Mother's Day 2010!!

I am so blessed to be a Mother to three beautiful children. It is sometimes hard to believe that I have three children! I LOVE being a Mom and LOVE being a stay at home Mom. I feel so fortunate and wouldn't change it for the world! This week on my Facebook status I posted this:

Traded eyeliner for dark circles, salon haircuts for ponytails, bubble baths for short showers, late nights for early mornings, designer purses for diaper bags and awesome heels for flats. Us great Moms will always give up ANYTHING for our kids!

I can't tell you how TRUE this is for me! I never wear make-up anymore, most of the time you see me my hair is pulled back, I hardly have time to take a shower and when I do one kid is usually in there with me, anyone that knows me knows I am NOT a morning person, but now I don't sleep past 7:15, I just bought my first purse in about about 3 years, and EVERY day I am in flip flops, the last time I wore heels was to a wedding shower and my legs were SO sore after!! I know sometimes I would like some peace and quiet but I would not change all the chaos for anything!

Mother's Day is a reminder of how fortunate I am and how appreciative I am of my own Mother. Especially now that I am raising a teenage daughter and realize how difficult it can be at times and what I put my Mom through! I am so grateful for my Mom putting up with all my shenanigans and so grateful we have such a wonderful relationship! I love that we see her so much and my children are SO close to her! I love you Mom!

I had such a great Mother's Day! My lovely husband let me sleep in to about 8:00! I was woken up to James bringing me a present and saying Happy Mother's Day! He wanted me to open it so badly, but I told him we should wait until Brianna woke up. That would be an eternity for him!

I came downstairs to a yummy breakfast made by my husband, he makes the best breakfast! And he did the dishes!!

Then I hung around while Craig washed my filthy car, went for a run, finally got to open my long awaited present! It was a watch, or clock as James told me, that I had my eye on for the past year! He was so excited when Brianna woke up that he asked me where my clock was and if I could open it! He went upstairs to get it and came down with it already open!! Craig said that was the last time he was telling him what they got me! :)
Then I took I shower, by myself, and we went over to my Mom's house. Both of the boys were so good and fell asleep on the way over there! While they were sleeping I had the great idea to play Mexican train dominos. We used to play ALL the time and haven't played since James was a baby! We got in 5 rounds before they woke up!! My Mom made a great dinner, I know, she shouldn't be cooking, but she enjoys cooking and it was her idea!

We had such a nice day and night! Thank You- I love you guys!! Happy Mother's Day to all the Mom's out there!

Jake's 1st Beach Trip

Saturday we went down to Newport and did Mother's Day with Craig's family. It was the first time we did it this way, and it was SO nice. The boys were able to have naps and then we were able to spend the rest of the day with the family and not have to rush off to somewhere else. It was a beautiful day out so we took the boys down to the beach for a bit. It was the first time Jake went to the beach to actually play in the sand and walk in the water!
Jake loved the sand. He was more careful than James, he didn't eat it or lay in it!


He loved this shovel and putting the sand in the bucket.


Jake testing the water

We have NO idea why James thought it was OK to take off ALL his clothes, but he got them all off in a matter of 2.5 seconds. Craig and I were both yelling, "JAMES DON'T TAKE OFF YOUR CLOTHES," and they were off! A bunch of people were laughing at him, so he thought it was hilarious of coarse! At least he cooperated and put his shorts on quickly!

James & Daddy watching the waves

James loved chasing the birds. There were a lot of them, maybe because it was later in the day and a lot of the people had left. He was having a blast running all over!

We had such a great day, we are looking forward to the summer and warm weather!!

We May Have a Golfer...

Craig always hits golf balls, the soft ones, in the hallway upstairs. Lately Jake has been picking up the club and bringing it to us to help him hit the ball. He loves it, there isn't one time that we are upstairs that he doesn't want to hit the ball. Tonight he picked up the club and went around hitting the golf balls! Craig has been trying to get James into golf and James likes it but I think Jake might be the one who REALLY likes it! Check out the video of Jake tonight! Oh and turn down your volume so you don't have to hear James screaming in the background!

We Have a SWIMMER!!

