Thankful Thursdays

So according to Adam, the past 2 weeks of Thankful Thursdays have made it seem as if he & Mason aren't thankful for anything. So I'll include them for the rest of our time...

Day 15

Me: A day without chores. A chance to catch up on blogging. A husband who has a magical touch when it comes to getting our children to take naps!!!!

Nolin: New movies! (Thank you Disney Channel for playing movies he's only seen once before at Granny's. Obviously we've been DVR'ing them all week!)

Adam: That Nolin knows his colors. And that Nolin likes pizza (this turned out to be a hint that he wasn't cooking lol)

Mason: Milk. Duh.

Day 16

Me: Adam's raise! Before he even went back to work they decided to hire him back but with a $2 raise!! Apparently they were really able to see evidence of his hard work once he was gone & it took multiple people to fill his shoes. I'm thankful for such a hardworking husband who takes such obvious pride in his job!

Nolin: One last day with Daddy :(

Adam: I'm thankful for the word of my dept manager along with the beautiful smiles of my boys and wife.

Mason: Milk. Duh.

Day 17

Me: A successful dinner outing with both boys. Despite a 10min major meltdown about leaving the toy section of Crackerbarrel, Nolin was relatively well behaved (despite what Adam may think lol)

Nolin: Girls!! (The neighbor behind us has 3 beautiful girls every few weekends & they love Nolin just as much as he loves them lol)

Adam: A nice day to enjoy outside with Nolin.

Mason: Milk. Duh!

Day 18:

Me: I'm incredibly thankful lately that I've been able to exclusively breastfeed Mason thus far. And have had enough to pump & store just in case. My inability to birth Nolin naturally or breastfeed was heartbreaking. I felt like a failure & I'm incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to prove otherwise to myself!

Nolin: French fries (Daddy makes some great ones!)

Adam: A successful back surgery & easy recovery so that I can return (begrudgingly) to work a new man!

Mason: Milk. And finally being able to clap after working so hard on it the past week!

Day 19

Me: A Monday off...It's been awhile! We have a fun day of cooking, baking & crafting in store :)

Nolin: Eggs (the kid sure does love his eggs lol)

Adam: My wife for cooking dinner so I didn't have to when I got home from my 1st day back at work (can you tell who actually wrote this one haha?!)

Mason: Milk. And pears, yummy!

Day 20

Me: I'm thankful that as of this week we are once again a 2 income family! It's the 1st time since March of this year lol...

Nolin: "I no wet bed Mommy!!" Yes, that's a direct quote lol!!

Adam: I'm thankful for the amazing job I have and for them being so good to me and our family.

Mason: Milk. And Daddy's ability to rock me to sleep while I wait for Mommy to come home!

Day 21

Me: The opportunities my job affords me to inform & educate the public on dementia. It is truly a passion!

Nolin: Spaghetti!! And a surprise afternoon with Daddy!

Adam: I'm thankful for God granting me the blessing of being a husband and father to you all.

Mason: Milk!! And fruit :)

Stay tuned for our family Thanksgiving post after this weekend. We are hosting both families this Saturday...

Wordless Wednesday

Mason is learning to pull himself up! Too bad he refuses to crawl :(

Nolin is learning to at least ATTEMPT to stay still long enough for a picture lol!

The Liebster...Part 3

So in case you've gotten lost during the multiple posts...This is the Liebster Award. Its to help promote blogs that have less than 200 followers. Here are the rules again:

The rules, should you be nominated:

1. If you were nominated, post 11 things about yourselves.

2. Then answer the 11 questions the person who nominated you created.

3. Create 11 more questions to ask the bloggers you decided to nominate.

4. Choose 11 bloggers to nominate with less than 200 followers.

5. Make sure and let these people know you nominated them! No tag backs, so don't nominate someone who nominated you.

Ive fulfilled the 1st 2 (see Part 1 & Part 2) And now onto the nominees: I nominate the following fellow bloggers for the Liebster Award. I hope that all are able to participate! And that you guys will check them out & send them some bloggy love :

1.Becoming Me, Becoming the Writer

This is my dear old friend Jenny. She has aspired to be a writer for as long as I can remember. She is currently in the process of writing her first book & often posts little teasers from it. I can't wait to read the whole thing once she's published!

2..My Journey.

I met Katherine through my sister several years ago. She & I have quite a bit in common. We often pick each other's brains regarding new research on diet modifications for both ourselves & our boys as well as natural living/parenting ideas. Her blog is mostly dedicated to her struggles with life as a single mother, finding true love & balancing work, school, finances & family medical concerns. Its easy to fall in love with her sweet disposition!





3. Sweet Home McCormick

Katie was my first friend when I moved to Ohio. We had an instant friendship. This girl is Super Mom, I swear! She's a southern gem who works full time, her house is immaculately decorated, she has a sweet toddler boy & is due shortly with another bundle of joy, she's a craft fanatic, top chef...The list goes on. Her blog features a weekly Top 10, fun gift ideas, craft projects & deliciously easy recipes!

4. Well Rounded

Leah is probably the first person who turned me onto natural parenting. She brought up excellent discussions that made me question things I had never thought about! Her blog is chalk full of amazing creative crafts & fun projects for around the house or with your kids. She even has her own super cute Etsy shop which you can find linked to her blog! Seriously, she is by far one of the cutest, most creative people I know!



5. Why?

This is Amy. She's my evil twin. Our mothers swear we were separated at birth lol. She has the most hilarious, sarcastic sense of humor! She started her blog following the death of her beloved dog, Church as a way to deal with her emotions. Her blog is usually her way of venting frustrations that she may not feel comfortable expressing in person.






