Collaboration

Tonight the kids painted! I got them an easel at the beginning of the summer along with a paint set and shirt to cover up with, but they have yet to paint. Something always comes up or they change their minds right before, so it just hasn't happened. Tonight after dinner N came up to me and said can we paint? I jumped on it, we got down the play dough mat(ie a vinyl tablecloth), got them in their paint shirts, put up the paper and got the paints! They were off and running.

Painting

M only used the same piece of paper(it's going to take forever to dry too!) N made three different "pictures". During the whole process M would go over to N's side every few mins, say "Brother come" and he would walk over to her picture say "Sissy it's beautiful!", then work on his a little more.

N two brush paintingBeing silly she does this look all the time trying to be cute

For N's fourth picture he asked M if she would like to help him(really I wish I had a camcorder to record the whole time, they were so cute). They did such a good job together. N would say "Sissy put some green here." and she would.

N telling M which color to use next

I'm so going to get a frame for it and hang it up I'm so proud of them working together and it looks good.

The finished piece hanging on the fridge to dry

Puppy Graduation

Last week Cody graduated from puppy class!! I was so proud of him! We got his picture taken with a little graduation hat so cute! He didn't really think so, but I did lol.

Next is the intermediate class, but we have to wait till Oct. We could start next month with another instructor, but we really like your instructor, but she doesn't have another intermediate class til then. Plus I want Cody to really have down what he already knows before we start another class.

First Sleepover!

Last night the kids had their first sleep over, and bonus with their best friends! A few months ago my friend T and I were talking about how neither one of us had been on date with our hubbies in a long time. Hubby and I are lucky and get a couple hours here and there, but haven't had a whole night or even dinner and a movie since M was a few months old! It's our fault I'm just so nervous about leaving the kids with anyone we don't know I haven't really persuade a babysitter. Anywho, she's in the same boat(except they don't have any family down here and don't get the couple hours here and there). T came up with this great plan of us switching off watching all the kids and the other couple have a date night. It's great all around cuz we get date nights and the kids get to spend extra time with their best friends!!

Everyone watching some cartoons!

Cody confused he wants to play and none of the kids want to play with him

Last night was the first test for all the kids. Her kids to be at a sleep over and N and M to have friends sleep over. They dropped them off about 7:30ish, they got to play for a little bit then watch some TV and lights out at 8:30. We planned to have the boys sleep in a tent(thanks to grandpa for letting us borrow it), daddy sleep on the couch in case the boys needed anything and the girls sleep in the kids room M in her bed, S in N's.

The boys in getting ready for bed in the living roomThe girls getting ready for bed in the kids room

That was the plan anyways! It quickly changed when the girls didn't want to leave the tent so I set up one of the little play tents in the kids room for the girls to sleep in~that helped. Then at about 9:30ish both girls wanted their brothers so the boys ended up also in the bedroom, soon after the play tent came down cuz the boys wouldn't calm down. For the most part everyone was doing ok, M was in her bed, Sam was in N's bed N was on the floor by M's bed, and So was on the floor next to the toys. M wasn't doing good with all the change in routine so I finally had to bring her out to the living room to get her to stop crying and calm down. About 15mins later N then wanted to be with his sister, Sam wanted to be with N and So with her brother, you see the endless circle forming right! We then put the boys on the couch, M went in N's bed, So in M's(still not sure how that happened that way, but whatever). Nwas the first to fall asleep at 10:30ish, next was the girls not far after. Sam was a little more stubborn, he wasn't bad, he just didn't fall asleep he finally made his way to the tent and fell asleep just before 11:15.

This morning Sam was the first to wake up at 7:45, then N, and the girls followed around 8:20. We had mini eggo's and T came and picked them up at around 9:30 this morning. It was a little crazy there for awhile, but over all it wasn't terrible....Though I can't wait for our turn!!

My Beautiful Children

I know all moms say that their kids are the cutest and everything. And yes I think my kids are so darn cute! As for my daughter that is totally true she is just so beautiful and every day she just gets cuter and prettier. I know we are in trouble once she hits high school or even jr high! And N he's so cute, but more his personality. He's just so darn cute in the way he says things and does things.

Anyways, as you've seen I always seem to get the cutest pictures of M. Ones that you'd think we posed her and stuff or a professional took, but it's just the way she is. It's so "easy" to get great shots of her. Where as N in 4.5yrs I only have about 2 GREAT shots. That was till last week when he was standing at the back door waiting for Grandpa to come get him to watch him while I took M to therapy. And I looked at him and thought man that would be a great shot, and grabbed the camera!

