LASIK Eye Surgery!

I had LASIK eye surgery yesterday.This has been a work in progress for the pat 5 years since we've been waiting (and budgeting) for a time that I was NOT pregnant. I'll be honest, it was MUCH more difficult than I expected! Well, either that or I'm just a big wuss! I mean, it's not like you're able to look away during surgery...seeing all the instruments come at me was absolutely terrifying. I spent all friday in these super spiffy goggles and then returned on Saturday to have them removed. My husband was AMAZING...he took care of the kids while I was recovering in the bedroom, and my good friend Kristen had Peyton over at her house for a princess playdate-so sweet!

My eyes are still very sore and I am on a cocktail of eye drops, but my vision is getting clearer by the hour! After 13 years, it is so thrilling not to have to wear glasses! We are also hoping that this will help my complicated migraines :)

Today I stayed at home. My eyes are still very sensitive to the light and I didn't want to drive. Vu took the little boys in the double jogger for a run and Bray kept right up with him for a whopping THREE MILES!!! He is turning into quite the runner! After their morning run, he took everyone in the pool. This afternoon my parents cames by and took the three big kids to the park and to dinner (Vu was at work). We are so blessed to live so close to them!

And then we had a wonderful suprise visit from one of my BFF's, Corinn and her fiance Matt! They made a spontaneous trip down from Tallahassee to look at wedding venues :) I am so excited to have them down and can't wait for all of us to wake up in the morning with the chaotic Church drill...it's quite an event getting everyone ready in the morning!

Sunday Supper!

Monday: Spagetti meat sauce (a feezer cookin from a few months ago), ti-color pastsbroccoli, bread, salad, peaches
Tuesday: Tacos! Have yet to decide meat or chicken. Corn, rice and salad
Wednesday: Tennessee Pride Casserole with rice and peaches
Thursday: Family night with my parents! They will be bringing dinner! :)
Friday: Homemade bagel pizzas with the kiddos, salad and peaches
Saturday: Leftovers
Sunday: After Church we will pick up a 50 piece chicken nugget box ($10.99-SCORE!) for dinner

All of our meals from the previous week turned out GREAT! :) :)

Summer is flying by!

It is hard to believe Summer is almost over! This time of year is so much fun since I have all four kids home. Of course, I could do without the extreme heat and humidity.

Yesterday my husband took Pey and Ky to the local pool for some splash time fun. It gave me a solid hour an half to catch up on laundry, cleaning, emails...the endless list. I felt refreshed and ready to handle the kids and dinner rush since he worked the evening shift. The stew turned out very tasty and all 3 little ones gobbled it right up. Success!

This morning was another great day! I took the big boys to the beach to meet up with some of our friends who generously offered us the chance to hang out at their beach rental. It was a beautiful morning and we got the chance to see dolphins. I even braved the ocean and waded in up to my knees...BIG accomplishment for me since I have a severe phobia of any large body of water. It's been a busy afternoon including a conference call, paperwork, and wrangling the kiddos. Fortunately will be a snap (see my Sunday Supper post).


Here's hoping the rest of the week stays equally productive and stress free! :)

Freezer Inventory

About 2 1/2 months ago our garage freezer (a hand me down from my parents) died. I was devastated because not only did I lose that extra space but I lost ALL of my pumped breast milk! *sigh* Well, we made a big purchase a few weeks ago and found a fabulous deal on a tall freezer at Sears scratch and dent store. So now I have TONS of room for my freezer cooking, bulk shopping purchases, and of course my liquid gold-breast milk. *happy dance*

Along with extra space came a membership to Sam's Club. Oh. My. Gracious. Talk about HEAVEN for a family of six! Now, it does take some skill to shop at Sams. I have been twice and am learning what they have and the quantities. Things like coconut milk, fish sauce, diapers without dry max, ect they do not stock...so I REALLY need to focus on what is available. I lucked out and was able to get a business membership through a good friends company, so that means I can shop VERY EARLY at 7am!!!

