Monday, April 30, 2012

A busy weekend, playing and making Whoopie...

pies!  We had a BIG weekend planned.  Our rainy Saturday started with a children's production of "Go Dog Go" at UD.  I wasn't sure how the kids, Madison, Bray and Gavin, would handle the 1 hr long play of a beloved book.  It was a true success!!  At one point in time I looked down the line of our kids and they were all entranced.  I'm so glad we went and Braylen is still asking about it today.  We went to Madison's house after and let the kids blow off some steam and then we headed home. 
I started a cooking "project" that afternoon while Braylen was resting.  I'm not a big fan of difficult or multi step recipes, Mandi knows this all too well, but this recipe caught my eye.  It was a recipe for whoopie pies.  I didn't have buttermilk, but found an alternate by using vinegar and milk combo that I thought I'd try instead.  Needless to say I didn't mix the dry and wet ingredients together because the "buttermilk" separated the sugar and butter mixture and made it look like curds and whey, yuck!  I decided to set that aside for a Sunday project instead! 
Saturday night was spend with the Urban's and it was so much fun!  Braylen and Nora play so well together and we had a lot of adult fun too!  We love going to hang out with them, everyone has a good time together!  Abby made dinner, it was delicious and then the kids played their hearts out until it got too late.  Bray crashed on the way home and kept on sleeping when we laid him down!




Sunday was a day I knew I had to bust my butt to get lots done because we are leaving next week for vacation!  This meant looking through Braylen's clothes, make sure they all fit because they're all new, looking through my borrowed maternity clothes and grab the summer stuff and get loads of laundry done!  It was an exhausting but successful day.  Braylen loved trying on his new clothes and shoes and decided to wear them around for a while. 

He kept saying, "I'm ready for the beach!"  He is definitely ready for the beach and we are all ready for vacation!  As my day got crazier and crazier and my 24/7 shadow continued to follow me around while subsequently knocking over piles of clothes and not listening to my "don't do thats..." I finally had it.  I was getting laundry out of the dryer and he was shutting the door while I was reaching in and I told him to leave and go find daddy.  He looked at my quizzically and I repeated my command of leave, followed with a "get out."  I will be the first to admit it was not very nice, but it was a lot better than freaking out on him.  He went over to Jeremy and said, "Momma told me to get out and leave her alone." I heard Jeremy respond, "Well you should come over here and play then and let mom get her work done."  I finished the laundry and went downstairs to put my feet up for a minute and indulge in a small glass of wine.  Braylen snuck downstairs and asked if he could play downstairs and I told him he could but he had to be quiet and not talk.  I relaxed and unwound, while Braylen played semi quietly until dinner.  We went upstairs and Braylen said, "I'm a good boy momma." Which of course made my heart melt and I forgot why I was feeling so annoyed by my sweet boy.  Anyway, I finally finished my whoopie pies, which by the way is my new favorite cookie!!  It was a "late night" when this process was finally completed and although a mess, the most delicious mess I've ever made, ever!!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

30 weeks

The time is racing away and July will be here before we know it!!  We are all excited and now that Braylen is out of the "baby" room I plan to start the "transition" back to baby room.  Multiple loads of laundry are on that list as well as putting Bray's pics in his room and adding soon to be baby pics to new frames in the future!  My appointments have been going well and everything is on track.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Big boy, Oh Boy

We made the transition into the big room and the big bed this weekend!  On Saturday night I decided to take the leap!  Jeremy wasn't too excited, but I wanted him to be in his bid boy room plenty of time before the baby and also get used to it before vacation.  Saturday night he did great!  He did run out of his room in the morning, but slept until about 7:30am!  Sunday night he was a little more wide awake when I laid him down and after 3/4 attempts of escaping we finally got him down for the night.  The downfall, he ran into our room at 6am, about an hour and 30 min earlier than normal!  Last night we finally got it down!  We used the new traffic clock we got him, red light means stay in bed and green light means it's time to get up and we shut his door all the way.  He has not figured out how to open the door, so that was successful!  His old room is now referred to as the baby room and he has the big boy room.  I think it was a successful next step into becoming a big boy and soon to be big brother!!


My little funny guy

Since I haven't been filling in the days very well lately, I thought I would do a writing devoted to the funny things Braylen says...
Out to dinner celebrating the end of tax season, WOOHOO, we were eating dinner and Jeremy and I were talking about work stuff and family stuff and Braylen says, "This is super fun."  I'm glad he sees the small joys in life and we also get to live through him joy to help us realize how much we should enjoy every moment together!
I was hugging Jeremy the other day and Braylen breaks through our legs.  He's got one of my legs and one of Jeremy's and he's hugging it saying, "I love you guys."  Guys is his new word and it's hilarious!
I have been trying to get him to feel the baby and he was touching my stomach the other day and he looks at my belly button and tells me that it's small.  I said it was because my tummy is getting so big.  He then shot out a few random and funny questions back at me, "Baby comes out of there?" and "Baby poops out there?" and then proceeded to say, "Hi baby" in my belly button and kiss it.  I wondered how he thought this baby was coming out...
He's been wearing his super cape and running around, pretending to fly.  I will ask "super Braylen" what he wants for breakfast or if he's ready to go to Gretchen's and he responds, "Super Braylen wants cereal." or "Yes, I'm going to fly to Gretchy's."  But the sweetest thing he said today as I was getting him out of his car seat I kissed him and told him I love him and he said, "I love you too super mom".  I love being a super mom, my favorite job to date!!!!!!
His funny words: bizzy, a feeling he gets when he spins around; pren-tend, playing make believe; lmlmlmlmlm, his favorite chocolate round candies; jumping beans, his favorite Easter candy
I'm sure I'll have lots more to add and I'm missing a huge amount of stuff, but that is a sufficient amount of cuteness for now!!

