Separation Anxiety...Blah

We have been back from Florida for about a week and a half now. I want to go back:) It is kind of funny...I thought after a nice, relaxing week, I would be ready to go. I honestly feel like life is already getting to be too much again:) I blame it all on my pregnancy hormones. I am unbalanced:) Thank God for husband! He is seriously the most amazing person ever.
On another note, I need some momma advice. It seems that my 3 year old daughter is having a little separation anxiety. I am thinking that it is from us leaving her for a whole week. Every morning I am leave for work almost in tears myself. The first thing she does when she opens her eyes each morning is beg me to stay in bed with her and not leave her. She asks for about 10 kisses from Nic before he walks out the door, freaks out when he goes to get in the shower thinking he left without saying goodbye. The entire time I am getting ready each morning, she cries and cries for me not to leave. Then before I leave she asks if I am coming back after work. It breaks my heart into a million pieces each time. All I want to do is just call in to work and tell them I quit. But I obviously can't do that. I know that she is totally fine within 5 minutes after me leaving, but it still tears me apart. This has also caused nighttime to be totally restless. The first week we were home she would wake up several times a night to make sure we were still there and it was almost like she wasn't sleeping at all. We finally put her in the play yard in our room just so she would get some sleep (as well as Nic and I). I know that is a total no-no, but we are at a loss. We have been struggling with her sleeping ever since her night terrors months ago and now it is just getting worse.
Colt, on the other hand, is a dream baby when it comes to sleeping. He goes to bed around 7:30, sleeps through the night, and takes about 2-3 hour naps. Part of that is because he runs himself rugged until he wears himself out. What a little ball of energy he is. I love that little boy...he lights up any room with his huge smile. I seriously can't believe he is going to be 2 on Saturday. That seems so crazy to me. He is growing up so fast, I just want to freeze time. I will write an update on him later when I write his birthday letter.
As for Easton, I am already absolutely in love with the little man. This is my favorite part of pregnancy (besides the hormone thing). I am feeling him move quite often, mostly in the mornings and nights while laying in bed. I have felt so good this trimester and am so thankful for this burst of energy. I am now a little over halfway through my pregnancy, which is crazy to even think about. Hayden and Colt still love kissing my belly and talking to Easton. It melts my heart when they do that. I can't wait to watch Easton join in playing with Hayden and Colt.
Well, that is my little update right now...hopefully I will be able to get on here before another full week goes by...maybe:)
Hope you all have a great rest of the week!

Blog, I have missed you fiercely!

Well, hello there dear blog. Sorry it's been so long! I've missed you like a fat kid misses his ho ho's.  I am seriously starting to have anxiety attacks when something happens in this crazy life and I can't record it right away! 

These last 2 weeks have been so unbelievably beautiful that we have been spending almost every free second outside relishing in the warmth. We have been taking walks down to the creek, drawing with chalk, swinging, eating meals outside, and have even been playing with the water table. Along with all of this beautiful baths has come multiple baths per day:) I am telling you, these babies LOVE to get dirty. I don't know how long this amazing weather will last, but I am so thankful for what it has done for my soul. It has been so refreshing for me. 

Hayden had her 2nd dentist appointment this past Monday, the 19th. The Dr. did a simple checkup and Hayden did perfectly for him. I was so proud of my baby girl! She received a little bag with a new Cinderella toothbrush, toothpaste, and a special prize from the treasure chest. She was very proud of her little bag and asked if we could go see Poppy at his office and show him her goodies. His office was right down the road so I went ahead and took her. 

On the way home, I I kept glancing in the rearview mirror and just kept thanking God for my little princess. We have had a lot of one-on-one time together recently and I have treasured each of those times. It is such a special thing to spend time with each of my children one-on-one because I feel I can give my complete attention to that child. These times also remind me how fast time goes and how my babies aren't babies anymore. They are both so different from each other and so special. I wish time would freeze sometimes just so I can hold my children forever and protect them. I love them so much that sometimes my heart hurts. I don't want to think about the trials and the tears that they will come to in the future. It scares me and kills me to even think of one of them being hurt. 