New way of life

I've been meaning to blog about this for over a week now, just to get it out there, face the facts so to speak. I just haven't done it. I've thought about it how I really just want to write about this whole thing, but I'm to tired to do it. And then we had the fourth and M's big achievement, so now finally I'm writing about me!

For a few months now I've been getting really drained and at points feeling really dizzy and fainty. Thankfully I haven't fainted, but just feel like I am. Three months ago hubby and I were leaving Petsmart with M and I went to throw something away, turned and started walking. As I took a step I knew I was going to fall off the curb(you know when your foot hits the edge and for that split second you know you're going to fall so your body goes into brace mode) well after that split second(before the bracing mode) I blacked out and "woke up" on the ground. I bruised my hand and knee. Nothing to bad, didn't even think much of it except it was really weird. Til the next day at work I had the same thing I blacked out just walking to a register and was just really fainty and drained. Hubby called his mom to see what she thought. She figured I was just dehydrated and needed to drink more. That's what I did. About two weeks later I was still feeling fainting and drained at work or even sometimes during the day at home. I went to the dr to see what he said, he came up with the same thing drink more, but had blood work done just to make sure. Everything came back normal. Then about a month ago, it started getting really bad, to the point I get so drained from just doing dishes I would need a 3hr nap. After a two days of that I went to the dr's again, this time, my heart rate was avg 95. Blood presser and everything else was normal. Next was a cardiologist. I managed to get an appointment the same day, had an ultrasound on my heart done, and had to wear like a little EKG machine for 24hrs. All that came back normal. Next step was a tilt table test. Simple test you lay on a table for about 20-30mins, then they tilt the table up so it's like you are standing, but you are strapped to this table/bed, you do that for about 45mins or so till they get some results. I managed to faint in 3mins~positive results!

What does all this mean you ask!? I have something called Neurocardiogenic syncope. Here is a good article on it if you want to read it the first 2 paragraphs don't apply. Basically(this is how the nurse explained it) my brain and heart are not communicating correctly. When I stand up the blood "pools" in my legs cuz my brain is telling my heart to slow down not speed up. I'm now on a medication that ups my blood pressure to help keep me from fainting or feeling faint. The kicker about the meds I can't lay down when I'm on them so I have to take my last pill by 6pm. I also need to try not to be out in the heat for long, or stand for long periods. Have more salt in my diet, and still drink more. I've been on the medication for a week now and I'm doing better, I still feel faint, but now I just need to sit for a few mins and I feel fine, where before I would be out for a few hrs. Hopefully someday I can get off the meds, but right now I'm just making sure I don't overdo anything since I now know I can faint if I push it and that will make me really feel drained, besides what that would do to the kids. I'm just happy to have answers that don't involve surgery.

Mama

FINALLY O how my heart aches with such joy! My little beautiful blue eyed princess called me Mama! She said it the other day, but it was just like she was saying it, not at me or for me, just saying Mama. Last night we tried to get her to call me Mama with no eval, but every time we asked her to say mama and she did she got lots of hugs and kisses. I was just happy she was even saying the word! Then today God answered my prayers. We took M to the drs cuz her nose has been runny for a week now and the last 2 days it's getting worse, and as you know with her history she doesn't really show signs of ear infections or any infections. So we took her in to get checked out, just to be safe. BTW she looks good, we did get eye drops just to prevent pink eye cuz she gets snot all over her face at night(I know to much info lol). And we have a script for meds in case her symptoms don't seem to get better in the next few days then we will fill it. Anywho, we where talking to the dr about how she was doing and she says. "Mama go!" THREE TIMES! O I could have just cried, but I was good and didn't. I'm so happy!

Happy Fouth!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

I know a day late! I was so tired last night I didn't get around to posting. We had a great day. I made some really cute firework sandwiches.

THE CUTE SANDWICHES

I also made a cake and frosted it using the fondant I made last week. N helped me with the stars and letters.

THE CAKEN HELPING WITH THE CAKEM ENJOYING HER CAKE We didn't do much I did have to run to the store so we did that. Other wise is was just hanging out at home. N just couldn't wait till night time so he could watch the fireworks that's what he was looking forward to ALL DAY!!
CODY ON THE PORCH WANTING TO COME SIT BY USM READY FOR THE FIREWORKSTHE SMALL FIREWORKSCODY SITTING NICELY WATCHING THE FIREWORKSN TELLING ME THAT DADDY WAS DOING ANOTHER FIREWORKWATCHING A NEIGHBORS FIREWORK "SHOW"The kids had a blast watching the fireworks and they got to stay up an hr past bedtime, and went out like a light as soon as their heads hit their pillows. Which was good cuz I was so tired and didn't want to fight with them to go to bed!