Play-Doh

Patrick's Play-Doh Creation

So, I have decided that the $20 Play-Doh Create n' Canister might just be the best purchase of the summer!! The boys absolutely LOVE to sit outside at their picnic table and play with play-doh- for hours!!! As you can see, we no longer have any play-doh that is a single color. It is now multi-colored play-doh and Patrick always says, "Momma, look at all the colors! Lots of colors, Momma!!!" Whatever makes them happy...

By the way, these pictures make it look as if they play so nicely together with their play-doh. Don't worry, they don't. They fight over every little play-doh toy and totally freak out if the other touches one of their perfect little creations- which include all shapes, snakes (and lots of them!) lizards, balls, and a whole bunch of other things that I am expected to recognize at first sight!! Yup, I'll admit that most of the creations are somewhat diffucult to recognize. I guess I just don't have the imagination of a toddler.

The Flying Pig Marathon

Momma after the Flying Pig 1/2 Marathon

Momma and her baby boys :)

Patrick playing in the big potty at the race expo

Marshall and Daddy testing out the big potty

Well, IT is finally over!!! By IT I mean the Cincinnati Flying Pig Marathon. Back in the fall, shortly after Graham was born, I set the goal of running The Pig 1/2 Marathon on May 3,2009. I had many people support me and I also had those that recommended I do the 10K instead, as the half was a huge commitment, both physically and in time. Well, I took all the advice I was given and trained for the half. I joined the Bob Roncker's Running Spot training group and started running with hundreds of other runners every Tuesday evening and Saturday morning. We ran in ice, below zero windchills, snow, rain and every other weather situation imaginable! It was an absolutely amazing experience and I met some really fanstatic people that I hope to continue to run with. Training for this race really made me respect and appreciate what I am capable of, mentally and physically. I think the hardest thing to overcome was the mental aspect! Sometimes it's hard to wrap your brain around the fact that you ran 17 miles. (The longest run I've done to date. Totally by accident, as me and two other runners got lost on our route!) I also must thank Robert, and thank him A LOT! He stayed home with the boys on those long Saturday mornings while I was out running around town (literally.) And, all the boys tolerated me after our longer runs when I was tired and crabby. And, yes, I do admit that I become slightly irritable when worn down. (Some ie. Robert would probably argue that I become EXTREMELY irritable, but oh well.) But, the big day is over now and I am pondering what my next running goal will be. The full Pig next year (or the Whole Hog as they call it!) or the half again? Working and coaching with Girls on the Run? Who knows! I'm sure I will enjoy whatever I decide to do and the boys will, too. They seemed to have a lot of fun coming to watch Momma cross the finish line at The Pig. Nonny and GanGan were in town for a visit which made the logistics of getting all three boys downtown possible. Patrick, Marshall and Graham had a super fun weekend with Nonny, GanGan and the Pig!

More Adventures in Bathing

Last night we had another memorable bath. Picture this...Graham sitting, splashing in his little bath seat. Happy as can be. Marshall trying desperately to stick/hang a cup on his penis. Patrick sitting, looking between his legs while tooting and laughing hysterically at the bubbles he is making in the tub. Oh, how I love little boys. I've been told this is only the beginning...

Baby Graham

Graham is taking his first real steps these days!!!!! On Friday he went 5 steps and today he walked about three feet. Go Grammy :) He still looks like Frankenstein when he tries to walk, but it's so cute! It won't be long before he's running with the big boys. And, Graham won his first "fight" with one of his brothers. Last night Graham got ahold of Marshall's sippy cup and started to go to town. Marshall heard him and came running to grap the cup back. Graham held on tight, pulled the cup towards his middle and made loud grunt/growl noises. Marshall backed down after 30sec or so. It was too funny! Graham is definitely learning how to hold his own. And, I'm going to try to get a pic of his trying to walk soon.

The "Naughty Spot" and Why I Dress My Boys Alike...

....No, the two are not related! Well, yet anyway. But, the Naughty Spot (aka Time Out) has been somewhat effective for Patrick. If I tell him to go there he will sit at the bottom of the stairs, wait until I tell him he can leave and then go apologize for hitting, pushing, yelling, etc...However, this is not the case for Marshall. I'm hoping maybe he's just a little too young, but I have a strong feeling it's just his personality! Last night at dinner he was beating Graham over the head with his silverware. I told him to stop several times and then threatening the Naughty Spot. Well, he did it again so off the the bottom of the stairs he went!!! He sat at the bottom of the stairs laughing hysterically at me. It was infuriating! He would get up every few seconds and look for me and smile and laugh once I told him to go back. I think I may know why some people just beat their kids instead of wasting time the the whole Time Out thing! Oh well. I'll keep trying.

