Spring is in the air! Day 33

The sun is shining and the snow is melting all around. There is a nice little puddle in the driveway from where the snow is melting off the roof. I love Spring. Lets hope the snow is gone for the season.

Balls! Day 32

Today I made cake balls. They are a little time consuming, but oh so yummy!

Bread Baby. Day 31

Ean loves bread. Plain bread. I think if I let him it would be the only thing he would eat. He can just reach the loaf of bread and he often pulls it down and brings it to me so I can get him a piece. If he sees me grab the loaf he gets very exciting. Kids are funny.

Evil Kitty. Day 30

I know this is not the best picture, but it was the end of the night and I realized I hadn't taken one yet. This is Annie. She used to be our cat, but when we moved to GA we couldn't take her so my Mom kept her. Now she is in our care again, for now. She is my stalker. Everywhere I go she is not far behind, and she sleeps on my legs. That is until I kick her off anyway. She is a good kitty.

A Happy Little Swap. Day 29

I belong to a parenting board for Atheists and Agnostics (and some others), and they are the best group of people I have ever known. For all of you out there who think people like us are a bunch of heathens with no morals or values, you are greatly mistaken. They are the most open-minded non-judgemental people I have ever met!

Anyway, we often do swaps on the board. All who sign up are assigned a person that they will send a gift to. We have had several different swaps and they are all so much fun. This swap I received all of these great gifts. There is a book (!), dead sea mineral bath salts, a handmade picture frame, and some handmade (extremely cute) cards. I an so lucky to have such great friends!

Date Night! Day 28

My husband and I got to have a date night for the first time in almost a year. It is so nice to be able to go out with no kids and have a good meal that I didn't cook. Of course, I also had a couple of drinks! We went to the Uno Chicago Grill and it was delicious. The picture does not do it justice because it was taken with my cell phone and it was darkish in there.

Cupcake time! Day 27

My Dad comes over on Saturday morning to visit the kids. They LOVE when he comes because he always brings goodies. This morning it was cupcakes. Ean always cracks me up because he digs right in.

Goofy Girls Day 26

Whenever I bring up a basket of clean laundry the girls think it is dress up time. They go through it to find what they want to wear. Lily is wearing my shirt and Sadie is wearing her Daddy's. They love dressing up and asked me to take their picture, so I figured I'd share it here.

SNOMG!!!! Day 25

This is probably our biggest snow event this year, which is saying a lot since I live in Central New York and we are used to much more. This snow is very heavy and is weighing everything down. I actually took this picture about 2 hours ago and there is more snow now. Hopefully we do not lose power, because my kids will not be happy.

I hate snow, but I love significant weather events. So a part of me gets excited when I know a snow storm is coming. Maybe it's because I have no life.

Slave to the nebulizer Day 24

This is our nebulizer. It is a very familiar item in this house. All 3 of my children have asthma, and all frequently need breathing treatments. It can get to be a bit of a pain since none of them want to sit still for the whole thing.

Sadie has named this nebulizer wheezy after the penguin from Toy Story 2. Coincidentally she also has to use it when she is wheezy, so I think it fits!

Welcome home Ruby!!!! Day 23

Our dog Ruby got loose on Saturday night. We looked for her but it was hard because we live around fields and golf courses. I looked as long as I could on Saturday, on Sunday we drove around, and by Monday afternoon I figured someone had to have picked her up or something bad happened. Lily was heartbroken. Ruby is her dog and she loves her. On Monday at about 10 til 5 I received a voicemail from the Humane Society that someone had found her and turned her in. They closed at 5 so I had to wait until today to pick her up. She feels a little skinny but other than that she is fine. She is happy to be home and we are happy to have her.

Poor baby boy Day 22

Such a sad sight. My poor kids have been so sick. Seems to be the story of their lives. I took this picture of Ean yesterday because he just looked so sick. We had to bring both him and Sadie to Urgent Care yesterday where they had to have x-rays and blood work. It was a long day. Ean came back clear but I found out that Sadie has pneumonia. Having 3 kids is tiring.