6. The Spoon Mama

Meet Noelle. I honestly don't remember how I stumbled upon her little blog but I love it. She journals life with her adorable son, their cross-country trips & fun crafts. She's down to earth with a fun personality. Check her out!







7. Life, Love and Lactation

I haven't actually met Nikki yet in person but we've attempted to set up many a play date! I "met" her on Facebook through a mutual friend & some friendly exchange regarding natural parenting. Apparently she went to high school with my sister & brother-in-law. She's a blast to exchange ideas with! I know she's not as faithful with her blogging as she would like to be so I'm hoping this will get her started again!



8. Naptime Tales

This is another little gem that I don't remember stumbling upon. Possibly from Pinterest (you know my obsession there!) but I'm glad I did! These 2 gals are quite hilarious in their portrayals of mommyhood but also do an excellent job of educating the masses on the basics, even breaking them down by age range & topic. This blog is a great resource for 1st time Mommas! Or, as the title suggests, some fun light reading during naptime :)

9.  One Little Miracle

This blog will truly touch your heart. Rebekah has been through so much in her young life. She writes about her personal struggles to conceive, life's little miracles, unexpected blessings & how her heart remains faithful to God through it all. She is so full of hope, faith & thanksgiving. She is truly awe-inspiring!

10.  Two Scoops for Me!

I met these 2 through mutual friends & my brother way back in high school. Now they're married with ADORABLE & mischievous twin girls. I don't know how Sara manages to keep up with 2 toddlers, cook, craft & still look like a super model but kudos to her! She is absolutely hysterical to read, especially when she interprets her girls' expressions in photos! She will definitely make you giggle!


 11.Unfortunately, I don't have a #11. The last blog I had on my list exceeded 200 followers in the amount of time that it took me to complete this series :)

Lastly, here are the 11 questions I propose to the above mentioned blogs...

1. What made you start blogging?
2. If you could have ONE re-do in life, what would it be?
3. What is your inspiration for your blog?
4. Tell us your most embarrassing moment.
5. Who is that "make you laugh until you pee your pants" person in your life?
6. Is there someone you've lost touch with that you wish you hadn't?
7. Do you have a significant other? If so, tell us how you met.
8. Are you a cat or a dog person?
9. Name 3 things you love about yourself.
10. If your house caught on fire what items would you try to save (people & pets excluded since they're obvious lol)
11. What's your favorite past time? 

Now, I've let all of you know of your nomination so I hope you can participate! I can't wait to read your blog entries & responses! Muah!

Monday Mini Series

I swear...This kid is getting more & more creative with his reasoning skills LOL!

Nolin: (points to his cozy coupe outside as its stuck in a pile of leaves) Oh no!! My car!!

Me: What's wrong with it?

Nolin: It's stuck! Oh no Mommy!

Me: It's okay...

Nolin: I need to go outside.

Me: Why?!

Nolin: To help my car!! It's stuck!!

Me: Nice try. Your car will survive...

Needless to say, winter is going to get REAL interesting :/

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(As Nolin proceeds to dump out yet ANOTHER basket of toys...)

Me: Nolin! No!

Nolin: Why?

Me: Cause I told you no more toys til you clean up the ones you already got out!!

(He dumps it out anyway)

Me: <sigh>

Nolin: What?!

Me: You make Mommy want to jump off a bridge sometimes.

Nolin: <evil grin> Okay!!

I have a feeling that was his plan all along. It's a conspiracy, I tell ya!

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Nolin: I'm hungry (which I swear sounds like "horny" lol). I want lunch.

Me: No, its dinner time. We'll eat soon.

(He decides to help himself to the fridge)

Nolin: I want this (brings me a bag of kale)

Me: Good choice. However, no.

(Adam takes it away from him & he follows him back to the fridge)

Nolin: I want an apple (pulls out an onion)

Adam: That's not an apple. That's an onion.

Nolin: No!!!! Apple!!!!

Adam: Yeah okay. You take a big bite of that & we'll see...

Nolin: (stares at the onion in his hand for a minute before deciding not to try it) I want to eat!!!! I want to eat!!!! I WANT TO EAAAAAAT!!!!

Me: I kind of wish he had taken a bite of the onion....

I'm so mean lol.

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(We have a habit of making/ordering extra food for ourselves cause Nolin has a habit of eating off our plates)

Nolin: I want this (points to a pancake on my plate)

Me: No. Finish your hashbrowns first.

Nolin: (dramatic sigh)

Me: Do you want a piece of sausage?

Nolin: Nope. I want cake.

Me: You have to eat something else first. Do you want an egg sandwich?

Nolin: NO!!! I want cake!!

Me: Too bad.

Nolin: (puts the rest of his food on my plate) I'm done.

Me: You're done?!

Nolin: Yep. All gone. I'm done.

(He snatches a pancake off my plate)

Nolin: CAAAAAAKE!!!

Me: Are you freaking serious?!?!

(Hilarious laughter ensues from all 3 boys. I hate being outnumbered LOL)

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(We've been working on shapes at home - square, circle, rectangle, triangle)

Nolin: (brings a pot onto the carpet, stands on it then picks it up) Circle!!!

Me: Good job baby!

(Proceeds to continue the process until the carpet is covered in circles lol)

Later outside...

Nolin: (picks up a rock) Daddy!! Pizza!!

Adam: Um that's a triangle.

Nolin: No. Pizza.

On one hand, at least he knows that pizzas are triangle shaped...

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(We've also been working on colors...Which Adam says he knows but he's never done for me)

Me: (points to his green lid) What color is this?

