My little boy had his second birthday on the 3rd and he is definitely hitting the terrible twos really hard!
In just 12 days my littlest love turns 2! I cannot believe he was only 3 months old when we got out here and now he is almost 2! He has grown so much and is such a happy, wonderful, giggly little boy.
Just like his big brother he has grown to really like Spiderman so we are going to make this birthday themed Spiderman! The funny thing is that Andy's 2nd birthday was the first time he had a Spiderman theme (he had two more after that before switching to Pirates of the Caribbean). We were trying to find some Duplo blocks with a Spiderman theme but we seem to be striking out. So we started looking for some other Spiderman toys that are good for his age. Turns out Mr. Potato Head has a Spiderman version and mini figures sets so we may get him one of those. He is at a fun age toy-wise because he likes blocks, matchbox cars, and action figures and he has an awesome imagination!
Now a little news about my girl! Mckenzee has grown so much in the last few years! She has gone from a cute little fairy princess...into a full princess with her own sense of style, her own attitude (that sometimes gets her little butt in trouble) and her own uniqueness that makes me love her so much! |
| Spencer clapping for his "Enzee"! |
Last week we got a letter from her school telling us that she was going to be receiving an award! We were so proud but the letter told us not to tell her and that she had no idea she was going to be getting it, just to be at the school this past Friday for a special assembly to see her receive her certificate! So we kept the secret from not only her but also our family (which was super tough) so that when she found out she would be so surprised and able to share the news herself with her family! We even kept up the secret all the way to drop her off at school on that morning. She thought we had left to run our errands only to find us sitting in the auditorium waiting for her to come in! It was a super special day for her as that night we also used a gift certificate we had to take her to Buffalo Wild Wings to have a special dinner and celebrate!
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| Painted up for Dr. Seuss Day at School |
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| Working with Daddy to build at her Dr. Seuss Family night. |
First up my Andrew has accomplished a few things! He made his own homemade wheat bread all by himself! I have to say that as a cook/baker myself I am super proud of this! He was so proud of himself that he couldn't wait to call me and tell me and send me a picture. He also made sure he shared some with his Memere because he wanted to make sure everyone got to try it! This on top of his violin playing and recently finding out that he went to his first dance make me proud and sad all at the same time. He tried to call me before the dance but I was out running errands and missed the call, his father said he was all kinds of nervous and dead set against his father chaperoning the dance. (His father was teasing him saying he was going to go to the dance with him to keep and eye on him) I probably would have done the same thing, especially since it turns out there was a girl there that he wanted to see. (Protective Mama mode activated) They just grow too dang fast for my liking! 
Since last month Mckenzee has started her first time of selling Girl Scout Cookies for her troop! She has done pretty well for being a really shy girl in a state where all her family lives 3000 miles away. She was able to sell 97 boxes so far between online orders (from family back home) and regular orders here in WA. I am very proud of her! She has also been earning some badges and having a lot of fun with her new favorite friend Gracie who is another girl in her troop. I have also signed her up for camp where she should be paired up with her friend during what will be her first time at a camp away from home and without a family member with her. I am so nervous but proud at the same time that thinking about it I smile AND cry. 
Even Spencer is accomplishing things just like his big brother and sister! He has been talking more and more and starting to form short phrases among his words. Now mind you sometimes these phrases are him repeating something that he has heard before, ie: "Sit your butt down now!" and "Get down!" (you can probably guess who those were said to). Other times his phrases are "Mama help me?" (if he needs something fixed) or "I play?" (when he grabs one of the game controllers) or my favorite "Wanna bite?" (when he holds up his foot and wiggles his toes in my face after playing "This Little Piggy"). He has also gotten out of the "Let's Eat The Crayons" phase and has moved on to the "Let's DRAW/COLOR on EVERYTHING" phase. This includes walls, paper, HIMSELF! He has done some cute art with the toddler stampers I got him though and I had to share the one he gave me. 
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| DJ worked hard to make it awesome! |
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| It came out so nice! |
Over the holiday season we were able to get some great finds at the local thrift store and made out with four (may have been five) new totes to start organizing stuff into. At least two of them went to organizing all the decorations after we took them all down, one now houses all my wonderful art supplies from my mom and DJ, two are in the closet (one with games, another with blankets) and I think one of them has Mckenzee's new toys in it as well. SO that was six that I can think of, there may have been more it is hard to keep track when things have been so busy here lately.
Little Mckenzee had an appointment this month because the doctor was worried her body was maturing just a little too soon. All went well though and they want to double check her bone age in about six months (because it looked a little advanced but not seriously so). She was really brave too and even had her blood taken like a champ! Which is saying something since she is TERRIFIED of needles/shots/etc.
