Wordless Wednesday (just the past week's scrapbook pages)

Big Boy Bed Success

I stuck to my guns on Reid sleeping in his own bed after Tim and Tiff went back to Florida. I took him to bed last night at 8:00p, he went right in, I put him on the bottom bunk and I laid down beside him. I couldn’t believe that he just laid there and didn’t make a peep. I should have known that this was just the calm before the storm! It was about 8:30 and the dumb dog, Guido, to be precise, came flying into the room and scared us both half to death. And then the screaming began. Oh he got himself so worked up and cried and cried. Rod came up at a little after nine to relieve me, since we both knew that this would have to be a tag team parenting event. And the screaming continued…and continued…and continued. Finally, at 10:30 Rod came downstairs and said he was asleep. He said that Reid threw the biggest fit he had ever seen. He was holding on to the railing and jerking it back and forth and screaming “ma, ma, mama” over and over. I’m so glad I had the tv up loud enough that I couldn’t hear him. The tv volume was obviously on purpose. No mother can stand to hear any baby of hers cry, for any reason. I fell asleep shortly after that, and when I woke up this morning and realized I didn’t hear Reid all night, I about had a heart attack. I went flying into his room, and there he was, sound asleep. SUCCESS!!! All night in his own bed! So tonight, Rod said he would take the first shift while I edited photos. He went up at 8:00 again tonight, and Reid was asleep before 9! Oh can this really be? At the age of 19 months, he is sleeping in his own bed for the first time. Rod is thrilled…but I have to admit this tiny little secret…I loved having my baby sleeping right beside me every night (and I already miss him). Shhhh…don’t tell Rod.

Wordless Wednesday (just the past week's scrapbook pages)

Seriously, where does the time go?

Two days left in the beautiful month of September and I am at the same place I am every year at this time. For some reason, as soon as my birthday passes, I dive in to planning Christmas (I know, I said it…CHRISTMAS!). Does it seem possible that there is only 88 days until Christmas? I am a planner. I write lists; I write menus; I write notes to myself about ideas for gifts…and so on and so on. I am actually ahead of the game this year. I have each and every person on our Christmas lists accounted for, gift picked out, and many of them already purchased. It’s been one of those years that things just jump out at me for Christmas gifts and I just keep tucking them away. Rod would be rolling his eyes at this point. Talking about Christmas to him means only one thing…winter, which he hates with a passion. This winter, however, we will get to see some warm weather (hopefully), when we make our every other year trip to Florida to visit Rod’s family.

Speaking of Rod’s family, Tim and Tiff are here for a week long visit. Rod gets so excited when they come to visit and this time, Gauge was especially excited for them to visit also. Gauge spent the day with my mom on Saturday and when she asked him if he wanted to stay overnight, he answered “No, my Uncle Tim is coming”. I thought it was too cute! It shows me where Tim ranks to Gauge, especially since Gauge usually picks his Meme over everyone. And after Saturday night, it’s no wonder Gauge loves Tim. Gauge and Tim went down to the basement at 9:30 ish to play the Wii and Rod said that it wasn’t until about 12:30 that they emerged from the basement. Three or so hours in the basement playing Wii with your uncle…like I said…no wonder Gauge loves Tim. That means so much to me that Gauge is developing a good relationship with Tim. Even though he (and the rest of Rod’s family) lives so far away, I want him to be close to Rod’s family like he is with mine. Distance should make no difference in the closeness of a family.

