GratiTuesday

Happy GratiTuesday!  This has been a bittersweet week so far, since one of our newest sitters' last day was today (due to an out-of-state move) and we're reconsidering the babysitter decision I posted about yesterday (we're already having issues with scheduling and inconsistency).  So...babysitting remains our family's biggest stressor right now.  It's been a long summer in that department...

All that being said, there's still so MUCH to be thankful for!

1. There are officially over 65 people in the Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey) class now!  It's exciting to see his program 'speaking' to people and helping families.
2. Dad and Louise's visit was so nice, but too short.  It's nice to have them here, because it's obvious how crazy they are about the kids by the way they interact with them.  It sounds strange to say, but it lightens the pressure I feel when they're here.
3. Brent is getting a few overtime days this month--perfectly timed since our vehicle tags/taxes are due this month!
4. Brent has an incredible ability to fix our possessed icemaker.  It constantly freezes up and he fixes it.  I'd have been using ice cube trays by now--but he doesn't give up on it!
5. Brent is grateful for the new Crocs I ordered for him!
6. Kelly went shopping with me and the kids this weekend, and I found some clothes!  Woo hoo!  Taking the kids to any clothing store alone is practically out of the question, so I'm super grateful that she came along.  Plus, it was nice to be in REAL clothing stores (I can't tell you the last time I shopped for clothes anywhere other than Target or WalMart...seriously YEARS).  I forgot how great the 'new clothes smell' is...Ahhhhh, I can't wait to go again!!  (Anyone want to come??)
7. BEAUTIFUL FALL WEATHER!  The chill in the air is so nice, and the kids are loving being outside.
8. The trampoline makes the list again--the kids are crazy about it!
9. My friend Laurel came by my office to bring me a Pepsi the other day, which was wonderful and unexpected.  I had a good visit with her, and it reminded me that small gestures sometimes make the biggest impacts.
10. My friend Jen invited us to her in-laws' farm to see chickens, ducks, goats and donkeys!!  It was SUPER cool!!  The kids got to collect eggs (there was a chicken sitting on them, and she made the funniest noises as the eggs were being collected from underneath her) and play with the goats.  The goats act like dogs!  I'm not sure who had more fun, me or the kids.  We all loved it!  I'll post pictures soon.  (I checked to see if I could have chickens in our neighborhood...and am sad to say that we can't.  Bummer.)

Pumpkin Patch

I was ***this*** close to being successful at my blog-post-every-day challenge!!  We got a bit off track this weekend with the babysitter search and an early visit from Dad & Louise.

The good news??  We have a new sitter starting on Friday!  We were really torn about whether or not to continue to keep the kids at home with a sitter or to start taking them to a daycare.  Hopefully we're making the right choice.

We had a fun visit with Dad & Louise this weekend!  They were on their way back from a week-long trip to the Grand Canyon.  We celebrated the boys' birthdays with cupcakes and a trip to the pumpkin patch.  Dad joked (joked??) that they spent three days in Sedona for the cost of what 2 hours at the pumpkin patch cost, but the kids had a great time.  :-)

New shirts--cute!



One of MANY turns blowing out candles



Grandma & Grandpa gave them a racetrack!

Was it windy?? What's up with my hair??

Barrel train--BIG HIT with the kids!

Tires

The highlight of today was getting new tires for the van!  (If you classify spending money on boring necessities a 'highlight.'  I can think of a LOT more fun ways to spend that kind of money.)

We're in the middle of the never-ending-sitter-search.  Our summer sitter is moving back to Michigan next week, so we're in the middle of an intense search for the right person.  Keep your fingers crossed for us--it's a little stressful around here right now!!!

Doughnuts and elephants and salsa...oh my!

The big day started with doughnuts for breakfast (with candles, of course!), then Brent and the boys came to see me at the office for a bit while Sophie was at preschool.  Afterwards, Brent took the kids to the zoo for a Happy Meal picnic lunch!  Apparently the animals were all pretty active--especially the penguins--and the kids loved it.  Sophie kept asking to see the elephants and the giraffes.  They love the zoo so much! 