So, here I am with extra space to fill! I found this little post about keeping track of freezer inventory VERY useful. I will start this today since I just did a major meat/fruit run.
freezer inventory

Sunday Supper Plan

After surfing through MANY homemaking blogs, I found a trend. Most mama's post their weekly menu. What a fabulous idea! I do try to jot down my weekly list, but maybe if I actually post my menu I will do a better job at:

A: Following my Menu
B: Grocery shopping for what I need and saving money
C: since my husband's schedule varies week to week, I always try to have dinner made befoe he leaves for work so he can have a home cooked meal there. Right now this happens 50% of the time :/
D: Eating/drinking more soups since I am breasfedding.

Currently, our breakfasts and lunches are just about the same... So will focus on my dinner menu plan.



Breakfast: combination of egg whites (for me), cereal, oatmeal, and pancakes for the kids. Their taste usually dictates breakfast

Lunches: alternate between turkey sandwiches, mini-mes (basically cheese quesidilla on tortilla bread), or leftovers. I always serve fresh fruit as a side.

Dinners:
Sunday-Marinated steaks (we scored an awesome deal at Sam's Club), baked potatos, brocolli and salad. My parents will be joining us, too!
Monday-Newly Wed Stew (my moms recipe, the easiest and most delicious stew!!!) and rice
Tuesday-Pasta fagioli soup (this is a freezer cookin'of mine from a few months ago) and rice
Wednesday-Left overs and rice
Thursday-Spicy Mango Sweet Potato Chicken with rice and veggies
Friday-Thai Vegetable Soup (I'm really excited to try this soup! It's made with College Inn's new Thai Coconut Curry Broth!) and rice.
Saturday: Breakfast for dinner! :)

I am excited and am looking toward a much more organized week! :)

Appointments OVERLOAD!

Whew! I am dizzy after a week JAM PACKED with appointments! All Children's Hospital visits, Dental visits, MOMS Club meeting, Lasik appointment, pediatrician appointment, car appointment, cable appointment, prescription pick ups and phone calls setting up future visits...oh my goodness! I believe I am transitioning very well as a mama of four, but keeping track of all of the medical and misc. appointments sure is a feat in itself! I am learning as I go, but a few things that have helped include:

1. The obvious: A calendar!

2. Bouncing ideas off my husband and NOT getting offended when he asks if something has been taken of. I can't do it all...a marriage it teamwork. And sometimes I get personally bruised when as asks, "have you made Pax's 4 month appt?" ect, and my answer is a mousy, "no."

3. Making time to MAKE appointments. That certainly turns into a major chore when your time to call and schedule appointments is when the kids are down for their naps-which also happens to be when office's are closed for lunch! argh! Scheduling 15 minutes during independent reading time is a great tip!

4. Cheat Sheet in the car. Sometimes my "uh oh, should have thought of that" moments come when I am driving. But NEVER schedule while in the car with the kids. I can't properly discipline if a child acts up in he back seat and lets be honest, it's just NOT SAFE!

Sumer Camp SUCCESS!!!

Well, this post is WAY overdue but I had to tell about our Summer Camp success!

Summer Camp was ESSENTIAL for the children this Summer for 3 main reasons:

1. Braylon was not active in any extracurricular activites during the school year (besides the free Programs offered at the library) by his choice. But, because he does have difficulty socially, I thought it was crucial to still allow him to have interaction with kids his own age...also for reading.

2. Obviously Pey and Ky are home with me all day everyday, I thought this would give them a great chance to interact with little friends without me hoovering.

3. With baby #4 born in May, this would allow Pax and I to have some real bonding time. Little guy is always on the move in the car or in my arms as I chase after the other three! He is entitled to some personal mama luvin'.