I am so sad swim is over. The last day was yesterday. James did so well. Tom wanted the parents to get in the pool with the kids for one day so the parent gets the "power" in the pool and he could show you how to continue practicing with them. What to do and what not to do. So I got into the pool yesterday with James and Jake. Luckily my Mom was with me to help with Jake. Tom first showed me what to do with Jake and to only do about 3 swims with him. I just can't get over how it is just a natural thing for babies to hold their breath. After that my Mom took Jake and I practiced with James. James was excited for Mommy to get in the pool and wanted me to "swim". I kept telling him I am and he was getting kinda upset, he wanted to me to go under! Mommy doesn't want to get her hair wet! Good example huh? It was freezing outside and we weren't going home after the lesson! James is just a fish in the water, he loves swimming now. He was jumping in off the side and swimming to me with no problems! I can't wait for summer now so we can go swimming all the time! I have a feeling we will be at my Mom's every day in the pool!

I am so thankful for Tom and can't wait for Jake to do lessons with him!

Sadies

Saturday night Brianna went to Sadie Hawkins at her school. She asked a boy who is a friend named Bo that she has known since elementary school. The theme of the dance was Disney so Brianna and Bo wore Power Ranger shirts.

They went with a group of her friends. They met at her friend Brooke's house and Brooke's parents prepared dinner for them. Everyone chipped in and brought something.

Brooke's Mom made these cute little name tags with a picture of everyone's character!

Brianna and a couple of her girlfriends

They had a fun time at the dinner. They were disappointed in the dance. :(

Jake Swimming

Today when we were at swim lessons we were waiting for the others to get there. Tom asked me if I wanted him to take Jake in. So I said sure!
Here are two small videos of Jake!

Swim 2 TOM

About 10 years ago Brianna did swim lessons from a man named Tom. He teaches with a tough love kind of approach. He is 76 years old and has been teaching for 52 years, he has a degree in child psychology, and he has a very big ego. He has taught all around the world and more than 89,000 students. When Brianna took lessons I learned real fast who was boss in the water and to keep my mouth shut. Brianna was in a group lesson and she was fooling around with one of her cousins. I told her to pay attention and he heard me and told me, "Where were you when I started teaching, I didn't need your help then and I don't need it now." So I kept my mouth shut from then on!
James started lessons this week. I am so glad he is still teaching and we were fortunate enough to have him teach James. James had swim lessons last year so he remembered that he didn't like it. The first day he cried the in the car, he cried when we got there and he cried in the pool. The second day he threw a tantrum when I was trying to get him ready to go to swim. He cried all the way there, which is a long time since it is in Newport and takes us 25 minutes to get there. I had to carry him and Jake into the backyard and put him in the pool while he was crying. The third day he threw a fit again getting ready, cried for about the first 15 minutes in the car and didn't cry again the whole time we were there! YEAH! I guess he realized crying wasn't going to help him. This morning he asked if we were going to swimming and I said yes. He whined a bit but that was all. He got dressed nicely, no crying in the car and walk all by himself into the backyard got into the pool by himself and actually enjoyed himself. He was asking if it was his turn and jumping into Tom's arms! James was in need of some tough love! Today he did not want to get out and was crying in the car that he wanted TO go swim!!!


Tuesday at the lesson Jake was walking all around and I of course was following him all around making sure he wasn't going to fall into the pool. Tom told me to stop following him and let him go and if he falls in he will learn his lesson. So of course I try to listen but it is hard to just let him go. I think my instinct takes over and I can't help but be on my toes. Yesterday Tom said he needed to tie me to a chair. I said yes, I guess he will be fine since you are in the pool. So I tried to let him go a bit more. Well in this picture below you see that little hole the fountain pours into...Jake loves putting his hand in there and he missteps and falls in! So now he is SOAKING wet. Tom tells me to take off all of his clothes and diaper and give Jake to him. I said that is what you wanted to happen huh! He kinda laughed. So I gave him Jake. Jake swam the whole width of the pool! It was SO crazy! Needless to say, Jake will start lessons with Tom in August!

I was so bummed I didn't have my camera with me yesterday to film Jake. But here is a little video of James today!