We took the boys out to dinner for their favorite--chips & salsa!  Kelly, Roger, Becky & Aaron joined us, too!  (Which I'm pretty sure they regret, because...)  See the salsa bowl in front of Sophie?  Shortly after this picture was taken, Graham took a tumble off of his chair.  Before his aerial-back-handspring-with-a-stuck-landing took place, he somehow hit the edge of Sophie's salsa bowl and sent it FLYING.  Half of it went down her face and into her lap, and the other half went ALL over the walls (with some splatters on Becky's white shirt--sorry Becky!).  MUCH CRYING ENSUED.  Sophie was completely appalled because "Brother did this to me!" and Graham was just shocked and startled.  (Blake, however?  Glanced at them and kept eating.  I wish I had a replay of the event!  That might have been the funniest part!)  We joked afterwards that we would never have guessed that the amount of salsa in that small bowl could cover so much ground!  Apparently you CAN paint an entire room with just a quart.

Graham was SO embarrassed (but not hurt, thank goodness!), so we had to get pretty silly to bring him back around.  Sophie was playing in her sour cream, and thought she was grossing us out with it.  We were actually laughing at the finger she was using (she didn't know that, of course...and yes, we really ARE that immature), which made her try even harder to get us messy...



This look is too much (and how did she get sour cream on her forehead?!)!!!

All in all, they had a good birthday!  

Happy 3rd birthday, Blake & Graham!!!

Can this be possible?! Our boys are THREE today! It's flown by! I was (semi)joking the other day that I feel like the past three years have been such a blur, and we're just now to the point where we can peek our heads out of the cave and look around. What a three years it has been!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BLAKE!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRAHAM!!!

The night before you were born (whoa belly!):

You loved to sleep right next to each other from the very beginning:

Proud big sister!

You've always played right next to each other, too:

Best friends:

Giggling boys:

Into mischief!

And here you are at THREE!

Gentlemen, you have blessed us beyond words. Both of you have such sweet hearts and outgoing personalities. You are crazy about each other and are your sister's biggest fans.

Blake, your favorite food is pasta, you love your koala bear, and are so laid back and snuggly. Lately you like to go outside at night and look at the stars. You are such a gentleman, wanting to help carry even the heaviest items.

Graham, your favorite foods are fruits and vegetables, you love your Pooh bear, and have more energy than we could have imagined! You are so social, and from a distance start shouting 'Hi friends!' to anyone within earshot.

We love you, we love you, we love you!!!

XOXOXO

Pampered Chef Deep Dish Covered Baker

I got a fun new toy for the kitchen--the Pampered Chef Deep Dish Covered Baker. It's glazed on the outside and stoneware on the inside. I was hesitant about it, because stoneware seems like it would dry the food out and would be a nightmare to clean, but I was wrong. The best part about it is that it cooks in the oven OR the microwave! Tonight we had a pork loin cooked in the microwave, and the pan was a cinch to clean up! (I have to admit that the loin I bought was WAY too lean, and I should have marinated it. The other half that I cooked in the crockpot was dry as a bone, and it was more moist in this baker. I can't wait to try the smaller Hormel seasoned pork loins next time, I bet they'll be awesome.) You can bake cakes, cobblers, etc. in the microwave--I can't wait to get it figured out!

After it cooked in the microwave for about 30 minutes. I had used a dry rub (and no water), and worried that it would scorch--lots of juice in there, though!

You don't use soap on it--just hot water, so this is AFTER the roast was removed and I cleaned it up! It was a CINCH.

Spangles finale #1

I can't believe it's been a year already since Brent did his first overnight at Spangles to win a free weekly Spangles meal for a year! Today he used his last meal...see how sad he is?! He still has a while left on the second book, though. It will be a very sad day for him when that book runs out, though!

(Please pardon his shirt...some guys from work got him that because they know we have cats, and he wears it all the time! He loves cats--don't call PETA.)

The kids and I were painting earlier today, and Sophie asked me to paint her some different shapes. She has the sweetest heart, and after each shape she said "Good job!" After we were done, I started cleaning up and noticed that my page was gone. Worrying about it laying face down on the carpet somewhere, I went looking for it...and found it on the fridge. That sweet girl put MY picture on the fridge. (Warm fuzzy, warm fuzzy!!!)

