The Poop Post that I Wasn’t Going to Write!
Okay mom of boys, this one’s for you!
Evan has been obsessed with poop lately! And I will tell my friends the funny daily stories, that I have dubbed, “Daily Poop talk with Evan.” I have gone back and forth on whether to write some of these down and share with the wide world of the internetz. Since you know, one of these days, Evan (and his friends) may come upon this ol’ blog and it may just humiliate him.
But, I can’t take it any more! Sorry Evan! If you are reading this and going through the angst of your pre-teen years! Sorry! But, I just couldn’t help myself.
So, lately, Evan enjoys giving me the play-by-play during his – uh- bathroom breaks. I will be in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and hear these play-by-plays yelled from the bathroom.
“I am now poopin’ mom. Nope not yet, peeing first. Okay now, now I am pooping. I’m done peeing!”
OR
“I just pooped out a huge one, Mom.”
OR
“That one looks like a little chocolate chip”
But he has now taken it to a new level.
“Poop, poop it’s everywhere. On mountaintops and in the air.”
Any ideas where that came from?
Oh Dr. Seuss! Sorry! But apparently Evan didn’t like the words to your “Teeth” book!
Maybe I will go ahead and have a girl! Just so I can have a conversation that doesn’t involve poop!
Please Mom of Boys, tell me I’m not alone!
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Chuggington News: September
Here is the latest news from Chuggington! Since we just put cable back in (you know for football season), the boys will be excited to watch the new 11:30 time slot. A great time slot for winding down before naptime!! Evan LOVES Chuggington! He asks to watch our DVD constantly, so the new episodes on Disney will surely be a hit!
Chuggington is on the move! Airing daily on Playhouse Disney, you can now catch your favorite Trainees at new times! Chuggington is currently airing twice a day weekdays at 6 AM EST/11:30 AM EST and weekends at 6 AM EST. What does this mean? More Koko, Wilson, and Brewster- and more adventures in Chuggington- Toot-Toot-Hooray!
Join the Trainees, and the engineers behind Chuggington as they host a Twitter party with Girl’s Night Out on September 14 at 9pm EST. We’ll be discussing tips for overcoming challenges that parents and kids face during back to school season. Be a part of the party and tweet using #GNO and #Chuggington. Questions will be answered and prizes will be awarded, so be sure not to miss out on the action!
Lastly, and most exciting- CHUGGINGTON TOYS ARE COMING TO A TOYS”R”US NEAR YOU! Products currently available at chuggingtonstore.com will be on shelves at Toys “R” Us across the United States in time for the holidays!
* Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Chuggington Conductor campaign, which I am proud to be a part of! I was provided with some tools from Chuggington to help facilitate my review, but the post and all opinions in them are purely my own and my kiddo’s.
Just Me and My Baby!
I have been really enjoying my alone time with Carter, while Evan is at preschool. He has been enjoying it also. For those few short hours, he can be the only child and get ALL the attention from everyone.
Today I needed to run to Walmart, Health Foods Unlimited and Trader Joe’s during Evan’s preschool time. We got up and out the door early so I wouldn’t be rushed. Because I knew that Carter would want to walk through the stores (which is his new passion) which he normally can’t do when I have both kids.
We headed to Walmart first. When we pulled into the parking spot, Carter immediately asked if he could “alk peez”. He touched all types of materials, talked about different colors, found the Walmart logo “star” on all kinds of displays, pulled toys off the shelves to look at and ran through the isles. He had a BLAST. And you know what? I did too! I loved watching him explore and entertain. I loved strolling through without being rushed. I loved having Carter all to myself.
Then we headed to Health Foods Unlimited for my special food items. Carter walked through the vitamin isle picking up individual bottles, looked at them (like I do when reading ingredients) then gently put EACH bottle back where it belonged. MELT. MY. HEART!!
Then off to Trader Joe’s (you know since I LOVE TJs). Where he was given a cup of cookies to “sample” while I shopped. He walked through the store, trying to keep the cup up right so that the cookies wouldn’t fall out. He looked and touched all the different vegetables that were at his height. His favorite were the peppers – red, green, yellow and orange. Over and over again he would pick one up, say what it was, gently touch it (like I do when picking out produce) then put it back. Let’s just say, that the majority of people at TJs today commented on how cute he was or stopped and talked to him.
Then we had a little bit of time left before heading to pick up Evan. So I took him to a park.
