summertime and beach countdown

Summer is in full swing and Arden is in summer program at Rivermont ELC. It is already entirely too hot for me and for once I am counting down till the beach trip. 2 weeks and 3 days. I am also trying to get this body ready for the beach. I have lost 5lbs in 5 weeks but that is really nothing to write home about. This is the story of my life though--strict to the diet and work out hard to lose a very small amount of weight. The only good thing is that it goes both ways. I also gain slowly. We have joined the stuart heights pool so the kiddos are really loving that. It is really family friendly but i am still unsure if we are going to get our monies worth at the end of summer. Matt does not like to go to the pool and lets just face it with work/workout/dinner I am home about 6 or 7 and then have to get ready for pool. Yeah, not so much. Then weekends are full of birthday parties and VBS and the pool sometimes feels like one more thing to do. I am ready for a nap. We have been enjoying our back yard and the grill at night. it has been really great. We are already planning out Arden's birthday. We are doing Alice in Wonderland this year and Matt and I are having a blast with all the ideas. My baby boy is still not talking much. He did give Mommy a kiss this morning and then when I asked if he "loves mom" he nodded yes. baby steps i guess. He is still the "gaga Monster" and is acquiring new nicknames everyday. ZB- quins. Coobla-kin. and other nonsense names. He is a wild man and definitely keeps me on my toes. I have probably not gotten my camera out in over a month.I seriously need to stop relying on my iphone for the only pictures of my children. It is sad. I wanted to post this cute pic that I posted to facebook the other day. I post everything to facebook--it is like the new blog.I put as the caption. Some GOOD things never change @ Clements. so sweet

when will zb say some words?

So, just realized that my son is 20 months and i am pretty sure that he says less words at 20 months than he did at 18. I am positive that he can take direction (when he wants to) but has very little to say besides "GAGA". He is an overall caveman. I need to take more video of him running because it is the cutest thing ever.
Matt has been out of town every week this month and only home late Friday night and leaving Early Monday mornings. Our weekends have felt crammed and rushed. We have an auction for work this week so in addition to having no hubby to help at home-I work with some really stressed out people. Matt gets home Friday night late and I work late Friday night and all day Saturday. I think I can. I think I can.
We are thinking about doing camping one night next week if it will warm up a little and we might even go to Dollywood.
I brought ZB to work today in his pajamas. I think he really likes it alot. He can be comfy eating breakfast and watching Mickey Mouse. He is a good boy. I am thinking about letting him go to Rivermont next year for 1 day a week. I had said I would I would not send him till he was 3 but I really think he would enjoy it and I could probably get alot done with him gone for a few hours.
Here is a pic of ZB doing the Hot Dog Dance in his PJS.

ladies retreat and Ardenisms

I have been meaning to post about this for over a month but we had the most fabulous womens retreat from clear creek. It was at the Embassy Suites in M'boro. I rode with my sweet friend Iris who was leaving her 9mo. old for the first time. It was nothing but insanity getting out the door and all the kids stuff laid out for an entire weekend. But as soon as we were in the awesome Escalade (Iris' of course) it was the beginning of an amazing time. We got there and had and adult dinner at Bonefish. Both of our hubbies hate fish so it is a place we never get to go, not to mention how awesome it is to eat dinner without interruptions. Next we checked into our POSH hotel and had a Suite all to ourselves. I am telling you-this room looked like we were it's first guests. That hotel was amazing, almost new. It had a fitness center (which we used both mornings before breakfast) and an awesome pool. We are planning to go and take the kids for a weekend-that is how nice. Breakfast rocked!!!! Fellowship rocked!!! Met tons of new girls! Talked about God and prayed together!!! stayed up late into the night talking!!! did not have to share the bed or pillows!!! got to get ready without getting others ready!! went to a movie!!! I can't stress enough how relaxing this weekend was for me. I did not have to drive or make any decisions - Iris had new baby so whatever she wanted to do was fine by me. I was just along for the ride. I think that could have been the best thing of the weekend. Not having to be in control. It was just refreshing. I would highly recommend the hotel. And if for whatever reason i try to give excused about being too busy or have a puking kid --someone please give me a kick in the hiney.

On another note: some things Arden said yesterday
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"Ike bit me and told me he would break my bones. but he said he was sorry and I forgave him"
"I am going to be "in control of my birthday" (said to me as I suggested locations and possible themes for her July bday

She blew out a dandelion and her 2 wishes. #1 I wish i had a pet unicorn #2 I wish the trees were made out of gummy bears.

After my prayer last night "thanks Mom that was such a good prayer"

What she always says when I let her go with mom "Mommy are you going to do your exercise? YaY I get to go to my grammy's house!"

