A Sneak Peak!!!

When this little face asks numerous times a day..."When my walls be pink"...it's hard to resist!

I was going to wait until July and redo her room as a birthday present, but her persistence is paying off! The paint has been purchased, and fabrics picked out! It's in the works!!! Here is a sneak peak...finished product to come!

Yep...she picked it, and it's as vibrant as it looks!!!

These pieces of fabric are the inspiration for her room! One black wall with various sized circles...and the others will be pink, pink, pink! She is SOOOOOOO excited and can't understand why we can't snap our fingers and have it done! If only!!!

I'm WAY too old for this!

Staying up all night that is! Yep, you read right...Saturday night I never went to bed. Well...I actually laid my head on my pillow at 5:30am, only to wake up 2 hours later, so if that counts!!!


What was the occasion you ask??? Kevin's 30th Birthday! Not just a birthday party though...a White Trash Redneck bash rather! The house was decorated with Nascar posters, Beer Cans, Christmas lights, and the like! The table was loaded with Pork & Beans, Cheese Whiz, Spam and a very lovely Ding Dong, Twinkie, HoHo cake! The company we kept was, well, unique!


All in all we had a fantastic time, though a 5:30 bedtime was not in the plans!



Here is just a glimpse at the party...check out the Facebook link at the bottom for the rest of the album!!!

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=139977&id=655928868&l=5e0cf958d1

All We Need is One...

...one little break in the rain...one little break in the clouds...one little ray of sunlight, and we're outside!!! Hello my ole' friend sunshine...I've missed you, and so have the kids!!!

Cut From the Same Cloth???

One of the things I really enjoy about having two kids, is seeing their differences and similarities as they grow up. I'm sure if you are someone with 3, 4, 5 or even more kids...you see these differences several times over!

I however get to enjoy them on my two...and they are truly like Night and Day! There are similarities here and there...but for the most part...they are way too different to be cut from the same cloth! People are always asking me about the things they like and dislike, so I thought I'd finally gather my thoughts and write it all down! My memory won't be around forever, and I'm starting to think it's already beginning to slip...

So...before I forget which kid I had first, and whose middle name is who...Here are a few of the differences I love...or rather loath at times...in no particular order:

Kallen LOVES bread! Pasta, rice, potatoes...basically anything with carbs are also on his list, but only second to the bread! Meat is actually the furthest thing down on his list of favorites, and will only get consumed if he's being force fed! Kynlee on the other hand only eats meat! Meat, meat, meat! I have found them trading plates during dinner when they eat finish their favorite parts! Pretty clever if you ask me, though not allowed in our house. "Always take a Thank You bite kids!!!"

Kallen has to have his food separated, where Kynlee tends to mix hers all up together! Casseroles are not Kals thing, and he's just assume not eat if things aren't in their own little places on the plate! Kynlee just picks through what she wants and doesn't want!

Kallen wants juice or water, and Kynlee wants Milk! Both will settle for chocolate milk if it's available however!

I sometimes give the kids a bowl of "trail mix" if you will, and Kallen eats the chocolate chips and nuts, but leaves the marshmallows. Kynlee eats the marshmallows and leaves the chocolate!

Both only eat the tops of cupcakes, don't care for cookies much, and would devour a bowl of ice cream...though only if sharing from daddy's bowl!

For the most part, Kallen is cautious and Kynlee is a daredevil!

Kallen doesn't really have an opinion about much, and I'm not sure this is anything that Kynlee doesn't have an opinion about. Kallen does seem to care however if Kynlee is persisant about doing something in particular...then of course he wants to do the opposite!

Kallen can play quietly by himself for hours, while Kynlee needs the attention and wants someone right there with her.

Kallen doesn't like bubbles in the bath, Kynlee does!

Putting Kallen in a time out in his room crushes his little soul and he acts out even worse. Spankings get the point across and tend to keep him from repeating behavior. Spankings Crush Kynlee's soul, while timeouts in her room work like a champ! Both seem to be embarrassed, and removed from the situation enough when they have to "put their nose on the wall", so that seems to be the punishment of choice these days!

Kallen is shy around strangers, Kynlee not so much! Talking to someone she's never met before would be the highlight of her day...and she tells them anything and everything under the sun...truly!!! Along the same lines; Kallen was a bit shy and nervous on his first day of school, while Kynlee hung up her coat, grabbed her watter bottle, and strutted into the room, looking back yelling "peace out mom"!

Kallen likes order (he gets that from his mommy), and Kynlee likes to distroy his "order"!