Now, on to why I dress my boys alike. People ALWAYS ask me this! First, it is much easier to spot my boys in a group of children when they are dressed alike. I just look for three of the same outfit! Second, I have to admit I think it's cute :) I don't get to by nice little dresses, so I have fun making them match and letting them have the cool "messy" gelled hair look on occasion. And lastly, they expect it now. Last night I had one set of pj's with cars and one set with footballs. As I started to dress Marshall, Patrick flipped out saying he wanted the car pj's. Then, Marshall went crazy b/c he wanted to keep the car pj's. So, I ended up appeasing them both by letting one wear the car top and football bottoms and vice versa. Problem solved, sort of. They still bickered for a short while over wanting the other's top or bottoms. And, this morning we had the same issue. I got out polos that were similar, just different colors, and they went crazy because they both just HAD to wear the yellow one!! UGGHHH....I can't win. And, I hate to spend a ton of money on multiple clothes of the same size now that Patrick and Marshall can both wear a 3T. I figure it will just get more interesting as time goes by, espeically when Graham decides he wants to be choosy about his clothes, too!

Adventures in Bathing

Last night we had an interesting bath tub experience. Natalie (our sitter) was giving the three boys a bath while I put away laundry and talked to my dear friend in Japan, Dulce, on the phone and Robert was grilling out burgers. All of the sudden Natalie calls for me saying that "we have a problem." I come in the bathroom to discover that Marshall has pooped in the tub. YUCK! It was not a nice floaty one, either. So, while she is trying to diaper 'poopenstein' and I am wondering what to do about the poop, Patrick keeps lifting up the toilet lid and I keep telling him to stay out of the potty. Finally, I look over to see that Patrick has lifted the lid to the toilet and is actually peeing in the potty while Graham is playing in the stream of pee. Wonderful. But, at least Patrick took the initiative to pee in the potty, right?! So, I got everyone disinfected and ended up soaking the bathtub in bleach overnite. It looks pretty shiny and clean today :) I have also been informed by several moms that once your child gets that nice, warm, relaxed sensation of pooping in the tub, it is likely to happen again. I really hope not!!!

And, not only did the boys end the day with a small disater, they decided to start today with another! As in a previous post, I do trust them too much, I know this. This morning I walked upstairs to get clothes for all three and came down to an erie kind of quiet. You other moms know what I'm talking about. That oh-no-what-did-they-do kind of quiet!! Well, they had gotten in my gym bag, removed my make-up bag and were in the corner of the playroom with the french door shut pouring out all of my liquid foundation on the berber carpet. It is not cleaning up so well, either. But, I tell myself that these are the crazy days I will miss when they all go off to college. Maybe I'll miss them, I'm not totally convinced yet! I figure the H-E-double hockey stick they put you through in high school will make me more than happy to drop them off at college their freshmean year! :)

Note: the picture of little Grammy in the tub is courtesy of Tricia Hackney with Get the Picture Photography. She did my maternity photos and is doing Graham's first year photos. LOVE her!! So fun to work with and my pics turn out super cute. Check her out www.triciahackney.com :)

Has it been THAT long?????

Today is our five year wedding anniversary!!! HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO US!!!!! It's been an amazing five years. We got engaged in October 2003, married on April 24, 2004, bought our house in July 2004, moved to Cincinnati in August 2004, welcomed baby Patrick on 08/01/06, welcomed baby Marshall on 07/02/07 and welcomed baby Graham on 08/11/08. Wow!!! We've been a busy couple! It has been five years, but it still kind of seems like just yesterday. We have had great times, less than great times and absolutely amazing times, too. I truly look forward to many, many, many more "milestone" anniversaries with my amazing husband. We are such a blessed family and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for us!

We just got engaged! Robert got down on one knee and proposed on the rooftop of the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. I was so surprised and excited that he had to remind me to actually look at the ring!

On our honeymoon in Aruba. Such a wonderful, much needed vacation!

After our wedding ceremony in the bride and groom room of the Brooks Museum of Art in Memphis. Such a fun night!!!! We were so blessed to be able to be married in front of 300+ of our greatest friends and family! This is the only digital picture of that night I could find on my computer. The camera this was taken with is long past its prime!