The kids enjoyed themselves and it was so wonderful to see my sister for an hour or two.

J is walking much more now. He'll take 10 steps or so at a time now. I guess running isn't too far behind.

(As I am typing this, L is snuggled up right next to me - love that girl so so much!)

Cinnamon Rolls

I have read about Pioneer Woman's cinnamon rolls for the past couple of years. I read all the comments and it seemed most people thought they were pretty easy. I attempted them tonight. I had such a mess in the kitchen, flour and later melted butter EVERYWHERE!!! It didn't turn out like I had hoped to begin with. I have never used yeast in a recipe before and was extremely intimidated. When I took the first batch out to roll, they were horribly runny and wouldn't roll up right. Those 3 pans went into the trash. I got so frustrated not having them turn out right. Daddy Piper took control of bath time so I could continue working on them. My idea was to let the dough sit and and try again in the morning, hoping they would bake up right so I could take them to my mother's for brunch. Daddy Piper had the wild idea at 11:00 at night to try them again. So together we rolled out the second half and they turned out much, much better. It was fun to bake them together. And they tasted yummy when they were done!!!!

Soccer

S had his first game today. The morning went nothing like I had hoped. Everyone was in a bad mood by the time we got to the game. Daddy Piper started not feeling again earlier in the morning and that set the tone for the day. Lots of yelling and snippy comments. UGH - not anything I really want to remember, truly. Parking was horrible with the new league, horribly disorganized - they didn't even have their shirts by the time the game started and there's no ref, only the coaches to act as coach and ref for the game. We'll go back to the other one next season for sure. S did a great job though playing! He got nailed by the ball on the kickoff and was crying. He kept playing though - crying up and down the field but he stayed in there. He is the type if you let him come out, he would never go back in. After 5 minutes of the dramatic crying episode, all was fine and it was grins and giggles the rest of the time. He is such a joy to watch run around on that field. Sitting on the sidelines cheering him on is such fun!!

Damn Computer!

We bought a new HP in March due to a motherboard crash. Well I woke up today to another HP crash. My 6 month old computer died on me. I will never buy another HP again - EVER! I had to spend 3 hours from leaving the house to going to the store to drop it off for service and then the drive back home. It was such a crappy thing to have to do on today of all days. We had a birthday party at 5 tonight. And we were late : -( S fell asleep on the way to the party. I parked the van right by our table (it was outside at a park) and he slept through most of the party. He woke up and was hysterically crying for me. It had been at most 5 minutes since I checked on him. I felt soooo bad for him waking up so upset. He was able to get some cake and ice cream and play with the kids and cars for a bit before it was time to head home.

Canning Peaches

We spent 3 hours this morning canning 32 pounds of Utah Peaches. Daddy Piper joined in the fun and it made the work just that, FUN! The kids were entertained with extra TV and computer time so they enjoyed the canning time. J devoured a ton of peaches while we were canning. He just kept eating and eating and eating : -)

Hot Date

Tonight S rode with me get dinner (we splurged - angry Mommy came around today so it was a take out dinner kind of night). Anyway while riding he said "Uh I don't even know what day it is." I told him it was Monday and asked if he had a hot date. He said "Yes - it is a very hot day to today!" while resting his face upon his hand and gazing out the window. I am loving these little times with him - times when I see the baby he was, the boy he is and the man he's going to be.

We planned J's first birthday party coming up in the 3 weeks. It will be a simple BBQ with friends, just like we held for the other 2. Complete with a cake just for smooshing : -)

I did have a very angry explosion this morning. I vow here and now to get help. That will be the first call tomorrow morning - scheduling me with someone who can help with this raging anger I feel. Maybe this is a reason Daddy Piper's work has been slow - to force me to get the help I truly need to overcome this demon inside........