Oh...and both kids are OBSESSED with the color Pink! Actually...Kynlee is OBSESSED with it, while Kallen is just obsessed with wanting whatever Kynlee has or wants. The idea that the second born tends to follow the first born around isn't always the case in our house. Kynlee pretty much rules the place, though Kallen tries!

Things are pretty "dramatic" ...on both sides...which always adds an interesting dynamic to playtime's. Kynlee cries if Kallen says something mean to her, which he does just because it bothers her, and Kallen cries when Kynlee takes his toys, which she does just because it bothers him! See a pattern!

Well, I'm sure there are more things, but like I said...my memory is escaping me right now! So I'll leave you with those things for now!!!

We love our little munchkins...and the things that make them different from each other, make them unique...and definitely rounds out our family quite nicely if I do say so myself!

Just a Little Place We Call "Cafe Kynlee"

I'm a HUGE fan of a little home decorating store called Real Deals! It's a pretty great place if you like little trinkets and doodads and don't like spending a fortune on them. Not to mention the great country and rustic furniture they sell as well. Speaking of which...While spending New Years at the cabin with Kevin's side of the family, us ladies decided to take a trip into town to visit Real Deals. You see, we have one here in town, and they have one on that side of the mountain as well! The one "over there" is bigger, and seems to have more furniture, so it's always a treat to visit and see what is different. We walked in and saw this adorable little table. I've been looking for a table for Kynlee's room, but just assumed I would find a small wooden KidKraft table or something. The adorable red wrought iron table, caught my eye...but not enough to look much further. We walked through the store a couple of times, and all ended up with a little somethin' somethin'! I had a few candles, a mini rustic chair, and a sign for Kynz's room! As I was leaving...that darn table pulled me back in! I decided to go ahead and get it, and was surprised to find that it was even 30% off...bonus!

Now isn't this the most adorable little bistro table you've ever seen?


and even cuter with two little munchkins and their baby dolly having a tea party!

Tea parties are daily occurrences in our house ever since my mom and dad got Kynlee a Tea set for Christmas...but the table makes them all the more sweet!

The bottom line is...Kynlee LOVES her table, and it was a good purchase, though she informed me the other day that I shouldn't have gotten red...but instead pink. Her room has been ladybugs ever since she was born, and just recently she's beginning to have an opinion. She told me she wants everything in her room pink...not red. Well who knew. It probably is time for a change, so maybe she'll get her "pink" room in July as a birthday present??? I'm already throwing some ideas around, though it's quite obvious that she will be decorating herself. I guess I'll just stick with decorating Kallen's room, at least he doesn't seem to have an opinion yet!

It Your Dog is Using the Pillow...

...Use your dog!!!

It Really Sucks When...

...you can only drink this all day...

...and not only did you have to bake these yesterday, but you've got leftovers sitting on your counter from a baby shower you hosted last night...

...and you've got the amazing smell of Chicken Stroganoff filling your house all day in this...

then...you've got your son telling your daughter "repeat after me sissy...Jesus 'Jesus' is 'is' the 'the' son 'son' of 'of' God 'God"..."Good, again"...Jesus 'Jesus'...............and you know everything is how it's supposed to be!!!

Momma Needa a Whole Lotta Willpower

As a new year is upon us, many things begin fresh and new! Every year I think of resolutions that only end a few days after I begin them! I have good intentions, but no willpower. No willpower to finish something I start when it gets a little hard, no willpower to not eat, when I've resolved to lose some weight, etc. etc. Well...this year is hopefully going to be different!

2010:
* Play more with my kids
* Eat more fruits and veggies...okay, just eat better...I truly eat junk
* Go on a date with Kevin at least once a month
* and...dare I officially say it...yup, to run a half marathon! This from the NON runner!!! I will run 13+ miles in June, when I can barely run 2 miles now...I can do it, I can do it, I WILL do it!!!

Play more with the kids, and dates nights with Kevin...those should be fun! Eating better, and running a half marathon...not so fun! Insert Willpower!!!

Speaking of willpower. We are participating in a week of prayer and fasting...Sunday through Sunday! If there is anytime for willpower, now is the time! We're going on 34 hours...only 134 more hours to go!!!

Slightly Addicting

Kevin has always been a video game "junkie"!!! He has had almost every gaming unit, from the original Nintendo, to his current favorite, the Playstation 3! I on the other hand have not. Every once in a while as kids, we were allowed to rent a Nintendo from the video game store, or we'd enjoy playing at friends houses, but owning a unit...we never did! Anyways...Now that I've been married to Kevin, I get to enjoy a video game every now and again! The only problem is...Kevin likes sports games! We've got football, basketball, golf, etc. etc.! I on the other hand enjoy the "Donkey Kongs" and "Mario Bros" of the gaming world, but no such luck for those games in our house!

