Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #12

Happy First Day of Spring! So we aren't exactly experiencing Spring in Idaho yet; it's snowing today, but hopefully we'll get a glimpse soon!

Up:

• My baby girl turned 5 months old yesterday! She is such a happy girl these days and has these ear piercing screams when she gets super excited.

• We had a lot scheduled this week, so it has really flown by! Jackson's Mother's Day Out program took a field trip on Thursday to an indoor play place. It was so great to literally just let him loose and not have to worry about him. Even Kennedy had a good time socializing with other babies! Then on Saturday the kids went to the 'Give Parents a Break' program for a free day of childcare. I had a productive day shopping!
• Watching Jackson with Kennedy just melts my heart. He is so sweet to her...always hugging, kissing and trying to comfort her. The other day she screamed in the car and he asked why she was screaming. I told Jackson Kennedy was sad because she dropped her giraffe and he said, "it's okay Kennedy!" He even shares his coveted blankie with her!

Down:

• While Jackson has his super sweet side, he has also mastered the art of taking advantage of situations. Every, and I do mean every, time that I'm feeding Kennedy or anything that involves my hands being tied, he decides to act up. It is so frustrating.
• Kennedy can't seem to get on a schedule. I don't remember Jackson being this way. She goes to bed at the same time every night, but aside from that her naps are sporadic and sometimes she wakes up at night starving and other times she sleeps all the way through. I've been working on synchronizing naps with she and Jackson, but it's not as easy as I thought it would be.

Kennedy playing with Jackson's 'Khaki Blankie'!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from Kennedy!

Cutie Pie!

Jackson and Kennedy before church on Sunday in their matching clothes. I found that shirt on clearance for $4 for Jackson while I was shopping on Saturday.  Jackson wasn't smiling because he was still chewing his mini wheats!

Loves her feet!

Favorite Thing:

 There is no better diaper rash treatment in my opinion than A&D Ointment. It seriously clears up any and everything. Plus you can use it as a first aid ointment for burns etc. Jackson calls it his butt crean (cream)! If you are a mom, I highly recommend it. I've tried Desitin, Vaseline, and Boudreaux's,  but none have compared to A&D! Make sure you get the ointment instead of the cream, I've found it works better.

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #11

Up:

• It's hard to believe that 1 year ago this week (March 7), Mike left for his 7 month deployment. So thankful that he's not deployed right now and grateful that he made it home safely. Although he is in Las Vegas right now and not really with us, it is still comforting to know he's in the states.
• Jackson is going to Mother's Day Out twice a week now! He loves it, I love it - win win situation!
• FINALLY finished going through all the magazines I've gotten since Kennedy was born. I used to go through my magazines about every other month and cut out what ideas I liked then recycled the rest. Since K was born I've had absolutely no time to do that. Now with two days in a row without Mr. Rambunctious I can get a little more done around the house. Over the years I've developed a pretty good system of organizing good ideas from magazines. I have two binders broken down into categories (cleaning, crafts, money, kids, etc.). It's like Pintrest on paper before Pintrest existed.

My binders of magazine clippings. I put them into page protectors and then categorize them.

• I made an amazing discovery this past week with my diaper pail. While reading one of the magazines it mentioned to put pantyhose filled with charcoal near offensive odors and it would absorb the odor. Let me tell you - it works! I can now walk into Kennedy's room and not immediately smell poopy diapers! It's so great. Then we ran out of diaper pail bag refills and I forgot to get more at Target. They cost about $14 and have 2 sets of refills included in the package which lasts usually 2 months. I had to just use a regular trash bag until I could run to Boise to get more. WHY? Why would you spend that much on refills when a trash bag works just as well?! Apparently it never occurred to me to try that until now though. What a money saver - yea!

Down:

• I've been watching WAY too much HGTV during nap and after bedtime. As if I didn't already want to move to a bigger/nicer place, now I have bigger itch than ever. I especially love the show 'Love it or List it' where they fix up their existing home and the homeowners decide if they want to stay there or sell it and move to a home that has everything they want. Really there isn't a bad show on that channel! I just have so many ideas, but I can't do any of them in base housing. Sigh....someday.
• My only regret with having children this close together is that I don't feel like I devote enough time to each child to fill their quota of quality time per day. It's even more of a challenge when Mike isn't around to show them attention either and I am it. Earlier this week I was on the floor playing with Kennedy and she was squealing and laughing - so happy. Jackson looked over at me and said, " Mommy, Jackson sad." I felt awful because he was left out.

