In preperation for summer

I have been doing a lot of planning. I have a lot on the schedule so far. I figure I better have a plan early or we'll spend all summer sitting in front of the stupid t.v. I found a lot of things to do around town that run free/discount admission on certain weekdays. I also found a few festivals to go to. We will go to Ohio for two weeks in June, which will also include the annual trip to Niagara Falls, Canada. I wanted to go to D.C. also but we just don't have enough time. It's about an 8 hour drive from my parent's and with the boys we would really need a couple of days. Canada is a day trip for us. I signed him up for swim lessons for two weeks in July. They are through the city and much cheaper then the class he was enrolled in at the university.

This weekend is the Earth Day celebration downtown. I decided we will venture down. I haven't been downtown by myself with the boys so it will be an adventure, especially since it will be very crowded. The week after he has a 2k run (walk, run, same thing lol) and we're going to attend the annual butterfly festival. It seems like a lot for us since we usually do NOTHING. I realized that sucks and I have to be a better parent in that regard.

James got his report card and he's doing well. His behavior grade stayed at an S so he is just fine! I decided to let him ride the bus. You shoulda seen us yahoo's waiting for the bus. We left the house 25 minutes before the bus was scheduled to arrive and the bus stop is right in front of our condo. It was cold so by the time the bus got there, five minutes behind schedule, my flip flopped feet were numb and James' nose was bright red. We did better this morning and only waited 15 minutes. The bus was still five minutes behind so tomorrow we will only leave 10 minutes early. I paid close attention to what time the other kids started trickling out and 10 seems to be the magic number. I got James a watch and every minute (literally) he yells out the time. At 7:49 it was "MOMMMMM it's 7:49 and the bus isn't here!!!!!" I thought he was going to have a panic attack. I told him to give it a few more minutes. It was a really hard decision to let him ride the bus. It's just one more step on his journey to Independence. It's hard letting go of my baby even though I have another one in my arms. James will be 7 years old this year and I wish I could stop time in it's tracks.

Christopher is 3 months old now. Sleeping at night better. But the books were wrong. Christopher is not like every other child. He doesn't like going to bed at 6 or 7 pm. If we put him down he wakes up as if he were just taking a nap. He goes to bed around 8pm and will sleep until 12 or 1, which is considered "sleeping through the night" yeah I know what you're thinking! He still gets up twice for feedings but he was getting up four times so we're making progress. He rolls over once in awhile and "talks" up a storm. He is also very smiley, very drooley and loves to eat his fist. He won't take a Binky anymore.

James and I are well. He's throwing me a birthday bash on the 3rd. It just so happens that my birthday falls on a saturday this year. I sent out actual invitations and he is doing all the planning. He's so cute!


Christopher's Easter Photo






Christopher at 3 months (we had this taken yesterday)

My deals of the week :)

The Garnier Products had $2 off coupons @ Target. I got my conditioner for 99 cents. And I grabbed a few of the coupons for next time :)

This week cereal was bogo @ publix. By also using my coupons I got 6 boxes of cereal for $4.50. This was a good week for Bogo's. Almost all of my pantry items were on sale.

We got a new stroller on sale too. When I registered my brain fritzed and I registered for the graco snugride stroller. It's awesome. You just set the car seat in on the super lightweight frame and away you go. The only problem is what do you do when the baby grows out of the infant carseat? I didn't think of that!!! I just loved it because it was small and compact, perfect for my trunk. The stroller we had with James was so bulky and I didn't want to go that route again. So we got the Graco Vie4 Stroller in the Little Lamb pattern.
It was on sale for $80 @ Target and you can attach the car seat to this one as well. It's a medium size with an adjustable handle. James likes it because it can raise up to suit his height. The seat fully reclines and the sunshade and basket are nice and big. We've only had it for a day but so far so good.

I wouldn't have bought it this early since Christopher is nowhere near too big for the carseat but we are going to Ohio this summer and if didn't think it would be easy to maneuver two kids and the seat and frame.

A milestone met

The baby rolled over. We were lying in my bed, the two boys and I, and in a blink he was on his back. He didn't have that startled look some babies get. I assume it's because he was on my bed and not the floor. It makes for a softer landing. He did it once more and then was done with tummy time. I have had my camera with me for days just in case and today it was downstairs. We'll have to try again later. He is also scooting himself around his crib. He kicks and pushes and can turn himself in all directions. I don't remember little J doing that. He never scooted or crawled just went straight to walking.

Today we are going to the library, the pool, and then picking up the pottery we made while the family was here. J is super excited to get his turtle back. He was not happy about having to leave it at the shop for a week. I am sure he will be thrilled with the end result.

We have a schedule

5:45 Christopher starts to whine
6:00 Bathtime
6:30 Bottle
7:00 Bed

Even though we do it every night it's not getting any easier. As soon as the lights dim and the bottles gone the boy is awake, squirming, and screaming. I have read 3 different books with 3 different approaches, bits and pieces from each have helped but none of them has been the "cure."

**I refuse the "cry it out" method because it's just not nice. I can't imagine how I would feel after screaming and sobbing for an hour or so until I caught on that no one cares or so it seems since no one will come soothe me.**

Anyway. back to tonight. Christopher cried for about thirty minutes total. I would go in periodically and burp him. His eyes were swollen and he was so miserable. I calmed him and laid him down but didn't rock him to sleep. This last time I stood next to the crib. He had stopped crying but wasn't budging on the sleep part. I rubbed his little nose until his eyelids were to heavy and every few minutes or so he would open his eyes WIDE. I smiled once and he smiled back. Hmmm, I thought, does he know that I just smiled? So I tried it a few more times. Every time I smiled he smiled. If I didn't smile neither did he. I thought it was pretty darn cute. Eventually the little bugger fell asleep.

He has his days and nights mixed up. He's been this way since in utero. I am a third shift kinda girl as well so I can relate. He gets up about every 3-4 hours during the night but it's not that bad. I get enough time in between to feel OK in the morning. I have tried to change his little biological clock but it's not working. I figure until it happens naturally, if ever, we'll just hang out and smile at each other......

We've had a busy month

I went to get my permanant crown placed. It didn't fit, the dentist didn't like it, after an hour of fiddling she decides it needs to be recast. After three attempts with the goopy mold crap I finally got out of the chair and collected Chris from the receptionist. In the middle of it all he woke up and would not settle down in his car seat and she was nice enough to play with him. I am sure she didn't mind. I went back today, with both kids in tow, and this one was fine. They did do a lot of fiddling but it worked out and didn't take as long.

The family came and visited last week. My sister made us go to every nature preserve imaginable. We had a good time but there was no relaxation. She doesn't really get it since she doesn't have kids but it's not easy with my two and my other sister's three. They get tired, fussy, whiny, hungry, bored, etc....... But we survived and had a great time.

Little J is on spring break this week. We haven't done much. I took him to Chuck E Cheese and we're headed to the pool in a few. Tomorrow he wants to go to the pond at the mall. We have one of the Simon Mall outdoor malls and it has a very lovely "center court" with a koi pond. James loves to watch the fish and search for turtles.

He goes back to school on monday and they have a fieldtrip to the zoo. It's also the last nine week grading period. Where did the year go? I can't believe first grade is almost over!

I'll be back in a few.