Sunday, January 29, 2012

Wooohooo, this will be two posts two weeks in a row.  However, there is not much to report about.  It was a pretty basic week.  We did actually get snow that is staying on the ground for like the first time this week.  The deadline for the ISP applications was this last week...did I mention that I hate waiting to hear about things like this.  My mind just plays all these what if's.  But what Stephen didn't tell me until just the other day is that they pick who they are going to interview based on test results.  He had to take 2 tests, each containing 100 questions, and he had 45 minutes to complete each of them, and he got a 100% on each one, so there is no reason why he should not be selected for an interview which makes it all the more nerve racking.  I am so grateful for family though, so it would be so hard to move if that is what we are faced with.  We live around the best family.  Just the other night last second my nieces and Enid agreed to babysit for me on a Friday night, and they were at my house til after 1am, and there were no complaints.  And Stephen's mom is always there for us when we need her, I just don't know if we could leave that behind.  Anyway, I guess we will burn that bridge when we get there. 

Riley is such a stinker.  He has started blaming things on other people for things he did.  When I tell him that I just saw him do it, he still denies it.  "I didn't do it mom, daddy did".  Or he's even blamed things on me when he just got done doing something I saw him do, "you did this mom, you made this mess"  Then when we try to get him to clean it up he says really sweetly "i sorry, I didn't mean to"..."that's ok buddy, but you still need to help clean it up..."I love you" and he gives us a hug..."i love you too but you still need to help clean up..."i sorry, I love you"...Man what a manipulator he is, any thing to get out of cleaning up a mess.  But it is pretty sweet at the same time.  I bought him toy story 3 this week for my own sanity of watching the same shows over and over again, and I'm already ready to buy another movie.  I made cookies the other night for the girls while they were here babysitting and I think they might have gotten a couple of them, Riley ate pretty much all of them before they got here. 

Bailey sure has developed quite the personality, she definately lets you know what she wants and does not want.  She is cutting teeth , and is always chewing on things to try and find relief.  Any day now and we'll have little white teeth popping up.  It's really cute, she knows the word "kisses".  I say it and then go to give her kisses and she will stick her tongue out to try and give you kisses.  She can eat her weight in mac and cheese or alfredo noodles.  She hasn't been into her baby food the last few weeks, she just wants the real deal.  I took them to arctic circle the other night so Riley could play, and they give complementary ice cream cones, and Bailey ate all of hers including the cone, and Riley only eats the ice cream on top, and so she almost finished his too.  No one has to worry about this girl not eating.  She loves to clap, and play patty cake.  She loves peak a boo, and can do it by herself with a blanket.  She pulls it in front of her face, and pulls it down really quick.  It is so fun to see them learn and grow, and develop. 