On another note, we have switched the children's rooms and both the kids love their new rooms. They have been sleeping so well that I don't know why we didn't do this before:) Here are a few pictures of the past few weeks:

 16 Weeks

On the way to the dentist

So proud of her goodies from the dentist:)

Heart Day

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. I always love that day. It is just a special day all around...a day to celebrate the ones that we love. This year was no different. I was a little sad to get up and go to work, but oh well:)
It actually turned into a special day at school with hugs from children and a million "Happy Valentine's Day, Mrs. Minder!" I have fallen in love with these kids and loved watching them celebrate this special day.
The night before Valentine's Day I was struggling with morning sickness so we stayed in for the night. It turned out to be a wonderful night making valentine's with the kids and making the annual mini heart cakes. Once again, the camera is not here with me. I am failing with the pics...sorry folks.
Ok, back to V-Day...Nic took me to a wonderful dinner at Chubby Trout. I was a little skeptical of the name of the restaurant, but it was some of the best chicken Alfredo I have ever had. We got to take our time and just enjoy each other's company. I wanted to sit there all night and just talk. He then took me to see The Vow. It was a wonderful night and I loved being with my best friend.
I hope you all had a special day as well:)
Here is the video of the baby from last week:

Also, here is a little clip of Hayden making up a song in the car:

Enjoy:)

Out of the Mouth of Babes

Some fun quotes and actions from little Miss Hayden and Mr. Cole Bob worth recording:

*While working out with Nic, "I like this workout! It's awesome!"

*I thought it would be nice and relaxing to take a bath. About 10 minutes into my relaxation Hayden barges in with the most worried face ever, bends over to put her hands on her knees, and says, "Mom, dad is going (then she proceeds to cough). He needs help. He's sick." She came to tell me Nic was throwing up while doing his workout.

*While playing with her dozens of little Mickey and Toy Story figurines, I hear her say, "I love you Story 3. I love you, I love you, I love you. I do."

*Not 5 minutes later I hear, "Bad Mickey. Bad. Bad. Bad. You get a spankin'."

*Hayden has found a real love for working out with Nic. Like, absolutely loves it. She gets upset when its over. 

*The other night I was sick to my stomach. I had to be at the toilet (I know, TMI), so I put the kids in the bath so they weren't running totally loose around the house. Hayden looked my straight in the eyes and said, "mom, you sick? You need your medicine? Your tummy hurting you? Take your medicine." Ha. She has been taking this powdery stuff for her stomach issues so she thought I had the same problem.

*For some reason, she walks around singing, "I shake my booty, I shake my booty." Not sure where she is getting that one.

*The other day I asked Hayden where Bubby was. She replied, "Oh, he is just hidin' so he can poop."

*Colton has been spinning round and round and round until he falls, gets up, falls, gets up, falls, and laughs like crazy.

*He is now saying, "Night night. I love you." Melts my heart.

*Every morning when I go into Colt's room to get him out of the crib, he immediately asks, "Where's daddy?" Then proceeds to run to our room looking for him. If he isn't there, he freaks out.

*Our little man has a fascination with our toilet...not to use it, but to see how many items he can stuff in there in the amount of time Mom or Dad turn their backs. 

*Colt has been talking more and more each day. Some of his favorite things to say is: "Where daddy/sissy go?" "I want milk." "Thank you." "Love you?" "Pease." "I don't wanna." "I go in baftub (bath)." "Basset ball game on." There are many more, my mind is just not remembering at the moment.

Nights like these...

A couple of things to note tonight.

1. After MONTHS of on and off bed times/night time routines, Hayden has been sleeping IN her own bed by HERSELF all night long for the last 3 nights. For her, this has been huge. The first night she cried for an hour and 45 minutes, and then eventually fell asleep. She woke up around 3 but cried herself to sleep again. The last couple nights it has only taken 10-15 minutes to cry it out before she gives up. We have been SOOO proud of her. She is quite proud of herself as well.

2. I finally cleaned our house today...I mean DEEP CLEANED the thing from 10:30 am to 6:00 pm. My friends, I am sore....and disgusted that I have been living in such filth:) Sarah was amazing to come play with the kids for most of the time. They were great. They played in the playroom almost the entire day. It was like they knew the house was that dirty.