What she says when i show up after exercise "Mom--why did you come to pick me up?"

Her all time favorite lately----- "how many sleeps?"
the rest is inferred. It means how many more sleeps till she goes to Grammy's house to spend the night (every Wednesday)

This WILL make you itch

okay, so we have experienced something far worse than the stomach virus at our house. About 2 weeks ago Baylie (our cousin who i pick up from Middle school 2 times a week) started saying that she was having allergic reaction to her shampoo. This continued on with her itching and saying that the doc said it was dandruff. Switch Shampoos. She went back to the doc and they said it was the temp changes that was making her hair so dry *she has naturally curly super duper thick hair * I take Arden to school Monday morning and it is a typical Monday.I am running late-Dad is calling and asking where I am because Chas and mom are not at the shop yet. As soon as I make it to work--phone rings and Arden's teacher says I am going to have to turn around and come get Arden. I drive back to school. She tells me that Arden has lice and eggs in her hair.Arden's teacher is an angel and used to do lice checks for local elementary schools. She quickly educated me on eggs,larva, and all the nasty. I am BEYOND freaked out!!! Call Baylie's mom and tell her docs are wrong and she needs to get Baylie out of school. She does --takes Baylie to the doc--and sure enough. I go to wallgreens and buy enough RID to treat all of us. DID I MENTION MATT IS OUT OF TOWN. of course he is. He is always out of town if kids are throwing up in their bed, if I am sick, or if I am having a baby. So I spend about 200bucks in spray and shampoos and clorox etc. Can you believe that the shampoo is $20plus for 1 treatment. So I get home. Spray everything. Strip all the beds and put into huge trashbags on porch. have to take off couch pillows. Have to strip 3 different beds because that is how many Arden has slept in in 3 days-and she slept part of 1 night on couch. I see a couple live bugs in her bangs and want to throw up. I put all three of us into the tub together with the laptop playing a movie in the bathroom. The treatment has to sit on the hair 30min. 30min. is crazytalk for a 1.5year old boy who hates his hair washed. Somehow we made it work. Mom showed up about the time I was getting out. She helped me go through everyones hair with a fine tiny comb-section by section. I only let Arden sit on the couch with a blanket under her. I go out and treat the carseats. Kids can't take a nap because the sheets are all in wash. i run the washing machine -24hours a day for 2 days. I am so freaked out that i wash everyhing-even the clean clothes that were on the kitchen table folded. All stuffed Animals have to go in the wash. Anything the kids wear or touch gets stripped of and goes into the wash or into a bag outside till the washer is open.I put clorox and water into a spray bottle and attack anything that looks at me wrong. I let hairbrushes sit in clorox and throw away ponytail holders. IT was completely exhausting. Day 2 we wake up and I strip beds. Then with comb go through hair again. Still see 2 tiny bugs and eggs on Arden. Freak out continues. I treat mine and Arden's hair again. There is one point where Brock is holding my leg crying and Arden is sitting on a stool in the bathroom naked getting her hair combed through section by section for the millionth time. She is also crying. I needed a picture. The treatment is a multi step process so they actually get their hair washed out 3 times on each treatment. There was also a moment where mom was calling me and milk was spilling on the counter and kids had not napped and I swear I had to tell the kids to leave the room beacause I felt that I was going to explode. It was not their fault and I needed them out of the way. I did some deep breathes alone. We did go out to eat for my sisters (Cassie) birthday Tues night. You could tell the kids were so happy to be out of the house and so was I. We had been on quarantine lock-down and i had been Nazi queen. That still did not stop me from doing a Homeopathic treatment Tuesday night to all 3 of us. My cousin had read that if you pour a bottle of Listerine over your head and put in shower cap for 10min--then rinse out with vinegar it kills any eggs that would remain. I was willing to try anything. Kids cried because it was cold and I will tell you IT WAS COLD and STINKY. Wednesday night when i was working out my head smelled like a bottle of Listerine even after a day and 2 showers. I am just so happy that it is over. I check Arden, Brock, me, and Mom at least 2 times a day. My parents even treated themselves because Baylie comes to our office on the days I pick her up and I found eggs in mom's hair. It has a been a complete nightmare. I just wish I had a picture of Arden sitting naked in bathtub in her pink shower cap watching a movie on my laptop. Let's hope this is our ONLY experience with Lice ever.

