First Day of School 2011

Today I officially became the mom of a 4th and 1st grader. I can't even begin to tell you what a stick of dynamite that is in my ear hole. It blows my mind. I remember 1st grade. A little bit. Okay barely. But I really do remember 4th grade! My teacher was Mrs. Strawn, my favoritest of all time, in all the world. She used to give me time to come to the front of the class and put on a "show" in hopes of containing my maniacal outbursts. It didn't work out too well. But bless that woman she tried!

Yesterday was open house. Which I thought leaned a little towards the retarded side. Having open house the day before school that is. I think it should have been at least a few days before. To give us time to work out any kinks. Luckily there were no kinks to work out. We met Hailey's teacher, Ms. Turner. She's British and has the best accent ever! But now all I can picture is a British nanny that pops hands with rulers and yells things like threats of "boxing your ears" and such . Is that racist? She seemed nice enough, but I can't help but think that anyone from "across the pond" finds us American's gross. I kind of find us gross. Anywho, we lucked out, and our prayers were answered because Joshua got Mrs. Little. His same teacher from 1st grade that we LOVED!


I'm hopeful for an awesome year. As awesome as last year at least.


You know I can't end this without "Back to School" pics! Most of them came out shaky, and blurry, and out of focus for the most part because it was still dark when we went out to wait for the bus. I only really got one good clear shot just before the bus came, the sun had finally come out enough for good lighting.

My Fourth Grader

{See how dark it was?? I had to use my pop-up flash.}

My First Grader

{This was taken, right before we went outside to wait for the bus.}

Just before getting on the bus to head off to their first day of school.

Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday

 

Why do I love this picture so much? What does that say about me?

I'm linkin' up with Chelsea over at The Paper Mama, you should too!

 

 

Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

A look into August 2011...

I feel like I never, or at least rarely, share photos anymore. I don't participate in the Before and After blog hop on Thursdays anymore, or any other photo sharing link-ups really other than an occasional Wordless Wednesday, and maybe even a Shutter Love Tuesday, or Paper Mama Photo Challenge entry.

I've actually gotten a lot better at getting my camera out. Babies grow up so fast, I don't want to miss a single cute moment with Grayson! I only wish I snapped more of the older kiddos. Anyhow, I thought I would share some of my most recent faves.

Grayson getting kisses from Aunt Kay Kay. He LOVES kisses! They get him smiling almost every time.

My handsome boy, I just love that face!

My gorgeous girl, with her crooked little smile! She's growing up too fast, I feel like I'm having a hard time catching up...

I love this look. As soon as he saw what was written on the box, he turned around and gave me this sly little smirk over his shoulder.

Hailey is the BEST big sister! She is the biggest help. She makes everyone nervous, except for me. She's GREAT with her baby brother.

Joshua and his guitar have been joined at the fingers since he opened it. I actually have to force him to do other things. He has no idea what he's doing, yet has this remarkable ability to make his random strumming pleasing to my ears.

He seriously loves his guitar!

Speaking of growing up so fast, this I can't believe. Look at that handsome, mature face! He's going to be a heartbreaker in a few years. Even going through this awkward time with losing teeth, growing big teeth, and being skinny as a rail he's gorgeous.

Lastly, the cutest little burrito in all the land. He loves bring wrapped up super tight, but hates the swaddle technique, so I literally have to just roll him in a blanket. It's hilarious, but works every time.

Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

Musical Monday #15

Do you recognize this song? Hm? Just a little bit? I love it. And if you recognize it, you know where I discovered it.

This is the song that Harry and Hermione danced to in Harry Potter Deathly Hallows Part I. I don't know what draws me to this song, I don't know why I love it so much. It just draws me and pulls me in and it's a great song to listen to. And I mean come on, if Harry Potter digs it, you know it's pretty fan friggin' tastic. He's Harry Potter people.



Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

Ooo That Smell!! Part III

Ammonia is a bastard. A dirty, dirty, dirty, and SMELLY bastard.