3. Tonight was a great night. My parents, grandma, and sisters plus Hali came over for the IU basketball game. Nic had picked up pizza. The kids were quite the entertainment and kept us laughing the entire night. I absolutely loved having my family at our house. It was special to spend that time with my family in my own home. Hayden found a new bf, Hali. She talked her head off most of the night, poor Hali.

 Nic even attempted to curl Hayden's hair

Prayer and Cookies

December 14th- Bake Cookies for a Neighbor

Don't worry, folks...we were done with those cooking utensils did not touch the dough after they touched this little girl's mouth:)

Tomorrow we will take the cookies and have the kids deliver them to our neighbors.

Just wanted to jot some things down so I never forget them. Nic and I have really been working with Hayden about learning who Jesus is. It is hard for a little kid. They don't really understand what we we are talking about with someone they cannot see. We have a little devotional that we read with her at night and we talk about Jesus all the time. I always ask Hayden if what she is doing would make Jesus happy. She has been struggling a bit with acting our in public, and yes, I know she is only 3. But I wanted to start young. We pray a lot and thank Jesus for everything we have and for each other. Because of her late start with talking, she doesn't really say her own prayers, but loves to pray. The problem is, I want her to know who we are talking to when we pray and why we pray.
The other day I read on one of my friends' FB wall about her little girl praying and thanking Jesus for living in her heart. It was very precious. Like I said before, I know Hayden doesn't fully comprehend when we talk about and who He is, but I thought that was a great thing to always talk about. So, the last few days since I read that post, we have been talking about how Jesus is everywhere....that He lives in our hearts. I didn't really know how she would respond to it. Last night I was cuddling with Hayden and asked her if she loved Jesus. She got a huge smile on her face and said, "oh yes! And He loves me too!" I then asked, "who else does He love?" She responded with, "Bubby, and mommy, and daddy." It melted my heart. I am always praying for my children...that they will strive to know God and follow Him. That they will love Him with all their whole hearts and one day when they truly understand what it means to ask Jesus into their hearts, that they will. This is one of my strongest prayers.
Tonight, after we prayed before dinner, I asked Hayden, "where does Jesus live?" I didn't really think she would respond with anything. But to my surprise she said, "in my heart!! And in mommy's heart, and daddy's heart!" Just watching her whole face light up melted my heart. So, Brittany, if you are reading this, please tell Sienna 'thank you' for putting those special words in a way my daughter would understand:)
Speaking of prayer, Colt has finally caught onto praying. He will now fold his hands and say "pray". So, 2 nights ago, we prayed about 20 times during our dinner.
You might ask me why I am so fixated on prayer and helping my kids to learn how to pray. The answer is simple for me. It is a way to communicate with God. It is a way that I can not only bring my worries, fears, etc to Him, but it is a way to thank Him for the many blessings each day and to adore Him. It is a way to stay close to Him.

Ok, so some more things to record...
-Bubby is now saying "socks" and "shoes" clear as day.
-He is also saying, "I luv oooo." Love Love Love that little boy!
-Some other sayings- "I go bassetball game" (he is constantly wanting to watch basketball), "Iss dark out", "Cean up, cean up"
-Hayden told Nic and I tonight she was going to the beach with her boyfriend. We have NO idea where she even came up with this and let's just say Nic wasn't too thrilled about this piece of information.

Santa and Pierced Ears!

So it's Monday again...I just can't seem to keep up with this blog as much as I would like to. Maybe it is the crazy life we lead hear at the Minder household...or maybe just my laziness:) Anyways, we are now into December, which means almost every weekend is filled up, every night filled with Christmas movies (well, most), and lots of family time. This is my favorite month of the year. Sometimes it is a little overwhelming, but still, it is my favorite.
One thing that we did when Hayden was first born was take her to see Santa. Even though she could care less about the whole thing, we took her any way to get a picture of her and Santa. Last year we just never got to the mall and just didn't ever think about it. Then Christmas was over and I had wished we would have gone to take the kids. Sooooo...this year I was adamant about taking the kids and get their picture. We decided we were going to take the kids to the fire department for Breakfast with Santa on Saturday morning. However, I didn't expect every family from Elkhart County to go as well:) While we did get some yummy breakfast, we didn't get the chance to see Santa. Well, we just didn't want to wait in the mile long line with 2 kids in a crowded place with winter coats and all. We packed the kids up and decided to go home. On our way home we decided to try the mall to see if it was crowded. To our surprise we were the only ones in line to see Santa. The kids LOVED it:)

As we were leaving, I was joking as we went by Claire's in by saying, "Hayden, do you want to get your ears pierced?" I knew that Nic would say 'no' and would put his foot down. "Yes, mom!! I want ears like yours!" Oops! Didn't expect that AT ALL. Even more, I was SHOCKED when I heard Nic's reply. "Are you sure Hayden?" Well, she loves her new ears, even after "the lady cut my ear off" and "my ear is falling off" comments. She was a champ and only cried for about 30 seconds.