Nolin: What color is this?

Me: Um okay...(points to his red plate) What color is this?

Nolin: What color is this?

Me: Are you MOCKING me?!?!

(Everyone laughs)

Adam: Nolin, where's black?

Nolin: (points to my cup) Black.

Adam: Where's green?

Nolin: (points to his lid) Green.

Adam: Where's red?

Nolin: (points to his lid again) Red.

Adam: No. Where's red?

Nolin: (points to his lid again) RED!!

Adam: He knows his colors. He's just busting my balls.

Nolin: (laughs hysterically)

Punk.

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(While watching a commercial for the movie The Life of Pi)

Adam: (repeating a line from the commercial) "You don't just watch this movie you LIVE it"...Hmm.

Me: Well that would be an awkward experience since pie is meant to be EATEN.

Adam: <flabbergasted look> Wooooow.

Yep. I'm a fat girl. Who names a math something or other after a delicious dessert anyway?!

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(While watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse)

Mickey: Hi! Want to come inside my clubhouse?

Nolin: Nope.

Mickey: Okay! Let's say the magic words to make the clubhouse appear.

Nolin: Nope.

Mickey: Ready? Meeska Mooska Mickey Mouse!

Nolin: Nope. Nope. Nope.

I think its safe to say Nolin's new word of the week: Nope.

The Liebster Award...Part 2

Ah, now its time for me to answer the questions that my dear old friend developed for her nominees...

1.  What is the most stupid thing you’ve ever done? What was the outcome?

• I guess I would have to say getting married the 1st time around. There were multiple signs from the beginning that it was a toxic relationship. And even more signs from God that it was simply NOT his plan for my life. But in typical Lindsey fashion, I was too strong-willed & determined to have things MY way that I didn't listen. The result? I ended up a divorced 20-something year old with a severe trust complex & more baggage than a plane's cargo hold!

2. Describe the most beautiful thing you’ve ever seen.

• The birth of my boys. Hands down. While neither were the unmedicated, completely natural, waterbirths I preferred...They are still to this day the most absolutely beautiful things I've ever seen!

I think they're the cutest :)

3. 10 years ago, where did you think you’d be today?

• Honestly? Dead. I'm one of those weirdos that could never visualize the future so I always just assumed it meant that I was going to die before I reached that point! But here I sit at 30 years old & have been through more than I could've ever imagined.

4. Where do you aspire to be 10 years from now?

• Right beside my amazing husband watching our boys grow up & still having just as much fun as we do now! And hopefully there'll be a little girl in there somewhere ;) Professionally, I'd love to be in management again, specifically on the corporate level. But not at the risk of losing the awesome group of coworkers I have now!

5. Do you hold on to anything that you need to let go of? If so, is it something you can share?

• I'm still pretty angry with a few people from my past. I'm angry with those who knew what was going on in my 1st marriage & looked the other way. I don't ask people to agree with my choices in my life, but I do ask that they stand up for the truth. I feel like most people backed down & there was a great deal of injustice.
• Consequently, I also fear that many of the horrible things said about me could possibly be true. And I fear that one day Adam will throw his hands in the air & decide this is all more than he bargained for.

6. What is your “life’s legacy?” What do you want to be known for?

• I want to remembered for my sense of humor. For my honesty. For being a good person. I want to be remembered as the best wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend, etc that the ones I love had. I want my kids to remember how much I loved to make them laugh & hear those little giggles. I want my husband to remember how much I loved him...And how I would do anything under the sun to make him happy. I want my family & friends to remember how much I appreciated them standing by my side...I want a kickoff party when I kick the bucket. Not some drab funeral :p

7. Is there anything that you pretend to understand that you totally don’t?

• Politics. Medicare changes. Men.

8. What is your “worst habit?”

• Cursing. I hate it...But I swear like a sailor. Its completely unattractive.

9. What do you think is your most attractive attribute?

• Physically? My eyes. Personality? My sense of humor.

10. What made you start blogging?

• Adam & I both agreed to settle between our families which meant that neither were getting to be a part of our daily lives. I started the blog as a way to provide more information than a Facebook status would let me post!

11. Describe a relationship that means the most to you.

• This one is tough. There are several relationships I have that I would absolutely just fall apart without: Adam. The boys. My mom. My sister. My mother-in-law. They each have their place in my life...None of which can be filled by anyone else!

Stay tuned for Part 3 where I will nominate 11 other blogs for the Liebster Award & have my own list of questions for them!

The Liebster Award...Part 1

Sooo a few weeks ago a dear old friend of mine nominated me (and by "me" I mean my blog of course) for an award!! How awesome is that?! According to her, its to help promote blogs that have less than 200 followers. It also gives people a chance to know me a little better. There are some rules but I'm in!!

The rules, should you be nominated:

1. If you were nominated, post 11 things about yourselves.

2. Then answer the 11 questions the person who nominated you created.

3. Create 11 more questions to ask the bloggers you decided to nominate.

4. Choose 11 bloggers to nominate with less than 200 followers.

5. Make sure and let these people know you nominated them! No tag backs, so don't nominate someone who nominated you.

 

 

Sheesh. Finding 11 things, much less 11 INTERESTING things to post about my self is hard!!! But I'll see what I can do...I'm also going to have to split this up into multiple posts since its A LOT of info! Here goes nothing:

 

1. I'm married to the love of my life. He's been my dream come true (hence the title of my blog), my knight in shining armor, the peas to my carrots, the whiskey to my wine. We met on MySpace 3 years ago & its been a whirlwind ever since! Despite all the tattoos & tough guy exterior...He's a big ol sap (just see my Facebook page lately!) He's an incredible man, amazing husband & the most fun, playful, dedicated father.
 

