Blog Journal Day 5

Day 5 (August 5, 2010) Topic: Favorite Quote 


"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." -Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

“Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.” - Dr. Seuss

Blog Journal Day 4

Day 4 (August 4, 2010) Topic: Favorite Book

Here is another secret about me...I LOVE to read!  At any given time I am reading 3 or 4 books.  I love to read books pertaining to motherhood, education, family, parenting, friendships, mysteries, and of course romance.  (That picture is my bathtub - my favorite place to read)!  I am not the best cook, but I love cookbooks and collect them; I will go through the entire book and sticky note the recipes I want to try.  I know my library card number by heart just like one knows their social security number.  I can rattle off the 14 digit number anytime; I never even take my card into the library anymore! 

 

I take the boys to the library weekly to check out books.  They love it also.  We go so often, they know where to return books, where the children's area is, the dvd's, the room where they climb the BIG steps, the place where I read to them, the tables they sit at and read, and where the "mommy books" are.  I melt when we walk into the library and Logan says "this is a quiet place bits."  I love how they both want to find the right books and dvds to check out and even more that they know how to check out books.  Soon it will be time to get them their own library card and that will be a celebration for sure!  I love our weekly trips to the library.  I am passionate about reading and books.  From the time I could read I have had my nose in a book.  I hope my children will love to read also.  I love to read to the boys and as a teacher I know how important it is to read to children.  So favorite books (I will list favorite children books since at the moment that is my favorite genre): Good Night Moon, Runaway Bunny, all Eric Carle & Dr. Seuss books, Love You Forever, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Are You My Mother?, and if you have never read The Most Thankful Thing by Lisa McCourt - buy it and read it to your baby (no matter how old that baby is)!  I read it when I was teaching to my class at Thanksgiving time and cried like a baby (I was pregnant with Logan).  

I love to read to my babies.  I feel lucky that I have these babies to read to - every single day.  

30 Day Blog Journal Days 1-3 (already behind)!

While I was thumbing through some of my favorite blogs, Live.Laugh.Love...and Libbi , had started her own 30 Day Blog Journal, an idea she got from Just to Keep in Touch.  This will for sure encourage me to blog each day:)  I am already behind so today's post will be for the first three topics.  If you want to join in on the fun and or see the list the topics, visit Just to Keep in Touch.  Of course I will add some other posts throughout the month of August and a recap of July (summer flew by).  I like this because I am turning our blog into yearly books and a lot of these posts will be information pertaining to our life.  So without further ado...

Day 1 (August 1, 2010) Topic - Favorite Song

I really don't have a favorite song.  Favorites to me are the songs that I hear that bring back memories.  Of course the song I danced to at my wedding with my husband "Bless the Broken Road" is a favorite.  Any time I hear a song I like I usually put it on my blog.  Right now "Smile" by Uncle Kracker is on my blog, a catchy and sweet song.  I love country, rap, pop, oldies, kid's songs, alternative, rock, hip hop, dance, etc.  I watch Glee weekly and then go to I Tunes and download the music - songs from the past that remind me of memories or that I just love and have forgotten.  Songs that remind me of my husband and songs that I sing to my babies will always be my top favorites.  "You Are My Sunshine" is a song I sing nightly to both boys and Ray LaMontagne's "You are the Best Thing" is a sexy song that I will dedicate to my love, Brian.

Day 2 (August 2, 2010) Topic - Favorite Movie

Again, I don't have one favorite.  Here is a confession...I love musicals or movies with lots of music; Grease, Singing in the Rain, Sound of Music, Dirty Dancing, Mama Mia (to name a few).  I also like comedies; Anchor Man has me on the floor laughing every time I watch it.  If you know me, you know I laugh.  A LOT.  So any movie that makes me laugh is a good movie.  I also love to watch Disney movies with the kids.  Oh and I don't like vampire movies - can you believe it?  I am on TEAM NO ONE!  

Day 3 (August 3, 2010) Topic - Favorite TV Show

Honestly now that I stay home, I watch more tv at night than I ever have; in between spending time with Brian, laundry, grad school work, etc...I like reality TV a lot.  The Housewives (Atl, NY, NJ, OC), Bethenny Getting Married?, Rachel Zoe Project, American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, etc. I also love Law and Order SVU, Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, Dateline, 20/20, CNN, my lover Anderson Cooper's show AC 360, Modern Family to name a few.  I don't watch soap operas, talk shows, or any other type of day time tv.  I do like to watch the morning news, but the tv is off or on PBS for the kids during the day.

Whew!  Caught up!  Tomorrow is August 4, so its day 4 and the topic is Favorite Book.  

Bye Bye Ba-Ba

In our house bottles have always been called ba-bas.  When Logan was one the bottle was gone.  Austin was a little different, he LOVED his ba-ba.  After he was one we went to only a night time bottle, though I knew I should take it away, I couldn't.  It was part of his night time ritual.  It was getting to be time, he will be 2 in October and doesn't need the bottle, he probably eats more than anyone else in the house!  He currently weighs 28 lbs!  So Last week we did bed time and didn't even mention the ba-ba.  He didn't even cry for it.  I knew ba-ba was gone.  He was ready.  Now on to potty training and giving up ya-yas (pacifiers); the goal is by October Logan will be close to 3 1/2 and Austin will be 2.  Hopefully Bits (Austin) will have more than 4 teeth by then (the dentist promises its normal and even better to be a late teeth bloomer)!

Today I found Austin in my bed with a remote in his hand saying TV on!  He hates TV, I know he was just trying to be like his big brother:)

Such a cute baby, though he is more toddler than baby, with one left dimple that makes me melt every time he smiles.  He is funny and reminds me of Brian.

He is turning into such a little boy and leaving the toddler stage quickly.  He still cuddles and tells me "mommy your great" daily.  His heart is full of love.

Pee Pee in the Potty!

Thank goodness for mommy friends; at a recent play group while the children played, the moms and I were brainstorming ideas to get Logan to potty train.  Someone suggested getting a few toys and putting them up on a shelf where he could see, then explain that he must go on the potty to get a new toy.  The immediate reward was what he needed.  Over the weekends I went out and picked up some candy, small toys, and play dough pizza shop (it was on sale for $4 at Target).  He saw the toys and candy and of course wanted them.  After explaining that he had to sit on the potty (something he hates) and wear his big boy underware (again something else he hates) then he could get a small treat out of the bag.  He did both and chose Toy Story 3 stickers!  Then he wanted the play dough shop.  He had to pee on the potty to get that.  He peed and we celebrated!  We danced, we sang the pee pee song, we cheered, we jumped for joy, we carried on and then we broke out the play dough.  I am proud of my boy.  Day 2 is tomorrow.  I hope it easy on us both:)

I have a picture of him standing next to his potty but he is nude and I don't want that on they blog, but I have it to show his wife someday;)

Of Course we had to take a picture of the pee pee. He took out the little pee holder and peed directly on the seat.  As long as he peed I don't care where it was!

His reward - play dough!

So happy making play dough pasta.

Yay Logan Logan!  You pee peed in the potty!

Gettin it Together - June 2010 Post

I need to get it together seriously! I can not believe the lack of posts. I get so far behind, catching up overwhelms me. I don't know where to begin!

June where did you go?  Another month gone, another month older the babies are!  Austin is almost 21 months as I write this:(  SAD face for sure.  He is turning into a full fledged toddler for sure!  He follows his leader - Logan.  What Logan does Austin will do.  If Logan is screaming, Austin will scream.  If Logan is running, Austin is running.  If Logan is jumping off the couch saying "to infinity and beyond" Austin will jump and say something more like "beyond!"  It is comical to watch the two of them, until I reach my breaking point which thank the Lord is around 5:30 PM each day about an hour before Brian is home.  At that point, I swear they tag team to do anything and everything they can to drive me bananas.  Speaking of bananas - they both (of course) love a banana, but only with it half peeled.  If I peeled it all the way down, their world ends - seriously.  But I digress, Austin is talking all the time.  He says everything, but his favorite word is NO and Mama.  Two things I hear about 20 times an hour.  The sweet way he says mama is wonderful, but No a few less would be nice.  Two nights ago I was putting him to bed and I said "I love you so much sweet boy" and for the first time he said "wuv you." I melted and then yelled to Brian to tell him our little boy said his first I love you.  Logan has been saying I love you for a long time, but each time he says it I melt and everything is right in the world.  Two little boys saying I love you - the best part of life for sure.
Like I said Logan is Austin's leader and boy does Logan know it.  He tells Austin (refers to him as Bits) what to do, what to say, where to go all day.  I love when he tells me that "his bitsy" is awake. We often ask him if he wants another brother or sister and he always says "no I like Bits." Like we are going to replace Austin with another child!  Its very funny and I ask him that a lot just to hear him say that he likes Bits and Bits is his best friend.  Yep he knows best friends and his best friend is his brother.  Again everything is right in my world when I hear that.

Dear time, please slow down.  My babies are growing too quickly and I know that I will soon miss these days, even the hour before daddy comes home when I am going a bit crazy.  I know one day I will wish for 5:30 craziness.
Thank you,
Mommy of two sweet toddlers

Logan's cheesy smile through the ya-ya

Washing their wagon - Logan had Austin scrubbing while he manned the hose!












Austin drinking water from hose

Logan sliding

I turned my head and Austin got a sharpie and drew on the white board

He had to use the magic eraser to clean it up (LOL - I didn't make him scrub it off, but I will say my boys do like to clean.  They love washing windows with windex:)

Austin loves books

They both love Ritas

Dress up time!  Logan as Woody with U. Kevin

Austin as Figment with A. JuJu
He is so cute in this, but HATES it!

Just because its so cute

They call this the monster towel and chase after each other with it on - naked of course! This is Logan

Here is Austin

I found them one June afternoon eating A LOT of candy in the ball pit.
They push their chairs up to the cabinet where the candy is and then run for the ball pit like I won't find them there:)

Best friends - seriously

Rainy day = popcorn and a movie

Austin eating a banana half peeled

Support for Savannah

I have this posted on my facebook account.  It is from a fellow blogger friend, Amber:
Savannah’s 2nd birthday is fast approaching and there is nothing that I would like to be able to giver her more, than a cure for mitochondrial disease. I can not accomplish such a gift on my own but it is not out of reach if we work together. Please take the time to read this blog post. And the five minutes out of your day to give her a gift that won’t cost you anything but could give her a future. Please repost and spread the word

You can click HERE to get to Amber's blog (greenawaltfamilylife.blogspot.com) 

You can become an advocate for Mitochondrial Disease Funding by go HERE

Every 30 minutes a child is born that will develop a Mitochondrial Disease by age 10; that’s 1 in 4000 children!

Please help in finding a cure.

Thank you for your support.

Stay Tuned...

A June summary coming soon!  I have been painting, cleaning, going to play group, playing outside, playing in the pool, playing in water, staying cool watching Toy Story 1 and 2 over and over and over to prepare ourselves for Toy Story 3, I am thinking of going as Jessie along with my little Woody and Buzz - you know we are so dressing up!  Really just enjoying summer time with the boys and my husband when he is home.  He has been working loooong hours as World Cup is going on.  Off to bed, another busy, fun day tomorrow:)!

Nicknames

As Logan became a chunk as a baby, the name Bubby began to stick as a nick name.  Funny thing is that we called my brother Michael Bubby also.  He was a chunk too.  So its only fitting that Logan is called Bubby.  I now shorten it to Bub or Bubs.  

Austin was little when he was born and I just started calling him Little Bit.  Then it went to Bits and Pieces of Love and then just Bits.  My mom calls him that also.  Even though he is big now we still refer to him as Bits.  Logan will ONLY call Austin Bitsy or Bits.  Thats it.  I love it.  It is sweet to hear him nicknaming his brother.  I had a friend who called her brother Bits and she probably still does!  So we have a Bubby and Bits or Bitsy.  Have you nicknamed your children or have others nicknamed them?  Please share!

Growing up my nickname was Wallie and my brother Ryan's nickname was Bud.  I don't remember why.  It may have to do with a game we played as a family.  More to come on that.  Thank goodness it didn't stick.  Brian calls me Meg, unless he is angry then its Meaghan.  I call him Brian, unless I am angry then its HARRIS!  His friends call him BHarris or Sexual (and there won't be more to come on that).  

Napping Boys

I took this picture late November 2008; Austin was almost 2 months old and Logan was Austin's age now - 19 months!

I snapped this picture last weekend.  The boys had slept over at Brian's parents the night before and were so sleepy from all their fun that they passed out in OUR bed when they got home at 11am.  It was really sweet and cute.  Now Logan is 3 and Austin is almost 19 months.

Babies stay babies - I blink and the next milestone is taking place.  Daddy said that this is the process of letting go.  Lets just slow it down a little...