Weekend recap

Our weekend started on Thursday and it was a good one.  Hubs had five days off from working overnights and surprising we all have our heads still.  Too much time together with different parenting styles does not do us good.  But we survived and had a good time together.  All five days.

Thursday Xander wanted to go to school and since he didn’t give me any signs that he was sick (no fever, no bathroom runs, no throw up), I decided that he should be okay.  At preschool he had Muffins for Moms, so I stayed with him the first 30 minutes and he showed me his favorite toys, ate a muffin together, and I asked some questions for a sheet for the teachers.  One question was, why is your mom special? (something like that).  He amazed me with his answer and he said “because God made her.”  Smart boy.  Another question was, what does your mom like to do?  He said “homework.”  No buddy, I don’t like homework, but yes, that is what I’m ALWAYS doing it seems.  Ugh…I hate that he thinks I like homework.

We started our night by playing Jake and then headed to Sterling’s room to play Barbie’s. 

When I picked the kids up Thursday afternoon it started their spring break.  Parents night out was supposed to be Friday night, but two teachers were sick so they had to cancel.  Here’s where I feel bad.  Was Xander really sick and I should have kept him home?  Hubs and I actually had a date night planned (for the first time in forever!).  I was excited.  We enjoyed drive through. 

I received my Zulily package in the mail.  I ordered Sterling a full size American Girl doll and two bishop dresses.  The doll she will get at Christmas and I can’t wait to put her in the dresses!  Perfect details for spring. The pink dress was supposed to come with a blue bow, but the bow was not with it so I emailed Zulily and they refunded the whole dress price plus gave me a $10 credit to the store.  I was not expecting that since it was only the bow missing.

Saturday I had a thirty-one party and ordered a bunch of new bags.  So excited to get those in!  I ran some quick errands and then got busy on homework.  Boring Saturday.  The kids and I rented the new Annie.  Xander didn’t sit through it like he does the original, but still seemed to enjoy it.  I enjoyed the movie but still prefer the original.

On Sunday I woke up with a sore throat and Xander a fever.  He complained of his neck hurting all day (throat?).  We watched the new Annie again, but this time, Smushy took a nap…which is a sight I don’t see enough.  I wish I’d get regular naps out of him and Sis without them needing to be sick.

Have a great day and now I need to get ready for some important company that comes in a few days!

Life Lately

Remember last week when I mentioned hubs will be working overnights for a week?  Well it totally blows!  Do you know how impossible it is to keep two toddlers reasonably quiet so he can sleep while we’re awake? Totally impossible people.  And it’s stressful.  For both the kids and I.  I felt like all I said to them all weekend was “BE quiet, daddy’s sleeping.”  It’s a good thing our house has three floors because we were able to head to the basement for a majority of our days but we could only take so much time spent down there.  I really don’t know how anyone can work an overnight shift with toddlers at home.  I was thankful for Monday to come where we’d be out of the house for 6.5 hours. 

Have you ever threatened to give your kids toys away?  I totally did this past weekend.  I even went as far as putting all the basement toys in garbage bags.  Not even joking.  Do you ever get tired of telling your kid to put their toys away 5 million times?!  I think with the stress of trying to keep the kids quiet this weekend and being forced to the basement pulled on my nerves like never before.  I was so tired of telling Xander to pick up his toys that he wasn’t playing with that I just grabbed bags and started stuffing.  Even his beloved stuffed Jake (Disney pirate character).  Man did he cry!  I kept telling him that some other boy will love his Jake just as much as him.  He thinks I can just drive him to the new boys house and he can ask for it back.  I’m not really giving his toys away, but he’s not getting them back until Saturday morning.  The toys are in time-out.

Somehow I missed a schoolwork deadline last week.  I kept looking at my schedule during the week and I kept seeing that everything was due on the 22nd, so I procrastinated, like usual.  I’m the queen of procrastination and I always do well with my grades.  But I need to stop.  When I looked at my schedule Saturday morning, I noticed I had a big assignment due the night before.  Oops!  It’s in the class with the nit picky teacher too.  Not good, not good!  This week I’m going to do better and work on my work during the week.  I need to get on top of it and stay on top. Spring break got me off my groove and I didn’t get back on it.  Gotta catch up this week.

Yesterday was hubs last day of work until MONDAY!  Woohoo!  We get the ole man home with us for a few days.  I picked the kiddos up early from school yesterday because Xander hasn’t been feeling well.  He kept complaining his belly hurt and was in the bathroom a bunch.  So, they called, and I went to get him.  He’s now resting up in his room because if he’s getting the flu, we want his germs to only be around him.  He’s actually okay with it.  Thanks to a recent Peppa Pig episode I think!

Xander’s going to stay home from school today since he may have a bug of some sort.  Sterling walked into school yesterday without crying for the first time in three weeks. Will she do it again today?  We’ll see.  I’m hopeful.  While Sterling is at school today I want to finish my environment paper (4 pages).  I have to make a classroom environment Reggio Emilia inspired with the classroom as a third teacher.  Fun times.

Tax talk.  I had to file an amendment to our 2013 taxes yesterday.  We received a letter from the IRS stating we owed them $889 for a Form D info missing.  Well I went in 2 weeks ago with the letter to H & R Block, where we get our taxes done every year, and they wanted me to do some investigation. I did and went back yesterday with my findings.  The manager input the 1099-R and we didn’t owe anything.  When the info was put in, our adoption credit carried forward and covered it.  Always go to the professionals. I would have just paid it myself because we never received the form (because they had our Germany address still!) and so I looked at it as our fault and would have paid.  Good thing I took it in for the professional to look at.

I’m itching to get my hands back on my sewing/embroider machines!  One more month!

The kids love their new activity I created for them.  The idea was inspired from non other than Pinterest.  Sterling caught on to the idea quickly, but took her longer and didn’t finish. Xander didn’t understand the concept at first, but then picked it up and quickly finished.  Xander was particular on where he stuck his clothespin.  His was always in the center, under the number (except for #16).

That’s it.  Have a great day!

That’s it.  Have a great day!

Birthday pics continued

I just wanted to add in some pictures I didn’t put on the first post.  For breakfast she chose to enjoy powered donuts.  I stuck her princess candles in each donut and she blew them out and enjoyed her donuts.  She had 4! 

Big brother also enjoyed donuts with her.

Right after I finished baking and decorating the cupcake dress, I quickly wrapped presents, hung a banner, and gathered her presents under the banner. 

This picture is actually from the cleaned up version of her opening her presents.

Admiring her outfits from Nana and Papa. 

Testing out her bike

Big brother thinks he could show her since she couldn’t figure it out.  Why is a bike so much different from from a tricycle?  Both kids learned to ride the trike last summer, and for some reason they can not figure out this bike.  However, the next day, we took the bike to the driveway and Sterling rode it, fell off, didn’t want to ride it, got back on and kept going.  You go girl!

And her dinner of choice with her other favorite characters! 

So her day may not have been “glamorous” as so many other toddler extravagant birthday’s and parties you see online, but this little girl is so loved and her day was perfect.  Everything was just what she wanted. She didn’t need an extravagant party with 50 of her friends. She was able to celebrate with her friends at school and her family at home.  And the family that couldn’t spend the day with her called her.  She got a call from Nana and Papa, Auntie Stacy, Talyn, Kinley, Bode, Maisyn, Auntie Renee and Jayla.  She is loved and her birthday was perfect.

We love you, Sterling!  You are our “lucky charm!”