Thankful Thursday

Just a few I am thankful for:
sweet baby boy kisses (he just learned)
the original Willy Wonka Movie
big sale at the shop
AMIGOS
a cleaned out car
baby boy feeding himself dinner tonight
my girl being home from grammy's house

baby boy is 1.5

Brock went for his 18mo well check. He is in the 45% for weight and 50% for height. He is doing all the developmental milestones so he is just the average boy. It is a little weird for me since his sister is always in the 75% and up for everything. He is ALL BOY. We talked about how he is a very tactile learner. He has to touch things to learn about them--not just watch. His sister can watch just by looking at things but he has to touch them. Maybe that is why he is all over the place in the shop and opening cabinets, turning on the bathtub, etc (at home). He is a cutie pie and so loving. Doc said he could tell he was cuddley boy-just from the way he was acting. He had 4 shots and did plenty of screaming but that didn't slow him down. Even the tylenol did not slow him down yesterday-he was wide open.

Thankful Thursday

Today I am thankful for:
a glorious,sunny day outside with the Loves Of My Life
living in a super cool city where there are tons of things to enjoy outside
fresh flowers
apple crisp gelato
working with my parents and an extra hand to help with kiddos
stress relief bubble bath
an exciting weekend to look forward to in Atlanta
jobs
dented mini-van
Porch Swing
sweet smelling babies after bath
baby kisses from my boy before bed (he just started doing this)
a fun husband who enjoys our family as much as I do
A good God who knows me and still loves me

wordless wednesday

updates

First thing is I need to make a new blogspot header-that one is so ancient. Look at Brock's hair...look at my hair. I will work on that in my NO free time. So---where to start. I guess I will start with me. I am feeling pretty great. I have been working out at Scenic City Bootcamp for the last 6 months are so and I love it! It is serious therapy for me and much cheaper. i think it is all those years playing multiple sports and even though I am hardworking mommmy now-part of that is just who I am. So, anytime I can, after work, it is a priority. One of my best friends is having a baby April 15th. I cannot tell you how many prayers have went up for her to get pregnant and all the emotions that have went along with those prayers. But Ruthie will be here in less than a month and I can't wait to see her and see the excitement from her precious momma.
Arden is growing up. She is getting taller and we always tell her that we will put a rock on her head if she does not stop growing. She is wearing clothes from the big Girlie section. She is writing her letters and name and last month she wrote her address and our phone number. She LOVES school and I hope that will continue. She spent the night at her Grammy's house last night (still on top of the list of good things to do). I asked her what was so great about Grammy's and she gave it to me in a list. "Here is what we do at Grammy's house. First we take our baths and get on our pajamas. Next we watch a movie together on the couch. and then we go to bed in the Magic Bed". That's it. My girl loves her routines. You would think Grammy's house is Disney World Or that Mom spent the whole night entertaining and making cookies. Nope. Anyway, Grammy's house is a winner for sure. I use it as a threat when she is acting bad or back talking. Did I mention she does that a ton lately? Just coming into her little girl attitude. She will complain a little now or ask me to do something a million times. Thinking that when she insists with a really loud PLEASE that I will say okay. not happening.
Brock is ALL BOY. If we go to the store a $1 ball will keep him happy for days. He loves to throw things. i am going to get an athlete out of one of these kids. He has thrown all of the lava rocks out of our fireplace. I try not to laugh at this type of behavior but he squeals so loud and loves it so much. Hard for me to get on to him. He also eats things off the floor, nose dives off the couch, wrestles his sister, and refuses to say actual words. He likes to walk around to everyone and hold his arms up in the "i don't know" motion and make his jibbering talk. He does this to everyone in the office. It is his language. He still only says Momma, A-den, and Dada. By this time Arden was carrying on full conversations.
Something funny from school yesterday. Arden was getting out at the carpool line and Brock started to cry because sister was getting out. he does this alot. He was wimpering and such and she said "oh no my poor baby". She got back in the car and went to hug and kiss him. After about 2 seconds he was hitting her to let go. This is a perfect example of their relationship. She babies him. He loves her. Then he can't take it anymore.
He has a little temper and it is only growing! We did not have terrible 2s with Arden. At 3 she started to test me but nothing like what people describe. I think we will have them with Brock. He will already throw his self down and lay on the floor. However, he doesn't cry. He just lays there until I say "bye I am leaving you" and he jumps up and follows. He will try to hit me, the wall, Arden, or anything in the vicinity if he is mad or gets in trouble. Of course this is not tolerated but it is kinda funny--unless he is trying to hit me.
Life is sooooo busy but good! These are seriously great years of our lives with young kids. I know we will wish for these tiny problems when they are teens. But Hey! We are not going to borrow trouble from tomorrow. We are just really enjoying the kids and all the new experiences they bring to our life.