Visit with Leslie's family

My friend Leslie was here with her husband and 3 kids today, and it was so great to spend some time with them. They brought us this adorable ghost! Check it out--it's kid-sized boots and jeans (the boots are filled with concrete), then the rest of the body is made of PVC material and styrofoam. Too cute! She said I should put it on the porch, but I think it might go next to the fireplace. (Blake is NOT a fan of it, and gives a wide berth as he goes by. If he doesn't warm up to it soon, it might have to go on the porch for fear of traumatizing the poor boy!)

Our three kids spent most of the day on the trampoline with Leslie's three kids. They all wore themselves out! I have to admit that I was skeptical about getting the trampoline in the beginning, but it was such a hit today that I have to give Brent credit for the idea!

Sophie spent the first half of the day in a princess costume getting ready for the 'princess tea' birthday party she was invited to, but the party was cancelled! :-( The mom got sick, so hopefully it will be rescheduled soon--I think it will be adorable to see all of the little girls dressed up! Luckily Leslie's crew came when they did, and Sophie forgot all about being sad about the party.

(p.s., I got the laundry caught up today--SUCCESS!)

TGIF

Woo hoo for weekends! I'm hoping to get caught up on laundry/cleaning/meal planning, etc. this weekend. Sophie has a 'princess tea birthday party' to attend tomorrow, and we have good friends coming up from Oklahoma City for the day. We're really looking forward to their visit!

Hmmmmm...I thought this 'blog-post-a-day' thing was a good idea, but it makes me realize how boring things can be around here on a daily basis...(crickets chirping)...Ummm, we went to Sam's tonight...(chirp)...and bought a cake for our friends' visit tomorrow...(chirp)...and Sophie is sneaking down the stairs as I type this because she officially thinks she belongs in bed with me when Brent is working...my own fault, I know...(chirp)...

Wait--here's something cute! I often call the kids "Sugar" when addressing them, and tonight at Sam's Sophie asked for something. Blake said "No, Sugar" but when he says it, it sounds like "No, Chigger." Cute!

Soooo...that's about it...(chirp)...I'm off to research new mops on Amazon because mine broke tonight...(chirp)...does that count as exciting??

Shots for Sophie

It was time for Sophie's 4-year vaccinations, so we went before school this morning to get them. Bless her heart, it was traumatic for her! She loves going to the doctor, but I'm guessing she'll be a little gun-shy after today. She got 3 injections, one in her right thigh and two in her left. She yelped so loud, then started crying so hard that no sound came out. It was heartbreaking! I always thought the baby stage was the hardest with shots, but now I think it's this age--she's old enough to realize the pain was inflicted intentionally, but young enough to not understand the reason. She did NOT want to go to school after that, she kept whimpering "I need to go home and go to bed...I need to go home and see brothers..." I ended up keeping her home from preschool (since we'd missed a good portion of it, anyway), and she went to Graham's speech therapy appointment with the boys and I instead. She took a good nap afterwards and seemed fine. She went to church tonight and was fine except for the tenderness in her legs, then when we got home and I changed her into her PJs, she started shivering. I took her temperature and it's 102.5. Eek! The doctor said it's ok and to give her some ibuprofen through the night to keep the temperature down. Bless her heart!

Tonight was the kickoff for the new FPU/Dave Ramsey class! We have almost 60 people signed up for it--I'm so excited! His message is so good, and he delivers it with such humor. I'm excited to get to know everyone and start celebrating their successes!

Happy birthday, brother!

Today is my brother John's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOHNNY!

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We had some pretty wicked weather here tonight, lots of hail and tornado warnings. Our neighborhood got golfball-sized hail, but a lot of the city saw baseball-sized hail. Lots of window knocked out of cars and homes around the city. It left as quickly as it came, though!

I had dinner tonight with Pati, Caryn and Luci while all of the weather commotion took place, and about halfway through dinner Brent called to say he was taking the boys on a bike ride (Sophie was at Awanas). The storm had just started as I walked into the restaurant, so that shows how short-lived the storm was! The boys loved the bike ride, and Sophie loved Awanas.