Monday, January 23, 2012

Well, as usual, I'm playing catch up for a month.  But to start off with we had a great Christmas.  The week of Christmas not so great.  I had  a mile long list of things to do, and I was scheduled to work everyday that week, and then Riley started throwing up, then I got it the next day and had to call into work, and then Stephen got it the next day, and then there I was Christmas Eve with hardly anything marked off of my list, and my house a disaster.  We were able to celebrate Christmas healthy though so that was good.  We went to Stephen's brothers house on Christmas Eve and celebrated with his family.  We had a yummy breakfast, and exchanged presents.  Then that night Stephen went to Clayton's and played video games while Alyssa helped me wrap all of the presents from Santa.  In the morning we opened presents and Stephen's parents came over to watch the kids open their presents.  They really did get spoiled.  Some of the things Riley got was a bike from nana and papa, coloring books and a cute church pouch for crayons that Val made him, a sit and spin from Enid, from santa he got Cars 2, car racing set, an indoor tent, and a dual screen tv for the car.  Bailey got well lots of baby toys that light up, a walker type thing for when she starts walking, a teddy bear, cute accessories for her hair and a bracelet from Enid.  We had dinner with Enid, and exchanged presents, and my brother Jeff came and stayed with us for a week and a half which was fun to have him around.  Then for new years my sisters Dalene and Ingrid came with their families to drop the girls off for college.  It's always a packed house, but we enjoy it.  We just wish we had more room to accomodate everyone better.  We just did a lot of eating, and visiting, and playing games/puzzles.  Not much by the way of excitement has happened recently.
I started the gym last week with Enid.  I went to bunco with her the other week and one of the ladies that plays works for world's gym and I asked her what kind of deal she can get us and she said she cold waive the enrollment fee, so we signed up.  I was able to workout five days this last week, and now I don't have to feel guilty this week while I watch the biggest loser.  I've had to go to the chiropractor several times this last month, and it is feeling much better, I'm actually able to play with my kids, and pick them up without cringing with pain.  I have a goal to lose 48lbs by the end of July.  It's gonna be hard, but very doable. We are looking to refinance, and are in the process of putting all the paper work together to get that done here in the next couple of weeks.  The frustrating part is that out loan isn't backed up by Frannie Mae or Freddie Mac, so we don't qualify for the great deals that are out there right now, but we do have a couple of options, so that's good.
It is nice to have Stephen out of school for a little break, but now his shifts are always changing which sucks, but we do see him a little more these days.  He applied to the ISP, and the position closes here in three days.  I hate waiting to find things out. He put his application in about a month ago, but we should find out here in a couple of weeks if he goes in for an interview and physical test, so Stephen has been working out trying to prepare for that.  The hard thing about this is that you don't get to decide where you work, they just place you where they need you.  I've always said I don't want to stay in Rexburg, and I don't want to raise my kids here in the mormonville bubble, but thinking about possibly moving away really scares me, and I don't want to do it.  Stephen would still go to school, just transfer somewhere else, and he would make enough that I wouldn't have to work, but we shall see, I just don't like waiting to find out.
Oh my goodness, my little boy.  I don't even know how to begin.  All he wants to do is play with cars.  He is starting to have good imagination, and he makes believe with his cars.  Normally there is a mommy and a daddy car.  And one of them is always "on his way to save the day".  He'll say that several times a day, and I ask him if he is going to save the day, and he responds no mom, this car is.  Stephen asked him "what is my name" and he replied "Stephen", and he asked him what is mommy's name and he replied "sweetheart".  He has called me cowboy mom several times recently though.  We got his fishtank all set up again, and he's got a tv in his room now that he watches while I'm putting Bailey to bed which works out great, and we put space and rocket ship decals on his wall, so he is loving his room right now, and has slept in it by himself through the night for several weeks now which is amazing.  Riley's answer to everything is "I don't know" even if he knows.  We got him to use the potty and wear underwear for a day, and he wants nothing to do with it again.  He told me yesterday "do not put underwears on my body". Riley absolutely loves nursery, and he loves to sing the songs at home.  He is still obsessed with hide and go seek.  He likes to decide which toys Bailey gets to play with.  He always wants to get her a different toy than the one she's got.  Every week when Bailey gets in her Sunday dress, Riley says "she's a princess".  Another phrase he uses a lot is "I fink so mom"  One of his OCD things is whenever he watches team umizumi he wants to eat a popcicle.  He has started not asking for help, but rather manipulating the furniture so he can climb and get what he needs.  Riley loves to take baths, and now showers...he says it's like a water park.  He seriously takes like three a day.  He would spend all day in the bath with his cars if we let him.   It was Enid's Birthday the other day and he had so much fun practicing and singing happy birthday for her.  He is such a sweet, polite little boy, and I love him so much.
Little miss Bailey girl, my little princess.  Everyone at church just adores her, she is such the flirt with the little head tilt getting everyones attention.  The other day at church she was on the floor with another little boy her age, and she kept stealing all his toys, and trying to take his socks off.  I just kept thinking oh no my little girl is going to be the bully.  Hopefully she grow out of it.  She's so funny, she doesn't just grab or reach for things, she attacks them.  It's like one second she is still, and then next bam she attacks.  She started giving kisses today.  She has started trying to share her treats and binkie with others...she tries putting them in our mouths.  I started the cry it out a few weeks ago, and it has worked like a charm.  She puts herself to bed now most nights within seconds.  She's still up a couple of times a night and I put her in bed with me in the morning, but it is a whole lot better than where we were a month ago.  She also loves baths.  I come out of it as wet as she is, but she loves splashing and sitting up and scooting around the tub.  She still isn't crawling, but I'm not complaining.  She loves music and loves to bounce to the beat which is so cute.  She's just my sweet little angel who I love.