That night we went to Bethlehem Live at the Crossroads church. We were excited for the kids to experience it. However, the 2 1/2 hour wait was a little much. The good thing was they had worship music going on for those who waited. I brought the camera but left it in the car:)
All in all, it was a great weekend with the little fam. The kids are back to their usual selves, which has been such a blessing.

Our Life

This past week has been a struggle for Nic and I and the kids....all because of sickness. Hayden and Colt have both had nasty colds and Colt has had another ear infection. I can't tell you the difference between him tonight from him the other night when he was in pain. So much more pleasant:) He is back to his happy, flirty, funny self. Hayden is also feeling MUCH better, thank the Lord. Nic and I, on the other hand, are almost over the worst part of our colds, popping vitamins and medicine like it's our jobs. I just wanted to record a couple of incidences from the past week so I can look back on them when the kids are older and congratulate myself for making it through this time in our lives:) Hehe! Here we go:

*As we were watching a football game the other night, Nic was yelling at the TV (he still thinks the players can here him through the television). All of the sudden, we heard, "Pass the ball, dang it!" It was Hayden. Apparently we need to seriously monitor what we say.
*Hayden has been having a hard time going to the bathroom and has been taking medicine to help everything go smoother, if you get my drift. Well, last night after going #2 in the toilet, she looked at it and before I could flush it, she said, "no, I wanna show daddy. It's big." Awesome. She is her father's daughter.
*Colton has learned how to tackle. And by that I mean he full out will take Hayden out in a blink of an eye. He has learned to play at the same level as his big sister. The other day Hayden was yelling, "NO BUBBY!" in her whiny voice, so I just assumed she wasn't sharing with him. After calling out, "Hayden, you need to share" over and over, I finally went in the other room to see what was going on. Colt had grabbed Hayden's head from behind and was on top of her and wouldn't let her move. He was smiling. She was not.
*Tonight I was sitting on the bean bag playing with Colt and Hayden. All of the sudden I looked up to see Colt running at me in full force and before I could stop him, his head went into my face. He smiled. I had tears in my eyes and have a fat lip.
*The other day Colt kept crying and crying in his crib. I waited and waited, thinking he would eventually just fall asleep. After 30 minutes of crying, I figured maybe he really did need something. He did. His legs were stuck in slits of the crib. Mom of the year award right here, folks.
*Colt didn't sleep for 2 nights in a row. He was up every 1/2 hour. He slept the next night. Hayden didn't sleep the next 2 nights. We will see what happens tonight. I'm tired...Nic's tired. We will get through this stage of life with 2 small children, right? Word of wisdom: DO NOT take "drowsy" medicine if you think there is ANY chance your child might not sleep that night. Not cool.
*Hayden thought she would potty train Colt one night this week by taking him to the little potty and take his diaper off. It was full of poop. Potty training failed Hayden that night...as well as our floor.
*On a sweeter note, the other night I was in a lot of pain due to my monthly issues (ladies, you understand, I'm sure), and I was bent over on the floor almost in tears when Hayden started rubbing my back. For those of you who know my little Hayden, sympathy isn't one of her strong suits:) She looked at me and said, "Mommy, you ok? Daddy will take care of you when he gets home." Such a sweet moment.
*Tonight Hayden was climbing on Nic when he looked at her and asked, "Did you poop in your pants?"  Hayden replied, "Noooooooooooo. I beep beeped." Again, her father's child:)

So, as I read through this, I realized there is a lot of personal information about my children's bodily functions...I apologize....kind of.

Through all of this, I can honestly say I wouldn't trade a moment of this for anything. This is our life. It's crazy. It's loud. It's messy. It's full of parental mistakes. I learn every day. It's so worth every second. I love it all.