Friday, Lindsey and I took the boys to the fair. We tried several times earlier in the week to go, but it just rained and rained, which is typical Tuscarawas County Fair week. Gauge was just bursting with excitement when I walked through the door Friday after work. So we got to the fair and I couldn’t believe the amount of people that were there! All I can say is, the fair is no place for a double stroller. I pushed Reid and Jake around while Lindsey and Gauge rode the rides. They rode several rides and then decided it was time to dive into the fair food. Gauge tried Cheese on a Stick for the first time…and he LOVED it! He could eat cheese all day long. Lindsey and I hit up the fried veggies booth and I have to say that those fried mushrooms were the best I’ve ever had. We took our food over to the Simpson H/C booth and sat with Chad while we ate. By that time, the little boys were getting tired, so I took them home and Gauge stayed with Lindsey and Chad. They didn’t stroll into our house until about 11:30pm. Gauge walked in carrying his new pet goldfish that he won at the fair. I think almost everyone has a memory of winning a goldfish (and seeing in belly up less than a week later) from the fair. The smile on his face was worth a million bucks when he told me that he was naming him Luigi, from Cars because “Guido and Luigi belong together”. And yet another example of kids say the darndest things. The goldfish has become quite an item of excitement in our house. Reid loves the little fish and points at it and says “fish” (another new word). He even stuck his hand right in the bowl and tried to pick him up. Guido put his front paws on the counter, I’m sure in an attempt to find food, and caught a glimpse of the fish and just sat there and stared. He keeps going back to look at the little fish over and over. Maybe Gauge was right…Guido and Luigi do belong together.

Reid has started this obsession with shoes. Not his own shoes, mind you, any shoes that are WAY too big for him. It’s so cute actually. It's funny that he can actually walk around in them without losing his balance too much! He is more coordinated at the age of 19 months than I am at the age of...well, no need to actually disclose that number. He must get coordination from Rod!

Wordless Wednesday (just the past week's scrapbook pages)

I'm soooo glad it’s football season!!

Ok, so that was probably one of the most sarcastic statements I’ve ever made. Although I absolutely love this time of year, it also brings one of my most hated times of the year. FOOTBALL season! Ugh!! Every Sunday brings an all day fest of football, football, and more football. This past Sunday, I came home from a Pampered Chef party at Julie’s house, walked in the back door and could hear the wonderful sounds of a football game. But when I walked into the living room I couldn’t help but laugh. The tv was on and turned to the Browns game, with the mute on. The Sirius radio was on, playing the Steelers game. And there sat Rod on the couch, laptop beside him checking his fantasy football scores, blackberry in hand, getting text message updates of his fantasy football team, and both the tv remote and Sirius remote sitting on his lap. It was too funny! But I think this is a (bad) sign of things to come! So when is the Superbowl?!?




After all the football festivities, Rod went up to the boys’ room and took the crib apart. I can’t really call it Reid’s crib, since he’s never really slept there. He’s pretty much taken over our bed. But it still made me a little sad to see the empty space in their room. Will this be the last time there is a crib standing in our house? Oh the time just goes too quickly. It doesn’t seem that long ago that Gauge was sleeping in that crib, although he did sleep in it until he was three! I have a bit of a hard time letting go. I don’t think that’s news to many of you. Haha. So after the crib was down, Rod put Reid’s mattress in our bedroom to see if we could get Reid out of our bed and to his own mattress. We should have known better. I think somewhere around midnight I felt little fingers on my feet. And that was that. Back in our bed he went. Tim & Tiff are coming to visit at the end of this month. They will be sleeping in the boys’ room while they are here. After their visit, the plan is to move Reid to the bottom bunk of their bunk beds. That should prove to be interesting!

We will NEVER forget...

Eight years ago today, our lives as Americans were forever changed. As I walked up the basement stairs (in our house on Charles Drive) with a load of laundry in my hands, I heard Kris’s voice on the answering machine saying to turn the tv on and see what was going on because a plane had hit one of the twin towers. I rushed to the tv and couldn’t believe what I saw. As I watched the tower billowing smoke, I saw the second plane appear I don’t know that I have ever cried as hard as I did on September 11, 2001. I vow that my children will know the importance of this day. It is a day to remember the people who lost their lives, the families and friends they left behind, and the brave military personnel who defend our great country in your thoughts and prayers. The following link was forwarded to me on Facebook. I watched it and cried my eyes out, but we all NEED to remember those who lost their lives on this day. So I wanted to share this very sad, but very necessary video.


http://www.nationalterroralert.com/updates/2009/09/11/911-phone-calls-released-to-the-public/

These are some pics from our 2002 trip to the World Trade Center

I AM SO PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN!