No rest for the wicked

I'm told the righteous don't need any rest so that must mean I'm wicked because I'm sure tired all the time. I'd like to blame it on the whole pregnancy thing but I'm afraid it's more than that. While I was checking out a few blogs today I had Speed Racer on in the other room thinking that the four children in my house at the time would enjoy it. Now I know that I'm not supposed to use TV as a "baby sitter" but what the heck else would I use it for unless I'm watching it? Well, because it's Monday I have Tiff's kids. There's slightly more noise echoing off the floors and bare walls (nope, haven't really hung anything up yet) but kids will be kids, right? Well, Luke comes in and tells me Porter has colored on himself. Not too surprising because he's done it numerous times before. I have such a talented son because he can not only draw shapes and letters but he can draw upside down! check out his artistic abilities. A house with an L in the middle. How amazing is my child! I had to take a picture so you would all know what your children are up against as far as talent goes. Keep in mind that Porter is only three. Imagine him in a few more years. My own little Picasso.

Porter's 3!!

Porter got to celebrate (if that's what we actually did) his third birthday yesterday. I felt pretty bad because I had to work all day and didn't spend too much time in planning a party or making a terrific cake--as if all day would have helped me making a great cake. I'm not like Tiff and can't whip up a fabulous looking birthday cake that people would actually want to eat.
Anyway Todd and I decided it was time he got his first bike. Of course he's so stinkin' small that we knew we had to get the smallest bike possible if he was going to ride it. Even the 12" bike was a little to large but I think he'll adjust...or we're going to have leg extensions put on Porter. He got to spend the day w/g-ma Julie opening presents and had lunch at McDonalds. Yeah, got spoiled by grandma. That night we made a "Rodeo Cake" which really was just a cake with a few farm animals on it.

We really lived it up! Tiff's family came over and had some cake and brought a present all the kids enjoyed playing with while us old folks sat around and yakked. We were all in bed by 9:45. What a great birthday eh? Good thing he's only 3 and he may not really remember how much planning--or I should say the lack of planning--went into his special day. We sure love this little stinker anyway!! Tonight we're going to the Rodeo w/Kandice and Tiff's families to really live it up. Yahoo!!

Our First Black Eye

It seems like we've been long over due for a black eye in the family so I guess I'm not suprised that Porter would get one the week of his third Birthday. It's still a bit crazy to think that my "baby" is turning three. Guess that's why we have one in the oven ready to change the baby status. Anway, Here's our little Porter bug the day after he fell off one of the stools at the bar. We've been having to do a little "remodeling" this week (already) because of our wood floor. I don't know when it will be done but I'm not sure that having it done would have softened Porter's blow to the head when he fell. I guess falling head first onto a pad that covers cement is as good as falling on a wood floor that covers the pad that covers the cement?? I'm not going to try to find out which is softer.
OK so he looks a little like the "HEY YOU GUYS" kid off the goonies. Still gotta love him!

"Toad"aly Awesome Find

Last night we were outside our house when a rock jumped. Or so I thought it was a rock. We found a little toad outside our house and I'm proud to say we didn't kill that poor thing. Payton and Porter chased that thing all over the front yard catching it, dropping it and catching it again. Porter didn't like to hold it but he sure liked to chase it. Here's some pictures of our new found friend.

You can't see the frog in Porter's shirt but it didn't stay there long. He was a bit nervous!

Labor Day Weekend

Sunday was our first time at our new church so we decided to go instead of go camping on Cedar Mountain with the rest of my family on Saturday. (Actually it was supposed to rain Saturday and Sunday so Todd wasn't really into going camping in the mud). After our church meetings we made the spare of the moment decision to head to the mountain for the night and spend Monday there. It was so fun and the kids had a ball...even though their mom forgot their jackets laying on the bed (oops). The boys rode 4-wheelers every chance they got. I can't believe I didn't take a picture of them on the 4-wheelers because that's really where they spent most of their time. We did go to the caves on Monday and let the kids hike through. Tiff was a trooper and took Porter through one of the smaller (not so accessible for pregnant folk) caves. She had to put up with the constant crying and "I can't make it" sobs. Thanks for the great memories, Tiff. I'm glad we spent the day there...it beats cleaning the house!

Getting Settled

Well, it's been a whole week since our first night at our new house and I am loving it! The hardest thing is to let the kids be kids and not be so panicked when I hear noises that I think the kids are doing something to the walls or floor or anything that might cost money. I'm definitely not as laxed in my parenting as what food's allowed where and where the toys should end up as when we were at my parents (sorry mom). It's great to have the kids in their own beds again--less fighting at night that so-and-so touched them--not that my sisters and I ever did stuff like that! I was always waiting for one of them to yell, "Mom, Porter's out of bed!!" I haven't gotten all the boxes emptied but I think I'm only down to three left. Stuff that I just don't know where to put it. And of course there are pictures to be hung on the walls. It probably wouldn't suprise you to know the only thing hung on the wall is Todd's buck. I had to take a picture for some reason. Someday we'll get to the landscaping but for now I'm a happy girl.

Moving Day

So Yesterday was moving day. Whew!! Thanks to all you helped. Blair and Tav helped Todd clean out the half acre which had our couches, chairs, kitchen table, tv, and beds. Then Thursday my family helped muck out g-ma and g-pa's house and rid it of all the Calico crap. I had no idea that we had so much stuff...most of it just sitting around with nothing to do but sit there. We spent our first night at the new house last night and it was pretty fun. The boys did pretty good...for the most part. When they came in our beds in the middle of the night there wasn't enough room on the old queen size bed like we used to have on g-pa's king size bed to Todd took them back to their beds when they had fallen asleep. My favorite thing about our new house is our shower. We each have our own shower heads and we each had our own preferred temperature. It was awesome! Thanks to Dave, Jeff and Randy and Stef's family for all the muscles they provided with their helping hands. We couldn't have done it without you. I'll post pictures when I find where the camera is hiding. Still so many boxes to unpack as well as the boxes that still need to be packed with stuff back at the old house. Thanks mom and dad for letting us live there. Payton asked this morning if we have two houses. I think we're down to about one and half now.