Sickies

We have some sickies running around here. J started out last Thursday sick, then Daddy Piper and I got it on Friday, S on Saturday and L on Sunday. J is feeling better as are Daddy Piper and I. It is a yucky cold. No one has slept well for the past 5 days so I am hoping this thing runs it's course and gets out of our house! The great thing is the kids have been so happy, even not feeling so well. J is full of smiles with his nose running like a sieve : -) L had a bad fever last night. So far she seems to be the one hit the hardest with this cold. She did sleep in some and is now lounging on the couch, eating a banana and watching cartoons. There has been an unbelievable amount of cartoon watching around here the last few days. Perhaps that's why they are happy when sick - they get extra amounts of cartoon time : -)

J is the worst at finding little toys to shove in his mouth. Just while I wrote this 5 minute post, he's had 2 different Geotrax guys in his mouth.

Daddy's work is still slow - rather it's been dead since the beginning of August. This recession has hit us hard. I sometimes wonder how we keep managing but we do. Bills are paid and I have been slowly getting a few Christmas gifts here and there for quite cheap so the kids will have a nice Christmas, whatever the next months bring. We keep hearing of work on the horizon and that keeps our hopes up. I have learned though through this leaner time of what truly matters - our family and spending quality time together.

Savings, Savings, Savings

I did some killer deals today. For only .94 OOP I got the following:

14 Bounty Paper towels
8 Charmin Toilet Papers
10 Reach Floss
8 Sally Hansen Nail Color
9 French's Mustard
9 French's Specialty Mustard
2 Hunts Ketchup
2 Revlon Emery Boards
10 Boxes Luzianne Tea
2 Wonder Bread
1 Hamburger Buns
1 Pack Cheese
6 Lawry's Taco Seasonings


All for the grand total of $0.94. I couldn't believe it. Couponing has become a way of life for me and I am loving these fun deals! I did get a picture of the first trip but forgot to take a picture after my late night run.

No Speakers

Tonight L & S had graham crackers for bedtime snack. They were using them like cell phones, that is until S held his to his ear and said "Uh can't hear you L - there's no speakers!!".

Coupon Shopping

In an attempt to keep us afloat during this horrible, unstable economy, I have taken to being a real coupon guru. We have cut our grocery budget by 75% or more, including all cleaning and diaper products. Today while coupon shopping with my sis, S said "We don't buy anything if we don't have a coupon for it." Guess he's picked up on the changes in our household this year : -)

Soccer Season Starts

Tonight was S's first soccer practice of the season. He is playing on a team coached by our neighbor so at least practice is nice and close, like 50 feet from our back door. He was disappointed to learn his Daddy wouldn't be coaching this time. Turns out Daddy will be assisting coaching due to S's major disappointment. Practice went well. S is playing up a level this time. He is so good at anything athletic. It is such fun to watch him out there trying his best and achieving little successes here and there. It is very heartwarming to watch father and son out there too - I fall a bit more in love with Daddy Piper each time I watch him interact with our babies.

L enjoyed the practice because she got to play with their other daughter. Her time with other little girls is so limited. Most of the kids we know are boys. So she had tons of fun. J and I hung out and tried not to melt in the heat.

J is 11 months old!

J is now officially one month from his first birthday. Oh my GOSH! He can now:

• Clap
• Take 5-6 steps
• Stand alone
• Drive me crazy (while I remove the fifth thing from his mouth)
• Say Mama, Baba, Nana, Dada
• Bite
• Hit me while nursing. He LOVES to smack my breast while nursing.
  
• He's allergic to bananas. My first baby to show an allergy to anything.
• He's now sleeping better. He'll sleep for 5-6 hours, wake and nurse and then back down until morning.
• Make me swoon when I see his gorgeous brown eyes : -)

Having J completed our family. Daddy Piper has said once more "NO MORE BABIES". I can now be okay with that (although if one accidentally came about, I wouldn't be the least bit sad!).

Tuesday Talk

School seems to be going well. L paid me the highest compliment yesterday by saying how much she loves me to be her teacher!

L started art and music lessons today with a local studio that is offering a homeschool program. She thoroughly enjoyed this. I am hesitant to keep her in dance and this class though since they are within a few hours of each other. She has chosen art over dance so we'll see. She was just whipped tonight.

Daisy's starts on Thursdays along with S's soccer for this season.

Work is still slooooowwwww but things are hopefully looking up.....