Happy 2nd Birthday Brooke

I can't believe it! Brooke is 2 years old! We had a family day today and spent it together. We went down near the airport today so Kyle could watch the airplanes come in. He just loves airplanes and helicopters. After that, we went over to Toys R Us since we still needed something for Brooke's birthday. Well, next thing you knew, we had an 8' trampoline in the car and on it's way home. YES! The backyard is full of kids stuff, a little bit of patio furniture but mostly kid stuff. I had originally stated that I wanted to go to dinner somewhere. I decided to cook something and we stayed home. After dinner, we put 2 candles in a cupcake and sang happy birthday to Brooke. She almost was able to blow out the candles. I think it was a very special moment for both Steve and I. Just to have that family time together. It meant more to me than the party we will have on Saturday with some friends over. Here is a video of us singing to her:
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My girlfriend Erin sent Brooke some boots that belonged to her daughter. Don't panic Erin, we haven't opened the other gifts yet. We're waiting until Saturday. Anyhow, I told Brooke to put her hand on her hip and give me some attitude. This is what I got: What a little ham. I came home from work the other day and she saw the glasses on my head. She wanted them. I knew if I gave them to her, she would break them. I went to the back, got an old pair, and also gave her an old cellphone. Steve told me I am creating a monster. Here she is: So on this lovely Memorial Day weekend, we celebrated Brooke's 2nd Birthday. I can't believe she is 2.

Happy Mother's Day

This was a pretty relaxed mother's day this year. Steve was home on Saturday and we spent the day with the kids and us. We went to the park and took the kids down to Toys R Us. In a weak moment, we bought the kids more magnetic letters and numbers. They LOVE those things. Since Steve was home, I used this time to run some errands by myself. I went to Target and did my whole shopping spree there. They mostly see me there with the kids. After I had checked out, a gal who sees me a lot told me happy mother's day. It really hit me this year. I am a mother! I told Steve when I got home how it had hit me. I was officially a mother last mother's day but it wasn't really a reality to me yet. I was thinking last year of the women who gave me their children. They made it possible for me to be a mom. This year, I felt like a mom. Brooke and Kyle have ME as their mom. So the kids and I spent a day together as daddy had to work. We played in the backyard, Brooke and Kyle decided to eat the sand in the sandbox and we took a trip to Bed, Bath and Beyond. I decided to take a nap with the kids so it really was an easy day. After calling my own mom, I was wishing I was up there in Washington seeing as my sister and new brother in law were over at my parents house making brunch. I hate living this far from my family. Hopefully soon, it won't be an issue as we hope to move there in the next 5 years. I would move this summer if we could but not likely! Oh well.

So Happy Mother's day to all of the mothers out there and the mom's to be(I'm shouting that out to you Heather!).

Pool Time

The weather has been a bit yo-yo lately. I came home from work and it was still around 80 degrees. The kids love the water. I got out the swim diapers, hooked up the hose to the washer's hot water and filled the pool! The kids really got into it and started to rough house in the pool. Take a look at some of the air Brooke can get. My little dare devil.
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Summer is Coming!

Well, this past Friday after work, I took the kids down to Sears. I had really gone to look at vacuums. Well, I had heard on the radio that it was going to be really hot over the weekend. I knew the last time it had climbed to 100 it was miserable. I saw one of those plastic pools out front and decided it was going to come home with us. Gotta love having a Yukon XL. Boy can I pile a bunch of crappola in that thing. Anyhow, I also knew that Steve could not kill it by stabbing it to death. Plus it was also small enough that it could fit on the back patio. The kids are having a blast in it and it kept them cool over the weekend.

Let's Get Ready to RUMBLE!

OK, so my rough and tumble little girl got a HUGE bruise on her forehead. I felt so bad. It happened while I was at work. I didn't even see it when I got home since her bangs were covering it up. Both kids were in the bathtub that night and I was doing what I always do and wash their hair under the faucet while the tub is filling up. Well, when I put my had across Brooke's forehead, she started to scream bloody murder. I had no idea what was going on.Obviously, once her hair was wet and I took a good look at her I almost fell over. I felt so bad that I hadn't seen it and was a little panicky since the nanny hadn't told me anything either. I picked up my cellphone and called her and my little gymnast was climbing up the slide and fell and hit her head. The reason I sort of panicked was because the bruise was squishy. I was trying to call everyone and NO ONE was home. I ended up talking to my girlfriend Heather and her husband Wes who pulled me off the ceiling. Let's chalk it up to first time mom syndrome. The picture I posted here was a few days old. I had a hard time getting the full effect of the bruise on her head with the flash of the camera. Brooke is going to be the one that takes us to the ER not once but probably numerous times. Guess I should just prepare myself now. It's hard. I just felt bad and a bit guilty.