I didn't know there was going to be a part 3 to my stink story.

I thought I had won the fight. I had stripped the diapers, and they didn't smell at all! I was so excited to get G back into cloth and out of disposables. I was waiting for him to pee. Waiting to see how the diapers would turn out. Waiting to see if the stripping had really worked as well as I thought it had. Just my luck, Grayson went! Actually he really went, and had he been in a disposable would have had a major blow out. There was entirely too much poo to even tell if the diaper was ammonia and detergent build up free.

I waited a couple of hours, longer than I intended to but time flies by, and changed him again. I expected to open his diaper and have the smell hit me. It didn't! My hope began to raise! Then I decided to smell the diaper to see if the ammonia was really gone. I put the diaper as close to my nose as safely possible and took a whiff. {Yes I'm a freak dirty diaper smeller.}

My nose burned.

$#!T! I'm pretty sure at this point I was cussing. Not crying, although I wanted to, but cussing. A lot. I called Stacy, my trusty cloth diaper guru from Jack Be Natural and begged for help! We devised a plan. I was going to take a few diapers, do a soak in hot water and crunchy clean for a couple of hours, scrub the diapers with dawn and a scrub brush, soak in hot water for another couple of hours, throw them in the washer and rinse, then wash with Crunchy Clean, then rinse, rinse, rinse.

The smell really seemed gone then so I did a few more. It took all night and day. Finally I put Grayson in one of the freshly cleaned dipes. I was scared. Nervous and scared. But hopeful. Changing time came around. Same deal, opened the dipe, nothing, sniffed the diaper, BURN, BURN, BURN. The M F'ing ammonia bastard was clinging to my diapers for dear life.

So, I'm on a mission. On a mission to destinkify my diapers.

I've googled and read a ton, and there are SO many conflicting tips that I'm just going to try everything and anything until something works because something has to work eventually!

Right now I'm in the process of cleaning another load of diapers. I did a cold wash with 1 tbsp. of Crunchy clean, with an extra rinse, I did another wash with no detergent just to be sure to get the detergent out. I began another wash, just to saturate the diapers and add weight, added a tbsp of Crunchy Clean, a 1/4 cup of bleach to the bleach dispenser, and a 1/4 cup of vinegar to the fabric softener dispenser. Now I'm waiting. When the cycle is done I plan on doing another wash cycle with nothing to rinse the diapers really well. I will check for any smell, and will rinse until there is no smell.

I'm not sure what my next step will be if this doesn't work, but I am looking at Rockin' Green's Funk Rock with Ammonia Bouncer. I'm hoping I won't need it because {A} It's expensive, you get only 9oz's for about $15. {B} I would have to wait for it to ship. {C} I've read mixed reviews. Mostly awesomely positive, but every now and again someone has claimed it did nothing for them.

I also have Calgon water softener, and something called RLR on the back up list.

I will get my diapers back to their original stink freeness. {Curse you Tide!  Curse you to HECK!} And I will, as I have, share the experience, and will hopefully come up with something that will work, and maybe it will work for someone else if they ever get hit with the stanks.

Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

Joshua is 9

 

I can't believe we're here again! Celebrating yet ANOTHER birthday for the kid who made me "Mom". A year short of a decade ago I gave birth to two lives. The one that grew in my belly and would breathe his first breath, and to the new life I would live from that moment on. A life of selflessness, a life with one purpose. To nurture, and coach, and raise another human being. I still can't believe that someone trusted me with that job. But I can honestly say, hands down, that it was the greatest gift ever given to me. You know the phrase, "With great power, comes great responsibility?". Well that is parenthood. You're given a lot of power and you best not abuse it because a life depends on it. Literally.