I have to admit, that I am a little jealous now of parents who decided to have kids a little bit more spaced out. I feel that I have missed out on so much with Evan and Carter. So I really appreciate the alone time that I have with Carter. He is such a wonderful, funny, sweet little boy. I can’t wait to see how much we learn this year while Evan is at school!
What I want to know is how do parents juggle multiple kids one-on-one time?
Wordless Wednesday: The Shoes
While doing Back-To-School shopping for shoes, Evan INSISTED on getting a new pair of Pumas. Let’s face it, I don’t like A LOT of the styles offered by Puma. Jeremy on the other hand is sorta, you know, brand loyal. Hence the reason that Evan wanted them – to be just like his daddy. Oh my! But if I had it my way, he would be in a preppy pair of shoes from the Gap.
We searched EVERY WHERE for a pair that I could live with. Let’s just say he didn’t quite like these at first. They were too preppy for him. Even though he doesn’t know what preppy is. But once I explained it to Evan that these were Pumas, he was totally on board. So Evan is happy and his mama is happy too. I LOVE THESE shoes!! Preppy but yet a little edgy!
Top Ten Emotions of Preschool Day One!
Today was Evan’s first day of preschool. So in honor of that, here are the top ten emotions I felt this morning while getting ready and dropping him off:
10. Sentimental – of course. What “First Day of Preschool” post would be complete with out the gushy, tearful sentiment of a mom. My baby is looking more and more like a kid. Is he really big enough to being going to preschool? I had many flashbacks today of bringing him home from the hospital, watching his first steps, listening to his first words.
9. Encouraged – I was definitely encouraged that Jeremy and I made the right decision. When Evan ran in, said “hi” to his teachers, put his bag up on his hook without any help from us, and looked around to see what he could play with. He said his goodbyes without blinking an eye and off he went. I knew then, that we were going to be okay!
8. Embarrassed – Yep, I went in to pick up Evan and all the kids were sitting quietly waiting for parents. I was in line with all the parents. When I was second in line, I could have sworn, I heard Mrs. B say Evan’s name. So I called for him to come on after making eye contact with him. Mrs. B immediately put me in my place and told me that they were not supposed to get up until she called their name. I am TOTALLY cool with that. Because I know how hectic it could be if that wasn’t the rule. But I swear I thought I heard her call his name. But there were so many parents waiting after me, I chose not to try to explain myself. Oops!
7. Relaxed – Okay I will admit. I have been looking forward to this day for many weeks. Immediately after getting in the truck, I was relaxed having to only take care of one kid 
! Carter and I went to go see Grandma at work, took Jeremy an early lunch and played at the park. All without having to worry about 2 little ones! Ahhhh!
6. Paranoid – I did forget a couple of times that Evan wasn’t with us. I *may* have panicked a smidge when I couldn’t see him at the park. Okay, so I may have enjoyed the time with Carter, but I sure missed having Evan’s hand to hold in the parking lot – strapping him in his carseat multiple times in one morning – not so much
5. Relief – This day has been looming over our heads and it felt good for it to finally be here! It went as well as I could have imagined it! Yay!
4. Proud – I am so very proud of the boy Evan is becoming. He is a true blessing to Jeremy and me. He is thoughtful, obedient, confident…
3. Amazed – Evan truly amazes me. He is very much like his father – the quiet (in public), confident, independent type. There was no worry or anxiety on his part. Just ready for what the day held.
2. Blessed - to have a beautiful, strong healthy boy that I could take to preschool.
1. Awe -Struck - I watch Evan and still can not believe that God blessed me with such an amazing gift. Wow!
A Preschooler view on Frugality
I am not the poster child for frugality. I try to save money when I can. I clip coupons that I most likely will use. I sign up for newsletters and emails from companies that I love. But other than that, I am not the most frugal person. I don’t allow money to dictate what I feel it most important for my families needs.
I do make a grocery list every trip and try my hardest to stick to. The one thing that usually isn’t concrete are the boys snacks. I usually just write “kids snacks” and get whatever I see that they may like to have.
But recently, I have been asking Evan what types of snacks he would like and I write them on my grocery list. Usually I get him to pare it down to 2 snacks choices. And once at the store I allow him one other snack option, based on what he sees at the store (one impulse buy ). It has worked well. I have had to tell him many times that we couldn’t get a certain item because it wasn’t on our list. And that if he wanted it, we could put it on next week’s list. OR I have let him exchange the item that he wants with another snack item on the list.
I admit, I hate telling him “sorry, that item is not on the list” but since he is my compliant one, he roles with it. After all, I can’t have him putting EVERY thing he wants in the cart, we do have a budgeted amount that I try to stick to.
This morning, after meeting his new preschool teachers, he opened up the goody bag that he was given. There were peanut butter crackers in it (you know the orange ones). He HAS NEVER liked those, but since Carter wanted them, he decided to give them another try.
“Yum mom! I never liked these but now I do. Can I put these on the grocery list for next time.”
Followed by a cute, “Aaaannnnndddd Mooooommm, don’t forget to put it on the list when we get home.”
Apparently he is picking up more than I thought about being content with what we have at the time and understanding that we can always add it to the list. I guess it’s the little things that make a big imprint on using money wisely, frugality, not allowing impulses to dictate what we buy and contentment!
Evan’s First Soccer Practice – Wordless Wednesday
So proud of my little man!! He did amazing. He listened intently to what Coach Ken instructed. Tried everything that was asked of him. And after practice said he LOVED it and enjoyed himself! YAY!
Listening to instructions
Reinstituting Date Nights
Date nights with my boys that is…
Last year, Jeremy and I started having date nights with the boys every other week. I would take Evan out and Jeremy would take Carter out, then the next week vice versa. But after about month or so, individual date nights fizzled out due to busy schedules and such.
But last week, after several hard weeks with Evan. I decided him and I needed to have a date. Just the two of us. So Jeremy and I thought we would reinstitute date nights with the boys.
I have been very impatient and irritable toward Evan recently. I admit it! And on top of that, Carter is still in the “cute” toddler stage, so he gets so much of our attention and everyone else’s too. So Evan has been trying (a little too hard) to get just as much attention. And let’s just say, it isn’t working very well – you know a toddler verses a loud, in your face, over-trying preschooler.
So, I knew that Evan needed some one-on-one time with me, to be himself enjoying something he enjoys doing. I asked him if he wanted to have a date night. He enthusiastically said yes.
Any ideas what he wanted to do??
It was a fun filled night of putt-putt and ice cream. And you know how I loooovvvvveeee putt-putt. But it wasn’t about me, it was about Evan.
He did have a couple rules that he informed me of when pulling into the parking lot:
#1 – No phones!
#2 – No cameras!
We enjoyed a beautiful evening of putt-putt! He won, really!
But most importantly: We laughed. We talked. We enjoyed each other’s company!
Holy Chipotle Batman!
After my Doctor’s appointment last week, I was super disappointed that I had to give up most of my favorite restaurant foods.
I am not one to eat out every day! But I do love to head out with the family once a week or so and enjoy someone else making the dinner.
When I was flipping through my binder (yes binder!!!!) that the Doctor gave me with the blood results, sample menus, lists of foods I can and can not have, I came across a small half page list of “Restaurant Foods that I can have”. There are about 5 restaurants listed! And after each restaurant are the items I can order. A couple of the restaurants I don’t like but when I saw that I was allowed to have Chipotle, I screamed at Jeremy, who was out of the room, with excitement!
Because I LOVE Chipotle! I love Chipotle’s Vegetarian burrito bowl with guacamole on it! And I can still have it minus the cheese and sour cream, of course. But still, I can still have it!
So I informed Jeremy that we will be eating there every night for the next 8 weeks! HA! Just kidding! Sorta!
You know, it’s the little things in life !!
But this got me thinking. Why was Chipotle on the list? So I headed on over to their ol’ website to check it out! This is what I found out! Chipotle has some big goals. Goals that are healthier for my family! They call it Food With Integrity. None of these are 100% yet, but with demand comes that opportunity. They are striving to serve 100% antibiotic and hormone free, naturally raised beef (they are up to 85% now), pork, chicken and organic, locally raised crops!
How cool is that?? I always knew how yummy the food is, but now I love it even more since I know the efforts Chipotle is taking to bring their food up to higher standards!! Thanks Chipotle!
*Disclosure: Unfortunately (for my taste buds) I was not compensated for this post in any way! I wanted to pass along some info that I was excited about and share it with my readers. But of course, people at Chipotle, if you read this, you can always hook this girl up !
Chuggington News – August
Some great news for Chuggington fans, Chuggington is on track for another season on Playhouse Disney!
ALSO, Chuggington has just announced that it will be hosting a sweepstakes on Chuggington.com for US fans! Prizes include die-cast trains and packs, so be sure to head on over and get registered to win. Also if you are on Twitter, Traintastic Trivia is on Thursdays at 1pm EST #Chuggington (prizes are given away there too )
And finally, the Chuggington Store has just introduced new toys- but like the toys introduced in May, these are sure to go fast so make sure you get orders in soon! (www.chuggingtonstore.com)
* Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Chuggington Conductor campaign, which I am proud to be a part of! I was provided with some tools from Chuggington to help facilitate my review, but the post and all opinions in them are purely my own and my kiddo’s.
I’m a Chuggington Conductor
As you may have noticed, there is a new button on the side bar. In recent weeks, I have mentioned more than once that Carter LOVES all THINGS transportation, especially trains!
So when I was asked to be a Chuggington Conductor, which includes viewing sneak peeks at new episodes and occasional first looks at unreleased products, how could I turn it down? Hello? And in return I get to tell you if my boys like what they see, share exciting news with you about the show, share exclusive news about social media campaigns and have a “Movie” night for Carter and Evan’s friends so they can check out Chuggington also! It’s a win – win!
* Disclosure: This post was written as part of the Chuggington Conductor campaign, which I am proud to be a part of! I was provided with some tools from Chuggington to help facilitate my review, but the post and all opinions in them are purely my own and my kiddo’s.
Wordful Wednesday – Carter Again
Yep, Carter get’s the spotlight, again. I can do that? Right? After all with Evan being the oldest, he has 18 months of photos of just him before Carter came along.
I just love swimming pics. The sun, the clear water, the giddiness – just makes for some great pics! So here is another one.
This post is part of Wordless Wednesday, for more like it, visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Wordless Wednesday and 7 Clown Circus (Wordful Wednesday)
To view a list of my Wordful Wednesday posts, click HERE.
Happy 2nd Birthday C-Man!
Dear Carter,
I don’t know where to even begin – without it sounding cliché! You have brought so much joy into our lives these past 2 years (each person who has the privilege of knowing you)! Here is a little bit of what is happening in our lives right now:
You are my love bug! God knew that I needed you! You fit perfectly inside of my arms and go limp. You love to cuddle! Even though you are one busy guy, you always find time to give loves! I still sneak in to your room some nights before you fall asleep and rock you. You rarely go to sleep in my arms, but sit so still through many songs.
You are a comedian! You are constantly making us laugh – and yourself laugh. You are your father’s son. You will occasionally sit in bed during nap time and just laugh and laugh. I would love to know what exactly is going on in that mischievious mind of yours. There is never a dull moment if you are around.
You are one happy guy! You have such joy in everything that you do. You are a free spirit.
You are sensitive to authority. As much of a stinker as you are, if you see that our facial expression is serious, your head drops down in shame and you immediately come to our side to make amends. We rarely have to discipline you. You will make eye contact immediately, if you think you are getting in serious trouble. But you do push the limits !
You are active yet content to play on your own. Not one to get into trouble, but more like sitting quietly in your room, exploring your toys or reading books. (Or following your older brother around)
You still LOVE to read books. You would sit on our laps all day long reading books if we would let you. Somedays it is one book over and over again, other days you like to pick up each book in the basket and bring it over to read! Your not picky on what type of books either. You love them all!
You are smart. You are my talker. You have been talking from the beginning. And daily, your vocabulary grows. If we request that you repeat a word, you do so effortlessly. You LOVE your colors and shapes, sports and letters. And what you can’t say yet, you can show us either by taking our hand and leading us or pointing to an object.
You are very observant. You don’t miss a thing. And I guess that comes from having an older brother. You are constantly watching. You know where you leave things! Trust me, that is huge, considering how your brother is. You have yet to lose a binky, a toy or your juice cup. You are always aware of where you leave things and keep track of Evan’s things also. I can ask you to go find your shoes and you do (and find mine, daddy’s and Evan’s too).
You love Victor and Maya and they kinda like you too! You love to hug them around their necks and pat their backs while “oohing” and “awing”.
You are a runner. Yes, you crawled and walked later than most kids, but the day you started walking was the day you started running. And you haven’t stopped yet. You run EVERYWHERE. You do not have a “slow” speed that’s for sure! You have started to insert gallops and hops into your runs – which is absolutely hilarious to watch.
You are obsessed with all things transportation. You love Fire trucks, Trains and Hot Wheels.
You are a dare devil. You will try anything once. If you see another kid doing something, you try it! You love playgrounds and the pool!
You love to eat your veggies. Your favorite foods right now are steamed corn, steamed peas, tomatoes, fresh blueberries, Z Bars, PB&J sandwiches, pizza and waffles.
Phrases I hear most often during the day:
“Mommy watch this” (followed by something that you think is silly – this goes on about 100 times daily)
“Wa Wa (Evan) where are you….where Wa Wa go?”
“Ahh Woof” (while hugging Victor)
“Mommmmyyyyyy”
“Red Stop (while holding hand out), Green Go Mommy”
“We-ic (music) please”
That’s about it, at least what I can remember right now
I love you, Carter, more than words! I am so very blessed God gave you to us! Happy Birthday, baby boy!
Wordless Wednesday: Being Watched
Have you ever felt as if you were being watched…
Thanks dad for the few hours of entertainment…although we are now down to one sole survivor!
This post is part of Wordful Wednesday, for more like it, visit 7 Clown Circus.
To view a list of my Wordful Wednesday posts, click HERE.
Got out of Dodge – Girls’ Weekend!!
What a weekend! One of my very best friends – we have know each other for over 20 years YIKES – and I decided to skip town for 4 days and head down to Nashville.
We had minimum criteria for this trip:
- A Nice Outdoor Pool (where we wouldn’t have to run after small kids)
- A Nice Outdoor Pool (where we wouldn’t have to run after small kids)
- A clean hotel room (where we could sleep without monitors buzzing in our ears)
- A Nice Outdoor Pool (where we wouldn’t have to run after small kids)
We headed to Nashville because it was the closest place south that had something to do in the evenings. We wanted warm, sunny weather by day and some fun activities by night.
Our first day, it rained and rained and rained. We awoke on Saturday keeping our fingers crossed and God must have felt sorry for us because by about noon, it stopped raining. It continued to stay cloudy but darn it, we were going to hang out at the pool anyway. And a few times the sun peeked out at us. So it wasn’t a total wash for the day. We then headed down to the strip for dinner and some good ol’ fashion bar hopping to listen to the live bands! Can’t go to Nashville without listening to some 
good ol’ live country music! We didn’t end up hopping too many bars but stayed at one and listened to the band until their time was up. And unfortunately I don’t remember what the band’s name was 
even though they rolled out a super long banner with their website on it. Bummer! Because they were so much fun to watch and I can’t even give them props.
Oh well.
Then of course Sunday was sunny – YAY – and we hung out at the pool for the afternoon before heading out to a low key dinner.
Then of course headed home sad on Monday – with stress building the closer I got to home!
It was a fabulous weekend of sun, sleep and relaxation!
But now, it’s stress time! Carter’s birthday party is Saturday which means the stress of his cake has set in. I didn’t get to do anything last week to prep, so today I hit the stores running. THANKFULLY my mom called me this morning to see if she could watch the kids to help me out! She knew I would be stressin’, What me stressed? I don’t think so!! So I did not hesitate to drop the kids off so I could do some hard core shopping.
I am excited to try this cake. It is a SUPER BIG challenge and I know I may not be able to pull if off. But if I do, it is going to come out sa-weeeeet! If not, no biggie, I will run and get a fire truck cake pan on Saturday morning and wing it! What am I saying, if it doesn’t come out, I will probably start ALL over and pull an all nighter – ha ha!! Nope I have decided to fight with my perfectionistic self and not fret. If I screw up the first cake, I will not sweat it. I will admit defeat and whip up a easy 2-d cake instead.
Wish me luck!!!
Going Alternative
Tomorrow, I am heading to a Chiropractor, Nutritionist and Wellness office for a Blood Based Health Analysis. This analysis is “based on a 52-point blood panel and an in-depth analysis of your urine and hair, your Science Based Nutrition™ report includes recommendations for supplements, foods to avoid, a comprehensive review of your medications, side effects and more.”
As you may recall, I have been dealing with many issues for some time (feet pain in the mornings, sore joints, fatigue, insomnia to name a few). I guess, Jeremy couldn’t take the complaining anymore because he actually convinced me to make an appointment ASAP, considering our insurance will not cover these expenses (and it IS very expensive), but fortunately we do have an HSA.
A friend of mind, suggested it and referred me to the office that she went to.
My family doctor ordered blood work for me and everything came back negative. He couldn’t find or explain why I was having some of these issues – dead end!
So I am hopeful that one day soon, I will feel normal. I will have the energy and stamina of a 32 year old not a 65 year old. That I will be able to work out and run after my kids. That I will be able to jump up after sitting for an extended period of time without feeling pain shoot through my joints, get out of bed without having to limp around until the pain is gone.
I am excited and hoping that this road will lead to some answers. Keeping my fingers crossed at least! I, of course, will keep you posted!!
Fashionatas
My men trying to help me pick out a new pair of shades!! What can I say?
This post is part of Wordless Wednesday, for more like it, visit 5 Minutes for Mom, Wordless Wednesday and 7 Clown Circus (Wordful Wednesday)
To view a list of my Wordless Wednesday posts, click HERE.
Show Us Your Life: Favorite Bible Verse
But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31
Growing up, my mom had a stained glass picture of an eagle with this verse on it, hanging right by the front door. I loved this piece. I studied it and read it often. My mom lived this verse which made it even more real to me.
I have found that this verse has followed me through every phase of my life – through the small stuff and the huge events. It is always there to remind me that God promises that if his people will patiently trust him, he will provide whatever is needed to sustain us constantly. What a huge burden that is lifted knowing that we are not leaning on our own minuscule strength (physically and spiritually). That if we hope and trust in God through it all, He is there to carry us and give us strength beyond our own!!
What’s your favorite verse?
It’s Never Too Early…
Not that I am teaching Evan how to trash talk (because I NEVER do 
) or how to spur a fight on in this neck of the woods – HA! But he is learning quickly. He is one smart cookie!
Sweet Selfish Moments…
Tonight, I came home from Bible Study and the boys were just going to bed. I came upstairs and saw in the monitor that Carter was still awake, just laying there quietly, eyes wide open, as he usually does {Poor kid, who knows when he actually goes to sleep and when he wakes up in the mornings because he is sooooo quiet!}
I couldn’t help myself! I totally needed some Carter lovins’. So I went down and cracked open the door. He immediately squealed “Mommy!” and stood up. I asked if I could “rock the baby” and he agreed by doing his “uh huh”.
I picked him up and sat in the rocker. Go Fish was playing on the CD player – shocker – I know! There rendition of “Jesus Loves Me” came on and I started singing with the CD and Carter started singing with me!! We sang the whole song together including the na-nas and uh-huhs (but not quite harmonizing yet)!!
I just cherish those moments! I know they won’t last forever. The warm, cuddly baby snuggled as close as possible. The sweet smell of freshly washed hair and curling ringlets around my finger. I squeezed and hugged and loved!
Selfishly I held him!! Selfishly I kept him up past his bedtime. AND it was soooooo worth it! I may do it again tomorrow night too!
Things I Love Thursday: Kids Thermos Containers
Believe it or not, I am not getting compensated for this post. But after getting so many comments about how cool the following item is, I decided it was my duty to let all moms know about this great find!!
Ever since having kids, I have been on a mission to find portable, drink bottles that kept drinks cold and didn’t leak. I tried sippy cups that advertised “insulated and non-leaking”, I tried water bottles that perspired everywhere and didn’t stay cool, I tried just freezing juice boxes and taking them with us.
I was frustrated because I couldn’t find anything that worked and I 
was spending a lot of extra money on juice boxes (and consuming a lot of waste). That is when I came across these beauties at Target! I loved the fact that they were insulated (the sticker on them advertised 12 hours of cold) and “leak proof”. I was skeptical. But in desperation I bought each boy one. Evan wanted the Cars one and he insisted that Carter wanted the Toy Story one – there were only 2 to choose from ! I wanted them to have different ones so that I wouldn’t have to worry who’s was who’s.
Let me just tell you, I have had these now for about 6 weeks. And I have yet to have them spill, leak or perspire!! And the water stays cold – if I put ice cubes with cold filtered water from the refrigerator in them, the ice cubes stay frozen for the afternoon!! HOLLA!
I take these everywhere we go. I fill them up with water and hit the road. I don’t need to worry about juice boxes, perspiration or leaking!
They are the Thermos brand and cost about $12.99 a piece at Target. Which they really paid for themselves after a couple of weeks of not having to buy juice boxes!! And they are fairly easy to clean – I have a miniature bottle scrubber, that came with the Dr.Browns bottles, which I use to clean the straw. Or I just throw the straw in the dishwasher and wash the thermos by hand!
If you are busy running with the kids during the summer, I would highly recommend getting these!
Thanks for stopping by my “Things I love Thursday”. For more favorites, check out Things I Love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries.
My Kids Need Your Vote
Okay people, I seriously need your help! My friend Jenny is doing a giveaway on her Facebook page for a free photo session for the kiddos. I SOOOOO need some new pics of my adorable kids. And this is where you come in! Go on over to her Facebook page (Click HERE). All you need to do is “like” JP Photography then leave a comment under the boys’ pictures. Since you can only vote once – Carter has more votes right now-so leave a comment under Carter’s pic.
You may be wondering why I didn’t put just one photo in – well – I didn’t have a photo of both Carter and Evan looking cute. And I didn’t want to put in one and not the other. You know, fairness, geeze. But as it turns out Carter has more votes. So vote for Carter:-). Sorry Evan, if you read this in years to come, it’s nothing personal sweetheart. I think your just as cute but it’s all about the numbers now!
I have until July 4th to get like 30 votes to catch up – so help me out – wontcha??? Please….
VIP Day at 5/3 Field
A friend of mine, Jenny (a talented photographer by the way – go check out her blog), was able to score some tickets for the fam today to head down to Fifth-Third Field for a VIP day for the kiddos. Let me just say, that the kids had a BLAST! There was something for each boy to do, because of course, they EACH wanted to do something DIFFERENT!
Evan’s favorite thing was running around the bases and trying his hand at pitching and hitting a floating ball.
Kaden loved the large inflatable bounce houses.
And Carter just wanted to find Heater and Gem the whole time. He continuously informed me when he saw them. He would point and start laughing. Evan just this summer decided that those two dragons aren’t so big and bad. Carter was immediately smitten!
Side note – Let me just say for the record – that Fifth Third Field is such great facility and the people who work there are always super nice. Over the years we have attended so many family events there and have never been disappointed. What a awesome addition to a city that needed it!!
Anyway back to our day – ha! Carter had sandals on and he DID NOT like the sand/dirt that outlines the bases. He refused to run the bases because rocks were getting in his sandals. And of course that just set the mood for him since that was the first thing we did. But he eventually realized that the field grass was super soft.
We even got a quick personal tour of the behind-the-scenes. Chad did a great job showing us around. As part of the VIP day, there was a 40 minute tour. But when my MIL explained to Chad that we had 3 small fans, he immediately volunteered to give us the “quick” tour. Thank you, Chad!!
And with complimentary popcorn, soda and cupcakes, that just made our morning complete!
Thanks CW Dayton, the Dayton Dragons and Fifth Third Field!!
7 Words
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:14
I will praise You forever for what You have done; in Your name I will hope, for Your name is good. I will praise You in the presence of your saints. Psalm 52:9
Last night, I heard the most beautiful words ever spoken by Evan. He came excitedly running upstairs at bed time announcing, “Mommy, I asked Jesus in my heart!”
Wow! Those are the most amazing words! Especially hearing that out of the blue, Evan told Jeremy that he wanted Jesus to be in his heart. He has been asking questions for several months. And since he is my literal one, when Jeremy first told him that Jesus wants to live in his heart, you could see by his facial expression, that he was picturing that literally – ha! But over time, apparently, it has become a little more clear to him.
What an amazing responsibility it is to be a parent. I know that Evan still may not fully understand what it means to have Jesus living inside of his heart, but he is searching and wanting that relationship with Him! He knows that it is something special! He his constantly asking tough questions to me and Jeremy.
What does mercy mean, Mom?
What does faith mean, Mom?
Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?
What is sin?
Why does it upset God when I do something bad?
And of course some funny ones:
Where does Jesus live? On the white part or the blue part of the sky?
When I go to Heaven, will there be football fields to play with?
He wants to soak it all up! And I am constantly in prayer to answer those questions as correctly as I can. And hope God takes over in the understanding department.
My prayer for Evan:
Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for Evan. I thank you for his inquisitiveness. His constant questioning and searching to know who You are!! I pray that as he grows, he will continue to search for You and only You. That the relationship that has begun, continues to grow. That he will stay your child and trusts in You always!
Amen.