Potty Time

Well, back in February I bought a potty at Target.It sings, it has stickers and it has lights and music. You never knew a potty could do so much. Too bad it can't wipe your hiney! Anyhow, Brooke had started to tell me, "Pee Pee". Well, we have had it in their bathroom and I haven't been real serious about potty training. The kids aren't even 2 yet. Trust me, I am not one of those moms ready to go out and tell the world that I have a super baby who can pee early. No way.

Anyhow, there have been some times where the kids have been naked and they have peed. One time I had Brooke on the potty and told her to go before we got into the motorhome shower. She must have sat there for 5 minutes. I put her in the shower and in the process of me getting undressed, I hear her say, "pee pee." Sure enough, urine on the shower floor. Better there than the carpet. A good story on Kyle is that he was standing in the bathroom while I was drying Brooke off afte a bath. I swear to God it scared him cuz the pee shot right out and hit the side of the tub. I just laughed. Not very nice but it was hysterical to see the look of bewilderment on his face.

So here sits the potty in the bathroom. Well, the other night, Kyle hits it out of the park. When i am here by myself with the kids and it's bath night, I leave Kyle on the potty with a book(I swear I am training him to be an old man on the pot with a newspaper!). Thank you very much Erin for the great idea. They can only read those books when they are on the potty. So, Kyle has his..of course...Elmo book about going potty. I take Brooke into the bedroom to get her a diaper and some PJ's. I come back to the bathroom to get Kyle and the floor around the potty is wet. I am a bit confused. I lift him up and there is the pee in the potty. I made such a big deal about it the kid probably thought I was nuts! Needless to say, I picked up the rugs and put them in the wash and got him dressed. Stupid mommy forgot to turn on the potty so the lights, bells and whistles would go off when he went. You'd think I would've learned from that time but I didn't. A few days later, I am again single mommy and I do the exact same thing. Come back and Kyle has done it again. Way to go BOO! Here I bought a $30 potty to not use the best part of it. Here are some pictures of the kids on their potties. I ended up buying another one since they started fighting over the one I had. They both wanted to sit on it at the same time. Go figure.

ELMO

I have decided that since the kids are a bit nutsy about Elmo, I am going to do their 2nd birthday party in an Elmo theme. I now understand why moms can have selective hearing. The kids and I are in the car the other day headed to wherever and all I can hear from the back seat is, "Elmo, airplane, Elmo, airplane, Elmo, airplane." No wonder I walk around singing kid songs.

Anyhow, I got to stay home with the kids due to childcare issues so I decided to do a trial run of these cupcakes. I got the idea online about making Elmo cupcakes. I thought that would be really cute for the kids to have their own separate cupcake sort of like their own 1st birthday cake. I just really also want to have a small get together and not something really over the top. We can save that until their 16! Anyhow, here is a picture of my cupcakes....the red could be a little redder and the stupid Necco candies only have ONE pair of white in the package. I have to find something else that will work for his eyes. Other than that, i think they turned out really cute. Kyle got up first from his nap so when I brought him downstairs, I showed him the cupcakes. I asked him who it was. He told me, "bucket." HUH? I asked him again and i got the same answer. I was a bit disappointed. I thought, well, they sort of look like Elmo. Brooke gets up awhile later and i do the same thing. I bring her to the cupcakes and ask, who is it baby girl? She says, "Elmo!" Thank God. I am no June Cleaver nor am I Betty Crocker but I thought it would be fun to make the kids these for their birthday. It was a fun day to be with the kids and not be at work.

I took some pictures with the kids and a cupcake. I told them to not touch it until after I took a picture. Brooke listened...Kyle just couldn't wait to dive into it. We did eventually eat it however Brooke didn't want to eat Elmo. She just kept saying, Elmo. I tried to explain that it was a cupcake and that we could eat him. No dice.