Joshua is 9 years old. Nine. So what is it, do boys just skip hop on into preteen stage when they hit 9? My precious innocent boy, my baby, recently discussed his wishes to live in a South American tribe so that he can look at naked woman as much as he wanted without it being inappropriate. I laughed until I cried. My boy is growing up. There's not much more that screams "growing up" like wanting to see naked ladies. {Hey, what can ya do, boys are boys, right?}

Other clues my baby is becoming a young man? He's actually starting to care about what he wears! Hats? They now only go on sideways. Hoodies? They're worn even if it's triple digits outside. Favorite foods have gone from burgers and chicken nuggets to steak and ribs, tacos to pollo con creme, and suddenly he's too old for the kids menu. Saturday mornings are even different. No 6am wake up calls. When left to his own devices he sleeps in! Then makes his own breakfast of cereal or some sort of toaster pastry. Long gone are the days of "The Wiggles", even Spongebob, and iCarly have been neglected these days, replaced with shows like Deadliest Warrior, and Falling Skies.

Joshua's Faves @ 9 Years Old:

•Food- Mexican

•Drink- Gatorade & Root Beer

•Animal- All kinds.

•Color- All kinds. Except pink. {Of course.}

•Hobby- Hunting, fishing, drawing, playing guitar {thanks to his oh-so-awesome birfday gift from ma, pop, and Grandpa} & reading.

•Sports- Basketball, Football & Soccer

•Movie- Striking Distance, Zombieland, Commando, Terminator, Expendables, Rambo...{okay, pretty much any "dude" movie} oh and Surf's Up. {Maybe there IS a little kid in there somewhere. ^_^}

•Book- Zombie Chasers, The Red Pyramid, Goosebumps Horrorland

•Toys- Lego's, Nerf guns & cars {Hot Wheels and such.}

•Video Game- Call of Duty {Hmm, funny, he's not allowed to play Call of Duty.}, Donkey Kong, Mario

•Gaming System- PS3, Wii, and DSi {It was IMPOSSIBLE for him to pick one. For the record we only own a DSi and Wii.}

•Subject in School- Art, math, and science.

•Asked "If you were given $100 what would you do with it?"- His answer, "Give it to charity.". {Ohh my little humanitarian! ♥} 

 {Don't be embarrassed, it's the newest I have! And you look cool, dentist bib and all. ;) I promise a new pic as soon as possible.}

Lastly, a letter to my son, on his ninth birthday:

Joshua,

9 years ago I was given my greatest and most precious gift. YOU! You are my biggest joy Joshua! You are so funny and whitty and you make me laugh like no other. You were the cutest baby, most adorable little kid, and now you're growing into the most handsome young man! I am blown away by how smart you are. I can't wait to see where your intelligence takes you in life. I know it will be far. You are destined for great things!

I can't say it enough; You are awesome Joshua. You're everything I could ever want in a son and more. I am the luckiest woman alive to have you call me mom. Whoever you pick to be your wife will be so blessed! I know you will be the most amazing husband and daddy because you are the most amazing son and brother.

You are loved beyond measure and one of the greatest things about you is that you're humble enough to know it. Never doubt yourself. I love you!

Happy Birthday Joshua!

♥Love, Mom xo

Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!

Maternity Session

Only one person could ever make me feel beautiful and that is Christine Bryk of Dimples & Curls Photography.

I was so blessed to have her capture one of the most cherished moments in my life! I had never done maternity photos before and with Grayson being my last pregnancy I really wanted something to remember that time.

In usual Dimples & Curls fashion, Christine did her thing and rocked her lens. I'm normally super self concious, but when I saw the end result I could have cried.

They were amazing.

They are so beautiful to me. And they so perfectly capture the beauty I felt in pregnancy. Christine is so talented, you can't even see how miserable and in pain I was!







These are priceless to me, and I will treasure them for always! I seriously can't thank Christine enough!

If you are in the Charlotte area of NC, I highly recommend Christine and Dimples & Curls Photography. She's done our children's photos for almost 3 years now and we will never go anywhere else! Her work is amazing. You can check out her website {HERE} and see some of our photos done with her {HERE}.

Top Mommy Blogs - Vote for us @ TopMommyBlogs.Com!