Showcase MW

In my last post I spoke of a night where I was passed out on codeine cough syrup and the kids were outside until 9p. Well, later that night my neighbor who is an amazing freelance? Spare-time? Neighborhood photog took these photos of MW that night.

I am in love.
He captured MW's true essence. I still haven't taken the time to get photos of their 3rd and 5th birthdays and these may suffice. Sure he isn't dressed up, but nothing will beat these faces.
They speak for themselves.

My favorite. He is such a silly silly boy.

The girls being secretely {as Lo says}...up to no good I say.

Be still my heart. I know everyone says MW is my twin, but I see his daddy in him only.

thank mr. ken!

Weekend

Man this has been one sick weekend. And I don't meant the fun kind of sick.
Who am I kidding the whole past week was a hot mess.
Lo started it all off with pink eye last Monday. Which she kindly shared with her brother by Wednesday which he affectionately shared with me Thursday morning. I haven't had pink eye since I was a kid. I remember waking up and I couldn't pry my eye open to save my life. It actually looked sick {the cool kind. :) } Sort of wish I took a picture since I can't wink unless my eye is glued shut.

Moving on. MW is not getting better he looks more and more pathetic, I should have trusted my mommy gut and just went in on Friday {BEFORE the long holiday}, but decided it was just allergies and he would have to suck it up.

Saturday he wakes up from his nap SCREAMING!!! He won't let anyone near him, or touch him. Not even me, the one who gave him life, the one who is loves more than anyone {unless Grandma Rachel or Papa is around then I can pound sand.} This worried me. Finally I asked him---tell me what hurts little buddy. My FROAT {throat}. Crap...he could have strep---he was running a high fever off and on since Thurs.

So for the first time ever I packed us up and went to minor emergency. I hate going to the regular doctor's office, so for me to take him there meant I was concerned. It actually ended up not being too bad of an experience.

Here we are waiting...

They swabbed him--NEGATIVE. Great what the H is wrong with my kid...once the ARNP got in there she checked him out and found an ear infection! This sounds so bad, but thank God it was something. She even let me look in his ears with the otoscope. I thought that was cool. Then due to his severe congestion she gave him a breathing treatment which he LOVED. He sang Let it go the whole time. Nut. 

I promised him if he was good we would go to QT and get slushies for our throats. Because mine was on fire. However, I don't get strep--like ever. You could swab me with a live culture of it and I probably still wouldn't get it. I just chalked mine up to post nasal drip.

Sunday came and my throat was horrible. The pain I was experiencing was horrific. I felt like I had swallowed shrapnel. I couldn't eat, I could barely swallow a thin liquid. I went to the BBQ party anyway and talked way more than I should have...it kept my mind off the pain, until I got home. Then I died. Again due to the holiday I couldn't get into my doc until Tues where he said if I waited another day or two I would have given myself and ear AND sinus infection along with my laryngitis. AWESOME.

Now I am all about being crunchy and using Essential oils etc etc. But sometimes you have to call in the big guns. And my doc gave me a z-pack. Oh how I heart z-packs. You know within 12-24 hours you WILL feel relief, he even boosted it with steroids. {WHICH I HATE, they make me nuts, but at this point I will take nuts, over not being able to eat, drink, talk and swallow!}

I raced to Target and didn't even get out the doors before for slugging back my pills!

I then attempted to go to work and coach 3 yos with no voice. Thank God my boss is a jewel and helped! I was fading fast. I came right home took codeine cough syrup and passed out in my bed for 4 hours....I woke up at 9p when Chad brought the kids inside. {Ah, summer nights have started} And then proceeded to sleep until 6a this morning. I FEEL so much better. Still no talking---but that will come.

My sweet sister felt sad for me and brought me my favorite vanilla chai latte. I love her. That was sweet!!

In other boring news my sister and I have started working out again. It feels so good. I haven't worked out in nearly 7 months since I got my coaching job. It is just hard with my kids and kidzone time allotments, plus I am there so much I hate going back. HA! But my body needs to tone up a bit again---after all it is swimsuit season...so here goes nothing. I need this and I need to make it a priority again. Sweating feels good.

I also found time to get a few projects done, like scrapbooking {YAY!} and finishing a pillow for MW that I have wanted to do for 2 years.

He has this navy blue body pillow and all I wanted to do was put the word HERO on it. That's it. So I finally get around to it and go to iron them on and in pinterest fail burned a hole right through the pillow. Geez.

So then I now get to make a navy pillow case for it since apparently navy pillow cases are in style or something...what was suppose to be a quick project how now turned into a longer project.

But here's the finish product. I still have to sew the letters on for extra support, but I am happy.

1 project down 99 more to go.

And that my friends is my long weekend.
Hope yours was better.

Kindergarten Round-up

I think I need to get one of those uber cool chalk boards record all their first/last day of school day info. For now the driveway works.

Today {wait, this post is nearly 3 weeks overdue} my baby girl went on her Kindergarten Round-up visit.
She has never done pre-K, or gone to daycare, or done anything other than 1 week of VBS last summer where I left her. Not that I can't, it is just weird and all grown-uppy. Hard to imagine 5 years has already flown by.
I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes all day.
I told myself I was going to be brave and not cry---it was only 2 hours.
Lo was so excited, until we pulled into the parking lot.
Then she got quiet, and stoic.
We strolled in, met daddy there, you know since he just so happens to teach 5th grade in her building and signed in.
Then the tears started. She started screaming and clinging to me. I was desperate to keep my emotions in check, but once she burst out in tears, so did I!
Finally daddy, the principal and a 5th grade friend pried her off me and I just scooped MW up and ran--using my son as a shield to block people from seeing tears pouring down my face.
I cried the whole way home. MW kept asking me if  I was happy yet?!
Chad called right as I got home to say she was having the best time in her class.
I cried more.
2 hours came and went by quickly.
When the parents entered the classroom to pick up our kids they were all sitting so big and listening to a book being read by their teacher.
She said she had the best time and told me all about her adventure riding the school bus, having a snack, and making a craft.

Not sure I will be anymore ready come fall, but at least it was a taste of what is to come.
I will sure miss this face in the morning.
Who will entertain MW?!

Running down the 5th grade hall way to greet daddy after school!

Until August!

Getting My Craft On

I think I mentioned a few posts back how crafting is lifeblood to me. I constantly have ideas swirling around in my head and many rooms in this home I want to tweak. I keep having to remind myself one room at a time or better yet project.

These are a few of my latest projects. Mother's Day gifts for the grandmas. I asked Lo make a picture of her favorite memory of each grandma and then we traced it onto tea towels.

       

Then I made the grandmas and myself {of course!} silhouette pendants. I was so proud of these and I love mine. 

I found 3 pendants at Hobby Lobby on clearance. Let me just say I spent 30 minutes in the jewelry aisle scouring high and low looking for the perfect pendant. All the while my kids are bouncing around and telling me how bored and hungry they are. {Happy Mother's Day!} Then after all was said and done and I finally found pendants, I walked by the end cap and there lo and behold was every pendant they had! MY LIFE! At that point I decided to not second guess myself and get the heck out of HL!  They were black. Which was nice, but if you know me you know my love affair of spray paint.

I painted the Gmas pendants gold (use krylon gold--it's the only lovely one and I am slightly addicted to that color!) And I painted mine lime green.

I asked my hubby what color I should paint mine---I was think a Hot color.

Chad responds with "Well, I don't come in a color."

Guys it took me 5 minutes to get his joke. 5 minutes!

After I painted them I printed off their silhouette photo. 

This proved to be the trickiest part. I used photoshop elements to size down their photo. Added some scrapbook paper and mod podged it all together. 

Then add a chain which apparently is only found at JoAnns.

The end.

My final project this week was my instagram wall. 

I have all these cute random photos of my kids that I want to see outside my phone.

I found a tutorial on pintrest on sizing them down to 4x4 in PSE and printing at Walgreens as 4x6s. 

Of course I had to add some flair to a few of the photos.

The frame is from a broken full length mirror. Spray painted in my favorite krylon gold. Add string by hot gluing it and burning your fingers at least 3 times even though I have special silcone hot glue tools. ;) Add photos and viola. And instagram wall! LOVE!

Basement one step closer to awesomeness. 

Now if I could only get motivated to catch up on my scrapbooking.

Mother's Day

5 years and 3 months ago I became a mother.



A mother. A world forever changed.



I think about how I love my kids with the fiercest kind of love.

Being a mom is the hardest, most fantastic, challenging, rewarding, over-whelming, powerful thing I have ever done.

I think about my mom and all she has done for us.
Protecting me from some ginormous {I am just sure} toddler eating bug when I was 4ish.
Staying up late to talk.
Taking long walks on the river to McDonalds for an ice-cream.
Being the "fall guy" when I didn't have the courage to say "no" to my friends.
Being my biggest cheerleader in life.
Listening to me shout at her how she "screwed up" as a mom and still loving me anyway.
Sacrificing her desires to fulfill ours.
Loving my kids with the fiercest kind of love.
And teaching me how to be mom.



As mom we get to see and experience the highs and lows of life in such an intense and beautiful way. I feel beyond bless to be a mom to two beautiful, crazy kids. They make me a better person.

And thank-you to my wonderful mother in law for loving me as the daughter she never had and always being there for me and my kids whenever we call.



Happy Mother's Day.
It's our day off so take a load off and enjoy.

{my favorite mother's day picture}