The night we finally met in person. After he had chickened out & stood me up!

 

2. Having kids was always a dream of mine...And my boys are little miracles! I was told from the time I was about 19 that I would probably never have kids. I was diagnosed with & eventually had surgery for endometriosis, was put in medical menopause (hence why I struggle so much with my weight now), was diagnosed with PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) & was put on fertility drugs to counteract the menopause in hopes that I could some day have kids. All that just to eventually be told that I would have to have IVF (invitro fertilization) if I ever wanted kids.

3. Nolin is my little monster. That kid has more energy & more attitude in his pint-size little body than anyone could possibly imagine!! He's incredibly smart but more often than not, he's too smart for his own good lol!! He's always been very advanced physically which caused some frustration on his part as far as communication went. As time progressed we began to deal with some pretty awful behaviors. Since this summer we have discovered that he is completely intolerant of synthetic food dyes. We also have to limit his juice (he really only gets green smoothies anyway) & keep him away from chocolate. We're still learning his behavior triggers & food intolerances but overall, he's a completely different kid today than he was 4-5 months ago. As far as we're concerned...He's the cutest, smartest, funniest 2 year old around :)

This is his "Don't tell me what to do" face lol!

4. Mason is our little butterball. Or Sir Chubs A Lot as he often goes by!! While he hasn't hit all of his milestones as quickly as his brother, he's sharp as a tack!! He prefers to observe everything. He's our little people watcher. He's also one of the happiest babies I've ever been around...He just WAITS for you to glance at him so he can give you a big ol grin! Right now we are slowly easing him into BLW (baby led weaning) which has been AMAZING!! Check this site out for more info on BLW: http://www.babyledweaning.com/

Seriously. How could you NOT smile at that?!

5. I have 2 miniature schnauzers. They may be cute but they annoy the hell out of me! I think its funny how your relationship with your pets changes once you have kids...While Charlie's barking may annoy me, I can at least appreciate that its only because he's over-protective. I have no excuses for Wilson. He's just a hateful little dog :(

Obviously this was BEFORE kids lol!

6. I'm an Occupational Therapy Assistant (or OTA for short). My passion is for working with the elderly, particularly those with dementia-related diseases. My great-grandmother had Alzheimer's & I remember very clearly all that she battled as her mind wasted away leaving behind a perfectly capable physical body. Currently I have a grandmother battling dementia as we speak...I specialize in a form of cognitive testing that focuses on the person's remaining abilities. I then educate the family and/or staff members on the abilities, best approaches, what to watch for, etc. I love the education portion of my job...Its interesting to see what triggers the "aha moment" for people!

Visit your local Alzheimer's Association website for more info.

7. No matter what, I'll always be a good girl at heart. I grew up in the Baptist Church, attended church 2-3x/week from the time I was a toddler until a few years ago, I've never done drugs, my encounters with alcohol were few & far between until I was like 27, I was a virgin when I got married...You get the picture. I've made MANY (some colossal) mistakes in my lifetime but my heart was always in the right place. Adam & I have spent a lot of time researching area churches & visited several but so far have been unable to find a place to call home. He comes from a Lutheran background & is use to a pretty formal service. I'm pretty big on doctrine, children's programming & music. We still have a few more churches we're interested in visiting so hopefully we'll hit the jackpot...Its strange for me to not be part of a church family for so long :(

8. I was married once before. And divorced. It was a pretty awful relationship. We'll just leave it at that.

9. My siblings mean the world to me. They are my bestest best friends. We've all had our ups & downs but at the end of the day we've got each other's backs NO MATTER WHAT. I can only hope & pray that my children have the bond that I have with my brother & sister. And bonus? We're all ridiculously good looking (BTW, humility will NOT be on my list of 11 things about myself haha!)



10. I'm addicted to Pinterest!! Seriously, I like to make fun projects with the kids, my own holiday cards & gifts, decoration for the house, amazing recipes...You name it. I troll it at all hours of the night pinning fabulous stuff, most of which I'll probably never get around to doing lol!!

11. I'm notoriously goofy. I love to have fun...Especially at my own expense! I can rarely keep a straight face & am incredibly blessed with family & friends who understand my sense of humor. And I'm not a fan of smiling pics...Those are B.O.R.I.N.G.

This is pre-baby. As in the month before I got pregnant with Nolin...Clearly since I still have cheekbones...And only 1 chin haha!

Is that it?! Am I done?! Of course I wracked my brain the whole time to make it to 11 & now that I'm there I feel like there's alot more I could've covered lol. Oh well, I think those are the most prevalent. Sorry to those of you that know me so well that this was boring old news...To the rest of you, I hope it wasn't information overload!!

Thankful Thursdays

Day 8

Me: Coffee!! Lots of coffee! Especially chocolate covered cherry coffee with almond coconut milk & raw sugar!! Delicious & guilt-free ;)

Nolin: Tv in bed :)

Day 9

Me: My boss, Casie for being understanding & sending me home early when I was walking around like a zombie with a bad cold & high bp. She's always been helpful & accommodating when I need something.

Nolin: My friends (most of which happened to be at the house this afternoon)

Day 10

Me: A house to clean! I'm thankful for a roof over my family's head with plenty of room for my energetic boy to run laps! I'm also thankful that its cozy enough to clean quickly since free time is a hot commodity around here!!

Nolin: Outside!!!

Day 11

Me: Today I'm thankful for all my friends & family who've served our country. And those of you I've never met. Your sacrifice is always remembered & appreciated!