Not much else to report! (Unless you want to hear about the spider Brent found in the basement tonight, and the frantic search for a new exterminator we're now on...those cats better watch their backs, because they're definitely falling down on the job...)

GratiTuesday

Happy GratiTuesday! This week we're thankful for:

1. Perfect weather for the kids' birthday party!
2. Friends and family who celebrated the kids' birthdays with us or called with well-wishes for the event. You all made it an extra-special weekend, and the kids had a blast!!
3. Companies who rent cotton candy machines, and for Kelly who wasn't afraid to give cotton candy-making a whirl with me. We are AWESOME cotton candy makers!
4. Richard and Pati for insisting that we GET the cotton candy machine, and picking up the tab for the machine rental--they have a soft spot for Sophie's sweet tooth. :-)
5. The kids and I are grateful for Brent spending an entire day getting the trampoline assembled and everything ready outside for the birthday.

The week seems to have been overshadowed by the kids' birthday party, doesn't it?! :-)

Watermelon (& furry friends)

TV is our (my??) nemesis around here. The kids choose TV over almost anything, and it's making me crazy. Tonight I was bound and determined to get them out of the house for a while, and remembered this sign near our house:

Dirt! Plants! Perfect for kids! When we pulled in the drive, we were met by a sweet older couple who talked with the kids and helped us pick a good watermelon from the flatbed in their driveway. The kids wandered around and played in the dirt for a while, but it was close to supper time and we didn't want to overstay our welcome. We hopped back in the car and went for a drive in the country. The kids love to look at animals, and we found plenty of cows and horses to keep their interest (Sophie SWEARS she saw an elephant.) I'd love to find someone who sells farm fresh eggs, and show the kids the chicken coops. I wish we had some land--we'd definitely have chickens!

Then we came home, played on the trampoline for quite a while (their little heads were so hot and sweaty, and they were giggling like crazy--THAT'S what I want to see from active kids!), then they took baths. I finally took the final tape off of Blake's incision, and it looks good. We see the doctor for a follow up soon, and I think she'll be pleased.

[On a very somber note, my friends Melissa, Sue & Kelly are on my heart tonight--it's been a hard month for furry loved ones. Melissa had to put her cat, Jezzie, to sleep a few weeks ago, and then her mom Sue's cat, Missy, to sleep Friday. Today Kelly had to put her dachshund, Abby, to sleep. All of them were GREAT pets and will be sadly missed. My friends are all great pet mommies, and my heart breaks for them. Heaven is a greater place with Jezzie, Missy & Abby in it. I'm so sorry for your losses, girls.]

Nighttime

We're having some issues with nighttime still. I mentioned that Sophie has been waking up around 2:30am to pray, but then she started to just come into our room in the middle of the night. Last night she came in around 11:00pm, so she's getting earlier and earlier! I hear her upstairs now tiptoeing around...she's probably waiting until we get settled in before she strikes again. I have to admit--I love having her there (she calls it a 'slumber party with mama'), but Brent doesn't sleep well when she's in our bed, so he usually goes downstairs and sleeps in the guest room. I feel bad about that, but to be honest, it's cold downstairs and he gets to turn the fan on full-blast...he really does love it down there. I'm doing my best not to make this a habit, though. Sophie's bed is a 'universal bed' that transitions from crib-to-toddler bed-to-full sized bed. Next in the budget is to get her a full sized mattress, box springs & rails, so maybe she'll like it better when it's more of a 'big girl bed'?

We got a good laugh out of Graham sleeping a few nights ago--note that Graham is NOT sleeping on the pillow, but his bear IS. Talk about a sacrifice! He's a great best friend already!

Birthday party!

Today was the big day! We celebrated the kids' birthdays in our backyard and were blessed with GREAT friends and BEAUTIFUL weather. We hired a friend to take photos during the festivities, so I should have some snapshots to share by next weekend. (Seriously--this was such a gift to ourselves today. We normally are running around trying to juggle the cake/kids/gifts/guests AND trying to get a decent picture of anyone or anything. Today we were able to enjoy our friends while Jancy did all of the hard photography work! Awesome! I highly recommend it. Hopefully she was able to get some good shots!)

We gave the kids a trampoline for their birthdays! Brent worked hard on it yesterday, and since we wanted it to be a surprise it took a lot of planning and forethought to orchestrate. His solution? Tarps. He tarped off the patio doors and living room windows, and we didn't let the kids into Sophie's room until after dark last night. Great plan! (One of the neighbors wondered if we were having termite treatment done--ha!!)

This morning was a little tricky since they all woke up super early (they knew today was the party and were too excited to sleep!), and Brent and I had to be in the backyard finishing up the final details on the trampoline. We pulled it off, though--we put them in our room to watch a movie while we finished, then tag-teamed with the kids until our fabulous friends/sitters Becky & Kelsey came to take them on a walk until the guests arrived. Once everyone was here, we blindfolded the kids and took them around back to see the trampoline. It was a hit with the kids AND their party guests!

We had cake, ice cream, pinata candy, chips/dips (Kelly's specialties!) and the fabulous cotton candy--which held up beautifully through the night! I think we sent all of the kids home on sugar highs. The guests' goodie bags bags held pinata candy, coupons for free Pizza Hut personal pan pizzas, cotton candy and a helium balloon.

Whew--we're tuckered out around here--what a FUN day!!

Cotton Candy, part 2

I'm too tired to keep my eyes open for much longer, but wanted to stay true to my 'daily blog post' challenge to myselft. Kelly and I were busy tonight, don't you think?! Cotton candy making is FUN! We made over 50--don't even ask how many we ATE. It was so yummy & fluffy! I can't wait to see Sophie's reaction.

The guy at the rental place said that cotton candy is very temperamental, and if it even gets a hint of moisture in the bag it will melt down to the size of a marble by morning. I'll be up in the night checking on it! It's kind of like hanging wallpaper and praying that it's still hanging the next morning...I've lost sleep over that, too. Fingers crossed for the cotton candy!

Cotton candy

Cotton candy is a big topic of conversation at our house this week, because we've gone back and forth about renting a cotton candy machine for the kids' birthday party. My friend Laura discovered that you can BUY a small machine from Bed, Bath & Beyond for the same price as the rental of one of the larger machines, so we were ON it. The kids and I went to BB&B today, and--lo and behold--there it was! $39.95! When I picked it up, I wish I could have captured Sophie's reaction for you--"Is that for MEEEE?!?! I love it, I LOVE IT!!" Best reaction EVER.

It looks exactly like the machine pictured below, and there are a few things I can tell you for certain:

1. The hand pictured here is apparently a Barbie doll hand. This machine is not NEARLY this big.
2. To get the big, fluffy amount of cotton candy pictured here, they have had this machine running since the FIRST George Bush was in office. I ran it for an hour and was able to get a sparse web on the paper cone...reminiscent of the 'before' comb-over picture from a Hair Club for Men advertisement. Just enough to whet the kids' appetites...then they finally got bored and wandered off to the swingset.
3. After using this machine, I feel like I stood in a sandstorm. I have more pink sugar granules stuck to me than you would believe!

It's a cute little machine, but more trouble than it's worth. Sooooooo, we'll be renting one of the industrial machines tomorrow and see if we can spin it like the carnies do. :-) Pictures to follow!

Awanas

Sophie started Awanas tonight at church! It's like a Bible class for kids, with lots of fun games and lessons to help the kids learn. This is from the Awana website:

The Awana club for preschoolers is built on two premises:

Young children can and should receive spiritual training.
Home is the primary place for spiritual training.

Our preschool program meets these needs through …
Fun – and lots of it! Awana is fun with a purpose – to reach and train kids for Jesus Christ. Games, puppets, crafts, awards and other activities transform our preschool program into a lively weekly experience where fun and learning go hand in hand.

It seems like a great program. She'll learn Bible verses and earn badges for different things. Sophie doesn't know any of the kids in her class, which feels unusual since this is the church that she's been involved in. I suppose this is a chance to meet lots of new little friends! She seemed to enjoy it. I worry that it might be too much for her as we get farther into the Fall. Between preschool, Awanas, church, Sunday school, and nursery when the new Dave Ramsey class starts (next week already!), it might be too much. We might have to re-introduce a short afternoon nap for her to recharge her batteries.

