Thankful Thursday- 9

I know its been a while since I've clued everyone in on the things I am thankful for, but I'm back and ready to type. =)
So this week I am thankful for...

81. That the new seasons of all my favorite shows have started finally!
82. For a brand new computer! (Thanks Ryan!)
83. Gabriella's appetite.
84. A friend that will stay at my house with my sleeping boy until five in the morning, while I take my baby girl to the ER. (Thanks Allison!)
85. My mom that never fails to try and calm me when things are not going the way I planned.
86. A very very understanding husband.
87. Max's song and dance routines he does for me.
88. My ability to plan for the future.
89. That I ended up with a son and a daughter, if we never have any more kids it'll be okay.
90. That Ryan and I have known each other long enough and have accepted each others differences. I love the peace that we have with each other.

So what are thankful for this week? Don't forget to link up over at The Tarr Pit!!
Talk to you soon,
J

Guess Who's Back!

So I think it's been at least a month since I last blogged. I wish I could say I've been non stop busy but really...I haven't. I have just been lapping up the little time that I get with my husband (who works so so hard for his family), and really enjoying being a stay at home mommy. When Ryan has a day off we are out and about, shopping, playing at the parks, and just spending time with our kids. And when he is at work the kids and I hang out and just play together.
So some updates on the kiddies!
Maximus is doing amazing in school. He had a rough start with a slight kick to the face on accident by a little girl and ended up with a black eye. Then the next day he bonked his head on the jungle gym, and the next day a little boy threw a toy dinosaur at him. My poor guy, hes just so accident prone...except for that mean little boy, that was no accident. =/ He is learning more and more everyday and I couldn't be prouder. I feel like I say that quite often but I mean it...every time I feel proud its even more than the time before! Also he is officially out of the T sized clothes! I hadn't thought much about the size of the jeans he already had because I always buy clothes at the end of seasons when they go on sale, but I guess at the end of last winter when I was buying I must have under-estimated the size he would be by the time school started...because the 5T's were too short for him. Sooo our little buddy Chace got a bunch of jeans for himself and Max got some new size 6's from the little boys section of the store!
Gabriella is also doing really well!! She is about 15lbs and 26 inches according to her 9 month check up a few days ago. She is soooo full of personality! She stands completely on her own, with no help from us or the couches or anything! She has taken two steps only BUT I know shes going to be walking any day now! She says Dada, Baba, and occasionally Mama. She only drinks from cups with straws and will not drink from a bottle. Overall shes great. She keeps us laughing right along with her best friend...Max! She follows him everywhere he goes!! I love that they get along soooo good =) and Max has so much patience with her, its amazing.
As for Ryan and I, we are still as happy as ever. We are saving up money to make our way to Jamaica! Ryan is working a lot of overtime to make it even easier for us to get there! He just bought me a new desktop computer (which I'm writing this blog from as we speak)!! I've been asking for one for a while now and he finally got it!! I have been watching new shows when I have time. I watched every season of Desperate Housewives and LOVED it! And I recently started watching Glee!
So now that you're all caught up with us I'll leave you with a picture!!

Talk to you soon,
J

One Week Down...Don't Know How Many To Go.

Max's first week of school is officially over!
AND it was a success!!
The first day was a little rocky...due to my inability to let someone else take control, but by the third day I caved in. The second day he scraped his elbow on the playground and the fourth day he sang me some songs he's learned. Today he brought home a picture he colored...of an alien and a meteor. Overall the three hours that he is gone may not seem like very much but there is a big difference in the house when we're all here and he isn't. I can't imagine what it will feel like when both of the kids are gone all morning and it's just Ryan and I here!
I love this program BUT I have one complaint. Now I understand why they have this rule but it really broke my heart. We cannot bring home made treats for the kids for birthday parties or the holiday parties. Everything has to be store bought. I have always always always looked forward to baking heart shaped cupcakes for Valentines Day and cupcakes with all the kids names on them for Max's birthday and other neat treats for the parties. So naturally when I learned of this I almost cried. I am really hoping when he starts kindergarten at a different school that they'll have different rules and I'll be able to do everything I have been waiting to do!!
Just wanted to update you all!
Talk to you soon,
J

Thankful Thursdays-8

I am thankful...