Nolin: Sticks. It's all he plays with outside anymore!

Day 12

Me: An extra day of rest...Even though it wasn't very restful lol.

Nolin: Apples. Bananas. Grapes. (Pretty sure he's just naming the food he wants right now but whatever lol)

Day 13

Me: Sarah (our sitter) for working a ridiculously long day while battling an intense case of food vs pregnancy hormones!! What was suppose to be a fairly short day at work turned into a LONG day thanks to uncooperative patients & meetings.

Nolin: Another boy who likes to wrestle! Aka, Christian.

Day 14

Me: Hope for the future. There are many changes being made to healthcare & this is a scary time for those of us who work in the field. While there will always be the need for healthcare professionals the changes being made with insurance companies, particularly medicare, are going to make our jobs increasingly difficult. But I have hope for the future. I have hope that some day our country will figure this mess out...

Nolin: Playdates with Daddy. He sure is going to miss them when Adam goes back to work next week :(

To be continued next week...

Wordless Wednesday

I apologize for the blurry nature of my cell phone pics. My camera battery is dead (and has been having some issues with extreme blurriness). Besides, I doubt Nolin would ever stay still enough to allow me to bust out the big camera lol.

These boys sure do love each other!

Best friends: Nolin insisted that Mason sit on his lap to watch a movie.

Monday Mini Series

Me: I want fried chicken.

Adam: Um. Okay.

Me: I want a blizzard...

Adam: (looks at my stomach) You aren't pregnant are you?!?!?!

Me: (hysterical laughter) God I hope not!!!!

Sheesh. Can't a girl just crave something sometimes?!

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(Upon seeing my blizzard...)

Nolin: (full body convulsions & begins jumping up & down) Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, MINE!!!!!

Me: Um HELL no. Not if you get a sugar rush just LOOKING at it!!!

Nolin: (Throws himself on the ground & starts wailing like his best friend was shot)

Me: Aaaand the Oscar goes to...

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Nolin: I need help.

Me: What do you need help with?

Nolin: I need the car.

Me: Where are you going?!

Nolin: To the store.

Me: For what?!

Nolin: I need more toys.

Me: <insert flabbergasted look>

Nolin: (matter of factly) Mommy, I need help. C'mon...

I'm at least thankful that he recognizes he can't drive the car. Cause after his road rage incident in his cozy coupe...It'll be a LONG time before I let him drive!!

Thankful Thursdays

Some of you may have seen the series of "Thankful" posts going around this month on Facebook. Rather than post something every day, I decided to do a series this month. So every Thursday I'll post the previous week's things we're thankful for. Well, at least Nolin & I lol...

Day 1

Me: Hands down, my husband. He rescued from me from myself & every day he amazes me. He goes above & beyond to care & provide for us, plays with the boys until he drops, can fix anything, helps me out around the house, cooks THE most amazing (healthy) meals. He's my dream come true today & every day.

Nolin: Macaroni & Cheese.

Day 2

Me: Nolin. We have our differences & he drives me up a freaking wall sometimes but he also makes me laugh until I cry, gives me hugs when I feel bad, always kisses me goodbye, cuddles with me for movies...He's too smart for his own good but I love love LOVE his personality!

Nolin: "Josh" aka his friend Ashton lol.

Day 3

Me: Mason. His joy astounds me...He's truly the happiest baby I've ever met! He's Nolin's little mini me (he imitates everything he does), loves to observe everyone around him, gives the sweetest kisses & will giggle at every glance just to make you smile! I'm thankful that Mason has decided to take it easy on us & is perfectly content to just be a baby for awhile longer!

Nolin: Gramma here to push him around on his bike (this doubles for me as well lol!)

Day 4

Me: Today I was going to say family. But right now, I'm most thankful for heavy duty Kleenex & an assortment of vitamins!!! I feel like poo :(
*Not that I'm not thankful for my family though!

Nolin: Sausage. Yep, that's what he said. True story.

Day 5

Me: Today I'm thankful that a new COTA is starting at work. I'm exhausted from these ridiculously long days & working 5 days a week!

Nolin: Juice ("green smoothies" which according to the sitter, he dumped all over our bedroom carpet..awesome)

Day 6

Me: A husband who goes out in the cold morning to put gas in my truck so I don't have to stop on my way to work (& yes I'm aware that I've already mentioned him on day 1 but that's how grateful I am for the little things he does!)

Nolin: Chicken nuggets & french fries <eye roll>

Day 7

Me: My fellow employees! I seriously work with THE BEST people ever. These girls are my closest friends here & I wouldn't show up to work if they weren't there LOL!

Nolin: Toy catalogs.

To be continued next week...

Wordless Wednesday

Since Nolin's pictures are all blurry drive-by's (the kid can't stay still for nothing!), Mason gets his pic posted again lol...

This studmuffin is 7 months old today!!

Monday Mini Series

(I'm a notorious klutz. Especially when handling hot or sharp objects)

Me: Yikes!!! (jumping back while a fork smacks the floor)

Nolin: What's wrong Mommy?

Me: I almost got forked!!!

Adam: I'll fork you...

Me: No. You can SPOON me.

Adam: First I'll spoon you. Then I'll fork you...

Nolin: <quizzical look>

I think we're reaching the age where we need to be careful what's said in front of him lol...

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(As we're all snuggling on the air mattress watching a movie before bed)

Me: Love you Nolin!

Nolin: (points to tv) That's a monster.

Me: Yeah but monsters aren't in our house. Love you!

Nolin: Shh. The baby's sleeping.

Me: Yep. I just laid the baby down. Love you!