She also is making me very proud lately. Not only did she get a great report card, but she also started reading one of my favorite books of all time! The Secret Garden, which she received from her Memere in a three-book set along with Anne of Green Gables and A Little Princess (two more of my favorites!), she is already on page 21 with only a little help needed as it is a grade level up from where she is right now. She likes it and it makes my heart happy. Another wonderful achievement for her is the work she is doing in her Girl Scout Troop. My little Brownie is working hard to earn her badges and is doing a great job. She received her first 3 badges just before Christmas for Visiting the Retirement Home, Skating, and Visiting the Library. Now she is working on her Money Manager Badge and her Philanthropist Badge, and if she sells at least 25 boxes of yummy Girl Scout Cookies she will also get a badge for that! (https://digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/mckenzie6143)
Spencer is making leaps and bounds in his vocabulary, his building skills, his dancing skills, and his memory! Every day he seems to do something new that amazes (and sometimes frustrates) me. One of my favorite things he does is blowing kisses! He does this when any of us is leaving the house, sometimes when he is leaving the room, and at night when we put him to bed. It melts my heart when he follows it up with a "yuv you mommy/daddy". His genuine excitement over little things makes me happy as well. When his daddy gets home from work or I come home from work we are greeted by a chorus of "Mommy!/Daddy!" as he runs over and hugs our legs. I adore it, it proves to me that no matter how crazy they can make me and how some days I want to run away to an island in the middle of no where just to pee without an audience, that my life would be worthless without them! They fully complete my reason for existence along with their father. |
| We are one whole heart beating in five separate bodies! I LOVE MY FAMILY! |
So Christmas has come and gone and the remnants of the wonderful presents and festivities still dot the floors in the house as the kids run wild and play with all their new toys. It is crazy how hours, weeks and months of planning can be torn open and done in just an hour or two. 
The memories though, of their eyes as they see what "Santa" brought them and the laughter of sharing the day with them is so perfect that the shortness of the day is kind of sad. I wish it were longer just so we could make the fun last! We had an awesome breakfast on Christmas that I actually put together the night before. It was a baked french toast and it was super delicious. (If you would like the recipe leave me a comment and I will post it) The kids and DJ really enjoyed it (we may tweak it a little the next time though because the syrup on the bottom became a little too candy like). We had it with bacon, sausage, orange juice and ice cold milk! Best way to start the day with the kids! They gobbled it up and there was barely any left. We then moved on to opening the gifts from Santa, the family back in CT, and us! Everyone got some fantastic gifts and I could not be more happy with what I got! Not ONLY did he get me the foot soaking bath I wanted, but he played to my artistic addiction and got me all the art supplies I could want and a gift card to get even more! I mean seriously am I not blessed or what?! 
So recently I got to try the 5-Hour Energy drink as a sample. (Thank you Smiley360) It was the Pink Lemonade flavor in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. Love that they are donating from the purchase of the product to support the cause and whoa boy does it work especially if I have had a coffee at breakfast time. I saved the 5-Hour shot to have at around lunchtime and it kept me going for the rest of the day. The only downside was that it so did not taste very good. I would highly suggest that they make a different flavor or you drink it fast and then drink something yummy shortly thereafter, (I chose regular lemonade I made myself lol) All in all it was pretty effective and I would totally buy it not only to support the cause but to also occasionally give yourself a little pick me up when the day is long. #5hourGoesPink
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| Comfy Movie Watching with Mama |
We are about half way through the month and there have been no HUGE events but just some fun. I have spent some fun time with the kids. We've watched some good movies that Mckenzee LOVED! First we watched Matilda, Mckenzee loved the part where Matilda makes things fly around her house and the music play. She thinks the scene at the school where they get back at the Trunchbull is the best part too. |
| Hocus Pocus |
Now since it is October and Halloween movies are all over the television, we also sat down after dinner one night and watched Hocus Pocus! Mckenzee loved that movie too! She gets so invested in them sometimes that if you watch her face then you know if the movie is happy or sad. When Binx gets run over the first time she reacts almost the same as the little girl in the movie. She covers her mouth and looks so distraught! It made me laugh when she did it but being her first time watching it and understanding it I was kinda proud of her as well! I think it is possible that we will watch Twitches once it records followed by Twitches 2. Tonight's movie might be The Nightmare Before Christmas, it is one of my favorites and the kids like it too so I am excited to watch it. I am hoping to get some Mini Pumpkin Pies made tonight (thank you www.bettycrocker.com) and we will enjoy them during movie time after dinner (which is Tuna Helper) tonight.
