I am Mom...

I did that?!  5 oddly-disgusting things we do as "Mommy" (you do it, but never thought you would)... 

1. Pick your baby up and sniff their bottom to see if it needs changed.  
   
2. During the "toddler-years" you will almost always head off to Target, Church, or a Play-date with some schmootz on your shoulder... it's your new accessory.  
   
3. Pull the biggest boogers you've ever seen out of your child's nose - like you've done it for years, often without a tissue... where do I put it now?!
   
4. While changing a diaper, you think to yourself, "Ah ha, there are the peas from last night..."  
   
5. You try to catch vomit in your hands... yum.

Motherhood is full of surprises.  

Spring is on the way!

Lots of playing...

B and N decided they should have their snack 

on the kitchen floor.

N doesn't look so happy, right?!  Right.  N has been "under the weather" since October - off and on with colds, the flu, croup, RSV, and allergies.  Sometimes there is just not a lot we can do, so after a long day Daddy tried the wheelbarrow.  He may not look like it, but he did like it and I appreciated the effort.  N loves being outside and a ride in something new was perfect.  Sometimes time with Dad is just what a little guy needs.  

N loves picking the berries off our "monkey grass."  This day he really got into it - laying in the garden, getting down and dirty with his work.  

Don't be jealous... but the weather has been nice and B needed to catch a few rays.

Yesterday N picked me a flower - what a sweet boy... it's actually a weed, so either way it was a nice gesture!

B is into jumping rope! 

N's favorite place to hang out... between Mommy's legs.

Valentine's week

What a week...  to start, we had N's 18-month check-up.  We were looking forward to this because we planned to do allergy testing for the first time since N's peanut reaction.  He is in the 25th percentile for weight and 75th for height and head circumference... long, lean, and smart!   He got his usual immunizations and then on to the long awaited allergy test.  We ended the day at the park.  The weather was beautiful!  

We were hoping his peanut reaction was a fluke, but no such luck.  The morning his pediatrician called back with the results, N had just shoveled in his last big bite of oatmeal.  With the classes of allergies already positive at 18-months they said he has some significant allergies.   So, N is confirmed allergic to peanuts, egg white, oat, cashew, barley, soybean, tomato, cat, and dog.   Bummer!  We went through our cabinets and refrigerator and now we are shopping, cooking, and eating out just a little bit differently.

  

  We enjoyed a few play-dates with our friends this week.  B was able to spend some fun play time with her friend!  The kids played and played... and as you can see, they also played dress-up.  I was able to have some adult conversation with my friend, which was nice for me, too.  

On Thursday we went to a Valentine's Day party with some new friends.  G's husband J works with E at TU.  The kids enjoyed a pizza party and exchanged Valentines.  Can you imagine... exchanging Valentines already?  They loved it.  

We continued the Valentine's theme with our good friends the K family and D family.  Everyone came over for drinks, appetizers, and cupcakes.  The kids all exchanged more Valentines and played.  It was fun for everyone to get together.  A little wild, but so much fun! 

 

B and N made Daddy special Valentine's.  We crafted a paper flower and candy bouquet and both kids painted paper hearts.  B even wrote "Dad" and "Love" on her heart.  We took Dad to lunch and delivered his gifts.  B was pretty proud of her work.    

For a while now, B has been having fun with  her letters and numbers.  She is getting quite good at writing.  I also think she is becoming quite the artist!  She likes to draw pictures of N and herself.  She even wrote me a Valentine's Day note!  

Here are a few pieces she has done... we think it's great, so we're showing it off!  

Go TU!

We all put on our Blue and headed out for a basketball game.  It was fun and exciting for the kids.  The cheerleaders and mascot kept their attention when the action on the court continued.

It was great to be inside at a game out of the wind.  Football games are so chilly!  Basketball games are perfect for the kids.  N can walk around and B can move freely and have her very own seat.   It was a nice weekend afternoon.   They won their game, which was icing on the cake.

 

The weather is getting warmer and we have been able to spend more and more time outside.  The kids played with their friends yesterday outside and loved it.  It rained early this morning, so we are hoping things will begin to green up soon.

  Just a note about B - She has been such a good girl lately... beyond her usual nice self.  We have been going to the YMCA each day and N is still adjusting.  When we leave them at their child-watch, N will cry.  B sticks near him, gives him his blanket, etc.  She is so loving with him and tells him "It will be okay.  Mommy is just exercising.  You can play with me and she will be back soon!"  She makes it easier on me to leave him.  

And if it weren't for B, this morning I wouldn't have notice the beautiful blue sky of clouds.  While we were driving home from the Y, she says, "Look how pretty!  The clouds are moving, Mommy!  See N?!"  

 

Cold in Tulsa

The kids are feeling much better.  B and N both turned the corner in the middle of the week.  We are glad to have our happy kids back!  

We were even feeling good enough to enjoy a couple of fun cookies from the bakery... surprise, surprise!    

       

Oklahoma was in the middle of another ice storm this week.  

It's funny for us to witness the chaos as all the surrounding schools closed for the week over a little ice and snow. 

     

B said, "Is it Christmas now?"  E didn't have to go into TU for two days!  We spent our days inside, trying to occupy the kids and ourselves.  We made a fort under the dining room table & played many games of tag.  

We're joining the YMCA this weekend.  This will be so nice for us to be able to get out of the house and get moving more.  The kids will have fun, E plans to get back into the weights, and I look forward doing more pilates.    

Here we are in Oklahoma...

Friends and family are always interested in the little things in life and this may make it easier to learn more about our family at your leisure.  Grandparents on both sides are still blessed with dial-up internet and this is much easier than Facebook!  

Oklahoma is where we hang our hat and the weather yesterday was beautiful -  70's and it couldn't be better.  

We had a great and well needed visit from my friends over the weekend.  We had a great time with them.  We had a girls day of shopping.  We spent some time at Utica Square and ended the day on the patio at Starbucks.  We had a personal introduction to Wii and I think E could be addicted.  Guitar Hero and a few beers took the guys late into the last evening, we shared a bottle of wine and downloaded our photos to our Facebook accounts - all before they all had to make the drive back to Texas.  I really missed my best friend and am so grateful for the time we had together.  We will do it again soon.  

B and N have both been under the weather.  Over the weekend N had croup.  Yuck!  The coughing then began for B and continues today.  N has since been to the doctor twice.  Yesterday he tested positive for RSV.  Poor guy!  So, now we're home trying breathing treatments and getting the kids on the road to recovery.