Sunday, April 22, 2012

Train spotters

I decided to take Braylen out to a train track on Saturday to see if we could watch a train.  He loved this idea, even if it did mean waiting hours!!  We got to the "first" train track behind the river museum around 11:30 and waited and waited.  I let Braylen walk on the "broken" tracks, explaining that we do not walk on tracks if there is a train that rides on them, he pretty much loved doing this and continually asked me if we could go back and walk on the broken tracks.  I was really hoping we would get to see at least one train and it was a bust.  A change of tracks was needed...Jeremy told me it seemed like every 15 minutes there is a train in East Dubuque that drives by, so off we headed.  Lunch was sufficiently looming and I stopped at Subway and told Braylen we would have a picnic while we waited for the train.  We are literally in Subway for 2 minutes and a train's horn goes by, damnit we missed our chance!!  After we missed the train and left Subway I found a grassy hill right next to the train track and the river where kids were fishing.  He enjoyed watching the boys and eating his picnic, when finally we saw a train.  There was excitement, approx 5 minutes worth of excitement, but enough for Bray!!  After hours and hours of waiting we did get what we came for, a toot toot, a wave from the conductor and a fast moving train.  That made Braylen's weekend and therefore made mine too!



Monday, April 16, 2012

Fun, fun, fun

We had more visitors this weekend, Nana, Papa, Jess and Leah Loo Loo!  It was awesome having them here and I feel like I kept them shut in all weekend, but it turned out to be a great day outdoors for it!  Jeremy got me a pre natal massage for Valentines day, so I put the family to work babysitting while I went to get pampered!  It was amazing and I think I may have found my second home, http://www.relaxlivewell.com/, even the website is peaceful!  Anyway, we spent time together outside and played hard with everyone, Jessica's friend Taylor who lived in Dbq came to visit too!  Had a good dinner and crashed early.  Sunday we went to UD's fly in drive in breakfast after church.  I have to say I wish it was nicer weather to watch planes take off and land, but it was cold, windy and cloudy :(  Braylen did get to "drive" a plane and I really hope nothing was damaged as the kids were pushing and pulling every button imaginable.  It was fun to show him a plane up close especially when we've got our trip to FL planned and have already been telling him about our plane ride.  We always have a great time with family comes to visit, we hope they do too!  Now we just need some one on one time with the Chukins!!!!


Monday, April 9, 2012

Easter Egg Hunt pro

Our Easter weekend started with visitors from Chicago, Alana and gang!  We met up with them at Grandma and grandpa's house and then hit the Lion's club Easter egg hunt.  We went back to our house and enjoyed some fun with the kiddos and then out to pizza for Jimmy's bday!  Easter morning was a mad rush to get everyone out of the house at a decent time and off to church!  Braylen got into church and immediately started yelling, "Woohoo!!"  in a not so church voice!  He was pretty reckless, but we survived with minor side glances from our neighbors.  We came back to our house and found the Easter bunny hid some eggs for Alana and Braylen and I think Braylen ate majority of his jelly beans, or as he calls them jumping beans, and malt balls before we even made it inside.  Grandma and Grandpa's house for lunch and another big hunt!  Thanks to Jared, Jimmy and Kristin helping the Easter bunny there were plenty of eggs hidden and even big baskets with toys and candy from grandma and grandpa waiting for them.  I know Braylen was exhausted after the weekend, but I don't think we'll ever have to "show" him how to hunt for eggs again, he's got that down!
















Saturday, April 7, 2012

Good Friday!!!

Braylen and I spent an amazing day together on Friday.  We ran errands, got the car washed and then came home to play and do chores.  I have said it before, but this kid loves being outside more than anything else.  I think he would sleep outside in a tent regularly if I allowed it.  It was so funny watching him play.  At one point in time he was on the deck with a few of his toys and I heard him talking to Mater and Lightening McQueen and they were "taking turns" doing something.  I think the conversation went something like this, "It's my turn Mater. No, I'm going to go now.  OK, Lightening you can go.  Now it's your turn."  He definitely has an imagination and is actively using it!!!  I also created a few Pinterest projects, I hate to say it but I didn't take pics.  Here are the "crafts" I completed for Easter!

Monday, April 2, 2012

Alpaca farm

I finally got Jeremy to call his client from work who has an Alpaca farm and offered to have us out to see his newest additions!  I was so excited and so was Braylen.  It was so cool to see and "pet" these animals, they were a little skiddish, but really gentle and inquisitive.  There were also a few new kittens, 2 huge guard dogs, peacocks, chickens and pheasants.  Braylen was not at all scared, but was probably making the animals a little scared, not that I blame them, there was a 2 year old chasing them around!!