Braylon: I did TONS of research looking for the perfect Summer Camps for Bray! Incorporating reading was very important since he is still struggling. I found a fabulous Fit to Read Program at the local library. This was their first year offering this specialized camp and I am so thrilled I got him in (yes, looong lines very eeeearly in the morning in March to get him a spot). Half of his day was based on fitness (hence Fit). They had outdoor sports, swimming, and absolutely NO JUNK food was allowed at Camp as they learned what was nutritious to eat. The rest of the day was reading time which was broken up into independent reading and auditory reading and they also had to write in their journals about their books. The Program was AWESOME and I had one of those prideful "sweeeet! I done good!" mommy moments! I gave him the option of picking another Camp for a few weeks or just participating in the 3 week long Fit to Read Program. He reeeeally wanted a "bug camp" and viola! I found one! But not just bugs...bugs, reptiles, and snakes-oh my! It was called Nature Mania and he absolutely LOVED it!!! The staff at both Camps were really great and I was able to go "spy" throughout the day and watch him interact with the other kids and participate in the activities.

Peyton: Last Summer we enrolled Pey in the local Montessori Camp. She and Bray are sooo different when it comes to their learning styles. She can easily redirect herself and prefers to watch and learn on her own, very "montessorri'ish." She loved it there and they loved her. Therefore, we decided to enroll her again for 3 weeks over Summer (9am-noon). She she was 3 this year she was moved into the 3year old-5year old room. Montessori education believes that combining those aged children greatly helps since the older ones help to teach the younger kids. This was also a big year for her since at this age they also have daily swimming lessons. She had a GREAT time!

Kyan: Ky is my wild card. I'm till not quite sure what his learning style is. Some days he is very focused and self directed like Peyton, other days I feel like I have to redirect him ALL day long. Soooo, since at 2 years old most kiddos are too young for the "typical camps" offered, I decided to enroll him at Montessori Camp with Pey. He was in the two year old group for three weeks (9-noon) and had a marvelous time! Kyan is my little buddy and has NEVER been away (except at my parents or my in laws)...he's my first child as a stay at home mom so I really thought he might meltdown leaving me. But no way! Not this little camper! His first day he walked in, turned around and said "bye bye, mommy!" So proud of him!!! He had a WONDERFUL time at Camp and got his first experience learning and mingling with little friends away from mom.

Paxtyn: Pax and mommy got 2 solid hours each morning for 3 weeks of cuddle time! Rocking, nursing, sleeping and learning each others little quirks. He is such a snuggle muffin and I am SO happy we budgeted in the money and time for Summer Camp :)

Have your children attended some super duper camps? Please share!!!

A Day of Giving :)

Wednesday was a magnificent day and truly a day of giving. After dropping Braylon off at Camp I headed over to a local non-profit agency. It was a shelter for homeless families transitioning back into the working world. Our MOMS Club raised $600 for charity of choice and I had the honor to go by to meet the director, view the facility, and give them our Club's donation check. While I looked at their children's room and listened to their director explain how this marvelous facility came to be, I felt very overwhelmed...and humbled. There was so much love and hope within such a small space...within each hand painted butterfly on the wall, within each little stuffed animal whose fur had been worn thin by countless snuggle sessions. It was all so beautiful. I left there with a full heart :)

The day continued with the ins and outs of life. The kids did great again with their swimming lessons with my mom :)

I was then able to make a very brief visit to a good friend of mine. She had a baby 4 weeks ago and I brought her dinner. Nothing super fancy but I could tell it was so greatly appreciated. :)

It was a beautiful day!

Life with ONE Child...

Tuesday my amazing husband took the big kids to Busch Gardens and I had an entire 5 hours with ONE CHILD. Call me crazy, but boy...life seems more manageable when I have all FOUR with me... haha I felt busier with just Paxtyn. odd.

I felt MUCH better on Tuesday and Paxtyn wasn't nearly as congested. Although I was bummed I missed a night out with my girlfriends, it allowed me to get the rest I needed to kick the cold! Ran some errands, grocery shopping, and just kept busy. Putting together the kids bike trailer was something I hope to get accomplished...but didn't :(

The kiddos came home and Peyton had her swimming lessons. She is doing AMAZING!!!!!!!

Dinner, bath time, reading time, bedtime...

Yawn...

Congestion and Colds...