Moments like these...

Tonight I had one of those moments...one of those moments that take my breath away...one of those moments that I just want to pause and remember that feeling forever. Hayden and I have been forming our own little routines, if you would say. I am really loving this stage that she is in because it is like she is my little friend. Yes, there are fits, but then there are those times that you just can't believe that she is a little person because her heart is so big. One of our special routines is we have been popping popcorn and then cuddling on the couch to watch Dancing with the Stars (don't judge me...she loves it). Tonight we were getting all ready and of course, she gets really excited to do this, she looks up at me and says, "I like this, momma."Man, talk about a precious moment. "I do too, sweetie, I do too." We continue to snuggle and laugh together while we eat. She of course holds the popcorn, allowing me to have one piece at a time. I just breathe in the moment.

Then, as we watch our show, she looks at me with questioning eyes and says, "mom, that's my dress." She points to the dancer on the screen and I have NO idea what she is talking about. She then gets up, goes into her play room, and comes out looking like this: (for some reason my computer won't let me rotate the pic:( )

I love this little girl more than words can say...or write:) 

Blog Block...again

I gotta be honest...I am finding it harder and harder to figure out what to blog about. I think my thoughts go in and out of my head as fast as I can blink:) I think it is just the lack of time to actually sit my booty down and just be left alone with my thoughts?! Ha...alone...I wonder what that means:) I don't have much time to myself, and therefore don't have the time I used to to just blog.
Soooo...because I have nothing really interesting to tell ya, here are some things we have been up to:
*We finally saw the doctor and have talked about possibilities to Hayden's accidents. Praise the Lord there is no infection, just needs some medicine to clear her out:) She is now 38 inches (75%) and 31 pounds (50%). The nurse even took her blood pressure (something they start at three years of age) which was normal. She sat very still as the doctor examined her. I was so proud of her! The doctor said she looked perfect and is growing beautifully! I walked away thanking God for her health and growth.
*I think we are finally over all the sickness...PRAISE THE LORD! The kids are back to themselves, which makes my heart happy. I have never seen these kids that sick before and it completely broke my heart. I did like all the cuddling though!!

*Nic and I have joined a gym...hehe. Time to get my booty into shape! I have to admit, I really enjoy working out WITH Nic. We took our first cycling class...oh dear...I am pretty sure if there were cameras in there someone could turn the video in for America's Funniest Videos. BUT, we will improve! Cause I am telling you right now, there is no way we could do any worse! (I am pretty sure I mentioned this in the last post, but I am pretty sure I am too lazy to check!)
*It is getting dark here VERY early. I swear it is 9:30 when it is only 5:30! Thankfully, the kids are finally adjusting to the time change and are back to sleeping a normal schedule.
*We had our first snow of the year....very mixed emotions. The kids at school were SO excited and I LOVED watching their eyes light up! It was even better watching my own kids running around and trying to eat the snow:) Hayden kept saying, "I wanna eat the snow, mom." Oh to be a kid again:) Wait, who am I kidding, I still like eating the snow too:) Of course the clean snow.

*Nic has been home a lot more since soccer and football are over...and I LOVE it!
*I have been really trying not to struggle about the fact I keep getting invites for play dates and other things of the like...it is still a sore subject for me. But, I am thankful for God placing me in a work environment that I enjoy. I pray every day that God will use me in a way that would please Him and use me in a way that would make a difference in the students that I come in contact with. But it still stings when I know that I won't be able to participate with different things that I would be able to if I were still at home.
*Our house smells like Christmas right now. I love, love, love it. I seriously cannot wait until the day we get to decorate for Christmas....and listen to Christmas music:)
*I get to see my sisters in a couple of weeks to celebrate Thanksgiving. We get to be surrounded by family and I am stoked. SOOOO much to be thankful for! Oh, and my mouth is watering already!
*I stayed up until 1:30 last night...well...this morning. Latest I have been up for a long time. And I blame Tara Spivey for it:) J/K...Nic was working so I packed up the kids and camped out at her house and helped her get ready for her booth at the Farmer's Market. Ok, ok, so maybe I distracted a little more than helped but still...it was a good time.
*This little bullet is a little random, but tonight we had some friends over and we stopped and got pizza. Nic came out of with pizza to which Hayden said, "you got 4 pizzas, dad." Nic and I stopped what we were doing and just looked at each other. Folks, she can't tell you she is 3, but she can count the number of pizza boxes. And yes, there were four boxes:) Made us laugh.
*Hayden is back to not sleeping in her room. She has been sleeping on the couch. It is not our room and she is sleeping, so I guess that's ok?
In case you were wondering, I have been jotting down the things I am thankful for, so here is the updated list. I know, I know...you were worried:)
Thursday: Today I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful that they see my faults and insecurities and love me anyways. I am thankful for the laughs, the tears, and everything in between.
Friday: Today I am thankful for Pay Day. I am thankful for God providing. I am also thankful for all the sinkin' food that people bring in on these days. Doesn't help with the whole 'losing weight' thing, but it sure is good.
Saturday: Today I am thankful for my siblings and sibling-in-laws. I am thankful for unbreakable friendship. I am thankful for God blessing me with such amazing siblings. I miss them greatly and wish we were all in the same area again. They are my bestest friends in the universe:)

Isn't God good? Yes, yes He is:)

Start the Working Out!

Sunday: Today I am thankful for my husband. I am thankful for his partnership and his love. I am thankful that he knew I got no sleep last night because of Colton's sickness and told me to go back to bed for a couple of hours. 

Monday: Today I am thankful for my job. Although I would stay home in a heartbeat with my children, I am thankful for God placing me in a place where I feel like I belong. I am thankful for the staff I work with and the children I get to see every day.

Tuesday: Today I am thankful for my dad. I am thankful for his support and for his love. I am thankful that I can call him at anytime day or night without him getting too annoyed:)

Wednesday: Today I am thankful for my mom. I am thankful for her wisdom and for her encouragement. I am thankful that I don't have to worry about my kids today because they are with her. 

Ok, so on a side note...

Hubby and I are now working out. We did our first spin class today in which I was dominated. It was fun though to be doing it with Nic:)

Do you ever have one of those moments where you are listening to your children laugh hysterically about nothing and you wish that moment could last a lifetime? I had put the children in the bath tub after dinner and they laughed the entire time. They each took turns trying to blow bubbles in the water (disgusting if you ask me) and just laughed and laughed. It made my heart melt. I absolutely love that sound. God knew I needed to hear that sound. 

Giving Thanks

As we all know, it is NOVEMBER. It is my favorite time of the year by far. Leaves are falling, the pumpkin spice and Christmas tree scents are out, sweaters are being pulled out as well as boots, Christmas songs are playing on the radio (even in the grocery store), and everyone is just in a jolly mood all around.

But the biggest reason I look forward to these next 2 months is because I know it I will be surrounded by family. I know that my sisters will be coming home and we will be able to talk, laugh, play games, watch movies, etc...(Adam and Jamie...this is me BEGGING you to come home!!!). I have said it time and time again, my family members are truly my best friends. It kills me that they aren't like 20 minutes from me anymore. Anyways, back to the whole time of year thing. 

Thanksgiving is coming up this month. As I look over this past year, there are more reasons than I can count to be thankful to God.  

As Colton was laying in my arms tonight after being sick all evening, I kept staring at his precious face. I took turns watching him sleep (and throw up...but we don't need to go there) and watching Hayden as she played on the floor. I couldn't help but truly feel thankful and overwhelmed for what God has entrusted me with. Sometimes it hurts so much to think about the love I have for my children. If you are a parent, you know the feeling. Now that my babies aren't so much 'babies' anymore, I often miss just holding them. Not just holding them to walk in and out of the store, but actually hold them in my arms...to really wrap may arms around them and just love on them. If you know my children, you know they do not sit still...at all. This past week Hayden had the flu...and unfortunately Colt caught it and is now sick. It is such an awful feeling to watch my children so sick, not being able to do a thing for them. But out of all this sickness, this momma got to hold her children again like when they were babies. I got to care for them and rub their backs and sing "Jesus Loves Me" a million times until their eyelids closed. I got to breathe in their scents. I got to rock them and feel their heat against my skin. Even after they were asleep for some time, I still just held them. I felt needed. I felt my arms full again. I felt blessed.   