Nolin: (silence)

Me: Do you love your Mommy?

Nolin: (closes his eyes & pretends to be asleep)

Adam: Do you love your Daddy?

Nolin: (sighs dramatically & drapes his arm over his face like he's physically exhausted from the conversation)

Me: What a punk...(laughs)

*************************

(At 2am)

Nolin: Mommy.

Nolin: Mommy!

Me: Hm?

Nolin: Mommy...Where's Donovan?

Me: At his house.

Nolin: Why?

Me: Cause he lives there.

Nolin: Mommy?

Me: What baby (totally said in an exasperated tone)

Nolin: I want some french fries...

Me: You've lost your marbles! Go to bed...(rolls over)

Nolin: <insert world's most dramatic sigh>

Seriously. 2am. What the heck is wrong with him?!?!

Wordless Wednesday

This time, there really are no words. How embarrassing...But RAWR anyway!

Ps my friend was dressed up as a witch, aka a crazy cat lady. I was her cat lol.

Monday Mini Series

Nolin: Boww boww!!! Boww boww!!

(I look up to see Nolin using the broom as a guitar)

Nolin: Boww boww!!! Boww boww!!

Me: Are you a rockstar?

Nolin: Yes!!! Boww boww!!!

(As he proceeds to use the "guitar" to bang on the ground, swipe at my flower pot & pummel the pumpkin)

Me: Well you weren't kidding!!

Nolin: <devilish grin>

***********************************

(It's been unseasonably warm & Nolin's summer shoes no longer fit. Rather than go buy another pair of sandals I just took out a pair of D's crocs for him to wear outside. Apparently he remembers D wearing them.)

Nolin: Walk?

Me: Let's put your shoes on.

Nolin: No! Donovan's shoes!!

(An episode of "Yes, Dear" where their kid realizes all of his clothes were from his brother & he freaks out, refuses to wear any thing that wasn't bought for him & eventually ends up naked in public is running through my mind!)

Me: You're right, they were Donovan's but he let you have them. Wasn't that nice?

Nolin: <smiles>

(He immediately runs outside & takes them off lol...Then later that night....)

Me: Time for your pjs! (As I pull out a pair of D's Toy Story pjs)

Nolin: Donovan's!!!

Me: Yes, baby. These were Donovan's too. Actually, most of your stuff was.

Nolin: See Daddy?! Donovan's pjs!

Adam: I see buddy...

Nolin: <beams with pride>

Thank God my kid thinks hand-me-downs are cool!!! Otherwise he'd be naked!! He sure does love his cousin :)

*************************

(1st thing in the morning)

Nolin: I want french fries!! French fries!!!!! French fries!!!!

Me: Um no.

Nolin: Why?

Me: You had them yesterday & refused to eat them so we threw them away!

Nolin: (sighs, shakes his head & gives himself a facepalm)

*************************

As we sit down to eat dinner, Nolin wants to know what each thing is on my plate...

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Chicken

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Bread

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Salad

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Ranch

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Ranch

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Ranch

Nolin: What's this?

Me: Ranch

Nolin: That's A LOT <laughs>

Me: Yeah well Mommy likes ranch lol!!!

(During all this Mason is chewing on the ranch container...I guess someone else likes ranch haha!)

*************************

(As we're cleaning up dinner, Nolin gets down to rummaged around for more food)

Me: I thought you said you were done?

Nolin: Yes. All done.

Me: Then why are you still rummaging around for food?! Are you still hungry?

Nolin: (shakes his head no & stuffs a chicken nugget in his mouth)

I think he's confused...Or its Opposite Day & I missed the memo :/

*************************

(Nolin is trying to figure out how to use a toy but is getting increasingly frustrated with it. Meanwhile, he's doing this right by Mason's head as he's trying to sleep so he's flailing around which causes Nolin to drop the toy.)

Nolin: (bends over to yell at the toy) Agggghhhhhhh!!!

Me: YOU dropped it!

Nolin: (turns to the baby & yells) Baby!!! You made me drop it!! That's not nice!!!!

Me: No, Nolin. YOU dropped it.

(He rolls his eyes, drops the toy & reaches for his water cup)

Nolin: I drank all my water (in a whispering sweet as pie voice)

Me: Are you bipolar?!?!

Nolin: Yes.

Good to know. Sheesh.

***************************************************

(Overheard while looking through a toy catalog)

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: I'm not sure. It looks like a crazed beaver.

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: It's a whale. Ironically enough, its called a killer whale. Pretty sure its nice though.

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: A garage. It may look fun but don't be fooled...

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: I have no idea. Some kind of new fangled toy. I only had a stick & a box growing up.

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: A castle. I guess its fun if you're into girl toys. Or architecture.

Nolin: What's that? Where you cook?

Dad: A kitchen, yeah! You're so smart!

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: A Barbies Dream House. If anyone tries to give you one of those...RUN.

Nolin: What's that?

Dad: Uh...(rambles off some long title while Nolin gives him a blank stare) Yeah, that was my reaction too kid.

Nolin: What's that? A phew phew!! I want a phew phew (Nerf gun).

At the end of all this...He asked for a $200 bounce house for Christmas. Yeah okay. We'll get right on that kid <eye roll>

Wordless Wednesday



"Oooo MILK!!"

"What the heck are you talking about?!"

"Uhhh..."

"Hey! Camera! Cheeeeese!"

"You THINK I'm going to sleep, but you have NO idea..."

Monday Mini Series

(Nolin comes running in the house with a big bouquet of daisies)

Nolin: Mommy!! Here!!

Me: Oh thanks!!! Those are pretty!! Did you pick them out?