A rare occurrence or 3 Day 21

This is my husband Danny. Cute huh? Now, there are 3 rare occurrences happening in this one picture. The first is that he actually had time to play his guitar, he rarely has time to breathe lately let alone sit for more than a few minutes. Second is that he doesn't have 1-3 children climbing all over him as he plays. He never is able to bust out his guitar without a munchkin audience. And finally third is that he is letting me take this picture AND allowing me to publish it here. Hopefully he enjoyed his chance to play because the kids are feeling better and will be back to crawling all over him in no time.

A light at the end of this cold tunnel

OK, this is not the best quality picture, but it is too exciting not to post. This is our local 7 day forecast. It will be above freezing every day! Wooo Hooo!!!!! I am getting Spring fever just thinking about it.

Gray hair!

Can you see it? I have a ton of gray hair and I am only 30, and I would like to thank my family genetics for that! I wish I could blame it on the stress of taking care of 3 kids, but it has been around WAY before I had kids. I really need to get it dyed, but I have no idea what I want done to it. I am thinking something funky. Any suggestions?

Am I in trouble?

I usually use this basket to keep blankets in, but the girls think its fun to dump them out 100 times a day. Even though I get aggravated at having to fold and replace the blankets so often, Ean takes it as a great opportunity to climb on in. The look on his face makes you think that he thinks he is in trouble, but he knows he's not. I think the look is really saying "why aren't you pushing me around like you always do Mommy?" Lily had to sneak into the shot too. She thinks I can't see her. Silly girl.

Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!

Every time I pull out a camera (or cell phone) Ean instantly says "Cheeeeeese!" It is too cute. This picture was taken this morning at the pediatrician's office. Ean was there for a well visit, but he ended up having a double ear infection. No shots for him today.

This really is not a good picture of me, but he looked so happy I decided to post it anyway.

Eye see you!

Today I had to bring Lily to Urgent Care for a bad cough she has had for a couple days. We were bored while we were waiting so I started taking pictures with my cell phone. I asked her what she wanted me to take a picture of and she said "take a picture of my eyeball!". So here it is. She was very entertained by the eyeball photo shoot. If you look really close, you can see me in the reflection of her eye.

I want to take a picture!

Oh Sadie. Why are you not happy? What's that, your mommy wouldn't let you play with her expensive camera? You poor thing.

Just another meltdown in the Spears household. I was attempting yet again to get a picture for today. This time I was trying to get a candid shot of at least one of the kids. Then I made the mistake of letting Sadie take a picture making her think that she could now play with the camera. She threw a fit and I told her that is she didn't stop I was going to take a picture of her crying. So, you can see where that went. At least she looks at this picture and laughs. She is still cute even when she is mad.

A horse is a horse....

Lately I find myself kneeling on the floor more often than not, so I can stretch out my back which always hurts. Well when I do this my kids think it means free horsey rides. Without even asking they will just jump on my back and expect me to ride them off into the sunset.

Well last night I was trying to take some creative picture of some crayons that were all over the floor, and as I was leaned over trying to snap the picture Sadie jumped on my back. So, I turned the camera around and snapped a picture. I wasn't happy with the crayon picture anyway.

My Funny Valentines

Three pictures today, because I have 3 of the most beautiful valentines to show off. My Dad stopped by today with gifts for the kids. The girls were so happy to get a flower I decided I would try to get some cute pictures of them. My camera does thins cool color fill affect, I haven't mastered it yet, but it still looks cool.

My kids can be a handful, but I feel so lucky to have them. They are the most beautiful and heartwarming kids and I would not trade them for the world.

Pizza!

I love the pizza in NY state. I never really appreciated it until we moved to the south for a while. Perfectly cheesy and greasy. Yum! The only way to eat it is to dip it in bleu cheese dressing *drool*. Pizza is a little outside of out budget lately, but is worth it to me if I don't have to cook. Plus, no after dinner dishes to wash. What more can a mom in a family of 5 ask for?