Well, the cold only got worse overnight. It truly was a sleepless night. Little Paxtyn was coughing and stuffed up and had a very difficult time nursing...but we made it through! And my husband was amazing last night and even washed, dried and folded SIX loads of laundry. Love him so deeply :)

Unfortunately the yucky germs meant Bible Study, a playdate, and Moms Night Out was a no go today. Braylon was very excited this morning because his reading camp took a bus to the local pool...reading camp ROCKS!!! :) Vu was able to take the 2 little ones to Splash Time this morning and that gave me a few hours to love on Paxtyn. When they got home, my mom came over for day 3 of Pey's swimming lessons and she was able to swim from the steps about five feet out. She also learned how to jump in, turn around and swim back to the wall. So proud of Peyton and so blessed that I have such an amazing involved mom who ALSO cooked dinner for us tonight!

Considering I felt a little worse than last night and Vu worked, this evening went very smoothly. Bray had a great time at camp, little kids down at 6:30, Braylon down at 8:00, and lots of snuggle and love time with Paxtyn :)

Sunday Funday!

Yesterday was a GREAT Day! I now realize days that ALL kids are in good moods, getting along, and are not sick are, well, rare.

Sunday mornings started out very early since we have Church at 9am. To get six people fed, baby nursed, dressed, loaded in the car, checked into 4 different nursery rooms with 4 different "church bags" is easily a two hour event. But, organizing and planning ahead made Sunday run much more smoothly! Church outfits picked out and ironed the night before, bags and Bibles packed, breakfast set. I am learning more and more everyday how to make our routine as a large family run as seamlessly as possible. After Church we came home, had lunch, spent a little time in the pool before it was time for Peyton's swim lesson. There were lots of tears but she did GREAT!

The kiddos then went down for naps while Vu and I packed up toys and essentials for dinner at Vu's parents house. They really do not have a kid friendly space at their home, so we always need to plan and think ahead when visit them about 1 1/2 hours away. I also made a Manicotti dinner which everyone enjoyed. Overall, we had a really wonderful time and I knew it meant so much to everyone, especially Vu's 99 year old grandmother. Her face just lit up when she got the chance to hold Paxtyn :)

Unfortunately, by the time we arrived home around 8 pm, both Pax and I were getting sick-FAST! This cold hits hard, fast, and is brutal. It was a very challenging night and it was so sad to see and hear Paxtyn so congested and coughing all night, but we made it through. :)

Three "Big Kids" Now :)

Today Peyton's new bed arrived. I was SO excited! We had searched for the perfect "princess bed" for months. Since Kyan turned two in May, we were waiting to see if the new baby was a boy or girl to determine what type of bed was needed...obviously, if we had a girl then we need TWO matching beds. But, now having a boy, Paxtyn has moved in the room with Peyton and Kyan has transitioned into the "boys room" with Braylon. The bed has been on back order for a month and we are so excited to have the kids finally "in place." Everyone has been in room limbo for 3 months.

Kyan had a great night in his big boy bed. We did not hear a peep! And of course Peyton LOVED her white princess bed :)

Saturday Pey also started swimming lessons with my mom. She had lots of tears but I have no doubt will make great progress with Mimi teaching!

Lesson Learned!

Yesterday Vu and I took 3 little ones to Itty Bitty Splash Time. Paxtyn, of course, just chilled in the shade while we took turns playing in the water. The kids are doing really well in the water :)

Chick-fil-a offered free meals for anyone dressed as a cow. So, I spent an hour cutting and pinning shirts with spots, utters, tails, Eat More Chiken signs. Well, needless to say the trip was an epic fail! We arrived and Pey and Ky were in the midst of meltdowns, pulling their cow ears and tails off and just UTTERLY (haha-HAD to add that in!)exhausted from a busy day. Butit was just one of those situations when you have to put on a brave face, adjust your cow ear headband, and troop through. But, we DID get our free meals, and Paxtyn's "got breatmilk??" tag was a hit ;) Therefore, lesson learned. When costumes are required, so is a dress rehearsel!

