sunshine!

The sunshine is streaming into the kitchen!
It's fabulous.
I am happy dancing.

Watch me ttwwwiiirrrlll!
Uh oh, the sunshine is also highlighting all of the crusty old food splashes on the white cupboards.

Darnit.

I'm thinking this is how "Spring Cleaning" started...

around our house today

Just some randomness...

find the blonde

Little blonde head poking out of his fort.
Pretty sure this is the first fort he's built entirely by himself.

Little boy milestone.

lego maniac

Legos.
Always legos.
Lego birthday party on Fri!
With a pinata, his one and only request.

best little bear ever

When you are the third child mom lets you sleep in your carseat in the laundry room.
No biggie.

i went to sleep with wet bangs

I am sick.
No voice.
Hard to yell at the kids.

I have decided to rip apart my office.
I am a skeered.

Also, it must be reassembled by Thurs night because of the Lego party on Fri.
Yikes.

seven quick takes, #3

1. Once upon a time Hubs brought a nifty handmade mug home for me from a business trip.
I told my mom I loved it and wanted a whole set of mismatched, giant, artsy-fartsy coffee mugs.
She got me a new one for Christmas.
I love that mug.
I need more.

2. Since the New Year I have been awesome at meal planning (it's only been three weeks...)
I think this week I'm going to start meal planning for lunches and breakfasts, too.
And I've been saving the used menus...so in a few weeks I can start replaying some of the meals.
And then the next step is meal planning for the whole month.

It's good to have goals.

3. Child #1 has been coughing for a week.
I kept him home from preschool on Mon, and sent him in on Tues and Wed.
On Wed he came home with a note saying that he coughed non-stop.
So I made a Dr. appt for Thurs.

Naturally, there was no coughing yesterday.
I swear he saved his coughs for after the appointment.

4. I have been hit by the post-baby super-sads.

Can I recommend something to you?
Skip finding a pediatrician, just go with a family practice.
That way, when you feel like you are losing your mind and cannot stop crying, and your 4 year old has a nasty cough at the same time...it's super easy to just sneak an appointment for yourself in at the same time.

Bonus points because your Dr. will see the three ring circus that is your life (and that circus will be putting on an extra good show due to space constraints) and will not hesitate in the least to send you out with a prescription for some mild drugs.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my little circus people.
I'm just having hard time dealing with the circus and the tidal wave of hormones my body is currently producing.
Plus, it's really hard to get outside.
I need the sun.

5. #3 can sleep through anything.

baby loves playmobil

6. The Christmas decorations are almost all put away.
This upsets child #2.
He keeps asking if Christmas is over, and when we tell him it is, he cries big alligator tears.
He's just so sad.

Then he remembers that he really really needs a piece of candy.
Then it's time to beg for candy candy candy candy.

7. I've been thinking more about my living room.
I tried a chair from my office in the room thinking it might work in front of the window.

No dice.
That space for sure needs two chairs, and I'm thinking they need to be relatively modern.
I need to scour Craigslist.
I have zero desire to spend anymore money at Ikea.

What have you been up to this week?

Visit Jen for more Quick Takes.

movie monday, living room tour

Movie Monday is back!
I know you are all couch jumping...it's just so exciting ;)

Anyway, I have decided the first decorating project of the year is....

THE LIVING ROOM!

I know? Super fun, eh?

I picked the living room because...it is clean and after we put away the Christmas decor (cause Christmas is now officially over, y'all) it felt super-duper incredibly empty.
Time to fill it up and make it fun.
Yeah.

One small problem...
My budget is somewhere in the range of $5-$12
Hmmm...this will take some creativity...

Tour time!

Have any ideas for me?

Want to search Craigslist for me?

How about listing some stuff from the basement on Craigslist for me?

I'm also accepting donations ;)

Have an excellent Monday!

seven quick takes #2

Back with 7 Quick Takes...thanks Jen for hosting!