One of my many tattoos

A few people have asked to see a picture of this tattoo, so here it is! It is not finished though. This is just the outline and shading, still needs a lot of color. My cousin Whitney has the same tattoo. We decided to get matching tattoos a couple of years ago. We have always been close and we wanted something that would make us even closer.

For those of you who are wondering, yes it did hurt. A lot. But don't let that deter you from getting one. Not every person has the same amount of pain in the same area. Whitney also got hers on her foot and it did not hurt her nearly as bad as it hurt me. Of course, I am much older than she is, and for some reason tattoos are more painful the older you get. I have several more tattoos, many that are still works in progress. It is nice to have a husband who is a tattoo artist, but having 3 kids leaves little time to actually get work done.

You've got a friend in me.

This morning Sadie asked me to put on Woody (Toy Story). Big mistake! Now I will have to watch both Toy Story and Toy Story 2 at least 5 times today. So much for watching the American Idol I DVR'd last night.

Sadie is obsessed with these movies. She knows them both by memory. Anytime we see anything in the store with any of the characters on it she wants it. She has most of the characters in some form or another, but her favorite are her Woody and Jesse dolls. As you can see by their dirty bodies, they have got a lot of play time.

On the plus side, if there is anything I need to get done around the house I can just put this movie in and know where she is and what she is doing. We can't wait for Toy Story 3 this summer!

At the car wash!

Today I went to the automatic car wash to get my extremely salty Jeep cleaned. This picture is of the Triple Foam Wax cycle, it is Lily's favorite part. My Mom has told me many times not to wash my car when it is below freezing, because it can freeze the locks. I could no longer stand the dirt and salt caked onto the side of it. Plus, I heard on the radio that it is better to wash your car and take your chances, rather than leaving the salt on to corrode it. Now my jeep is sparkly clean and black again. This will last only a short time however, as it is supposed to snow and they will likely be salting the roads again.

I feel pretty.

I had to go to BOCES (our local technical school) this morning, so my cousin Whitney could cut my hair as part of her cosmetology exam. Of course, I had no problem doing this because she helps me when I need it, and I was once a cosmetology student myself. Plus, what else do I have going on really? It was nice to sit and talk to my cousin for a little while. She is a teenager now and hardly has time for her old cousin Lisa.

Whitney has always been like a little sister to me. I used to babysit her when she was a baby, and we have done a lot together throughout the years as well. Now (when she has time) she comes over and we just hang out and watch movies and pick on each other. We even recently got matching pea pod tattoos on our feet.

Whit is a good girl. She wants to move to California someday, but I know she can't live without me!

Pick me a winner!

This is the picture I took yesterday, I just didn't have a chance to post. I was trying to get a cute picture of all three kiddos together, but it is a task that is easier said than done. This one had a lot of potential, it is rather cute, but of course Ean had to do his favorite thing and stick his finger in his nose. It's warm and mushy up there, ya know. What's not to love.

My kids love to have their pictures taken. I just wish they understood what "stay still and look at the camera" meant. Either way, I am sure when we are older, we will look at these pictures and have a good laugh, and that is what is really important.

Where's the Cream Filling?

My kids cannot eat a whole cookie if it has cream inside. They just take it apart and lick out the middle. Well the girls anyway, Ean will eat anything. Sometimes I wonder why I even buy these cookies, the truth is, I like them. In fact, a lot of the goodies I buy for the kids I get because I like them too. Gives me an excuse to eat junk food I really should not be eating. There is nothing wrong with that, right?

Sweet Lily

This picture really shows Lily's personality. She is a silly girl who loves to make people laugh and smile. She is the sweetest little girl you would ever meet. Lily loves everything and does not hesitate to say it. She loves animals and wants to be a Veterinarian when she grows up. She has a heart of gold. Her teacher recently told me that everyone knows loves Lily. Although she is just in Kindergarten, kids of all ages say hi to her in the hallway. She is going to be the one who is friends with everyone and enemies with no one. Well except maybe her little sister.