So...when the Wii came out, I talked Kevin into getting one, thinking a break from the "Madden" games might be kind of nice! We played it for a bit, truly enjoying a friendly boxing match here and there, and I even got a Wii fit! It was fun and we played it often! Then...we began to do other things, watch different TV programs, and surf the Internet. Our Wii and beloved Playstation3 began to collect dust!!!

It wasn't until recently when the guys at Kevin's work, got him the Tiger Woods golf game for the PS3, that the machine got dusted off, and came to life again! Kallen even picks up the controller every now and again, and is quite the little golfer!!! So...all that to say, that we were in Best Buy the other day, and I saw Super Mario Bros. Wii, and memories of the old school Nintendo game started flooding back! I handed it to Kevin saying let's buy this! He just laughed and said..."no way...the only games worth playing are sports games"! I said "Well, I guess it will be my game then," and we went ahead and bought it!


That night I played my Mario Bros on our little mini TV, while Kevin played Tiger Woods on the big TV (I know...we're hard up on a Saturday night)! Anyways...it wasn't long before Kevin had turned off his game and we were playing Mario 2 player! We haven't laughed that hard in a long time, and couldn't stop playing. We went late into the night laughing, joking, yelling, and trying to pass levels that Kevin once could pass with his eyes closed!!! It was fun, to say the least!

Every night after that, I found myself laying on the living room floor, squinting at the little TV, getting my Mario fix! I was hooked! Then lying on the floor wasn't fun anymore, so I took the Wii into our bedroom, and there it has remained! I typically go to bed around 9:30 these days, though I don't actually turn off the lights and call it a night until midnight or so! Kevin plays his Tiger woods for a while, then comes in and joins me on Mario! We haven't gone to bed before Midnight in the last week and I pay for it in the morning! It's slightly addicting I tell you, and it couldn't be more fun!!!

Excited x2!!!

Excited doesn't do the emotion justice, that Kynlee is feeling about the fact that she got to start school this week!!! Yep...my baby girl is in Pre-school, and she couldn't be more proud of herself! In fact...On Wednesday (her second day of school), she came to me fully dressed, with shoes and a jacket on, and asked me to put a ribbon in her hair. She then proceeded to stand against the front door and wait until we left. Wait for an hour until we left that is! I kept telling her that we weren't leaving for quite a while and maybe she'd like to come sit or something! But she ever so politely informed me that she was okay, and that she was a big girl now and ready for school! So I left her alone!


Kallen on the other hand waited until 5 minutes before we had to leave, and informed me that he is a Warrior, and that warriors don't wear clothes to school!

I did in fact tame the warrior, get him dressed and out the door with minutes to spare! Although the school encourages independence, I'm not too sure they would appreciate said independence in this case!

So...Here is our little girl on her first (okay...second, though this is the only time you'll hear me admit that I forgot to take pictures of her on her actual first) day of school!

I Promise to be Better!!!

One of my Resolutions this year, is to blog more! I know, I know...I'm off to a bit of a rough start, since here we are 1 week after the New Year, and this is my first post! I promise to be better!

Anyways...If you'll take excuses...I think about blogging all the time! I'm constantly saying to myself..."I should post about that", or laughing at something the kids do or say and think "I need to write that down so I don't forget"...I just don't get around to it, and by the time I do, It's old news! Once again...I promise to be better!!!

Take for example the very "heated" debate dear sweet Kynlee and I had just yesterday about whether or not 1 itty bitty wadded up square of toilet paper was sufficient enough to properly "clean" her after using the toilet! Toilet paper seems to be an issue in many houses, though the issue of needing to use less of it, seems to be the theme! Well, not in our house. Kynlee is very independent as many of you know, and using the bathroom is something she is very proud to do by herself! She does however lack modesty, and tends to do her business with the door wide open, bearing all for anyone and everyone to see! Well...yesterday, I happened to walk by as I noticed Kynlee grabbing, ripping, and wadding one...yes...one square of toilet paper. She then proceeded to wipe herself (about 10 times if you really must know) with the now pee saturated little bit of TP! I simply offered some advice that maybe using a couple more squares might do the trick a little better next time...and oh boy...mistake! We had finger pointing, yelling, tears, and a very heartfelt explanation as to why 1 square is just perfect and she can do it by herself! In a very matter of fact, straight and to the point tone, I was asked to "stop talking at me, go out, and shut door mommy...I big girl"!

Those are the moments that I like to blog about. Not because I think you are all just dying to hear about the good ole' times in our bathroom, but because I know my memory will fail me some day, and these are the things I really don't ever want to forget!

So...here's to 201o...I Promise to be a Better Blogger!!!