Treats & GratiTuesday

Sophie took birthday treats to preschool today! She was so happy to be able to celebrate with her little friends! We made Rice Krispie treats and added Fruity Pebbles, then drizzled them in white chocolate and sprinkled with pink sugar. She loved them!


Happy GratiTuesday! This week we're thankful for:

1. Caryn has offered to be a TREMENDOUS help to us by taking Sophie to preschool on Tuesdays that Brent is working. That is such a load off of my mind!!
2. Our sitter Becky is so reliable, and always willing to help in a pinch if her schedule allows.
3. Again and again, we're thankful for my boss who keeps me around despite MY scheduling conflicts (between our other sitter calling in sick and Blake's surgery, I've been away from the office a lot during the past three weeks).
4. Our friend Tammy watched the trio while Brent and I went to dinner last night!
5. I won a prize at our church's open house for two free meals at Gobi Grille--that's why we went out for dinner. Can't beat it! It was delicious.
6. Brent had three things to add to the list: for Becky being so reliable, for the Dave Ramsey podcasts he listens to in the car, and for his favorite TV show "Cops." (Yes...that was his honest input.)

Off to bed! Sophie's been waking up at 3am for the past few nights saying "Prayers, Mommy! Prayers!" Somehow she thinks we forgot to pray before bed, so we repeat them in the middle of the night. We'll see if it happens tonight! Zzzzzzzz......

Pictures of Sophie's birthday

Grandma & Grandpa came down for the day to celebrate Sophie's birthday, and we must have been too busy having fun to take many pictures! Here one Dad took of the birthday girl!

He was really hoping to get a good picture of the three of them behaving on the couch...this is the best he could do. It does give a true reflection of how they really are, though!:

As I mentioned, I borrowed a pan from a friend to make a big cupcake as Sophie's birthday cake. The pan is a Wilton brand, and really high quality. I wondered if their pans were worth the price, and now I'm a believer that they are. The cake is baked in two pieces--the bottom portion is one piece and the top is another. I attached them together with a little frosting, then frosted the top. The whole time I was frosting it, I kept remembering the cake decorating class Melissa and I had planned to take by now...but HAVEN'T yet. I'm needing some lessons! But, Sophie was ecstatic, so I felt like a professional. :-)

Brent put Dad to work, of course--those two always seem to have a project! This weekend Dad welded some pieces of the fence that had come loose, and I think I overheard plans being made to fix some of the damaged siding on the house when the weather cools off. I wish we all lived closer together! Sophie's first question this morning was "Are Grandma & Grandpa coming over??" Awww!! She had a great birthday!!

Happy 4th Birthday, Sophie!!!

4 years ago today, we welcomed our first baby into our family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SOPHIA ADELINE!!!!!
We love you so much!!
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THEN...

...AND NOW:

Sophie, you are a sensitive soul and couldn't be more sweet-natured. You are so affirming and encouraging of other people, and can often be heard saying things like "Good job!" or "I love it!". Your favorite foods are ice cream and cupcakes, your favorite toy is still Bunny, and your favorite color is pink (with purple running a close second!). You love to talk on the phone, HATE to go to bed, and are crazy happy about meeting new people. You shine from the inside out, and are truly more than we deserve! We love you!!!

More professional pics

I'm in the process of making Sophie's birthday cake for tomorrow--fingers crossed that it turns out ok! I borrowed one of those large cupcake-shaped pans from a friend since Sophie's works the words 'cupcake' and 'ice cream' into almost all conversations (sweet tooth, you think??). She specifically asked for chocolate, so chocolate it is. Pictures tomorrow.

As promised, here's another picture from their photo shoot!

LeAnn & Laundromats

Today is my cousin LeAnn's birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEE!

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What did the boys and I do while Sophie was at preschool yesterday? We went to the laundromat. I needed to wash the big comforter because the cat got sick on it (which made me threaten to put her into kitty foster care, but I later decided that she's worth her weight in gold--story in a minute). A new laundromat was built near my office recently, so we took the comforter there. This place is incredible! They have two Little Tikes playgrounds (pictured below), WiFi, at least 6 big flat screen TVs on the walls, a small lounge area with a couch and bar tables, it's super clean and it's HUGE! More washers/dryers than I've ever seen. The boys had a blast! Where were laundromats like this when I needed them on a weekly basis??