Nolin: Yes

Adam: And they were only a $1.50...That's my little bargain hunter!!

Me: Really Adam?!?!

*****************************************

(As I check the Mason's diaper for a funky smell)

Nolin: Baby pooped?

Me: Don't you smell that?

Nolin: Yes. Baby pooped!

Me: Yep! Shooey!

Nolin: (sighs & shakes his head)

Me: Want to smell it?

Nolin: Yes

(He runs over, peeks in his diaper, takes a big whiff & starts gagging)

Nolin: Ewwwww!!! Shooey baby!!!

Why do I like to torture my child haha?!?!

*****************************************

(Nolin starts playing with Mason's feet)

Nolin: Mommy!!! Boo boos (as he points to Mason's toes)

Me: Where? I don't see anything!

(I'm kind of panicking cause I had just read an article about a girl with worms coming out from between her toes!)

Nolin: Mommy!! Look!!! Yucky!!

(I see him start grabbing something from Mason's foot)

Me: Oh honey, that's just toe jam.

Nolin: Ew!!! Yucky!!

Me: You probably have some too!

(He checks his toes)

Nolin: No Mommy...Baby is ew.

(He scrunches his face & makes a gagging sound as he walks away)

At least it wasn't worms right?!?!

Wordless Wednesday

I sure love this happy little chunker!!

Monday Mini Series

A friend on Facebook suggested I do segments of these random conversations in our house. I have to admit, its a good idea! So here's a recap of them for the past week...

(As Nolin proceeds to pull out his basket of blocks to dump out)

Me: Nolin!! No!!!

Nolin: Why?

Me: Cause its too early to be making a mess that big. Mommy can't handle it.

Nolin: No. You go night-night! You sleepy. Shush!!! (As he waves a block in my face)

Me: Are you kidding me?! Are you trying to hypnotize me?!?!

Nolin: Um no? (As he closes his eyes to make me disappear)

Who is this kid?!?!?!

**********************************************

(Once Nolin gets cleaned up after dinner he likes to leap out of his highchair. Earlier this week he sprained his ankle doing it)

Me: No jumping. Get down like a normal person please.

Nolin: Why?

Me: So you don't get hurt. Remember when you almost broke your leg the other day?!

Nolin: Yes.

Me: Did it hurt?

Nolin: Yes.

Me: You don't want to get hurt again do you?

Nolin: Noooo.

Me: Okay well then don't jump.

Nolin: Weeeeee!!!! JUMP!!!!

Me: Seriously?! Are you okay?

Nolin: Yes.

Me: Will you ever learn your lesson?

Nolin: No.

Oh well....At least he's honest!!!

**********************************************

(As the wind blows through the house, several doors slam shut in the front of the house. Including Nolin's bedroom door)

Nolin: *gasp* What's that?!

Adam: The monster

(door slams again)

Nolin: *blood curdling scream* (as he runs down the hall & jumps on the couch next to me crying)

Me: Its okay baby (mean mugs Adam)

Nolin: No Mommy!! Monster!!! (points to his bedroom)

Adam: *laughs hysterically*

(door slams again)

Nolin: (starts crying & buries his head in my side)

Me: You're an ass (shoots hateful look at Adam)

**********************************************

(While trying to take a toy hot dog off his grill with tongs & place it on a plate, Nolin repeatedly drops the hot dog)

Nolin: *grunts in frustration*

(hot dog falls from the tongs)

Nolin: Jerk!!! (as he picks it up again & puts it on the plate)

(hot dog rolls off the plate as he walks towards me)

Nolin: Aggghhhh!!! (chucks plate & hot dog across the room)

Me: *chuckles* Its okay baby. Its fine. Don't throw things though.

Nolin: Shush! <insert hateful glare> Don't laugh. That's not nice!

I guess he has a point lol...

**********************************************

(As he rummages through the pantry & fridge before dinner)

Nolin: I want cookies.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want crackers.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want grapes.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want chips.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want french fries. I want chicken nuggets.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want apples.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want banana.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want juice.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want my milk.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want yogurt.

Me: No.

Nolin: I want...This (still have no idea what it was lol)

Me: No.

Nolin: I want cereal.

Me: No.

Nolin: Where's my water?

Me: Right there (points to end table)

Apparently he thinks if he names everything he can think of he has a greater chance of getting something. He's exhausting....

Nolin: I want a cookie, a cookie, a cookie...A cooookieeeeeee! (in a sing-song voice)

Me: We're not going through this again...

Apparently he also thinks if he SINGS his food choices he'll win me over. Creative little booger.

Wordless Wednesday

Well...Kinda of. If you know me, you know I have to at least caption the photo lol!!

This is the look we get every time we tell him to do something. Or not do something. Basically all day. And the Hitler-esque stache is from playing with the tiki torches after we told him not to!

I would never survive...

As a single parent!!

Man...You don't realize what a great team you & your spouse are until one of you gets benched!! Right now I'm incredibly overwhelmed on my own but eternally grateful that I have such an amazing husband. I'll be counting down the seconds until he's back up & running like brand new!