Jackson and Kennedy swinging. We actually had some nice weather this week to go to the playground!

Kennedy's first time swinging!

Favorite Thing:

My Mother-in-law came to stay with us in November and bought some Almond Milk - original flavor. When she left there was almost a full carton in the fridge. Rather than throw it out, I decided to try it. I absolutely hate regular milk to the point where it makes me gag to drink it. I mixed this milk with chocolate just like she did and loved it. I've been buying/drinking it ever since. It helps satisfy me when I have a sweet craving and it's good for you. It's has more calcium than regular milk and only 60 kcals for a cup (certain brands are less calories, but have a nuttier flavor). The only downside is that it isn't high in protein like regular milk. You should definitely give it a try though!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #10

Up:

• We survived week one of Daddy not being home! It's hard when everyday Jackson asks when Daddy will be home or looks around the house for him, but we are doing okay. I mean it's not a deployment, so we shouldn't be complaining. It has been difficult to talk to Mike much though because he is on the night schedule and is going to bed as we are getting up. Hopefully the rest of the time will go by quickly and he'll be back before we know it!
• Another big thank you to all my fellow spouse's for the diaper shower. We are now on size 3 diapers and I still haven't had to buy one package for Kennedy! You ladies rock! Speaking of Kennedy, she is just growing like a weed. I've already had to put her in 9 month PJs because she has outgrown the 6 month size in length. She still fits in her outfits because they are all separates without feet, but it won't be long and she'll be in 9 month outfits too! Crazy considering she is only 4.5 months old.
• For the first time since Jackson was born, I got to go on a shopping excursion by myself! I hired a sitter today and took a trip to Boise. I have so many giftcards from Christmas that I haven't even gotten a chance to spend. It was so refreshing and I may have to do this again before Mike returns just to keep my sanity!

Down:

• We've really had to work hard on our 'listening' skills this week. Jackson just looks at you and keeps up the bad behavior, sometimes he even smiles -ughh! Timeout is the biggest joke to him, so I've been sending him to his room when he acts up, which has helped some. I know he's in that terrible 2s stage, but it's super frustrating to deal with.
• Kennedy spits up ALL THE TIME! Usually she waits until I have just changed her clothes or mine before she decides to gush. She is very sly too, you just look down and there it is, no sound effects or dramatics. I'm just tired of the mounds of laundry it is creating.

Here is an adorable video of Jackson and some pics to leave you with:

My adorable babies all clean after their bath!

This photo is kind of fuzzy, but if you look above Jackson's eye you'll notice a lovely goose egg. He literally ran into the wall. I tried so hard not to laugh at him and show him some compassion, but it was hilarious!

Can't wait until this one can start some piano lessons. He already sits at the piano and sings while he plays!

Favorite Thing:

As you know, I am an avid organizer. A few weeks ago QVC had a great deal on these wonderful slim hangers. They had a ton of really neat colors...purple, hot pink, turquoise, green, etc., but I went for basic black just because if I need more I know I can find that color in stores. They really do save a lot of space compared to the white plastic hangers we had; I wish I had taken a before picture to show you how much neater everything is now. The best part about them is no more hanger indentations on your sleeves! I don't know how many times before when I would put a shirt on and have those annoying indentations and have to change. Another benefit is that your clothes don't slip off the hanger. They also come with clips to hang skirts. Another neat feature is that you can cascade your clothes. I grouped my pants together in categories like athletic pants, shades of black or khaki dress pants, jeans, etc. You can also use that for putting outfits together for the week.

I love the way the hangers make my clothes look, like everything in my closet is expensive even though just the opposite is true. It's nice to take care of your things though and I feel like these hangers do that! 

A view of the cascading pants. I only put 3 pairs of pants together at once, but I'm sure you could do more without a problem. 

An example of how you can put an outfit together.

This is just a close up of how slim these hangers really are. You couldn't fit half that amount of the large plastic hangers in that same space. 

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #9

UP:

• I love being Catholic! Ash Wednesday really falls at the perfect time. Usually your New Year's resolutions have all fallen by the wayside and you need some motivation to try again. What better motivation than to sacrifice something just like God sacrificed His Son! While it's mandatory that I give up my husband for Lent due to work, I am also doing other things to better myself and deepen my relationship with Christ.
• Kennedy had her 4 month check-up and is right where she needs to be! Amen for healthy children. She is in the 61% for weight at 14.66 lbs. and 88% for height at 27 inches! Looks like this little girl will likely surpass her mother in height! She is also rolling over both ways now!

