Jackson's First Birthday

Wow, I feel like I can finally sit back and breathe a little! What a crazy couple weeks it's been!

Jackson's first birthday was the 19th. We'd had his party the Saturday before, so it was a pretty low-key day. School was cancelled that day, so we had daycare kids around to help us "celebrate".

Chelsie water-painted with the kids, and even helped Jack make his first painting.

Since Brayden's birthday celebration at school got snowed-out on his birthday, and his make-up birthday was also cancelled, we put the cupcakes to good use celebrating Jackson's birthday. Unfortunately he wasn't feeling well and slept through the festivities.

Here's my big boys on Jack's big day:

This is where I admit to being a total cheeseball. I was very, very tempted to wake him up at exactly 6:26 to hold him at the exact minute he turned a year old, but I fought off my inner dork and let the poor baby sleep. I could not, however, deny my shutterbug addiction and couldn't pass up the photo op.

Here's Jack ringing in the beginning of his second year:

When he finally woke up, I gave him the blanket I made him.

Then we headed out for a birthday dinner at McDonald's (Brayden's choice). We let Jackson have his first cheeseburger, but he wasn't very interested after the first couple bites. Poor little guy was just not feeling well.

And that was Jackson's big day. Happy Birthday, sweet boy!

Sometime soon I will get around to the big Christmas post!

Brayden's Fifth Birthday!

I meant to post last night, but I was so tired!

Brayden was pretty disappointed yesterday that North Vermillion cancelled school, meaning his preschool was closed as well. He was supposed to take in cupcakes and be the "birthday boy".

We tried our best to make it up to him. For breakfast, I made him his favorite... pancakes & sausage. Mickey Mouse for Brayden, and I even concocted an Elmo for Jackson.

After breakfast, the kids headed upstairs to play and I worked on my birthday project for Jackson.

For lunch we made mini-pizzas, which I thought Brayden would really enjoy.

Nope, he was in a mood.

He went and pouted in the recliner and fell asleep.

Caitlin enjoyed it, though.

When Brayden finally woke up, guess what he thought was the greatest thing ever? Yep, the little pizzas we saved him from lunch.

For dinner, Brayden got to pick the menu. So we had crescent dogs, corn casserole, macaroni & cheese and chocolate pudding. Yeah, I know... gross. But the little guy was happy.

It's so hard to believe that he's five. I can still remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. I'm having a really hard time wrapping my head around him going to kindergarten in the fall.

Happy Birthday, Little Buddy!

One of "Those" Days

For the time only being shortly after 9 a.m., I sure am exhausted!

Jackson has been getting up in the middle of the night to play. Or he'll crawl over to the TV and start pushing buttons on the DVD player, then look at me like, "Um, hello, Elmo is in that little box... let him out, would ya?"

Last night he got up around 1:30, and the last thing I remember was Rosie O'Donnell singing something about rainbows and holes in her shoes at 3:45. At 5 a.m. I found myself passed out on the couch and Jackson doing the same on the floor.

We knew there would be a 2-hour delay for school this morning, but I got up shortly after 7 anyway to make puppy chow for the girls' class Christmas parties today.

I just head toward the kitchen when Jackson wakes up. Chelsie says she'll get him, so I go about my business. A few minutes later, Chelsie yells that he's wet up to his nipples and there's a puddle on the couch.

In the pantry I found both boxes of Chex I had bought specifically for this purpose to have about a cup of cereal each in them. Jeremy strikes again. Luckily, I had a box of Crispix in the back of the pantry, so each girl is just going to have to take a less than full bag of puppy chow and Mommy doesn't get any leftovers. Probably better that way.

I can't find the lid for my giant Tupperware bowl, so I try to cover it in foil as I shake the powdered sugar on the cereal. A giant white cloud arises from the bowl and settles on everything within sneezing distance.

Meanwhile, Brayden is on the couch absolutely HOWLING that he wants me to help him put together the puzzles he got yesterday for his birthday. Turning five has certainly done a number on that boy's behavior, and I've already told him that Santa leaves gift receipts and Wal-Mart takes returns from the North Pole.

Finally I get a moment to sit down and make a grocery list for this weekend's Christmas dinner with Jeremy's family. The girls are cleaning up the mess from the puppy chow. Jackson senses the lapse in security and dumps an entire glass of ice water on himself, the floor, and the recliner. Now *he's* howling because he's cold, wet, and I'm yelling something about a moment's peace.

And the day has only begun.

We have liftoff!

I've wanted to start blogging for awhile, and did a myspace blog during my last pregnancy. Today I finally got the motivation to get going. It seems that the kids are growing so fast and I want to have a place to journal everything, so I never forget.