Today, I am thankful for the opportunity to hold my children in my arms. 

Loving and Learning

Things I have been loving recently...
*The way Colton puts his arm around my neck so he can get even closer to me
*Pay-day breakfast at school-seriously AMAZING!
*The way Hayden runs as fast as she can and climbs up on the counter when I say, "It's bake night!"
*Colt running into my arms when I walk into the door
*Watching movies with Nic when the kids go to bed
*Waking up only to realize I can sleep for another hour:)
*The way Hayden and Colt are becoming great friends...well...besides when he full on tackles her
*The thought of the Thanksgiving and Christmas season coming up
*Watching Colt and Nic play catch EVERY day after work for 30 minutes straight
*Watching Friends on the computer while Nic watches his sports
*How loud our family dinners are:)
*The way Colt is always asking, "Where daddy go?"
*How cuddly Hayden has been recently...doesn't happen often
*The way Colt shows off to people by being a complete ham

*Jean Fridays at school
*Evening time with Hayden...she loves the one-on-one attention
*Having a daily routine

Those are just some of the things that have had my heart smiling recently. There are many more, but we would be here all night:)
Tonight Nic had to do security at the football game, so it was just me and my babies. After throwing all the different balls back and forth with Colt, chasing him all around the house just to hear him giggle, snuggling with Hayden, putting Colt down for bed, I got out some paper and markers for Hayden. She is such a busy little bee that when I try to do anything academic, she totally ignores me and goes about her business. She is just not interested. It makes me laugh sometimes at the fact that I taught 3 years and am back in the schools that I can not get my daughter to want to start learning letters, or learn anything that has to do with colors, numbers, etc...  So I thought maybe if I had glue (which she never gets to use) I could coax her to learn as she does a craft with the glue. Worked like magic! We worked on the letter 'A' and then she wanted to do 'B'.

So proud of my little girl! She enjoyed it so much:)

Catching Up

Fall Break has come and gone...it was a wonderful 4 days at home with my family. The best part of the break was that we didn't really even do that much:) It was wonderful. It was fast. We did, however, celebrate Hayden's third birthday (for the second weekend in a row) on her actual birthday.

 We let her go pick some things out at the store with her b-day money...and she chose the above:)

 Bubby wasn't thrilled

 This is me not having a daughter that would cooperate:)

Seriously can't believe that she is 3 already. It seems like she has just grown so much in the past couple of months.

Even though we had a relaxing weekend, it didn't end quite the way we thought it would. Nic and I were so proud that we got the kids to bed early Sunday night and then got ourselves into bed at a decent time for once. I thought to myself, "wow, we are starting off the week with a good night's sleep." WRONG. Not 30 minutes after we got to bed did we hear a sounds that isn't pleasant. It was the sound of our 3 year old puking ALL OVER HER ROOM. And friends, this is no 'spit up' anymore. I am SO thankful that Nic was home. He took over like a champ when I almost got sick myself by just the smell. I know, I know...this isn't all that fun to read:) So as he cleaned up, I got Hayden into the bath. That was only the beginning of the night. Our "early" night turned into the longest night that I can remember. Again, I can't thank God enough for the husband he gave me. We both were out on the couch with Hayden until about 1:30 when Hayden FINALLY stopped getting sick and fell asleep for good. Nic timed how long it was in between her getting sick. It was 15 minutes...on the dot...every.single.time. I know you wanted that detail:)
Nic decided he would stay home with her in case she needed to go to the doctor. I am telling you, whatta dad. He not only took care of both the kids ALL day, he did laundry AND cleaned the house.
Yesterday was Halloween, of course. We were supposed to go with our best friends and take our kids around together, but because 2 of the 4 kids were sick, we decided it wouldn't be the best idea. So, after dinner, we thought we could still dress Bubby up and walk him to a couple of houses. When Hayden saw him dressing up, she wanted to too. She was supposed to go as Minnie Mouse, but she wanted to go as Tigger instead since it would be warmer....and it had a "head". She was feeling a little better, so we thought it couldn't hurt. We only stayed out for about 15-20 minutes, but the kids loved it. They walked up to the doors and thought it was the coolest thing ever. The pictures below aren't the greatest, but you get the picture:)

Happy November!!