February 16, 2010

we're MOVING!

just sweet ben and little lyle....over to wordpress. check us out:

sweetbenandlittlelyle.wordpress.com

i'm not really sure why or what this means. i just liked the look and feel of the new blog host. enjoy!!!

free shipping

i have decided that free shipping is a concept created by moms for moms. and i want to thank what ever super woman pitched the idea to her boss. because seriously...brilliant. not having to load kids in the car to go to the store to hopefully get what ever items are on the list, only to find that they don't have the brand you are looking for or the right quantity or size. and the things you buy while you are at the store that you don't really need and you get home and forgot the one thing that you did need. phewww.

i ordered greg some new undershirts. (is this a left over texas thing? or do other guys here really wear undershirts? just curious) because how many stores would i have had to go to to find them? how many buckles and unbuckles? in and out of the car. stroller up down up down. anyway, in this case, i paid $5 for shipping and it felt TOTALLY worth it. maybe a dollar for everytime you have to buckle or unbuckle a child from the car? and factor in gas. and that quality time you could spend with you children playing intentional and intellectually stimulating games, reading stories, developing fine motor skills, watching Dora....whatever instead of going to the store.

in case you were wondering....

i still have not unpacked the last suitcase from Christmas. for those of you who think i am 100% OCD....it is not true.

February 14, 2010

cooking

ben likes to cook. and has started putting things in the oven (when it is off) to pretend cook it.

tonight i accidentally "pre-heated" an orange.

family dinner eludes us....

most nights our evening schedule looks something like this:

5:15 - lyle dinner (me grazing)
5:20 - ben sees lyle eating dinner and wants to eat
5:30 - lyle dinner clean up
5:40 - make ben's dinner (me grazing more)
5:45 - ben dinner/lyle bath
6:00 - ben post dinner clean up
6:05 - lyle's pre-bed prep (blanket, paci, lights, noise machine, dirty clothes in the hamper....towel hung in the bathroom....etc)
6:10 - make lyle's bottle
6:15 - lyle bed time
6:30 - ben bath, dry hair, brush teeth, PJs
7:00 - ben story time and bed time
7:15 - greg home...wondering what's for dinner

you might notice a few things...
1. it takes me 5 minutes to make ben's dinner. which means it's either cold, or microwaved.
2. lyle takes a bath at the same time that ben eats dinner. which means ben eats dinner mostly by himself b/c lyle can not be left alone in the bath for even a moment.
3. i graze a lot and am therefor not hungry for an actual dinner later
4. i am running around like a crazy person from 5-7.
5. we do not eat as a family. not even two of us.
6. i try to pitch "two (cold) chicken nuggets, a 1/2 bowl of yogurt, 5 string beans that have been sucked on but not eaten and sweet potato fries" or "a frozen pizza" to greg as dinner every night. if i open a bottle of wine i feel less terrible about this sorry excuse for a meal.

is there something that i am not doing that could turn this chaos into an actual family dinner, eaten at the table? with grace? and napkins?

February 13, 2010

i'm all out of (energy) fun

i feel like my days are so full of diapers, food, laundry and dishes....diapers, food, laundry and dishes....diapers, food laundry and dishes....that any moment i am free from those tasks i just want to fall on the floor. and lay there for a while. and i am finding it hard, in those moments, to be fun for my kids.

February 10, 2010

sleep strategy

i have become like a neurotic sports fan when it comes to lyle's sleep.

what was he wearing the last time he slept through the night?
what was i wearing?
what EXACT time did he go to bed?
was the heater on or off?
how many ounces did he drink before bed?
what did he eat for dinner?
what did he eat ALL DAY?!?!
did i kiss him on the head before or after putting him in is crib?

you get the point....searching for answer to precious sleep.

February 8, 2010

crafts...

i have spent a lot of time making....things, projects, and sewing this last year and didn't want to forget what i spent all my time doing. unfortunately i only have pictures of a handful of things i made....but here they are. thanks friends for all your inspiration.










February 6, 2010

conversation in the car today

we went out to lunch today and asked ben if he wanted to go to wahoos. he said no because "there are scary waves there....on the tv." interesting. well, greg and i still wanted to go. because we are selfish like that. so greg said, "let's take a vote to see who wants to go to wahoos. raise your hand if you want to go."

ben's whole face changed and he excitedly raised his hand and exclaimed, "MOM, dad said we get to take a BOAT to wahoos!!!"

funny.

February 5, 2010

friday

greg is home

we survived

and i just woke up from a nap

and the boys are still asleep

happy friday!!!

February 4, 2010

naptime

ben has mostly dropped his nap. it's sad for me. and exciting for him. i have been trying to enforce "afternoon quiet time" during which i envisioned him sitting quietly on his bed reading books. who was i kidding? he doesn't sit quietly. ever.

today, this is what he was doing when i went in to check on him. please notice his "outfit." he dressed himself during "quiet time" which involved climbing on his dresser in his closet to reach the top shelf.




February 2, 2010

Ben's Gospel

as recited by ben tonight.

john 3:16
for God so love the world, that who ever behaves shall not parish, but have everlasting life.

i should have corrected him....shouldn't i? or maybe let it go just a day or two to see if he actually behaves?!?!

just four words....

picked greg up at the airport a few hours ago. big hug. and kiss. it was so good to see him. and the first thing he said was "did you loose weight? you look skinny."

and just like that i forget the last 7 days of insanity.

and no. i have not lost weight.

February 1, 2010

day 6...7?

i've lost count. but i haven't lost FUN! today: the Zoo.

















it's not really funny....

i got in bed last night at 9:00 trying to get a head start on my 8 hours. that's all i want. just one night. 8 hours of sleep. doesn't even have to be continuous. just add up all the odds and ends and somewhere close to a restful night? not in the cards last night.

9:30. lyle awake
10:00 ben coughing
10:30 lyle coughing
11:00 ben coughing. inhaler
11:30 lyle awake and happy
12:00 ben awake and sad

i am not kidding friends. this is how it went every thirty minutes until 1 am.

it took very little time to get them back to sleep each time. but seriously. i was sore from getting in and out of bed so many times last night. and ran into countless doors and walls. mercy.

on a positive note, lyle has made great strides on the "not eating in the middle of the night" front. he can be soothed with out a snack. yay! now if he could just stop coughing he might make the through the night victory.