I was also able to see Natalie one last time before her big move to Texas :( She has become a dear friend of mine and although I am sad to see her leave, I am thrilled for her families new adventure in Texas!

Braylon also finished his first week of Reading Camp and is having a marvelous time! Hooray!

Whew! What a Day!

I'm exhuasted, in bed, and slowly fading. But, I had to document today's events!

Paxtyn had his 2 month appoinment this morning. He is 75% in height and 95-100% in weight. The little guy weighed 13 lbs, 8 oz...huge considering he was only 7 13oz at birth. He trooped through his shoots :) Then had a grocery run and was excited that I was able to save roughly 40% of my total bill. yay!! My pantry stock is finally starting to grow again. Then we had a fun playdate with my life long friend, Danyielle and her beautiful daughter, Sophia. Homemade turkey sandwiches and pool time. After all the the in betweens of naps, snacks, nursing, dipers-the usual...we headed off to pick up Bray from reading camp. When we came home or neighbors son wwas out back and asked Braylon if he would like to come out and fly his remote control plane. NEVER had Bray accepted a "freind request," he usually just retreats indoors. Very shy, nervous and anxious around other kids. But today he asked if he could go out and then he actually DID! Something so small in reality was so HUGE! Well, after I saw that I was determined make it to the Luau at the local pool. Bray had wanted to go but Paxtyn's afternoon was rough (sore from his shots)so I originally told him no. But I decided last minute to load em' up! Those of you with 4 kiddos know that a spontaneous change of plans is no easy feat, but I got the kids into their swim gear, threw together a fruit side dish for the Luau, and my wonderful parents came to help since Vu worked till midnight. The chilren had such an awesome time and am so happy we went! ut my gracious, after getting everyone unloaded and in bed by myself after such a busy day certainly was exhausting.

zzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz **goodnight**

July 4th Weekend!

Braylon's 7th birthday, MOSI, Chuck E' Cheese-oh my!

Wow...what a weekend!

The rain never let up but we didn't let that rain on our parade. MOSI (Museum of Science and Industry) had a rare buy one get one free admission on Saturday. This was HUGE savings considering how pricy MOSI is. So, we packed lunch, loaded the children, and headed off. The kids had a marvelous time especially in the puzzle section. It really is just so much fun now that Kyan is such an independent little guy. Unfortunately I forgot the parental portion of lunch *sigh* but we were able to make it through all the exibits so we didn't waste any money on food. Another fun aspect of MOSI is all of brightly colored objects they have hanging on the ceiling...when I wore Paxtyn I realized he was looking up the entire time. So this truly was a fun event for ALL 4!


Sunday was another rainy day. We were originally going to have a family pool day for Braylon's birtday, but qucikly changed gears when awoke to the grey skies. Chuck E' Cheese was the only kids place open early, so we headed out at 9am. We splurged and had a pizza and played games until 11am. Braylon had a great time and so did the little ones, especially since 2 and 3 year olds don't really need to "ride" the games to have fun (such an easy age!). We came home, quick naps, and then my parents and grandmother came over for a 4th of July dinner and Braylon's 7th birthday celebration. And then, as if right on que, the clouds parted for the first time in 3 days and the sun emerged! So we took the kids and headed off to the beach for a marvelous fireworks show!

It truly was an AWESOME weekend of family fun! AND my husband was off both Saturday and Sunday-cherry on top! :)

Swagger Wagon

Turn the volume up and get prepared for a laugh! :) And ps, in my mind this was created just for me! We have a black Sienna LE...it truly is the Swagger Wagon! ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4

Committing to Blog

**excuse typos...I am typing one handed while nursing my newest little snuggle muffin

So many changes in such a short amont of time! After a few months (ehm, more like SIX) of scanning through countless other accounts, I decided today is the day to committ to blogspot. I will try to make posts daily and navigate my way through this "blogger world." I'm excited, encouraged and determined to share my thoughts, aspirations and to learn from others :) But for now, back to my newborn... :)

Attempting to blog!

Let's see if I can navigate my way through this...
:)