71. That Max LOVES his school.
72. That I didn't have a mental break down when I left him at the school for the first time.
73. That my husband doesn't mind if I skip cleaning for one day. =)
74. That one of my best friends (Allison) has come back, I really missed her.
75. That Gabriella has started trying to talk, we've gotten DaDa and baba clearly but other words are slightly jumbled in that wonderful baby talk.
76. That I have never had to really buy Max clothes. There is ALWAYS someone buying him some. =)
77. That my kids have inspired wonderful change in my life. I am forever grateful to them.
78. For parents that teach their kids manners.
79. That safety rules for kids in the car have changed...for the better.
80. For the rare times when Max falls asleep in my arms.

What are you thankful for this week?
Talk to you soon,
J

Do Something Good!

I am not really sure if this drive is happening like EVERYWHERE or if it's just in my town BUT keep a look out for flyers for a back pack drive! There are thousands of kids that go every school year without back packs and other school necessities. One back pack can really really help a kid in need. It may not seem like much but with the prices of back packs almost doubling from even when I was in high school there are some parents that aren't able to afford them. So right now with the sales of school supplies going on is a great time to buy one and donate it! So When I went shopping for Max's back pack I picked up two that I thought he would like, asked him to pick his favorite, and then told him we were going to give the other to another little boy in need and he was totally fine with it! And after school today I took him with me to WalMart to pick up a bunch of supplies to fill the back pack with. I literally bought one of almost everything they had that I could think of that an elementary aged kid would need and I didn't even spend more than $20.00. The back pack was on clearance for $11.00 at Target. So I would suggest you look into this...or just look out for other drives for the kids in your community. Our drop off for these are at our police station just in case anyone from my town is thinking about participating. You don't have to buy the supplies but, why not spend five more dollars if you can?

So theres 2 folders, 2 notebooks, a package of paper, a composition notebook, colored pencils, glue sticks, crayons, black and red pens, a stretchy book cover, calculator, highlighters, scissors, glue, and a 24 pack of regular pencils.

Talk to you soon,
J

The Day Has Come...

To say good bye to my first born's toddler years and hello to his school age years! I have 13 more years of first days of school with him left and this was probably the hardest first day of all. I surprisingly didn't cry but I did get a little flustered as we were leaving thinking about if he was going to have any separation issues...but he didn't. He just said bye to Ryan and I and went back to talking to his new buddy. So today isn't a sad day for me. It's a day filled with joy and pride that for the first three years of his life I raised an awesome little boy all by myself and since then Ryan has been by my side making him even more awesome!!

The backpack he chose =) He loves Buzz Lightyear!

He was trying to make a P for preschool!
So cute!!















Talk to you soon,
J

YUMMMMY SEAFOOD!

My oldest little brother Hugo (22) came down from Northern California a few days ago to spend some time with all of us! He has lived about 12 hours away from us for the last four years!! He moved up there to attend Humboldt State University with his then girlfriend (now wife). Because he lives so far away we only see him like twice a year, so for him to come here for five days is a big deal for us. So my mom (once again knowing her kids all too well) decided to do one of our favorite things and cook a huge seafood feast! She steams crab legs, boils shrimp, and always makes corn on the cob, and this time she made some garlic bread (Hugo loves it) and also made some pigs in a blanket for my picky little Maximus. These happen to be my moms favorite times. Whenever all four of her kids (and now 2 grandkids) are in the same place together, she is happy as can be. So it was me, Ryan, Max, GiGi, my brother Andrew (17), brother Matthew (16), Hugo, his best friend and long time family friend Scott, and my Moma and it was amazing! We ate, we joked, we laughed, and we just had a good time. Hugo goes home in a few days and we'll have to wait a few months before we see him again which sucks, we're grown ups now and our lives have taken us miles apart but hes ALWAYS in my heart. Like my rhyme? =)
So here are some pictures of our seafood night!!

Hugo, Scott, Ryan and GiGi, and Matthew.

Hugo and Scott with some crab legs.

Scott and Ryan being silly.

Scott and Ryan talking.
Matthew and Max waiting for everyone to sit down.

From left to right; Andrew, Mom, Hugo, Scott, GiGi, Ryan, Matthew. Max was on the ground next to Matthew.

=D

Eating

Thank goodness for self timer or else you'd never know I was there!!

The remnants!




Talk to you soon,
J