So here's a quick synopsis of my 1st day as a single parent:

• Both kids were wide awake when we left Cleveland so I decided against filling up right away & figured we'd stop outside the city for gas & lunch. Big mistake. 10 minutes later they were both passed out. 20 minutes later my gas alert starts dinging. Awesome.
• When we stop for gas Nolin says he's hungry. We get food & I park in the back of the lot so I can feed Mason while we eat. Nolin begs to sit up front with us but while walking around the back of the truck, he notices the creek bed lined with pretty rocks *facepalm*
• Nolin is too fixated on the rocks to eat & begins throwing his food on the floor.
• Mason is too distracted by Nolin to finish eating by this point which means we'll end up pulling over again.
• It suddenly hits me that I have to go to the bathroom but I realize I'll have to take 2 kids with me. And hold one on my lap. Dear Lord, please let them have enclosed stalls with locks too high for Nolin to reach...Nope.
• As soon as I sit down, Nolin starts playing with the trash can. You know, the one for sanitary products. I yell at him which prompts Mason to start screaming, which echos, which makes Nolin start yelling to prove he's louder. And start trying to escape the noise. While I'm going to the bathroom, I'm bouncing one kid on my knee & holding the other by his shirt so he can't crawl under the stall door & escape. Because I'm pretty sure no one wants to see a fat chick with her pants around her ankles carrying a screaming baby like a football while running after a toddler with a huge rock in his hand...Pretty sure.
• By the way, it takes TALENT to hold 2 kids, wipe your ass & pull up your pants. Just call me Super Woman :)
• When we leave the bathroom the whole restaurant is staring at the door waiting to see who was making so much noise. <Insert eye rolls & horrible glares> Jerks.
• As we walk back to the car Nolin is screaming & throwing himself on the ground because he doesn't want to hold my hand in the parking lot. Apparently he thought getting hit by a car was MUCH cooler than holding Mommy's hand.
• The constant bending & jerking with Nolin's tantrum causes Mason to throw up his lunch. All down my back, arm & in my hair. Awesome.
• I just want to leave all the stares behind so I stuff everyone in the car & we drive off. We make it 10 minutes down the road before Mason starts screaming. I guess that's what happens when you throw up your lunch...You're hungry again!
• I pull over at a rest area to feed Mason. The dogs are barking incessantly at every trucker that walks by, Nolin is screaming "Shut up Charlie!!", Mason is crying, I'm banging my head on the steering wheel...Til I hit the horn, scare a trucker & we all start laughing.
• I decided to turn on a Christian radio station & say a prayer while I nursed Mason back to sleep. After that...We were golden. They all either slept the rest of the way or sat there quietly listening to the music & staring out the window...Ah, heavenly :)

The rest of the evening consisted of me running around like a lunatic trying to unload the car, unpack, feed 2 kids, let the dogs out, get baths, do laundry & dishes, repeatedly explain that Daddy isn't here, keep Nolin from bolting out the door & making sure Nolin didn't choke on any of the 847 inedible items he kept stuffing in his mouth! And just think...This whole day was run on 4 hours of sleep. I may be a rockstar. Or a crackhead...

For My Husband...

With all that has been weighing on his mind & heart, I thought maybe Adam could use a little reminder. A reminder of my promises. A reminder of my love. A reminder that I will be here for better or worse until the end of time. A reminder of the words I spoke on on our wedding day...

When I met you, I knew that we were going to have an amazing journey. Before you, my heart was shattered & I honestly thought I would never be able to trust a man. But you took your time collecting all the pieces of my broken heart & slowly put it back together with every sweet poem, endless hours of instant messages, painfully long bus rides & home-cooked meals. There will never be words to express all the little things you do that leave me wide-eyed in wonderment…Like the way you even ATTEMPT to change Nolin’s diaper even though you are gagging. Or taking the dogs out in the snow when I know what you’d really like to do is strangle them with their leashes! Or insisting on carrying the laundry up & down the stairs because you know I’m a klutz. 

But I don’t just love you for the things you do for me. I love you for who you ARE. Your strength has shown me that its okay to let my guard down. That I don’t ALWAYS have to be in control! Your self- control to know when to walk away when my temper flares always kicks in on time. You love me even when I’m impossible. You are a wonderful man, amazing father & I know with complete certainty that you will be an incredible husband. You are my dream come true!

I promise to always put you first. I promise to rub your feet after you stand on concrete at work for 12 hours. I promise to make you happy just because. I promise to never go to the grocery store unsupervised. I promise to always be the best wife & mother I can be. I promise not to let my OCD tendencies run over your OCD tendencies. I promise to always honor you & the commitment we have made to each other. I promise to love you until my last breath is spent.

Why: Adam's Turn...

Nolin: I want this (pulls out a box of crackers)

Adam: No. You can have it for a snack later.

Nolin: Why?

Adam: Because its breakfast time.

Nolin: Why?

Adam: Because I said so.

Nolin: Why?

Adam: Because I'm the man.

Nolin: Why?

Adam: Because I have the penis.

Nolin: (silence)

Me: Bwahahahahaha!!! That worked!

Why? And so it begins...

Nolin: I wanna go outside (as he unlocks the screen door)

Me: No sir.

Nolin: Why?!

Me: Because Daddy is cleaning up out there.

Nolin: Why?

Me: So you don't get hurt when you go outside.

Nolin: Why?

Me: Because that's what Daddy's do. They take care of us!

Nolin: Why?

Me: Because that's how God made it.

Nolin: Why?

Me: I don't know. You'll have to ask him honey.

Nolin: Why?

Me: Because I don't know the answer.

Nolin: Why?

Me: Because I'm not God.

Nolin: Why?

Me: I wish I knew...

Nolin: But whyyyy?!

Me: (exasperated) Because I said so.

Nolin: Why?

Me: Because I do.

Nolin: Why?

Me: Because I don't know what else to say anymore.

Nolin: WHY?! 

Me: Because I'm obviously not capable of answering your question! 

Nolin: Umm...<insert triumphant look & giggles> 

Me: Yeah. You won this round shorty...Now go find something else to do!!!!