Now for the value of our cats... The babysitter said she saw a 'big' (her word, not mine) spider downstairs recently but couldn't catch it. (She told Brent about it, and he begged her not to tell me.) She found another one (maybe the same one??) on Wednesday and caught/killed it, so she thought it was safe to tell me so I could talk to the exterminator (we just had him here to spray a couple of weeks ago). Well...tonight the cats had another 'big' (my word now) one cornered in the kitchen. So now I'm thinking that I'll deal with washing the comforter every now and then as long as they continue to patrol for spiders. (But I'm still calling the exterminator again tomorrow--this place can glow with toxicity if necessary, but get the spiders out of here!!) I feel like things are crawling on me right now...sorry if reading this is doing the same thing to you...

Sophie's first day of preschool!

Today was the big day! The boys and I took Sophie to preschool, and she was convinced that we were staying with her. She got nervous and antsy when I told her we couldn't stay, but once she saw her teachers she ran right in to her classroom and said "Ok, mommy--you can go on! I'll stay here with them!" That was an awesome weight off of my mind--she's such a well-adjusted girl!

Here's the big preschooler in front of the house (like the bow on her shirt?? My handiwork!):

Her big girl backpack! (Embroidered by my friend Laura--cute, eh?!):

At the church in front of the banner. The boys kept trying to hop in all of her pictures, so Sophie let them in this one:

Sophie and Ryan! The best of friends!

She loved preschool! She reported that they went outside, played with friends and had snacks ('wands and candy' she said). She's already looking forward to next week!

GratiWednesday & a 'September blog challenge'

I'm letting the blogging slip again! I'm challenging myself to blog every day in September, and if you're a blogger, I extend the same challenge to you. Happy September 1st!

This week we have a LOT to be thankful for:

1. Our friend Karie who rescued me last week when our babysitter called in sick. She ran over from her kids' bus stop to watch our kids until Brent could get home. Friends you can call at the crack of dawn are the real deal!!!


2. Our sitter Becky who covered that same afternoon so I could leave work to take Blake to his surgeon appointment. (Called her at the crack of dawn, too!)


3. The staff at Wesley Hospital for being so nice to us when Blake was having surgery for a hernia repair.


4. Kelly for going to the hospital with me and calming my nerves while Blake was in surgery.


5. Our neighbor Lucille for making us a huge chocolate sheet cake, a pan of mac-n-cheese, chicken croissants and ice cream cups for the kids. Yum!


6. My cell phone pooped out, and my friends Laura and Shannon came to my rescue! It's a perfect picture of 'old & new friends'--I've known Shannon since grade school, and Laura is one of my newest friends. They are both priceless. Shannon's phone arrived in the mail today, and Brent is upstairs setting it up for me as I blog. Kudos for him being so good at that sort of thing!


7. I had a Pampered Chef party to celebrate my friend Caryn's new business, and we had a great turnout of ladies to show their support. It was fun (& yummy!), and Caryn is on her way to being a top-notch consultant.


8. My boss might be the best thing ever. I had to be off work quite a bit this week for Blake's surgery and appointments, and my boss has been so flexible with me.


9. Sophie met her preschool teachers last night, and they are both so warm! Sophie had a top-notch FIT before we left, and was adamant that she was NOT going to 'playschool'. The staff and teachers were all so kind and fun that it was hard to get her to leave!


10. Roger, Becky & Aaron watched the boys while Sophie and I were at the preschool. We walked in and Aaron was playing ABCs on his guitar for them!

Now for some pictures of Blake on surgery day:

Playing in the play room before surgery--

Reading a Nemo book he borrowed the sweet nurse--

Still reading the book, but he was noticably 'loopy' from the medication they gave him before surgery. This was the most comical part of the day!!

When we got home, I had him arranged in our room to recover for the day. Sophie insisted on making lunch for him, so she took him a PB&J sandwich cut into dinosaur shapes, grapes and Goldfish crackers. SUCH a sweet big sister.

He's healing well, but complains of discomfort sometimes. I'm hoping by the weekend he'll be feeling more comfortable. What a little trooper!!