On Sunday we had game day here at home. Once I got out of work we got into game mode and made some yummy nachos, put on some game gear, and settled in to watch the Seahawks versus the Cowboys. My nachos were SUPER yummy and Mckenzee looked so cute wearing Andy's Seahawks Jersey that he got for Christmas last year! She had her friend Maddie over to play with as well and went from playing with her friend and Spencer and then watching the game. Maddie is a big Seahawks fan and Mckenzee is like her daddy all about the Cowboys so it was funny watching them go back and forth during the game! I love that Mckenzee has made such good friends with Maddie. Especially since she only lives right across the hall. We ended the night letting her sleepover and playing a game of Heads Up with them (fun game!!!) After the kids went to bed DJ and I watched The Replacements (because it was Football Sunday) and then we watched the Season 5 Premiere of THE WALKING DEAD!!! It was so so good and I cannot wait for the next episode! |
| Mckenzee and her new friend watching a movie and enjoying some popcorn! |
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| Whole Grain Apple Muffins |
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| Some of her homework, mostly spelling! |
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| Her 1st spelling test! |
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| Our Welcome to Hunter! |
Since I am trying to eat a little better and I am trying to get out of the food rut we seem to be in, (I do not want to keep making the same things all the time) I have incorporated some new foods into our meals and new recipes! The first thing I tried in the last week (which I have found I love) is "The Golden Spurtle" which is a steel cut (also known as pinhead) oatmeal. It reminds me of Maypo (another favorite). I added some dried cranberries and almonds to it and it was spectacular! It was so good I wanted to have it as a snack after dinner so I saved it in the fridge and reheated it with some milk and it was so good!  |
| Just felt like taking a picture! :) |
Wednesday was "Inspection Day" in our complex so we had to make sure we had the house in order for when they came in to check things out. I have never lived in a place that required inspections so I went on a cleaning spree staying up until 12:30 am to make sure as much of the house was clean as could possibly be. That left just some vacuuming and touch up work for the day of the inspection and I was able to have the place completely awesome for when they came in to check it out! I was even able to keep "Hurricane Spencer" under order so that I didn't have to worry about him pulling out every toy he owns! The plus of the whole day was that when they came it was still early and I was able to get Spencer down for his nap after they left! As they were on their way out the door at the end of inspection we were complimented on how well we kept the place and they thanked us for being so clean! Yay, honestly even today it not too bad in our house, the floor could use a vacuum and the dishes weren't done because we took the day off and had a lazy Sunday for once, but tomorrow is Monday and I will have it all "spic and span" by the time lunch rolls around. 
I was able to get the "Pin the Carrot on Olaf" game drawn up and cut out, the cake baked and kitchen picked up, the floors vacuumed and presents all set before I had to get McKenzee from school.
Once we were home I had her pick up her room and then her friends were knocking on the door asking if she could go out and play and since it was her birthday I wasn't going to say no so she went out with an adamant "You BETTER be home by 5:30 for dinner!" While she was gone I was able to finish decorating her cake, (which had a huge break in it from sticking to the pan) and I made Olaf cupcakes too! 
Needless to say she was actually a few minutes early for fear of getting in trouble for being late. After quickly scarfing down some hot dogs and macaroni and cheese (since I was looking for a fast dinner), we were able to pick up real quick and I was able to finish up the Olaf noses JUST before her friends were knocking on the door for the party!
Before I knew it my house was overrun with little girls wanting to put on McKenzee's princess dresses and singing along to Frozen on the TV. Luckily is wasn't too long before DJ was coming through the door to help me wrangle in the giggles and the hopping around of them as they had some fun playing and singing! 
Some family showed up and McKenzee's friends from before we moved here, and we sat down to open some presents before a few of the kids had to leave. Then some cake and ice cream to hop them all up before playing the "Pin the Carrot on Olaf" game. By the time that was done the kids wanted a little more ice cream and then we were left with about 3 little girls since the others had to get home. DJ took the ones that were left outside on the deck with Spencer and played a round of "Frozen Trivia" before it was time to call it a night. As we said goodbye to the last little girl, whose Mama stayed and chatted with us a bit before heading across the hall to her apartment. I am really starting to like our neighbor across the hall, she is funny, polite, and has a hand mixer! (That is funny because every time I go to make a cake I forget that I do NOT have a hand mixer or any kind of mixer for that matter) Amidst the current political shitstorm regarding reproductive rights for anyone with a uterus in the US. It appalls me to see how my own c...