Kennedy in the process of rolling over.

• Jackson does so many adorable things, but recently he has started singing to himself or singing along more. He can literally sing the entire 'Twinkle, Twinkle' song by himself in tune. Other favorites are 'You Are My Sunshine' and 'Hokey Pokey'! I wish I had a video, but unfortunately he won't perform on command. 

Down:

• As mentioned above, Mike left on Thursday to go to Las Vegas for 6 weeks for various military trainings. The good news is that (fingers crossed, jets don't malfunction) Mike will be back for Jackson's birthday and Easter. It's a big deal because he missed both of those occasions last year.
• The weather in Mountain Home really stinks. On Saturday it was snowing and hailing at the same time and the wind was insane. I really needed to go get groceries, but after looking outside, I decided we could make due until today. I'm so ready for Spring and warmer weather to go out and play with the kids and take walks etc. At least today was a nicer/sunny day!

Favorite Things:

I love to bake! I don't do it too often anymore because of time constraints and Mike isn't a big dessert person so I always end up eating more than my share. Anytime I do bake I use Watkin's Double Strength Vanilla because it really does make all the difference in the world when it comes to taste. My Nana (great grandmother) always used it and so the tradition has been passed on through the generations. Used to you would have to buy it from a Watkin's dealer, but recently Wal-Mart started carrying it. They also make a clear double strength vanilla if you like to make cake icing. Today my helpers and I used the vanilla to make some yummy banana bread!

This is what the bottles look like. Make sure you get double strength vanilla! 

Chef Jackson getting ready to mash some bananas. 

I think he did more eating than mashing of bananas!

Kennedy's face says it all!

Little cutie pie!

Couldn't resist, she looked like she needed a squeeze!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #8

Yes, I realize I'm late on posting again! I have pretty much been late every week this year, but as usual I have a good excuse! Mike had a three day weekend with President's Day this week!

Up:

• I'm sure this will jinx it all by revealing this, but Kennedy and Jackson have been napping at the same time during the day this week and for the past three nights Kennedy has gone 12 hours between bottles and slept through the night! Of course, I keep waking up constantly worrying! I hope it sticks!
• Mike and I went on our third date this year on Sunday! So far we are keeping to our resolution or as Mike calls it - marriage insurance! We saw The Vow and ate at the Cheesecake Factory.
• Jackson was so cute this week, he grabbed his Easter basket and jacket and said, "going to work Mom, see you later!"

Down:

• We got our truck estimate back, $9490.84! Not quite totaled, but enough to make you sick to your stomach. Again, the important part is that we are all okay. Thank goodness for insurance we will only have to pay $500 of that total.

PB&J = very messy lunch! Notice it's in his hair too!

Jackson bowling with his very own bowling ball!

Mike bowled a 193 on his first game with his new ball! Mine was not so good!

My sweet girl turned 4 months old on Sunday!

I think she was tired of taking pictures! This is also the face she makes when I get out of the shower and have a towel on my head!

Favorite Thing:

This is more of an addiction than a favorite thing! Target is my favorite store and I really feel like their products are good quality. These Archer Farms Baked Black Pepper & Sea Salt Chips are the best chips ever! They have a ton of peppery goodness and I highly recommend you all try them!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #7

Happy Valentine's Day!! Hope everyone has someone they love to spend it with!

Kennedy's first Valentine's Day!

Up:

• After much debate I decided that the kids and I needed to come home. I felt like all I was doing was yelling at Jackson because he was getting into everything at my parent's house. Rather than be a grouch all the time, I figured Jackson would be better off at home where he can go to school once a week and tot time twice a week to get rid of some of his energy. It's also much easier to take care of the kids at home where we have all our things. We had a great time at my parent's house; it was just time to come home. We left on Thursday and made it home safely on Saturday night despite a fairly big set back (see downs below). The kids were SO happy to see Daddy and I didn't think we'd ever get Jackson to bed after we got home because he just wanted to play with all his toys.
• Jackson counted perfectly to 10 yesterday all by himself. We've been working on counting for a while by counting the stairs as we go up and down each time - I guess it worked!
• Kennedy has had a major growth spurt over the last week. She went from drinking 4.5oz. every 3 hours to eating cereal and drinking 6 oz. every 3 hours. She loves her cereal and ate it like a pro!