Lily can talk a lot. If fact, I am not sure she ever stops, she even talks in her sleep. She is a huge drama queen and can make a huge deal about some of the smallest things. She also likes to take her time when she does things, there is no hurrying Lily. Despite all of that she is a great helper and does a lot for me when I am feeling overwhelmed.

I feel bad for Lily. Sadie requires so much attention, that Lily often doesn't get what she deserves. We try hard to make her feel special as often as possible, but it is hardly enough. I guess it is a good thing that it only takes the little things to make her happy and to bring a smile on to her face.

You Say Terrier, I Say Terrorizer

Meet Ruby. She is our 1 and a half year old Jack Russell Terrier. She is the most hyper active dog I have ever seen. I had a hard time with Ruby for the longest time, but now that she is growing out of her puppiness, she is getting a bit easier to handle. I feel bad for the poor girl. Lily (5) is always carrying her around and putting her in boxes. Ruby puts up with it though. She is great with the kids.

I wouldn't suggest a Jack Russell Terrier to anyone who wanted a laid back dog, because laid back they are not! They can go, go, go! Ruby likes to be outside and it seems every time I sit down I have to get up to let her out again.

Nap Time is Over!

Ean, my baby boy! This is how he wakes up almost every single time, smiling and happy to see me. What more can a mommy ask for? Ean is such a joy. He is happy almost all the time which helps to bring a smile to my face when my day is rough. I can't believe we were done having children before we found out I was pregnant with him. I could not imagine our family without our little man in it. My husband is also overjoyed to have a boy, otherwise he would have been doomed to a house with all females, including the dog! I'm not going to lie, I am having so much fun buying boy items as opposed to the girl things I usually have to buy. Girls can be more fun to shop for, and have more of a selection, but after buying for 2 girls for so long, buying for a boy was so much fun.

Ean's favorite things to do are eat and play with his Daddy's hat. He loves my Mom's cats and tortures them on a regular basis. He is currently in a climbing stage and nothing is off limits. He also enjoys eating the dog's food if I forget to put the bowl on the counter when the dog is not eating. Yum!

Mmmmmm Coffee

Coffee. Need I say more? I am not sure I would be able to survive without it. I can drink it any time of day and still sleep like a baby at night. It is not the caffeine that keeps me drinking it, but rather its deliciousness. I love anything coffee flavored; coffee ice cream, coffee candy, coffee milkshakes....whatever! My kids love to drink my coffee so I have to be careful to put it in a place they can't reach, otherwise I would come back into the room to an empty cup. I have created little coffee monsters.

So, to celebrate my love of coffee, I am going to give you some interesting coffee facts that I found at justaboutcoffee.com
- Sprinkling coffee around the base of your garden plants will keep snails and slugs away.
- The coffee tree has 30,000 white flowers when it is in full bloom. (I want a coffee tree)
- 1400 million cups of coffee are consumed a day

Just a few interesting coffee facts. I am sure if I dug a little deeper I would find much more. So, in the spirit of my coffee photo today, I am going to end this post here and go grab another cup.

Princess Sadie

I decided to start my project with a picture of the middle child. This is Sadie and she is 3. There are a few reasons why I wanted to start my project with this picture. 1. She is adorable, 2. Most girls wanted to be a princess when they were little, and 3. She is a little challenging, and I want to always remember her cute and sweet moments.

Now I know this isn't exactly a princess outfit, but she thinks it is and that is all that matters. She finished off the outfit with her big sisters shoes and her brand new Fur Berry toy. How cute is she? Now if only she could act as cute as she looks! No matter, because no matter how challenging a child is, you have to enjoy them while they are children. They grow far too fast and before you know it that baby like quality is gone.

So, if you are reading this today I guess the point of this post will be to always remember, even if your child is challenging, he or she is only a child for a short period of time. Enjoy the sweet moments, even if if they are few and far between. Before you know it those moments will be gone and you will have a teenager before you.