1. A direct quote from #1: "Larry King...had a beautiful neck."
Obviously we have been watching too much Gravity Falls lately.
#2 keeps requesting it - "I need Gravity Falls Wax!"

sick day from school

2. Wed. was sunny and warm (40 is warm for Jan.)!
I let #2 skip his nap and the boys played in their new snow shoes.
Thanks Grammy and Papa, for such a fun present!
(Thanks Mom and Dad, the snowshoes slowed my boys down just enough that #2 only ended up in the street once!)

the carrot nose was a non-negotiable

3. Hot cocoa, our favorite after playing in the snow.

so yummy!

4. SMILES!!!!!

ready for bed...too happy to sleep

5.Too big for the Bumbo.

take my picture!

6. Nearly 7 weeks old.
Size 6 month outfit.
The outfit did run small - good choice Auntie Rachel!

please don't grow up

Also...notice the blur above Bebe?
That's #2.
This sweet baby is pretty great about sleeping through the chaos (for now).

7. Good bye old, hole-y Spiderman slippers.
Hello new Spideys!

spidey sense x4

And #2 has a pair as well :)

seven quick takes #1

I've been pretty silent on the blog for a few months...of course life is going on, I just haven't felt like sharing.
The problem is that when I'm not sharing I also feel like I am not remembering.
And I need to remember.
These little people are too important to forget.
Currently, my brain only remembers things if they have been written down.
So...

I'm thinking if I link up to 7 Quick Takes over at Jen's blog I might just be able to remember, oh I don't know, maybe seven more things each week ;) Hey, this week Hallie is hosting because Jen is hospitalized with pulmonary emboli - please pray for her and her growing baby boy.

1. I bought a gingerbread cookie kit before Christmas...so naturally on Jan 2 Child #1 and I decorated a few cookies for dessert.

It worked out the best that way, he had a little special time with me on his first day back at school, and he was inspired to create his own "Capt. Cookie" from his new favorite book The Gingerbread Pirates.

note the toothpick peg leg (it was very important)

2. I *bought* a gingerbread kit instead of making cut out cookies because I had to back off from many of the Christmas activities I usually enjoy (like baking) - having a baby between Thanksgiving and Christmas forces you to cut back, or have a metal breakdown.
I chose to cut back.
It was pretty great.

Anyway, this was the extent of my holiday baking:

cookies for santa

Haystacks
Nutter Butters dressed up as Baby Jesus (my brothers thought this was hilarious) - a great idea from Catholic Icing

Ritz Crackers dipped in melted Andes Mints and "dusted" with fancy sugar by #1

3. Child #2 loves stickers.
Well, honestly, he loves anything sticky.
Very hesitant to let me wipe his hands after a meal.
Loves how sticky his fingers are after eating a candy cane (another favorite).
Must have a sticker for naptime/bedtime.
Often gives me a sticker and tells me "For your sticky finger!" But the word finger comes out "pinger" and is just all kinds of adorable.

sticky googlie eyes, what could be better!

4. I hate cleaning the bathrooms.

5.

6 weeks old.
Outgrowing his clothes at an alarming rate!

6. I am packing away my maternity clothes, but I only have one pair of comfortable jeans.
Well, they might not be comfortable, but I can button them and they look decent.
The treadmill is calling my name...

7. The Christmas decorations are all still up...I don't want to take them down!
Some years I am eager to clean up Christmas, but this year I just keep picturing how empty the house will feel once everything is stored.

I need a decorating project to motivate me.
What room should I tackle next - dining room, living room, family room, kitchen?

he is here!

I'm shaking the dust out of the old blog to introduce this little guy:

two days old, so little!

He arrived the Sat after Thanksgiving (Nov. 24), and I can't imagine life without him.
He fits so well into our family, we are blissfully happy.
Even when life with three little boys is stressful, it's this weird happy-stress.
I love it.
I love him.
I love our family!

five weeks old, with his biggest brother, who felt it was very important for him to hold a star wars angry bird

Have an excellent day my friends!