• Valentine's Day really isn't a big deal to us, we usually do a ceremonial nice dinner and Mike usually gets me flowers. This year he went all out and got me a beautiful double heart James Avery necklace and a beautiful bouquet of roses - wow! Can't say I minded a break in the norm! We also got Jackson a Mickey Valentine book that he has already read no less than 20 times today!

Down:

• On the drive back home we ran into some bad weather and hit a patch of ice. The new pick-up (well new to us) took a spin and did a couple of 360 turns across both lanes of traffic. It was very scary having no control over the situation and watching as an 18 wheeler passed us in the left lane. Luckily the truck hit a guardrail and the only damage was to the front end of the truck. We were all okay and we were going slow enough that the airbags didn't deploy. The crappy part was that we had to wait for ~2 1/2 hours in the pick-up with no heat and really cold temperatures outside. On top of that the state trooper decided to give Mike a ticket for going too fast for conditions. He was only going 45 and the speed limit was 75. Whatever! We're all okay and that's what matters most. 

Cooking with MiMi! 

This really cool McDonald's on the edge of Wyoming.

Jackson didn't want to eat on the saddle chairs - party pooper!

Favorite Thing:

As you know I like things clean, neat and organized. The bathtub is always hard to keep clean especially since Jackson loves bubble baths. I found this miracle product from Bed, Bath, & Beyond called Bathroom Stone. It is like a pumice stone for your porcelain. It works great in bathtubs and toilets.

Bathtub before.... 

Bathtub after!

Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down - 2012 #6

Up:

• As always at my parent's house there is never a shortage of things to organize! This week I forced helped my Mom get rid of a ton of junk in their bathroom and the result was an organized, functional space! Not only that, now their is additional room to spare! We also organized her extensive jewelry collection to make it more user friendly. Thankfully Dad is a great sitter for the kids and very patient during the process! You know me...I love to organize!
• Jackson is such a great big brother! There have been so many sweet moments with he and Kennedy this week. He is always talking to her and kissing her. Today on the way home from church he said, "Kennedy, almost home!" although she was passed out and could've cared less! I have to watch though because a couple of times this week he has tried to pick her up. Thankfully, he realized that she's a little big for him to carry around! The adorable part of all this is that she thinks just as much of him. She is always watching big brother to see what he is doing and usually with a smile on her face!
• The things kids say! These are just a few of the great things that Jackson has come up with this week:
• Earlier in the week the dish man came to the house to fix my parents TV. He was a skinny guy with a mustache, beard, and longer hair. As soon as he came into the house Jackson said, " lub (love) you Jesus," they guy didn't hear him, but I immediately started laughing. As soon as the man left the room, my Mom was like, what are you laughing at. I told her and she shared with the dish man; he was touched because that's about the nicest thing he's ever been called by a customer!
• In Wal-Mart the other night a man walked by and coughed and Jackson said, "Bless you guy!"
• At church today when the bells rang during the consecration Jackson said, "WOW! Someone door," implying that someone was at the door! In addition to that was a whole lot of Alleluia! outbursts!

Little Cutie sitting pretty in her new clothes from  Pinkie!

I just know there has to be a tooth coming soon because Kennedy is chewing on EVERYTHING!

Jackson trying on PaPa's boots...don't mind the Cheeto mustache!

Climbing in the cabinets while MiMi and I cleaned everything out!

Down:

• These colds seem to be lingering for Jackson, Kennedy and I. Today we received the blessing of the throats after church, so hopefully that will kick in and we can be on the road to recovery.
• We are all missing Mike. It's so hard being away from him again even if this time is much shorter. I'm thankful for our new phones though so we can face time.
• Along with all the cute, sweet things Jackson does there are also those moments when we're out in public and I'd like to pretend he doesn't belong with me. His behaviors/tantrums are definitely getting worse and he hasn't even turned two yet.

Favorite Thing:
Everyone has their own remedies to cope with a cold. Growing up, my Dad always lathered our noses with Mentholatum. I have used it religiously since and also use it on the kids too. Sometimes I use it even when I'm not sick just because I like the smell of it! One jar will last you for years too, so it's a great investment :)